Now that DJI has released the DJI Mini 3 Pro, its latest micro drone in the series, we thought we’d take the time to compare this powerful new drone with its predecessor. The DJI Mini 2 was groundbreaking at the time of its release, featuring several upgrades that blew the Mavic Mini out of the water and made it an attractive option for beginner aerial photographers and drone enthusiasts. But the Mini 3 seems poised to do the same to the Mini 2 thanks to such attractive features as its enhanced obstacle avoidance technology, OcuSync 3.0, and superior camera.
We’ll go over all of the different features of the Mini 2 and Mini 3 to help you see how they compare and decide which one is right for you.
| DJI Mini 3 Pro | DJI Mini 2 | |
| | | |
| Price | DJI Mini 3 Pro: $1,049.00 DJI Mini 3 Pro with DJI RC: $1,179.00 | DJI Mini 2: $579.00 DJI Mini 2 Fly More Combo: $769.00 |
| Dimensions (LxWxH) | 145x90x62 mm Folded 251x362x70 mm Unfolded | 140x82x57 mm Folded 160x202x55mm Unfolded |
| Weight | <249 g | 249 g |
| Image Sensor Size | 1/1.3-inch | 1/2.3-Inch |
| Max Photo Resolution | 48 MP | 12 MP |
| Max Video Resolution | 4K/60fps | 4K/30fps |
| Video Transmission | OcuSync 3.0 12km 1080p@30fps | OcuSync 2.0 10km 720p@30fps |
| Vision System | Forward, Backward and Downward Vision Sensors | Downward Sensor |
| Max Flight Speed | 57.6 kph (S-Mode) | 57.6 kph (S-Mode) |
| Max Flight Time | 34 Minutes with Intelligent Flight Battery 47 Minutes with Intelligent Flight Battery Plus | 31 Minutes |
| Max Wind Resistance | 38.5 km/h | 37.8 km/h |
| Internal Storage | None | None |
While both the Mini 3 and the Mini 2 are lightweight, foldable micro drones, the Mini 3 Pro has a brand new redesigned body unlike any drone before it. Both drones weigh 249 grams, which is under the limit set by Transport Canada. But the Mini 3 Pro has a redesigned gimbal that can flip to vertical video as well as look all the way up. These features were never available in Minis before, and they give the Mini 3 an advantage in creating cinematic videos tailor-made for social media.
The Mini 3 also has larger propellers and an aerodynamic body tilt that give it increased flight time and safety in addition to keeping it portable and lightweight. While both drones have a foldable and compact design that makes them easy to carry along on a trip away, the Mini 3 has some stellar improvements over its predecessor.
Another major addition to the DJI Mini 3 Pro is the new and improved obstacle avoidance system. The DJI Mini 2 is only equipped with downard sensors, which are only able to aid in positioning rather than preventing collisions while flying. The Mini 3 Pro, on the other hand, is equipped with sensors in the front and back as well as underneath the drone. The DJI Mini 3 is truly the safest Micro drone to date, ensuring a safe and obstacle-free flight.
The Advanced Pilot Assistance System (APAS 4.0) is another safety feature added to the DJI Mini 3 but missing on the DJI Mini 2. APAS 4.0 is used for obstacle detection and avoidance in real time, allowing the Mini 3 Pro to stay safe even when flying in complex environments. If you like flying around the trees in the forest or dodging rocky ledges while filming in the desert, you’ll appreciate the power and protection of APAS 4.0 on the Mini 3.
The camera is the most notable difference between the DJI Mini 2 and the DJI Mini 3 Pro. The Mini 2 comes with a camera equipped with a 1/2.3 inch sensor with 12 megapixel max resolution. It can shoot 4K Ultra HD video at up to 30 frames per second, while its 3-axis motorized gimbal ensures consistent, smooth video. The Mini 2 also supports up to 4x digital zoom depending on the shooting resolution.
The Mini 3 Pro includes several major upgrades. It’s equipped with a 1/1.3 inch sensor with 48 megapixel max resolution for photos and 4K for video. This gives you much better low light performance and overall better image quality on the Mini 3, which is helpful to amateur cinematographers who like capturing stunning images and video in the later hours of the day.
Unlike the Mini 3, the Mini 3 includes High Dynamic Range (HDR) and 1080p 120fps slowmotion, which can allow you to slow things down as the world gets hectic. These upgrades provide superior visual quality that is unparalleled by other micro drones, giving you richer color possibilities and more flexibility when editing.
Both the DJI Mini 2 and the Mini 3 Pro come with the Standard RC, which is similar to the Mavic Air 2 remote and boasts an impressively long battery life. It features an ergonomic design that gives it a more comfortable grip, making your flying experience as seamless as possible. The Standard RC also includes a clamp for attaching your smartphone.
There is an additional remote controller exclusive to the Mini 3: the DJI RC. This remote controller comes with a built-in screen, eliminating the need to use your smartphone to control the drone. The DJI RC is explicitly designed for the DJI Mini 3 Pro, with the DJI Fly app pre-installed to help you get up in the air as soon as possible.
Unlike the Mini 2, the Mini 3 camera can do actual vertical shooting where the camera physically goes vertical to take advantage of the full image resolution without cropping. The Mini 3 accomplishes this through the use of True Vertical Shooting, which allows you to quickly switch between landscape and portrait with only a tap. The camera gimbal will rotate 90 degrees, allowing the Mini 3 camera to look all the way upwards. This is much more flexible than the Mini 2, which can only look 30 degrees up at the most.
