The new DJI Air 3 has the same sensor size, aperture, and photo resolution as the Mini 3 Pro, so we might assume that the photo quality should be very similar, but is it the case? The Air 3 has an ace on its sleeve: the excellent 70mm lens that adds plenty of extra possibilities for photography
With the Mini 3 Pro, it is strongly suggested to use RAW files, as the JPEG cannot even be compared to the ones of the Air 3.
| Air 3 | Mini 3 Pro | |
| JPEG files of outstanding quality | Below the threshold of 250 grams | |
| The 70mm telephoto lens is a game changer | Can take photos in vertical format | |
| Much improved signal transmission | Good Quality Raw photos | |
| Faster and better wind resistance | Excellent low-light photos | |
| Longer battery life | ||
| Omnidirectional obstacle detection |
Related articles about the DJI Air 3:
- Photography Review of the Air 3
- Panorama photography with the Air 3
- DJI Air 3: Camera settings for photography
- Air 3 vs Mini 3 Pro video quality
- Air 3 video review
- Telephoto lens of the Air 3
Related articles about photography with the Mini 3 Pro:
- Photo quality of the Mini 3 Pro vs the Mini 3
- Long-exposure photography with the Mini 3 Pro
- Mini 3 Pro Photography review
- Mini 3 Pro night photography
If you prefer to watch this as a video, you will find my YouTube version at the end of this video
Photography Specs
Both models have a 1/1.3” sensor with a field of view equivalent to 24mm, a fixed aperture of f1.7, and a photo resolution of 12MP
Air 3
A crucial feature of the new model is the presence of a second lens: a moderate telephoto with a field of view of 70mm, the same sensor size, and a fixed aperture of f2.8
The dual lens system is a game changer which for many users, including myself, could justify the price difference compared to the Mini 3 Pro
The Air 3 has a host of important extra features, most of them relevant to video, like omnidirectional obstacle avoidance, waypoint mode, and longer battery life
There is one feature that comes very handy when taking photos: the much-improved signal transmission, the only actual weak point of the Mini 3 Pro
It is also much faster and has better wind resistance
Mini 3 Pro
The Mini 3 Pro can rotate the camera to shoot vertically, but this is a feature more useful for video, as with photos it is easy to crop to the desired format
Both models have a 48MP mode available. In the Mini 3 Pro, this mode is in the video photo menu, while in the Air 3, it can be selected in the settings and the window for the white balance, so it can be used for Automatic Exposure Bracketing and burst shots, quite handy!
JPEG Files
So far in all my reviews for photography, I have always used RAW files, but in this case, I have chosen to start with JPEGs for two reasons:
- Several users have asked me to analyze the JPEG files as they use them for quickly posting on social media
- In the Air 3, the quality of the JPEGs is outstanding
The size of JPEG files produced by the Air 3 is much larger. More than double the ones of the Mini 3
There must be differences in the processing and they probably contain more info in the shadows and the colors
The JPEG files taken with the Air 3 have a tendency toward magenta. Nothing to worry about, as it is easy to fix while editing. It is the first version of the firmware and I expect DJI to fix this small issue with upcoming firmware updates
More importantly, I immediately noticed that the JPEG files of the Air 3 respond much better to post-processing than the ones of the Mini 3 Pro, and the colors are much richer
The Two lenses of the Air 3
First of all, let’s compare the same scene taken with the two lenses of the Air 3
The quality of the 70mm lens is astonishing, even better than the wide angle one with a touch more contrast and definition
The images taken with the telephoto lens are about a stop darker than the wide-angle with the same setting. I suggest always shooting in Automatic Exposure Bracketing and then choosing a brighter one
The quality of the images and the color palette with the two lenses are very similar, so it is easy to integrate the photos into the same project
JPEG Files
And now a face-to-face between the two drones using the wide angle lens of the Air 3, which has the same specs as the Mini 3 Pro
Hazy Conditions
It is the end of the summer and the air is very hazy, it is hard even to see the difference between the sea and the sky
These are not conditions to choose for a session of landscape photography, but it is an excellent test for the photo quality of the two models
Let’s start with 12MP photos in daylight. I always had the feeling that the Mini 3 Pro is a bit weak in the rendition of detail, and by comparing it to the Air 3 the difference is noticeable
The new model is in a different league in terms of the richness of the colors and detail in the shadows
The building and the vegetation in the Mini 3 Pro look mushy compared to the richness of the detail of the Air 3
The structure of the sky is also much nicer with the new model. I am impressed by the new model
Top-Down Photos
Moving to top-down images we can concentrate on the detail
The Air 3 shows much more detail in the shadows, especially in the trees, and much richer colors. The difference is not subtle
Photos Against the Sun
Let’s try a couple of photos in the direction of the sun, one with the sun just outside the left edge of the image and the next one with the sun on the screen
The conditions are still very hazy, so the sun is slightly covered
The wide-angle lens of both models is a big improvement compared to previous models: there are hardly any chromatic aberrations or loss of detail and saturation near the sun
But the difference between the two models is again very evident: the images taken with the Mini 3 Pro look washed out compared to the beauty of the colors, the detail in the shadows, and the structure of the sky of the Air 3
Night Photos
When I analyzed photography with the Mini 3 Pro, I was impressed by the performance in low light, due in part to the wide aperture of f1.7
I made this test on successive days at exactly the same time to have the same light conditions. In both cases, we are 20 minutes after sunset with the last twilight and artificial lights
Both models perform very well, it is hard to believe how much the technology and the quality of the lenses have improved in the last generation of DJI prosumer drones
It is now possible to keep the ISO value at the base level of 100. Noise is a thing of the past
The difference between the two models is not as noticeable as in other conditions, although I still prefer the structure of the sky of the Air 3
Photos in “48 MP” Mode
Both models have a 48 MP mode, obtained by splitting the 12MP of the sensor into 4 smaller ones
This mode is supposed to improve detail in easy light conditions, although the tiny pixels can only collect a limited amount of light
Mini 3 Pro
In the Mini 3 Pro, this mode has progressively improved via several firmware updates
Compared to regular 12MP photos. I can only see the slightest increase in detail in the buildings, maybe, but even pixel peeping and zooming in it is very hard to tell
The colors are certainly richer in the 48MP version, but the shadows look a bit muddy
So, in the Mini 3 Pro, this mode has only the tiniest benefit compared to the normal 12 MP mode and only in friendly light conditions
Air 3
The same applies to the Air 3: there is maybe the slightest increase in detail in the building, but it is hardly noticeable, even zooming in quite deeply
In my opinion, it is still a work in progress and also a bit of a marketing gimmick
RAW Files
So far we have only analyzed JPEG images and it has been a big win for the Air 3
I notice that the size of the RAW files is the same between the two models, so the difference in the size of the JPEG file is probably due to software processing
The RAW files of the Air 3 don’t have the same magenta cast as the JPEGs
After post-processing, the results of the two models are very similar
Only by pixel peeping on the zoomed-in face-to-face images, can I probably detect just a bit of extra detail in the vegetation and the buildings for the Air 3. The color rendition is also very similar
Bottom line
With the Mini 3 Pro, I suggest using RAW files, as the JPEGs are not as good as the ones of the Air 3
The Air 3 has another ace on its sleeve: the excellent 70mm lens that adds plenty of extra possibilities for photography
