so ive been going back and forth on this for like two weeks now and i cant make up my mind. i mostly fly on weekends, sometimes bring the drone on hikes or family trips, nothing serious, no paid work or anything like that. the mini 3 pro feels like the obvious choice because of the under 250g thing which means i dont have to register it here and i can fly in more places without stressing, but then every time i watch a side by side video the Air 3 footage just looks so much better especially in low light.

my budget isnt unlimited but i could stretch to the Air 3 if it was genuinely going to make a big difference to the kind of videos i make. i mostly just edit stuff for instagram and sometimes a longer youtube video of a trip. does the omnidirectional obstacle avoidance on the Air 3 actually matter day to day or is it one of those features that sounds great in reviews but you barely use it in real flying

honestly for casual weekend stuff the mini 3 pro is probably fine and the weight exemption is not a small thing, especially if you travel and end up flying in places with strict rules. ive had mine for about a year and the image quality has never made me feel like i was missing out, even shooting in decent light the footage looks really good once you colour grade it a bit.

that said if youre someone who tends to fly in trickier environments or you get nervous about obstacles the Air 3 obstacle sensing is genuinely better and actually does save you in situations where you misjudge a gap or something moves unexpectedly. i borrowed a friends Air 3 for a weekend in the mountains and it did catch a branch i completely missed. so i guess it depends on where you fly more than anything else.

im in the same boat as you lol, ended up just going with the mini 3 pro because i couldnt justify the extra cost for instagram videos. no regrets so far tbh