so ive been going back and forth on this for like two months now and i cant make up my mind. i mostly fly on weekends, some hiking trips, occasional beach stuff. nothing professional, no paid work. my budget is tight but i could stretch to the Air 3 if it genuinely makes a difference in day to day use.

the thing that keeps pulling me toward the Mini 3 Pro is the under 250g thing - i travel a bit internationally and the registration headaches in some countries sound like a nightmare. but then i watch footage comparisons and the Air 3 does look noticeably better especially in lower light which is like half of my golden hour shots.

anyone who has actually used both or switched between them have thoughts? not looking for spec sheet comparisons, i can google that. just real world stuff like does the Air 3 actually feel worth the extra few hundred or am i just convincing myself i need it

honestly i had the Mini 3 Pro for about eight months before i upgraded to the Air 3 and my genuine take is - for casual weekend stuff the Mini 3 Pro is probably fine and you wont feel like youre missing something huge unless you pixel peep. the sensor difference is real but its not night and day in normal daylight conditions.

where the Air 3 actually surprised me was the omnidirectional obstacle avoidance. the mini only has forward and backward sensors and i clipped a branch last summer that i definitely wouldve avoided with the Air 3. not a crash but it scared me. also the zoom on the Air 3 is genuinely useful, i use it way more than i expected for hiking shots where you cant get close to something.

the weight registration thing is a real consideration though and only you know how much that matters for your travel. if youre going to europe a lot the sub 250g thing does save some hassle depending on where exactly.

I'm kind of in the same boat as you tbh, just pulled the trigger on the Mini 3 Pro last week after going around in circles forever. The travel thing was the deciding factor for me. figured if i end up wanting more later i can always sell it and upgrade, the resale on DJI stuff seems pretty decent from what i can tell