so ive been going back and forth on this for like two months now and i cant make up my mind. currently fly a mini 2 which ive had for about 3 years and its been solid but the image quality just isnt cutting it anymore for the stuff i want to do. mostly travel, some hiking, occasional family vacation type stuff, nothing professional.

the mini 4 pro seems like the obvious choice because of the weight thing ? under 249g means i dont have to stress about registration everywhere i go and europe is on the list for next year. but then the air 3 has dual cameras and the battery life is noticeably better from what ive read and i feel like id regret not having that zoom option.

has anyone actually switched from one to the other or own both? i see a lot of comparison videos on youtube but theyre all kind of... i dunno, they all feel like sponsored content even when they say they arent. just want to hear from people who actually bought one with their own money.

went through this exact thing last spring. ended up with the mini 4 pro and genuinely happy with that call for travel specifically. the weight exemption in europe is not nothing ? i was in france and portugal and it just removed so much mental overhead. you still have to follow local rules obviously but not having to worry about registration in most places felt worth it.

the image quality is really good, like meaningfully better than the mini 2 in low light. the obstacle avoidance is way better too which matters more than i expected when youre somewhere unfamiliar and flying a bit tired after a long day of sightseeing. only thing id say is if you shoot a lot of zoom or wildlife stuff the air 3 would probably frustrate you less. for travel and family stuff the mini 4 pro is honestly plenty.

i have the air 3 and love it but i also live in the US and mostly fly locally so the weight thing doesnt really affect me. the dual camera is genuinely useful, not just a gimmick ? i use the medium tele way more than i thought i would. battery life is great too. but if youre doing a lot of international travel i think the mini 4 pro probably makes more practical sense just to avoid the headache.