Hi, it's FrostFire here... So the Mini 3 pro has been labeled "Small &
Affordable" but with the ability to capture "High Quality Footage" ...but after one year's
use and new entries to market is it currently the "Best Drone?" To answer this we'll look at
the Pros and Cons of the Mini 3 Pro and compare it with DJI's previous Mini 2, new budget
Mini 3 and new high-end Mavic 3 Classic. Okay let's go over the pros first... It's
"Mini" which means small, lightweight and most importantly portable. Weighing in at
249 grams just under the 250 license cut off. It's Pro which means... despite its
size, it's able to deliver Professional High Quality imagery and what helps deliver
this is a better sensor at 1 over 1.3 inches. A 48 megapixel camera, 4K video at 60fps...
which is great for filming 50% slow-mo in a 4K 30 timeline and the 4K 30 video is in High
Quality HDR. Now compare that to the previous Mini 2 which has a 1 over 2.3 inch
sensor takes 12 Megapixel Stills and maxes out at 4K 30 Non-HDR. The sensor
also supports a dual ISO with direct output of HDR footage. Which means reduced blown
out highlights and reduced cross shadows. Another major benefit of this drone
is the ability to purchase it with the RC controller coupled with a solid 1080p
display so you can fly without Interruption and still have access to your mobile. In-turn
saving your mobile's battery... adding to the incentive to get your drone out in the first
place. A great companion for the Mini 3 Pro. In terms of image transmission they've
doubled the Antennas to 4 in total. Which has the ability to bring you a full HD live
feed from up to 12 kilometers away. Which holds true if there's no interference or
obstructions i.e a clear line of sight. Another great feature in today's market is the
ability to capture footage in "True Vertical" mode which is great if you're a content
creator who relies on shooting vertical for you YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels or
TikToks. This also harmonises well with quick transfer. Utilising the DJI Fly App, you
simply unfold and turn on the Mini 3 Pro. Switch to Quick Transfer mode on the
app... once connected simply select your clips and start downloading. You can
then upload your Clips to your preferred social media. The Mini 3 Pro also has
Increased Wind Resistance, and during strong winds it really is jaw dropping
to see it handle these conditions. In terms of bumpy footage it's more noticeable
when trying to film "Hyperlapses". To reduce this simply fly the Mini 3 Pro higher off
the ground and at a faster speed. There was also a June 2022 firmware update that increased
the stability of videos when using Hyperlapse The Tri-Directional Obstacle Sensing...
uses sensors on the front rear and bottom of the drone. You also have two handy options to
"Bypass" or "Brake" in order to avoid obstacles. This leaves the only vulnerabilities on the
sides... and to a lesser extent on the top. So when performing a "Dolly" or a "Raise up"
move you should take extra care especially when close to objects structures or terrain.
Now 48 megapixels is a good number but unless you're using this with a bigger sensor you're
not going to be able to get much out of it. Still... better images than the average
top-end smartphone... not too shabby. So when the Mini 3 Pro launched back in May
22 it only had 8-bit color depth. This wasn't great if you wanted to shoot in the DCinelike
flat profile and color grade your footage in post. But DJI quickly released a firmware update
that greatly improved the image quality including the ability to record in 10-bit color. This
color profile combined with the pro camera options such as shutter speed, i.e. dropping
it to 1 over 60 to achieve motion blur in a 4K @ 30 timeline and using ND filters, meant the
drone had finally reached its "Pro" potential. Alongside the 10-bit color firmware update
DJI also added - Quickshots, Mastershots and Focus Track. Quick shots gives you six different
shots, Droney, Rocket, Circle, Helix, Boomerang and Asteroid and you can adjust the distance of
each for greater versatility. With the exception of asteroid these can also be shot in portrait
mode... since the firmware update in June 2022. Mastershots gives you roughly two
minutes of pre-programmed shots, one after the other. You just drag your
finger over the person or location, select some parameters and the drone will
fly off and do its thing. Mastershots is also now supported in portrait since a firmware
update in November 22. Lastly Focus Track, which has three modes. 1. Spotlight - where
the drone stays stationary spotlights you so if you move around... the camera will follow. 2.
