DJI Mini 4 Pro vs Air 3S Comes Down to Weight against Camera Reach
The DJI Mini 4 Pro suits buyers who want to stay under the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) 250 g registration line for recreational flying. The DJI Air 3S suits buyers who want a 1-inch main camera, a 70 mm-equivalent tele camera and 45 minutes of rated flight.
In the DJI Mini 4 Pro vs Air 3S choice, both aircraft list the same 20 km maximum transmission distance, so range does not separate them.
Weight does: the Air 3S takes off at 724 g, about 475 g more than the Mini 4 Pro, according to DJI's own specification pages.
Who Should Buy the Mini 4 Pro and Who Should Buy the Air 3S
The DJI Mini 4 Pro fits a buyer who wants to stay under the FAA's 250 g threshold for recreational flying, or who puts carry weight first. The DJI Air 3S fits a buyer who ranks image quality and sensing above weight. Both aircraft are made by DJI.
The Air 3S lists four things the Mini 4 Pro does not: a 1-inch 50 megapixel (MP) main camera, a second 48 MP camera at 70 mm equivalent, a forward-facing light detection and ranging (LiDAR) sensor, and longer rated flight. DJI rates the Air 3S at 45 minutes of flight against 34 minutes for the Mini 4 Pro.
DJI also rates the Air 3S for 12 meters per second (m/s) of wind against 10.7 m/s for the Mini 4 Pro.
Those additions come with about 475 g of extra weight. At 724 g, the Air 3S sits above the 250 g line where FAA registration and Remote ID apply. The Mini 4 Pro, at under 249 g, sits below it.
Range is a tie on paper. Both aircraft list a 20 km maximum transmission distance under Federal Communications Commission (FCC) test conditions, and both use DJI's O4 video transmission system.
Both models went on sale before the FCC added DJI to its Covered List in December 2025, as reported. That timing matters for US buyers, and the availability section below sets out what has been reported about sales and firmware support.
DJI Mini 4 Pro vs Air 3S Specification Snapshot
The two aircraft differ on weight, camera count, endurance and internal storage, and match on transmission distance. The specification figures below come from the DJI Mini 4 Pro specification page and the DJI Air 3S specification page.
| Attribute | DJI Mini 4 Pro | DJI Air 3S |
|---|---|---|
| Takeoff weight | Under 249 g (standard aircraft with battery, propellers and microSD card) | 724 g |
| Main camera | 1/1.3-inch CMOS, 48 MP, 24 mm equivalent | 1-inch CMOS, 50 MP |
| Tele camera | None; digital zoom only | 1/1.3-inch CMOS, 48 MP, 70 mm equivalent |
| Maximum video | 4K at up to 100 fps (slow motion) | 4K at up to 120 fps |
| Rated flight time | 34 minutes | 45 minutes (wind-tunnel figure) |
| Rated hovering time | 30 minutes | 41 minutes |
| Max wind resistance | 10.7 m/s | 12 m/s |
| Obstacle sensing | Omnidirectional binocular vision plus bottom 3D infrared sensor | Omnidirectional binocular vision plus forward LiDAR and downward infrared sensor |
| Max transmission distance (FCC) | 20 km, O4 transmission | 20 km, O4 transmission |
| Internal storage | 2 GB | 42 GB |
| Folded size | 148 x 94 x 64 mm | 214.19 x 100.63 x 89.17 mm |
| FAA registration | Not required for recreational flying under 250 g; required under Part 107 | Required (over 250 g; Remote ID also applies) |
Air 3S vs Mini 4 Pro Camera Comparison
The Air 3S carries two cameras and the Mini 4 Pro carries one, so only the Air 3S offers a second fixed focal length. The Mini 4 Pro reaches tighter framing through digital zoom alone.
The Mini 4 Pro camera uses a 1/1.3-inch complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) sensor with 48 MP effective pixels behind a 24 mm format-equivalent lens. DJI lists no telephoto lens. Zoom runs 1 to 3x for 12 MP photos and 4K video, and 1 to 4x for Full HD (FHD) video.