Flight time is one of the most important considerations of any DJI drone, as the last thing you want to worry about when you’re up in the air is running out of battery. While the Mini 2 has a flight time of 31 minutes, the Mini 3 has an extended flight time of 34 minutes with the standard Intelligent Flight Battery. However, the Mini 3 offers an optional Intelligent Flight Battery Plus, which extends the flight time even further up to 47 minutes. This is an unprecedented flight time for such a small drone, making the Mini 3 one of the most powerful micro drones on the market.
The Mini 2 uses OcuSync 2.0, which supports up to 10km of HD video transmission and can resist interference to ensure minimal signal fading. The Mini 3 has the OcuSync 3.0 (O3) transmission system, which offers it a longer range. DJI O3 ensures a 1080p/30fps live feed at distances of up to 12km, keeping you in contact with the Mini 3 over a longer distance and ensuring constant video connection. OcuSync 3.0 gives the DJI Mini 3 greater flexibility to fly around looking for the perfect shot without worrying about flying too far out of range.
Because the Mini 2 lacks the obstacle avoidance technology of the Mini 3 Pro, it doesn’t have any tracking features to speak of. The Mini 3 comes with new Focus Track and ActiveTrack modes that help you keep your subject in the frame while you focus on flying. ActiveTrack allows you to follow a moving subject throughout the shot, freeing you up to focus on filming while the drone uses its vision and sensing systems to maintain safe flight while tracking the subject.
FocusTrack also comes with Spotlight 2.0 and Point of Interest 3.0, two more powerful storytelling tools. Spotlight 2.0 locks onto a fixed subject and keeps it in the center of the frame, while Point of Interest 3.0 sets an automated flight path around a moving subject. Each of these tracking features allow you to create cinematic videos with the touch of a button without worrying about maneuvering the drone.
The Mini 2 contains QuickShots, which is a popular feature that allows you to capture mind-bending videos with ease. QuickShots allows you to choose from several predetermined motions such as Rocket, Helix, Dronie, Circle, and Boomerang. These preset modes will cause the Mini 2 to fly in a quick movement, filming a cinematic video with just a few clicks.
The Mini 3 features MasterShots, which is the next evolution of QuickShots. MasterShots will turn any beginner aerial photographer into a professional, giving you the ability to film automatic videos like a pro. All you have to do is select your subject and the Mini 3 Pro will perform a sequence of complex manuevers, giving you a video to impress all of your friends and family on social media.
The DJI Mini 3 Pro Wide-Angle Lens is an optional accessory available for the Mini 3 but not the Mini 2. This lens allows you to film a wider shot by expanding your field of view from 75 degrees to 100 degrees when recording videos (16:9). This makes sure nothing gets left out, giving you more to play with and include in your post-processing stage.
Both the Mini 2 and the Mini 3 come with optional accessories for improved flight. The Mini 2 offers an optional Intelligent Flight Battery that can help you stay in the air for longer. Both the Mini 2 and the Mini 3 offer you the optional Two-Way Charging Hub, which can charge both Intelligent Flight Batteries connected to the battery ports and external devices connected to the USB port. These include the remote controller, smartphones, and even tablets.
The Mini 2 offers optional 360 degree Propeller Guards, which can protect the propellers from harm and improve flight safety. Without obstacle avoidance technology, this can be a useful feature when flying in complex environments. You can also buy the DJI Mini 2 Propellers as an optional accessory for a quiter flight and powerful, stable momentum for the aircraft.
The Mini 3 has some exciting accessories in addition to the Wide-Angle Lens and the exclusive DJI RC. The Mini 3 Pro offers the Intelligent Flight Battery Plus, which has a 47-minute max flight time that can be revolutionary for helping you film as much as possible. It can also pair with the ND Filters set (ND 16/64/256), which is helpful with changing lighting conditions. The ND Filters Set allows you to shoot in almost any lighting condition, keeping your footage looking sharp no matter what time of day you’re filming in.
The price tag is another big difference between the two, as the newer DJI Mini 3 Pro is almost twice the price of the Mini 2. While the basic package for the DJI Mini 2 is $559, the basic package for the DJI Mini 3 Pro is $979. While this is quite a leap up from the Mini 2, the extra features and seriously upgraded camera make it more than worth the extra money.
The Mini 2 Fly More combo is available at $699, while the Mini 3 offers a separate Fly More Kit for an extra $249. This makes it an attractive option for people who are looking to try out their new micro drone before committing to buying extra features. There’s also a Fly More Kit Plus available for the Mini 3 for $319, which comes with two Intelligent Flight Plus batteries, as well as the option to buy the DJI RC alongside the Mini 3 Pro for a total of $1179.
The DJI Mini 2 and Mini 3 Pro are both outstanding micro drones with powerful cameras and impressive intelligent flight technology. However, the extended flight range, max flight time, and obstacle avoidance technology make the Mini 3 a clear winner even despite its bigger price tag. There’s also the matter of the optional accessories that can make flying the Mini 3 as easy and flexible as flying one of DJI’s larger consumer drones.
If you’re new to the world of drone flying, you can’t go wrong deciding between these two impressive DJI micro drones. But if you’re looking for the best micro drone that money can buy, you’ll want to go with the Mini 3. Despite its small size, it can withstand strong winds and perform just as well as some of the more expensive DJI drones on the market.
Dr Drone
Author
DrDrone is Canada's leading provider of drone technical services, with over a decade of experience and the distinction of being the first company in the country to offer drone servicing and repairs. As the largest drone vendor in Canada, we are also the primary supplier of Remotely Piloted Air Systems (RPAS) to the Canadian government. Our team members possess extensive knowledge of each drone's technical specifications and have a wealth of hands-on experience. For more than ten years, we have been dismantling and reconstructing drones, ensuring a deep understanding of these systems.