The two “Pro” versions, the Mini 3 Pro and Mini 4 Pro, are superior in this department.
The Mini 3 Pro’s tri-Directional Obstacle Sensing provides forward, backward, and downward vision. Should you fly straight toward a tree, it’ll simply stop and hover in place.
The Mini 4 Pro does one better with Omnidirectional Obstacle Sensing. Now it can see even beyond those points without any blindspots, making it truly crash proof.
The biggest decision you’re facing here is the importance of obstacle sensing. Is obstacle sensing worth the extra $300? Alas, this is really a personal question based on how impactful $300 is to you — and how risk-averse you are.
Now to be clear, the Mini 4 Pro’s obstacle sensing is far superior to the Mini 3 Pro’s. Given that, let’s just rule out the Mini 3 Pro as an option. Your real consideration here is between the Mini 3 vs. Mini 4 Pro.
If $300 won’t make a dent in your budget, then go for the Mini 4 Pro. Consider it the ultimate insurance policy in protecting your drone from ending up in your neighbor’s tree.
But just as people opt out of insurance for financial reasons, you might opt out of the Mini 4 Pro and stick with the Mini 3. How likely is it that you would crash into a tree? If you’re frequently flying in forests, then it feels more likely than if you’re primarily flying over open fields or water.
Consider it this way: you could buy a second Mini 3 for not much more than the price of one Mini 4 Pro. Alas, I recommend you start your drone journey on a cheap, toy drone just to understand what kind of pilot you are.
Is the DJI Mini 3 Pro a good entry-level drone?
Aside from my recommendation that you always just start on a toy drone to get the hang of flying before you put many hundreds of dollars in the air, the DJI Mini 3 Pro is a great entry-level drone.
The image quality is excellent. You’ll want to use it again and again to take photos that you can then show off to your pals via social media or physical prints. It’s simple to set up, and it’s safe and stress-free to fly. (It’s truly one of the easiest possible drones to fly).
It’s also incredibly small and light, which is great for portability. And that’s not the only good reason. Because it weighs just 249 grams, it doesn’t fall under the purview of the Federal Aviation Administration when you fly it for hobby purposes. Yep, that means no need to register, nor do you need to comply
Unlike cars, where you’d never put a first-time driver in a BMW (start them off with the old, beat-up Toyota Corolla), the more expensive drones tend to be far easier and safer to fly versus the cheap ones. (The car analogy doesn’t kick in until you start to handle the $1,000+ drones with enterprise functions. We’re not talking about those here.) Don’t be afraid to be a new pilot with a Mini 3 Pro in your hands.
Why does the Mini 3 Pro cost the same as the Mini 4 Pro?
You mentioned being confused how the Mini 4 Pro has been out now for three months yet is priced similarly to the Mini 3 Pro. I am confused too.
The Mini 4 Pro is better than the Mini 3 Pro by every metric. When the Mini 4 Pro launched in March 2023, we wrongly predicted that the Mini 3 Pro would quickly drop in price. Yet months later, it hasn’t (on DJI’s website, both go for $759 with the base model controller).
The 4 has upgraded camera capabilities and intelligent features. It’s easier to use and more stable. Both the battery and range are more powerful.
In short, my whole spiel above about the DJI Mini 3 Pro being a good entry-level drone is true. But, it’s even more applicable to the Mini 4 Pro.
If you’re already thinking about upgrading your Mini 3 to the Mini 3 Pro, go all the way and just upgrade your Mini 3 to the Mini 4 Pro.
The only reason you might go for the Mini 3 Pro is if you can find it on sale (which it sounds like you have) through third-party sellers. If you can find it for, say, $100 less, then the Mini 3 Pro suddenly does become more appealing than the Mini 4 Pr.
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