so ive been going back and forth on this for like two weeks now and i cant make up my mind. currently flying a mini 2 and honestly its been great but i want to upgrade and the obstacle avoidance is the main thing pushing me toward the air 3. the mini 3 pro has it too but only on the front and back i think? whereas the air 3 is omnidirectional.

thing is the price jump is pretty significant and im not doing anything professional, mostly just weekend stuff, hiking trips, some family vacation footage. not selling it or anything. does the extra coverage actually matter in real world use or is it mostly a spec sheet thing that sounds good but you dont really notice day to day

also side note ? does the air 3 feel noticeably heavier to carry around on longer hikes? that might actually be the deciding factor for me honestly

had the mini 3 pro for about eight months before i picked up the air 3 and honestly for casual hiking footage the mini 3 pro is probably fine. the omni avoidance on the air 3 is genuinely useful if youre flying in tight spots or doing more automated stuff like quickshots in busier environments, but if youre mostly doing manual flying over open landscapes you might not notice the difference as much as you'd think.

weight wise yeah the air 3 is heavier but its not backbreaker territory. i throw both in a lowepro bag and the air 3 with two batteries adds maybe 300-400 grams total over the mini 3 pro setup. after a few miles you do feel it a little more but its not like you're hauling a mavic 2 pro around or anything.

if budget is a real concern i'd go mini 3 pro without hesitation. if you can stretch it and plan to keep it for 3+ years the air 3 has more headroom for sure.

just got the air 3 last month coming from a mini 2 like you and the obstacle avoidance has already saved me once on like my third flight, nearly clipped a tree branch because i wasnt paying attention to my altitude. so theres that lol. but i also paid full price which stung a bit ngl