Friday, April 4, 2025

Which drone reigns supreme – the DJI Air 3S or the DJI Mavic 3 Professional?

When comparing the DJI Air 2S with other quadcopters on the market? When choosing a DJI Mavic 3 Professional, you’re not just picking a drone – you’re making a deliberate decision that reflects the very essence of your flying style and creative vision. The DJI drone range boasts two prominent models that excel in their unique aspects, offering distinct features tailored to various user needs and preferences.

The DJI Air 3S impresses with its remarkable portability and adaptability, establishing itself as a unique travel companion drone. Alternatively, the DJI Mavic 3 Professional boasts unparalleled image quality, engineered specifically for professionals demanding exceptional performance.

For those who prioritise image quality above all else – meaning other factors such as portability and value don’t significantly impact your decision – consider the DJI Mavic 3 Professional. To deliver an exceptionally well-rounded drone that excels in various aspects – including value, lightweight design, advanced obstacle avoidance, high-performance video transmission, and more. The DJI Air 2s

If you’re still curious about learning more about buying the DJI Air 2S versus. Determine whether the DJI Mavic 3 Professional is the right drone for your needs with this comprehensive review.

DJI Air 3S vs. The DJI Mavic 3 Professional boasts impressive specs, including a high-resolution camera with a 24mm wide-angle lens and 3x optical zoom.

Characteristic Winner
Air 3S
724g 958g Air 3S
214.19×100.63×89.17 mm 231.1×98×95.4 mm Air 3S
High-definition twin camera features a broad-angle sensor with a 1-inch CMOS sensor and a telephoto lens using a 1/1.3-inch CMOS sensor. Three high-quality cameras featuring a Hasselblad sensor with a 4:3 aspect ratio, a mid-range camera with a 1/1.3-inch sensor, and a long-range camera with a 1/2-inch sensor. Mavic 3 Professional
As much as 46 minutes As much as 43 minutes Air 3S
At speeds of up to 12 meters per second (26.8 miles per hour), Up to 12 metres per second, or approximately 26.8 miles per hour. Tie
Omnidirectional with forward-facing LiDAR Omnidirectional Air 3S
42 GB 8 GB Air 3S
O4 O3+ Air 3S

Flight capabilities

Drones are capable of handling wind speeds of up to 12 meters per second, a remarkably high level of effectiveness. While both models excel in navigating robust gusts and soaring to greater heights, they outshine their more affordable counterparts in the DJI Mini series by a significant margin. While sharing similar technical specifications, my assessment suggests that the Mavic 3 Professional’s enhanced stability during precise aerial operations stems from its slightly increased mass, which lends greater steadiness during complex flight sequences.

Strong gusts won’t faze these resilient drones. (Photograph by Hamilton Nguyen)

Drones typically feature automated return-to-home (RTH) options, allowing them to safely and efficiently regain their designated landing site upon command or in the event of a malfunction. Despite offering several upgrades, the latest DJI Air 3S features an enhanced intelligent Return-to-Home capability. With a sufficiently gentle external environment, the DJI Air 2S leverages real-time vision-based positioning and mapping technologies to accurately remember flight paths. While the technology operates optimally in bright conditions. When darkness falls, a unique breed of technology takes center stage. The forward-facing LiDAR sensor enables obstacle detection even in low-light conditions.

Observe as the Air 3S effortlessly navigates its controlled descent back to its designated dwelling point, precisely scheduled for 2:44 within this captivating video snippet.

Tie.

Measurement and portability

The Air 3S boasts a significantly reduced weight and dimensions, rendering it an incredibly portable option. When evaluating the Autel EVO II series for my aerial photography needs, I typically consider whether it offers a superior flying experience compared to the highly-regarded DJI Mavic 3 Professional.

Despite its professional-grade features and robust design, the Mavic 3 can still fold up neatly for easy transportation? While the DJI Air 3 may have an edge in terms of size, it’s still a notable achievement that our drone is measurably smaller by certain criteria? Notwithstanding the scale distinction between 958 grams and The weight of a single unit is approximately 724 grams for the Air 3S. Despite its seemingly modest weight, the item’s actual mass is 32% greater than expected, a disparity that could take its toll if carried for extended periods while traveling.

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Digicam high quality

Where the Mavic 3 Professional truly excels is right here. The smartphone boasts a cutting-edge triple-camera setup, featuring a 4/3-inch Hasselblad wide-angle sensor, which delivers exceptional image quality, impressive dynamic range, and precise colour accuracy. Additionally, this camera’s dual telephoto lenses offer unparalleled versatility for capturing cinematic-quality images, allowing users to frame and capture a wide range of scenes with precision and artistry. In case your No. Precedence lies in exceptional image quality, aligning perfectly with the DJI Mavic 3 Professional’s capabilities. This new smartphone boasts enhanced features with an added selection of options and a larger camera sensor, further elevating the photography experience.

Without being told, the Mavic 3 Professional offers filmmakers a dream come true by providing ProRes recording options and effortless integration with professional workflows seamlessly.

Here is the rewritten text: The DJI Air 3S remains a standout with its impressive dual-camera setup and 1-inch CMOS sensor. The DJI Air 3S’s twin cameras are capable of recording 10-bit video in regular coloration mode, leveraging H.265 encoding for optimal compression and quality. While the drone’s maximum ISO sensitivity has been enhanced to an impressive 12,800, it still lags behind the industry-leading standard set by the DJI Mavic 3 Professional, which tops out at a mere 6,400? Flying at dawn or dusk may not require much consideration, but it’s crucial when taking off or landing in poor lighting conditions. Here is the improved text in a different style:

Please find attached some photos taken with my DJI Air 3S, offering a glimpse into my amateur photographer’s perspective.