Active track - is where the drone follows you or a vehicle around in open spaces and 3. Point Of
Interest - where you choose a subject in frame, set a direction, for the drone to circle and a
speed. Now these features are great if you need to get some shots done quickly and don't mind using
the auto camera settings which turn on by default. Now due to the f1.7 Aperture the Mini 3 Pro
lets a lot more light in... which provides an opportunity to capture better footage... at
night. Now this isn't going to beat something like the Mavic 3 Classic... but for a small drone
with a small camera it's pretty impressive. DJI also optimised the image quality of recordings
at night in D-Cinelike in the June 2022 update. Lastly, one of the more important Pros is
"Keeping a Low Profile". At just 249 grams, looking like a small toy and being one of the
quietest drones. It gives you the ability to keep a low profile while capturing footage
and it makes the overall experience of flying this drone more relaxing... which puts you in a
better mental state to capture better footage. As such you're more likely to take it with you to
get those unique perspectives... more often. Next, let's take a look at the Cons. So, after many
recharges I was never able to reach the claimed 34 minute battery life for the standard battery.
In real world tests with light winds I averaged around 20 to 25 minutes and in Max Wind or
Category 5 wind conditions I was unable to get more than 15 to 20 minutes. Of course you
can go for the larger battery with a claimed battery life of 47 minutes but not much point
as it puts you over the 250 gram license cut off. Defeating one of the main reasons of
getting this drone... in the first place. A better way to overcome this is to get the "Mini
3 Pro - Fly More Kit" retailing for 259 AUD. Which comes with 2 additional standard size batteries, a
two-way charging Hub which is great for queuing up multiple batteries overnight as the batteries
charge sequentially and one year later I've experienced no degradation to the batteries.
A USBC charging cable to use with the Hub, two sets of spare propellers which are great in
case you crash get some damage and need to swap them out and the carry case which has received
some criticism but it's more than adequate in carrying your drone, controller, charge Hub
and spare batteries, cables, propellers etc. There's even a handy zip on the front for your ND
filters... an essential accessory, in my opinion. So not surprisingly... as the Mini 3 Pro
is small, it has to do a lot more work when flying into strong winds as well as
remaining stable in these conditions. So if you find yourself needing to do a lot
of filming in very windy areas the Mini 3 Pro might not be the best choice. Due to
its small sensor it's not well suited for high-end projects like big budget commercials,
documentaries... for viewing on bigger screens. But if you're filming smaller, low budget
commercials, travel blogs or anything social media based where it's being viewed on a smaller
screen then the Mini 3 Pro is the better choice. As regular capture DJI drones are in a
class well ahead of their competitors let's compare the Mini 3 Pro with
the Mini 3 and the Mavic 3 Classic. Now I've touched on the Mini 3 Pro here
already and in terms of form factor the Mini 3 is very similar... coming in at 249 grams
with the standard battery. The Mavic 3 Classic being 3 and a half times as heavy at 895 grams, requires a small case or bag to carry.
A win for the Mini 3 Pro and Mini 3. Next Video and Photo Capture which is
a no contest as the 5.1 k at 50 FPS, much bigger 4 over 3 CMOS sensor and
the Hasselblad Color gamut produce stunning video and stills. A
win for the Mavic 3 Classic. Now even though the Mavic 3 Classic has two
additional color profiles - Hybrid Log Gamma and D-Log. Hybrid Log Gamma produces saturated
colors with good shadows and high detail, however it's not a flat profile and whether you
like it is really down to personal preference. D-log on the other hand is the Mavic 3 Classics
flat profile which you would use to get the most Shadow, Highlight and Color data to work with
in post... assuming you're willing to do the work. The Mini 3 Pro's equivalent D-Cinelike
also allows you to shoot flat and get the most data out of the image in post-production.