The Air 3S wide camera uses a 1-inch CMOS sensor at 50 MP. Its medium tele camera uses a 1/1.3-inch CMOS sensor at 48 MP, which DJI puts at 70 mm equivalent.
The Air 3S tele camera has the same sensor size and pixel count that the Mini 4 Pro uses for its only camera. A buyer moving to the Air 3S keeps a Mini-class sensor at the longer focal length and gains a 1-inch sensor at the wide end.
Video tops out at 4K and 100 frames per second (fps) on the Mini 4 Pro, which DJI lists as slow motion. The Air 3S reaches 4K at 120 fps, a 20 fps difference at the top of the range.
Specification pages list sensors, focal lengths and frame rates. They do not show footage from either aircraft, so the camera comparison here covers hardware only.
Flight Time, Wind Resistance and Obstacle Sensing
The Air 3S is rated for 11 more minutes of flight than the Mini 4 Pro, at 45 minutes against 34. DJI describes the Air 3S 45-minute figure as a wind-tunnel number. Hovering time shows the same 11-minute gap, at 41 minutes for the Air 3S and 30 minutes for the Mini 4 Pro.
Rated flight times are manufacturer benchmarks. Hovering, climbing, wind and cold all cut real flight time below the rated figure.
DJI rates the Air 3S to resist winds of 12 m/s and the Mini 4 Pro to resist 10.7 m/s. The gap is 1.3 m/s in favor of the Air 3S.
Both aircraft use omnidirectional binocular vision sensing. The Mini 4 Pro adds a 3D infrared sensor on the bottom, and DJI lists no LiDAR for it. The Air 3S adds a forward-facing LiDAR sensor and a downward infrared sensor.
Transmission gives neither aircraft an edge. Both list a 20 km maximum distance under FCC conditions, measured unobstructed and free of interference, and both use O4 video transmission.
Weight, FAA Registration and Remote ID
The Mini 4 Pro sits under the FAA's 250 g registration threshold and the Air 3S sits above it. For recreational flyers, that line decides whether registration applies at all.
DJI lists the Mini 4 Pro takeoff weight as under 249 g for the standard aircraft with battery, propellers and microSD card. The Air 3S takes off at 724 g. Subtracting 249 g from 724 g gives a difference of about 475 g, and the Air 3S weighs close to three times as much.
FAA rules set three cases. Recreational flyers do not need to register an aircraft under 250 g. Any aircraft flown under Part 107, the FAA's commercial rule, must be registered whatever its weight, and aircraft over 250 g need registration and Remote ID.
The Part 107 rule narrows the Mini 4 Pro's advantage. A Mini 4 Pro flown for commercial work under Part 107 needs registration just as the Air 3S does, so the registration gap applies only to recreational flying.
The FAA sets out registration steps on its drone registration page and broadcast rules on its Remote ID page. Both pages are the place to read the current requirements before a first flight.
Size and storage also differ. The Air 3S folds to 214.19 x 100.63 x 89.17 mm against 148 x 94 x 64 mm for the Mini 4 Pro. The Air 3S also carries 42 GB of internal storage, 21 times the Mini 4 Pro's 2 GB.
US Availability and Firmware Support after the FCC Covered List Action
Both the Mini 4 Pro and the Air 3S were on sale before the FCC added DJI to its Covered List in December 2025, as reported. That action has effectively blocked new DJI models from US authorization, according to the same reports.
Under FCC Public Notice DA-26-69, drones authorized before December 22, 2025 can keep receiving firmware and software updates in the US, as reported.
Sources disagree on how far the restrictions reach, and DJI is challenging the Covered List action. Retail availability varies by seller. Verify the current FCC status and the seller before buying either model. The DJI profile on this site tracks DJI as a company.
