DJI Air 3S vs. DJI Mavic 3 Pro - A New King Has Arrived

[@CLIFFLIX]

It's easy to confuse "sharpness" and "resolution". They are two COMPLETELY different things. The Mavic 3 shoots video at 5120×2700. That equals video frames that each contain 13.8 million pixels. The Air 3S does standard 3840x2160 with frames at only 8.3 million pixels. The Mavic 3 captures frames with over 5 million MORE pixels than standard UHD 4k. What you are seeing is "sharpening" and "micro contrast",...NOT more actual "resolution". Applying DJI's same in-camera sharpening to the Mavic 3 image will give you are MORE detailed "look" on the Mavic 3. Yes,...the Mavic 3 captures MORE "actual" detail than the Air 3S. (5+ million pixels more per frame) It just has "less" micro-sharpening applied in it's processing pipeline. The Mavic 3 was also given a MUCH higher HEVC bitrate. You also did not show the Mavic 3 in it's highest video recording option. (5.1k) You dropped the Mavic 3 down to just 4k.

[@billykyle]

Ok, and your point?

[@CLIFFLIX]

@@billykyle - Oh, sorry,...It's not actual "resolution" you are seeing. It's image processing "sharpening" that you are seeing. Also,...you only compared 4k to 4k and didn't even open up the Mavic 3's highest video mode? 5.1k? Sorry, you made an awesome video, yes,..but in the resolution shootout, you gimped the Mavic 3 down to 4k and knocked 5 million pixels off it's frame resolution before you tested them together. I think a 5.1k to 4k re-test would be more fair to the Mavic 3.

[@StumpyHead79]

@@CLIFFLIX 4k vs 5k is apple and oranges

[@CLIFFLIX]

@@StumpyHead79 8.3mp (4k) and 13.8mp (5.1k) is a significant frame size difference! HD (1080) is 2mp in size. The Mavic 3 has additional 2x HD (1080) worth of image data dumped into it's frame. I just think that you need to compare best mode for best mode on both. It's not fair to drop 5 million pixels from the Mavic 3 and then say the Air 3S has the higher resolution image afterwards. It's the Miami Dolphins beating the New England Patriots....but only because you benched "Tom Brady" just BEFORE the game even started. ;-)

[@sorinsim]

Yes and a thousand dollars more!

[@djcrash77]

Watching this while DHL is about 2 stops from my house with my new Air 3s..😍😍

[@billykyle]

Sweet

[@djcrash77]

@@billykyle in your opinion, does the camera on the Air 3s outperform the mavic 2 pro camera? On the fence if I should sell the mavic 2 pro or my Air 3 to keep just one as a backup to the Air 3s.

[@billykyle]

I haven’t done side by side tests, but after making this video I would say yes. More frame rate options are a big benefit.

[@FGitty]

I’ve flown mine at least 5 times in the last two days since I received it lol

[@riccovonteamer]

I got mind shipped to the hotel I’m staying in Hawaii while I’m on vacation. lol😂

[@brookscurran]

The mavic 3 pro image looks so much more pleasing and realistic, and the digital sharpening on the air3s looks pretty surreal... a clear illustration that digital processing isn't a replacement for sensor size if you're looking for a natural-looking image.

[@VisionCommunications]

Oh man! You killed this review! Thanks for putting in the work. You've made me happy that I have received my Air 3S! I have flown several Mavics, but not the new ones. I still have Air 2S and Air 3. Kept the 2S because of the image quality for photographs. But now I can sell it.

[@ILLAILLS]

I currently have the Original Mavic 3 Cine. It’s a work horse just with out the third camera. 1TB Onboard storage is a game changer

[@billykyle]

That is nice for dumping a days worth of photos and video.

[@AtortAerials]

Game changer until it fails on you and you need to off board pro res footage. I crashed mine and DJI literally had to spends weeks recovering for me a total pain in the butt. To me a fail should be removable like the Inspire.

[@alina9757-v2x]

@@AtortAerials Most likely a decision for weight

[@hogangwapa]

I can buy this air 3s soon once i have right amount money. I am still saving, So for now, I am very happy to see reviews like this to know more about the drone. thank you.

