DJI Mini 5 Pro vs Air 3S - Increadible Comparison

Amazon Deals: Mini 4 Pro & DJI Air 3S

This is the DJI Mini 5 Pro and Air 3S. Let’s test and compare them to see which drone might be right for you. Just to be clear. The Air 3S and Mini 5 Pro share a lot of similarities, but each has its strengths.

The Mini 5 Pro wins for portability — it’s smaller and lighter, perfect for travel. The Air 3S, on the other hand, edges ahead in a few key areas we’ll cover as we head up this glacier. Both shoot stunning 4K at 60fps, have dual focal lengths, and support slow motion — 4K up to 120fps and HD up to 240fps. Let’s check out how those frame rates compare.

Slow Motion

One of the main differences between the two is that the Mini 5 Pro can only shoot 4K 120fps in its full field of view — you can’t use it on the 2x lens (at least not yet).

The Air 3S, however, lets you record slow motion with the 3x lens, which is great for tracking subjects like boats or cars. You get a nice depth of field without needing to fly too close.

Video comparison

What I used to struggle with on the Mini series drones was having only one focal length — and that was it. In the past, drones like the Air 3 or Air 3S would easily win over any Mini because of that limitation.

But the Mini 5, with its 2x crop mode, changes things. It’s not a separate camera or lens; it simply crops in on the sensor — but the results look great.

70mm vs 48mm lens comparison

If you want a deeper depth of field and stronger lens compression between the background and foreground, the Air 3S is still hard to beat. But the Mini 4 or Mini 5 Pro isn’t far behind.

In fact, in one area — close focus distance — the Mini 5 actually outperforms the Air 3S in image quality.

Close focus

One thing about this glacier — it has tons of ice worms. And I literally mean ice worms — tiny creatures that live in the ice.

The Mini 5 Pro, with its close focus distance, can actually capture them up close. Since both drones share a 1-inch sensor on the main camera, you won’t notice a major difference in video quality. Both can shoot 4K 60 in D-Log M with 10-bit color, which looks fantastic.

The main difference is that the Mini 5 Pro seems to have a slightly better

Dynamic Range

The Mini 5 Pro seems to have slightly better dynamic range thanks to DJI’s new dual ISO fusion system. In these two shots, you can see a bit more detail in the shadows compared to the Air 3S.

So, the Mini 5 Pro wins when it comes to dynamic range — though the Air 3S still delivers excellent image quality. The Mini 5 Pro just has the edge in pure raw dynamic range.

The catch is that you need to shoot in auto ISO to take advantage of this feature. So, while the Air 3S is better for getting closer to a subject (its 70mm lens), the Mini 5 Pro outperforms it in dynamic range.

Vertical Video

When it comes to vertical content, my buddy John — whose drone this is — shoots a lot of it. The Mini 5 Pro has a big advantage here because it physically flips the entire camera, allowing full 4K vertical video.

In contrast, the Air 3S can only record vertical video at 2.7K. The Mini 5 Pro also gives you a wider field of view when shooting vertically to that rotating camera design.

So, if you film a lot of vertical content, the Mini 5 or other Mini series drones are still hard to beat.

Photos

Now, let’s talk about photos. Both drones share the same 1-inch, 50MP (or 12MP) sensor on the main camera, which delivers stunning detail and beautiful imagery.

However, the Air 3S has the advantage of a second telephoto lens, allowing you to capture tight, zoomed-in shots — great for certain scenes or compositions.

That’s not to say the Mini 5 Pro is lacking; it can still produce amazing photos. You’re just a bit more limited in how you compose your shots and the field of view you can work with.

Low Light

Now, let’s talk about low light. I found a spot that works really well for testing. I ran an actual low-light test, and since both drones have essentially the same sensor and camera, there’s almost no difference in image quality when settings are matched.

Here, I’m ramping through the ISOs in D-Log. Switching to normal mode triggers automatic night mode at higher ISOs. Honestly, both drones perform surprisingly well in very low light conditions.

Active Track

When it comes to ActiveTrack, the Mini 5 Pro has seen some improvements. You now get options like cycling and other tracking modes. I hope DJI adds these features to the Air 3S via a firmware update.

That said, I didn’t notice much difference between the two in actual performance — both tracked subjects very well in every situation I tested.

Now, let’s move on to the biggest differences between the Air 3S and the Mini 5 Pro.

Size and Weight

One of the biggest differences is size and weight. The Mini 5 Pro is much smaller and easier to carry. When you include extra batteries, the whole Mini 5 Pro setup is tiny compared to the Air 3S.

There’s been some controversy over its weight — yes, the Mini 5 Pro is over the 249g (0.55 lbs) limit. For me, it doesn’t matter since I operate commercially and have to register it anyway. But in some regions, this could be a concern, and the Mini 4 Pro might be a better choice. Regulations are inconsistent right now, so it’s a bit of a mess — hopefully, that gets clarified in the future.

Battery Life and speed

Now let’s talk about battery life, flight time, and speed. In my tests, the Mini 5 Pro outperforms the Air 3S by about 10 minutes. I was getting a solid 40–42 minutes with the Mini 5 Pro, depending on how I flew, while the Air 3S usually gave me 30–35 minutes.

When it comes to speed, the Mini 5 Pro has seen a big improvement over its predecessor, with a higher top speed. Still, the Air 3S takes the lead, reaching nearly 60 mph with a slight tailwind — impressive and sometimes really useful.

Wind Resistance tests

That brings us to perhaps the biggest issue for many drones, including the Air 3S: wind. I tested both drones on a mountaintop with pretty strong winds. They both performed decently, but the Mini 5 Pro — while better than the Mini 4 Pro in similar conditions — still moves and bobs noticeably, as you can see in some of the footage.

The Air 3S, on the other hand, holds a much more stable position. It’s larger, more powerful, and slightly heavier, so it’s less affected by wind. That said, when flying close to a subject in strong winds, you’ll notice some movement with any drone.

Sound Tests

And that brings us to noise. Right now, I’m a couple of feet away from the drone. Let’s move it a bit closer — about 1.5 meters away. This is what it sounds like.

Now, here’s the Mini 5 Pro in roughly the same position, also about 1.5 meters away. How does it sound?

Final verdict

In terms of capability and image quality, the Air 3S is probably the best drone you can buy from DJI right now. If you want more portability while still getting excellent image quality, the Mini 5 Pro is the way to go.