Hi, this is Wayne again with a topic “Best Mini 4k Drone – DJI Mini 3 Pro vs DJI Mini 2”.
What is up folks? This is waj from mw technology and today we’re going to be taking a look at the dji mini 3. Pro we’ve been testing it all summer, long been having a lot of fun with it and it packs a lot of punch and a small, relatively pocket friendly form factor, and it’s pretty much the evolution that we’ve been seeing from the dji drone, where the capabilities grow. Larger and larger and larger matching the ones of the higher end larger drones, but in a smaller and smaller design for some footnotes, the mini 3 can record 4k hdr video as well as 4k at 60fps. It has intelligent flight capabilities, including tri-directional obstacle avoidance, as well as things like active track and master shots. In addition to the fact that the flight time is rated for up to 34 minutes and granted with those core specifications actually very similar to the mavic air 2s, which does have a slightly larger cmos chip, as well as the ability to record 5.4 k which isn’t Available on the mini 3, but given that i think the mini 3 actually has some inherent advantages over the air 2s, mainly the fact that it is a lot more compact form factor weighs almost half as much while still having relatively the same video performance. In addition to the fact that it has vertical video capabilities, as well as a slightly longer flight time, in addition to that, the mini 3 also comes at a cheaper price point when you buy the air 2s new at around 24, less. That, of course, is well and good and perhaps can justify the 760 dollar cost of the base model of the mini 3 pro. But how does actually compare it to my favorite compact drone ever, which was the dji mini 2, which you could typically find for around the 400 mark and at surface level, has a lot of the same capabilities and features of the mini 3, which might not make The upgrade worth it, but before we get into that, we definitely have to thank our sponsor skillshare that made this content possible. Now, if you don’t already, skillshare is one of the biggest online learning communities out there with a wide range of topics ranging from personal growth management as well as business and creative endeavors skillshare is an excellent way to level up your existing skills, get inspired or even Learn something new with thousands of existing classes, as well as new premium classes being added each week to the site.
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Firstly, when it comes to the overall design and pocket friendly nature of the drone, you can see that the mini 3 pro has grown slightly coming from the mini 2. in the folded position. The mini 3 measures around 145 by 90 by 62 millimeters mini 2, was around 140 by 82 by 57 millimeters. That roughly means in terms of volume. The mini 3 is about 20 percent larger than the previous iteration. That’S, of course, understandable, given the fact that we do have a lot more technology crammed into the mini 3. But what’s really impressive is that the mini 3 and the mini 2 weigh around the same at less than 249 grams.
Now, one of the big things that you’re paying for on the mini 3 is going to be the larger imaging sensor. It almost has a one inch size, cmos chip. In fact, it’s one over 1.3 inch.
That’S a lot larger than the half point. Three inch cmos chip found on the mini two that not only means that you’re going to get better low light performance and nighttime aerial videography, but as well as a greater dynamic range, not to mention. We also have a higher resolution count of 48 megapixel steels capabilities versus 12 megapixel stills on the mini 2.. Now, in terms of video recording capabilities, you can record up to 4k 60 fps as well as 4k hdr video on the mini 3 pro versus you’re limited to 30 fps at 4k resolution with the mini 2..
Now, of course, the usability of this aerial footage is going to really depend upon what application you’re, specifically using the drone for whether it’s more professional means, whether you’re going to be doing some color grading, and you need that greater latitude in that hdr, video and, of Course, the mini 3 is going to be more useful if you’re into sports or action aerial videography with that 60 fps capabilities, but if you’re a more casual user. You just want to capture your aerial perspective on vacation or anything like that. I think for most casual videographer and hobbyists, the mini 2 footage will be more than adequate.
Now, both drones are super easy to fly. They both have the exact same hover dynamics and flight capabilities with a maximum velocity speed, rated at 57.6 kilometers an hour in sport mode. The only real key differences are in terms of safety when it comes to obstacle avoidance system, as well as intelligent flight capabilities.
So when it comes to obstacle avoidance, we have a tri-directional obstacle avoidance system built into the mini 3, so we have sensors looking forward backwards and downwards versus on the mini 2. You only have sensors looking downward so in terms of autonomous flying capabilities as well as safety. The mini 3 definitely has an advantage there. Furthermore, when it comes to autonomous flight, specifically, the mini 3 is equipped with apas 4.0, which is dji’s advanced pilot assistance systems which allows the drone to actively find paths to avoid objects.
So you don’t get into a crash and also utilize. The latest iteration of actor track 4.0, spotlight, 2.0 and point of interest 3.0. In addition to that, you also have master shots capabilities where the drone will fly and shoot autonomously all to capture different aerial sequences, stitch them, together with a narrative in mind, there’s also been a decent amount of effort to make the mini 3 social media friendly in The fact that it could actually shoot vertical video where the camera gimbal actually rotates 90 degrees, making it perfect for uh portrait style videography for instagram tick, tock.
Things like that and the workflow has also been streamlined. Where you can instantly share your creations from the mini 3 directly from your drone to your smartphone, with a local wi-fi connection, with data transfer rates up to 25 megabits a second now. Lastly, when it comes to overall flight time and battery life according to dji, the mini 2 could get around 31 minutes on the standard battery vs.
The mini 3 can get about 34 minutes with the standard battery that it comes with, but dji claims that if you get the intelligent plus battery for the mini 3, you can get up to 47 minutes of flight time. That’S definitely impressive, if that’s the case, but in reality, after almost a decade of testing, dji drones, i’ve never actually gotten the claimed battery life or flight time. In most cases, you’re going to get anywhere between 70 to 80 of the claimed flight time. Since, when you’re out there in the real world you’re going to experience a lot of wind resistance, perhaps you’re going to go on a long distance flight and things can be a little bit unpredictable. But regardless to say, you can definitely get over 25 minutes on both drones without any major hurdles. Now, with those core differences i laid out, we come back to the question is: is it worth it to upgrade to the mini 3, especially if you already have a mini 2 or if you’re in the market, for a new compact form factor drone? Firstly, if you’re after the biggest bang for the buck new to drones, perhaps or coming from an older generation drone are looking for a 4k easy to fly.
Compact form factor area photography system. I think the mini 2 is still probably the best drone you can buy for under 450 dollars. Now the mini 3 from a packaging and feature set perspective, i think, is a real marvel in terms of the technology that it crams inside such a small compact form factor, given that it still isn’t as small as the mini 2 is still really impressive to see. For that 760 dollar mark you pretty much get hdr 4k video, 60 fps and full intelligent flight capabilities with advanced obstacle avoidance system. That’S never been seen before on any dji product, and i think it’s definitely the mid-range drone to have. But, of course i might be wrong, there might be another drone under the 760 dollar mark that offers better capabilities, perhaps in an even more compact form factor.
Definitely let me know if you have anything in mind but in the meantime check out the description for more details about everything we’ve talked about and also make sure to check out our sponsor skillshare that made this content possible. Without them. We wouldn’t be able to make this stuff happen and uh really big. Thank you to you guys for continuing to support the channel, subscribing and making sure that you have post notifications turned on and are liking our videos. We’Ll see you real soon in the next one and take care .