(light upbeat music)
♪ You're so pretty when you're on your knees ♪
♪ Caroline ♪
♪ I forgive you ♪
- All right, I'm not going to lie.
When I saw that the DJI Mini 3 Pro was announced,
I got the same feeling you did.
FOMO, fear of missing out.
It's normal and it happens every time
something new comes out,
whether it be a phone,
a camera, a car, or whatever.
We all get it.
And I'm going to tell you another truth.
I actually didn't buy this drone.
I got it from a friend for this video
just to see what the hype was about.
Now, I've been using
the Mavic Air 2S since launch
and I do a pretty good job
of skipping updates every year.
Before the 2S,
I actually had the original Air.
Before that, I had the Phantom 4.
And before that, I had the original Phantom.
Yes, the first one.
And I remember going to HobbyTown USA
and getting it rigged out
with Zenmuse Gimbal and a GoPro HERO3.
I had no quick modes,
no obstacle avoidance,
no reliable FPV,
and had these whack ass LiPo batteries
that literally lasted three minutes.
Hell, it didn't even hover
in one spot by itself.
I know I went on a little tangent there real quick,
but I had to give you guys my resume
and let you know
how good we have it nowadays.
All right, so I decided to take
both my Mavic Air 2S and the Mini 3 Pro
up the mountain during blue hour
at about 4:30 a.m.
to get some test footage and photos.
And the main feature that intrigued me
was the ability to switch
to vertical orientation,
which, I'll admit,
is extremely useful when taking photos.
Being able to frame your photo in camera
instead of having to crop it in post
is pretty dope.
Nowadays, with everyone posting
their photos and videos to Instagram,
being able to switch your drone
to portrait mode
is actually pretty valuable.
And I've had this drone long term.
I can see myself taking more aerial photos
than I currently do.
And when comparing the photos
between the two drones,
I can't say that I really see a difference
in sharpness or quality,
which is kind of a plus
to the Mini 3 Pro.
The Air 2S does capture 20 megapixel photos
with the one inch sensor.
Whereas the Mini 3 Pro
has a 12 megapixel camera,
and it also has a 48 megapixel mode
that uses pixel bending
to stitch together four
12 megapixel photos together.
But, like I said,
I couldn't really tell a difference in quality
in the photos that I took.
The only drawback to vertical mode
is the fact that it doesn't
currently work for quick modes and video.
It would be pretty dope
to get an orbit or an actor track
and vertical orientation
for social media content.
But I assume that's going to come
later on update.
I hope it does
because that adds so much more value
to this drone if it does.
One huge benefit that I noticed
after a few seconds of flying the Mini 3 Pro,
was the added range
on the camera pitch radius,
letting me film almost straight up.
That bottom-up angle
was something that's pretty new
for drone footage
that I could see myself using.
In the past,
the props would always get in the way
if you wanted to get that kind of shot.
So it's pretty dope.
Now when comparing the Mavic Air 2S
and the Mini 3 Pro,
I will say that the biggest game changer for me
is actually the new controller.
Not having to get my phone out
and attach it to the controller,
enabled me to get in the air quicker.
Not to mention the screen resolution is nice,
and it's pretty quick and responsive to touch.
I will say that the outdoor visibility
isn't that great when in direct sunlight.
So if you plan on flying
this thing on a sunny day,
I would find some shade
so you can actually see
your screen while you fly.
It's not a deal breaker,
especially for the price,
but I would assume that this controller
will be compatible
with the Mavic Air 2S very soon.
I mean that only makes sense.
I didn't attempt to pair it
to my Air 2S because
I did want to bind it
since I had to give it back
after the weekend.
Having the screen built
into the controller is nice,
but I will say that the battery
doesn't last nearly as long
as I thought it would.
Now, normally I don't give any thought
to when's the last time I charged my controller
because it lasts pretty well
in between flights.
But with this controller,
you're going to want to make sure
that you charge it after every single flight.
And another observation
I had while flying both
the Mini 3 and the Air 2S back to back,
was that I had a stronger connection
for GPS sidelights
and video transmission on my Air 2S.
Now both drones have Ocusync 3
so I could only assume that my phone cell
and GPS radios were doing
some of the heavy lifting
with finding satellites and video transmission.
Granted, if you're following the rules
and you're keeping your drone
within line of sight,
this shouldn't be an issue.
But you know,
when you're flying your drone,
it's easy to get carried away
and search for the best shot.
The biggest benefits of this drone
are its size and lightweight package.
Now there's less pressure
to take it wherever you go,
send it up in the air when you're on vacation,
or if you just want to joy ride it
around the neighborhood.
But given its size, it does sway
a bit more hovering in place
or flying into high winds.
Now I was on the top of a mountain,
which isn't a normal use case for Mini,
so take that into consideration.
Who is the Mini 3 Pro for?
Now I would say this drone
is actually for most people.
I was actually stopped while flying
over the weekend
by someone asking that question exactly.
Which drone should I get
if I want to take pictures and video,
and just have fun and get into it?
And the Mini 3 Pro
was the perfect recommendation.
Now, if you have no issue
using your phone to fly,
I would say,
save the money on the controller.
But if you want the ultimate convenience,
you can't really beat it.
Now I don't think this drone
is for anyone that's planning
on doing any professional or paid work.
From what I've heard online,
D-Log is out of the question
for this drone.
And although you do get 10-bit color,
you aren't getting the dynamic range
you get from there to us, with D-Log.
Now, for me, I plan on keeping
my Mavic Air 2S
because it checks all my boxes
and it gives me the extra bit
of quality for paid work.
I will say that when this controller comes out
and it's compatible with the Mavic Air 2S,
I will add it to my kit.
I honestly think that's the best combo,
the Air 2S with the new controller.
But if you don't currently have a drone
and you want to get into drone flying as a hobby
or even make some content
on YouTube or social media,
I'd say the Mini 3 Pro is your best bet.
Drone tech has come a long way
over the years.
And DJI has been at the forefront
of that innovation.
Now I know a lot of people are going
to be comparing the Mini 3 Pro
and that Mavic Air 2S,
but hopefully this video helped you
make some type of decision.
Until next time guys,
it's been a pleasure.
Stay fresh, peace.
(light upbeat music)