Who This Comparison Is Not For
Buyers whose procurement rules exclude DJI aircraft gain nothing from choosing between two DJI models. Those buyers should start with the DJI alternatives page instead.
A buyer whose shortlist includes DJI's Mavic 4 Pro is weighing a different pair. The DJI Mavic 4 Pro vs Air 3S comparison sets that model against the Air 3S.
This page gives no price guidance. Prices for both aircraft vary by seller and bundle, and no price figure appears here.
Readers who want a single-model write-up can go to the Mini 4 Pro page or the Air 3S page.
What Would Change This Answer
A change in FCC authorization status for either model would change the answer for US buyers. A shift in DJI's Covered List challenge or in how DA-26-69 is applied would alter the availability and firmware-support picture described above.
Prices vary by seller, so check the current price gap between the two before deciding.
Moving from recreational flying to paid work under Part 107 removes the Mini 4 Pro's registration advantage, since registration then applies at any weight. In that case, the choice rests on the 475 g weight gap against the Air 3S camera, sensing and endurance figures.
Needing a 70 mm-equivalent tele camera settles the choice for the Air 3S. The Mini 4 Pro offers digital zoom only, so no Mini 4 Pro setting replaces a second camera.
How to Use This Comparison
Pick the Mini 4 Pro when staying under 250 g for recreational flying or carrying the lightest aircraft comes first. Pick the Air 3S when the 1-inch main camera, the 70 mm-equivalent tele camera, forward LiDAR, 45 minutes of rated flight and 12 m/s wind rating outweigh 475 g of extra mass and FAA registration.
The evidence on this page is DJI's published specifications set side by side by Drone and Defense. This site did not fly either aircraft for this comparison. More aircraft comparisons sit in the drones and UAS section.
Before paying, check the current seller listing and bundle, then compare the DJI Mini 4 Pro vs Air 3S figures line by line on the Mini 4 Pro specifications and the Air 3S specifications pages.
Drones and UAS FAQs
Is the Air 3S worth it over the Mini 4 Pro?
The Air 3S is worth it for a buyer who wants a 1-inch 50 MP main camera, a 70 mm-equivalent tele camera, forward LiDAR and 45 minutes of rated flight. The Mini 4 Pro is the better fit for a buyer who wants an aircraft under 249 g that needs no FAA registration for recreational flying.
Prices vary by seller, so the cost side of the trade depends on the listing.
Do the Mini 4 Pro and Air 3S both need to be registered?
The Air 3S always needs FAA registration because it weighs 724 g, and aircraft over 250 g also need Remote ID. The Mini 4 Pro, at under 249 g, needs no registration for recreational flying, but any aircraft flown under Part 107 must be registered whatever its weight. The FAA lists requirements on its drone registration page and its Remote ID page.
Which has the better camera, the Mini 4 Pro or the Air 3S?
The Air 3S has the larger main sensor and the only dedicated tele camera. DJI lists a 1-inch 50 MP wide camera and a 1/1.3-inch 48 MP tele camera at 70 mm equivalent on the Air 3S, against a single 1/1.3-inch 48 MP camera with digital zoom on the Mini 4 Pro.
The Air 3S also records 4K at up to 120 fps against 100 fps for the Mini 4 Pro.
Which flies longer, the Mini 4 Pro or the Air 3S?
The Air 3S flies longer on paper, with a rated 45 minutes of flight against 34 minutes for the Mini 4 Pro. Rated hovering time is 41 minutes against 30. These are manufacturer benchmarks, and hovering, climbing, wind and cold cut real flight time below them.
Can you still buy a Mini 4 Pro or Air 3S in the US?
Both models were on sale before DJI was added to the FCC Covered List in December 2025, as reported, and retail availability varies by seller. Under FCC Public Notice DA-26-69, drones authorized before December 22, 2025 can keep receiving firmware and software updates in the US, as reported. Sources disagree on how far the restrictions reach, and DJI is challenging the Covered List action.