The camera also offers a unique advantage when shooting in D-Log M or HLG color mode, as it can accommodate an elevated ISO of up to 3,200. Can vivid, high-contrast images illuminate even the most ominous scenarios? The DJI Air 3S’s 10-bit and ISO picture quality enables crisp details that, depending on the source, may surpass those of the DJI Mavic 3 Professional, with some asserting that the former yields an even more precise rendering. 

Different issues whereas filming

With its exceptionally high-definition camera quality, the filming capabilities of these two drones are nearly indistinguishable – but the Air 3S holds a slight edge. The Air 3S boasts 42 GB of internal storage, a significant upgrade from the 8 GB available on the Mavic 3 Professional. While 8 GB may seem sufficient, a significant upgrade to 42 GB would undoubtedly provide a more impressive and impactful experience. You’ll likely complete hours of flights on 8GB without issues.

The DJI Air 2S leverages an advanced video encoding compression algorithm, resulting in video files that are approximately 30% smaller in size. This style of storage helps you conserve a substantial amount of space.

The DJI Air 3S boasts attractive features such as increased internal storage capacity, but ultimately, its value may be diminished by.

Battery life

The DJI Air 2S boasts approximately 45 minutes of continuous flight time. (Photograph by Hamilton Nguyen)

The DJI Air 3S boasts a remarkable 45-minute battery life, narrowly surpassing its flagship counterpart, the Mavic 3 Professional, with an impressive 43-minute ceiling. While each drone’s battery life offers unique endurance, the Air 3S provides a modest advantage for extended flight times. While the margin may be slim, I wouldn’t stress too much about the difference; from a technical standpoint, though, the Air 3S takes the edge.

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Clever Flight Options

While each drone excels at obstacle avoidance, the Air 3S stands out by taking it to the next level with LiDAR-assisted obstacle sensing capabilities. While it excels at detecting obstacles, this technology truly shines when navigating through environments with limited visibility, such as in low-light conditions. The DJI Air 3S boasts a groundbreaking feature: it’s the first-ever DJI drone to incorporate forward-facing LiDAR technology.

So far as automated flight modes go, each drone boasts a robust suite of features, including the flexibility to pre-program waypoints that the drone can autonomously navigate to. Diverse flight modes on individual drones accommodate:

  • Presents high-security monitoring images through intuitive guidance via ActiveTrack 5.0, Highlight, and Curiosity Levels, exclusively available on Hasselblad cameras and the medium telephoto lens.
  • The OneFaucet device enables a drone to autonomously capture, edit, and synchronize soundtracks for the creation of high-quality cinematic content using just a single interface. (solely captured on a Hasselblad camera)
  •  Enables drones to execute precise flight paths, including Dronie, Rocket, Circle, and Helix patterns, exclusively available on Hasselblad cameras.

Making Panoramas in your drone

The Hasselblad camera on the DJI Mavic 3 Professional boasts a distinctive feature called Panorama mode, capable of capturing a seamless, lossless 100-megapixel panorama image. The Mavic 3 Professional stood out with this unique feature at that moment in time.

Now with the DJI Air 2S, we have a similar feature called Free-Panorama mode. The Air 3S can now seamlessly capture panoramic pictures by combining multiple images, allowing users to choose their desired subject or scene. The Mode option is accessible on every DJI Air 2S camera, featuring three distinct modes. The wide-angle digital camera provides a wider field of view, a effective feature. When capturing panoramas, I often opt for my 24-70mm medium telephoto lens due to its minimal picture distortion.

Monitoring topics

While I appreciate the DJI Air 3S’s slight edge over the Mavic 3 Professional, both drones are truly exceptional in their own right. The DJI Air 3S stands out with the introduction of two innovative features: ActiveTrack 360° and Spotlight Mode. The ActiveTrack 360° technology ensures seamless coverage of any subject, expertly navigating a dynamic flight path to maintain optimal framing and composition. Focusing function ensures that your subject remains in sharp relief throughout the entire flight, whether you’re flying manually or using autopilot, and automatically adjusts to compensate for any slight deviations from the initial targeting.

Worth

Sally French, renowned as The Drone Lady, skillfully pilots the DJI Air 3S using the advanced DJI RC 2. (Photograph by Hamilton Nguyen)

While the DJI Air 3S starts at $1,099, its price tag pales in comparison to that of the Mavic 3 Professional, which boasts a starting price of $2,199, more than doubling the cost of the Air 3S. For travelers and enthusiasts alike, the Air 3S offers outstanding value. Despite this, its specifications still outperform in numerous ways.

While the Air 3S boasts impressive specs, there’s one area where it falls short: battery life. Despite Apple’s efforts to squeeze in a larger battery, the Air 3S still struggles to keep up with its predecessor’s marathon-like performance, often requiring recharging mid-day. The trifecta of high-end cameras: that iconic Hasselblad, paired with its peerless Leica and Rolleiflex counterparts? For discerning professionals seeking exceptional image quality and versatile options, the Mavic 3 Professional is a worthwhile investment, especially considering its premium performance and capabilities.

While luxury products may appeal to some, most people shouldn’t feel pressured to believe that “more expensive equals better”. The DJI Air 2S is an exceptional aerial photography system.

for budget-conscious consumers.

DJI Air 3S vs. DJI Mavic 3 Professional: The Ultimate Aerial Tool for Demanding Creatives

  • You’re a travel enthusiast seeking gear that balances portability, excellent efficiency, and affordability. This versatile drone is perfect for casual flyers and photography enthusiasts alike.

Learn my full .

  • As a leading filmmaker and photographer, I demand unparalleled camera capabilities and cutting-edge aerial solutions. With unparalleled prowess, its capacities excel in crafting cinematic masterpieces.

Learn my full .


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