[@AllthingsVegas]

Great comparison video. Sounds like a huge upgrade over my Air2s, but with the Mavic 4 potentially coming out soon, it's difficult to pull the trigger. Keep up the good videos.

[@RonaldBrown59]

I agree that video coming out of the both cameras on the Air 3s is amazing. And it flies faster and better than any other DJI consumer camera drone. It's now daily flyer. Great video Billy, thanks for sharing.

[@CanadianSyed]

Thank you so much. I was waiting for this comparison. I bought my Air 3S 4 days ago and was still deliberating about Air 3S and Mavic Pro 3 without in boxing it as it would incur a 15% restocking fee here in Canada. Now I and A-Ok with this drone and will unbox it tonight :).

[@BenDover-069]

What drone did you get ? The Air 3S or Mavic Pro 3 ?

[@josephgutierrez7020]

This solidified my decision to get the a3s. Been holding out to hear an og m3 be a better option but can’t find it. Thank you for spending time on this

[@RMRealEstateProductions]

Thanks Billy! You convinced me to order one, in my case it's an even bigger leap going from an air2s to the air3s. I was thinking of holding off til the next mavic pro but this one does everything i need it to do. For my day to day life what I value most is a longer battery life, ability to move from one location to another for real estate photography, FAST with the ability to zoom in at decent quality (3x) is sufficient for my needs. Got it delivered today, cannot WAIT for tomorrow to try it on a full day of photoshoots. The price was very compelling.

[@michallispl]

Great review! Lots of work went into it! I really appreciate that! Thanks for the downloads!

[@laurensanders4300]

I currently own air 3 and mavic classic. Thinking about getting air 3s and sell air 3. Your thoughts?

[@ctdrone]

Perfect comparison, thanks! I wonder if you dropped the f stop on the M3P to 2.4 so it was closer to the 1.8 on the A3S, it would have changed the details in the shadows. IMHO, you need to have the f stops close for a fair comparison. And I'd do it without the ND filters for a true light to sensor comparison. I also think the footage looks better on the M3P using the zoom (13:04) over the A3S.

[@samueldickes]

Great video, with lots of interesting information. I’ve seen a few other comparison videos, where reviewers also confirm the sharper image on the Air 3s, but think that it looks partially oversharpened and prefer the softer look from the Mavic 3 Pro, where they can decide by themselves, how much they sharpen the image in post production. You speak so fast that I have to watch your video on 0.75 speed in order to take the stress out 😜

[@lakbomedia]

Thanks Billy!

[@markthompson7873]

Excellent work, your review seems very honest. Your section of photos is perfect ad the 20 is sharper then 12. But I’m sporting air 2, air 2S . My air 2 is my backup drone. As soon as I can get the 3s .. I’m purchasing. My air 2S become my backup drone up. Clearly this review is excellent. I love your attention to detail your examples. Your energy level… Good job.

[@grzegorzkrajewski1095]

Thank you, thank you, thank you for the files! I was deciding between the Air 3S and the 3 Classic for photography. I wasn’t considering the 3 PRO because it creates some legal issues in cities here in the EU. I took two sets of your photos with some shadows to recover. Sharpness was the same on both. When pulling shadows, the 3 PRO had a slight, very slight advantage, but after exporting both to the same JPG dimensions, the difference wasn’t noticeable. I preferred the warmer starting point of the Air 3S. There were no night photos to compare, but despite this, I’ve decided to go with the Air 3S. Thank you again for the perfect files to help with the comparison!

[@OpenCarryUSMC]

Having learned in the days of actual film, pushing ISO, real D stops, and actual shutters, I’ll take the adjustable aperture over non adjustable. Sure at 300 or 400 feet up you won’t see much impact from aperture size but you also don’t have to change shutter speed and can simply move aperture larger or smaller as lighting changes. On a drone it’s more of an apples and oranges issue.

[@richardwalker5906]

Great review thanks 🎉

[@adriankrolikowski]

set noise reduction and sharpness to minus 2 in Air3s. Low-light will be much better.

