so ive had the Mini 4 Pro since last spring and figured id share some real thoughts now that the honeymoon phase is completely over. i see a lot of reviews that are basically just spec sheets read aloud and i find those pretty useless personally.

the good stuff first ? image quality is genuinely great for the size, the obstacle avoidance actually works unlike on my old Mini 2 where i just turned it off because it was more annoying than helpful, and the range on RC2 has been solid for me. never actually pushed the limits on that because im not trying to lose a $800 drone but it feels confident at distance.

the stuff that bugs me ? battery life is fine but not the leap forward i was hoping for, and the whole ActiveTrack thing works maybe 60% of the time in my experience? like it loses subjects constantly if theres any tree cover or the person moves unpredictably. also the app crashes on my phone more than id like to admit.

biggest question i keep getting from friends is whether to get this or save money and go Mini 2 SE or spend more and get the Air 3. honestly depends so much on what you actually shoot. anyone else been through that decision recently? curious what pushed people one way or the other

pretty much mirrors my experience tbh. the obstacle avoidance was what sold me over the mini 2 and ive actually used it, saved myself at least twice flying in a spot i didnt fully scout first. but yeah ActiveTrack is overhyped for sure, works great in open fields and parking lots and falls apart everywhere interesting.

on the Air 3 question ? i demo'd one at a local club meetup and the dual cameras are genuinely useful if you do any kind of real estate or event stuff. for casual flying and travel i think the mini 4 pro hits the sweet spot. the weight thing still matters depending on where you fly too, being under 249g opens up a lot of spots even if the rules vary.

im actually trying to decide between these right now haha so this thread is timely. leaning toward the mini 4 pro but the price jump from the SE is hard to justify when im just starting out and will probably crash it anyway. does the obstacle avoidance actually help beginners not crash or is that wishful thinking