The Mini 3 only has the normal profile which you wouldn't use for color grading. A
win for the Mini 3 Pro and Mavic 3 Classic. The Mavic 3 Classic is unsurprisingly
best in this category due to its biggest size battery and superior weight.
Making it naturally more stable, therefore requiring less battery power, to
maintain hover and fly in strong winds. Next the Mini 3 with a slightly better battery and
stability than the Mini 3 Pro... this is partly due to its better designed landing legs.
Nonetheless a win for the Mavic 3 Classic. With the omnidirectional binocular vision
system supplemented with an infrared sensor on the bottom... the Mavic 3 Classic has
the best overall sensors. The Mini 3 Pro also gives reasonable coverage with its
only weaknesses being at the side and top. The Mini 3 sensors are very limited
with only a downward vision system.. not great if you're just starting out and are
a little nervous... flying your drone. Another win for the Mavic 3 Classic...
now one good thing about the smaller drones is that they have the option to
shoot in True Vertical... as opposed to the Mavic 3 Classic which you would have to
shoot in horizontal and then crop in to get your desired frame and pixel count in post.
The Mavic 3 Classics adjustable gimbal tilt range is also limited compared to the smaller
drones. A win for the Mini 3 Pro and Mini 3. More Antennas and a better Video
Transmission System reduces the chances of the feed cutting out, which can
make or break a shot and this is consistently better on the Mini 3 Pro and Mavic 3
Classic. Having double the Antennas, a more advanced VTS and a much lower latency.
A win for the Mini 3 Pro and Mavic 3 Classic. Now, one of the great advantages of the Mini 3
Pro is its low pitch and light hum at take-off, which then goes silent at approximately
50 meters altitude. The Mini 3 is very similar with only a slight difference in
pitch and although the Mavic 3 Classic is better than most for its size. In terms of
pitch it's moderately loud at takeoff and is still audible at 50 meters altitude.
A win for the Mini 3 Pro and Mini 3. Now bigger drones that are 250 grams
plus require Registration and Licensing, which can take time and lead to a more anxious
experience especially for beginners. As the smaller drones only weigh 249 grams
a win for the Mini 3 Pro and Mini 3. Finally... Price. The Mavic 3 Classic is quite
expensive coming in at $2,399 AUD compared to the cheaper Mini 3 pro at $1,119 and even more budget
friendly the Mini 3 at $829. A win for the Mini 3. The Mini 3 Pro edging the Mini 3 and the Mavic
3 Classic in this quick, comparative test. The Mini 3 Pro is so small, it fits in your
pocket, it's also very light, dodging any licensing concerns and is inaudible from the
ground at approximately 50 meters. A 4.5 here. You can capture photos and footage in
"True Vertical" mode... which saves you time in post. It has solid transmission
and tracking with the 4 Antennas and has a decent D-Cinelike flat profile, so you can
color grade your footage in post. A 4 here. Now, due to its small sensor it's not well
suited for high-end projects... the battery life also isn't great with 25 minutes in
light winds and 20 minutes in strong. But if you've got some spare cash it can be easily
counted with the "Fly More Kit" A 3.5 here. The Mini 3 Pro comes in at $1,119 AUD, which
is a sizey chunk of cash for something you could lose or crash in just one flying
mistake. But compared to some of the unique perspectives and footage you get in
return it's pretty good value. A 4 here. Comparatively, if you're an experienced
flyer doing high-end projects then you're better suited to the Mavic 3 Classic. Or if
you're on a budget and you're not worried about impact avoiding sensors... then
the Mini 3 is a worthy contender. But if you want the best of both worlds,
something discreet, reasonably priced, that shoots in a flat profile, that you can
color grade for professional imagery on phones, tablets and monitors... then the Mini 3 Pro,
1 year later is the best drone on the market. Thanks for watching... appreciate any
feedback in the comments... until next time :)