[@ThePNWRiderWA]

@@adriankrolikowski I have done that. They are still sharpening it when I blowup the image. I wish zero was zero.

[@SmallTownView]

I feel like a lot of the pros the Air has over the Mavic, as presented in this video, simply comes down to the warmer color tones. It's not the end all be all of everything, but it's a major contributor. I find warmer tones really bring out the separation of the trees more than cooler tones do. However, the M3P seems to saturate blues more than the A3S, as seen by the sky shots.

[@CaptureLifeConnection]

Very informative video. Thank You 🙏. I will be investing in Air 3s. I usually film video more than capturing pictures 🎞️. ✌️😎

[@MauroTandoi]

I reviewed your clips and noticed that you consistently used ND32 filters on the Air 3S, which resulted in a noticeable warm reddish color shift. Many other users have tested with and without filters, and found no color shift with the ND8, while the ND32 shows a strong red tint. In all the tests, I see you used DJI’s ND32 filters, which seem to have this particular shift (unlike the ND8). A comparison without filters would have been useful as well.

[@chrisduden7382]

Great clean production - Very organized - Thank you.

[@billykyle]

Thanks for watching!

[@seadogg404]

Excellent comparison; but the adjustable aperture is so important, especially when coupled with ND and CPLs. I get amazing results in video and photography with my Mavic3Pro. The Air3s has me really excited about the Mavic4 tho!

[@Glide-vd5we]

Wow what a great video thank you.

[@CraigAndrew-s7b]

I own the Mini 2 and looking at upgrading to a bigger/better drone. After seeing your video, i'm now leaning to the Air 3S. I'm not worried about what the photos look like at night, because in Australia it's illegal to fly at night. and i'm not into videos, it's all about photos for me. Thanks for the comparison.

[@AerRider]

Nice job as always, Billy.

[@Hsyunē]

First off…Thx for the much needed comparison! Also including footage for your viewers to download is pure amazing. I’m an M3 Pro user…and would strongly advise people who don’t own it…to get the A3S instead. However….your conclusion on the daytime video comparison is not on point. The footage from the M3P has way more highlight recovery and a bit more in the shadows😊 (skyline scene). All subjects looked too sharpened and a bit unnatural (A3S). The night time comparison shows, that you can not change the laws of physics(sensor size M3P). What I hate about the M3P is: 1.time to switch between sensors, 3-4 sec 2. Rear legs, that make it harder to launch from uneven grounds. Overall: I see my self upgrading to an Air 4S when launched.

[@markkempton4579]

Also a Mavic 3 Pro users and no intent to pick this one up. Regarding your "hate"s: 1) someone mentioned to me yesterday that the lag in switching cameras is due to the remote. The RC has the lag, his RC Pro does not. Might be worth looking for someone who is selling their RC Pro. 2) The bottom lights can be toggled. I have it assigned to one of the quick buttons (the other rotates my gimbal between straight down and straight ahead).

[@Hsyunē]

@@markkempton4579thx for your reply…I thought so regarding the stock RC used. But than again…you shouldnt spend more for Basic User experience. 2. toggle bottom lights is available? Might still not be there for EU Firmware….but I Look into it. Cheers

[@Hsyunē]

@@markkempton4579just checked and can confirm…. C1 is now my on/off toggle Switch for the bottom lights. Big 🙏

[@markkempton4579]

@@Hsyunē great news! I did not get a chance to get my controller out. Thanks for letting me know.

[@BryantAvant]

DJI is smart. Baiting everyone to buy the 3s and once they milk it, they’ll drop the 4 Pro. And I believe a firmware update can make the low light a little better on the 3s.

[@fendrou]

Air4 not pro

[@dronetheworld4k67]

Am not sure about that fw...

[@joesjourney145]

As someone that owns a mini 3 and was wondering what the photography differences between the air 3s and the mavic 3 pro were, I can confidently say that the air 3s is good enough. Thank you for the video I was waiting for.

[@KenToney]

Would love to see this comparison with video in d-log. I had temp insanity a few months back and sold my M3P but got Air3s Monday, love it!

[@dinodenton1223]

I'm still running an Air 2S and I love it. The difference between these 2 compared to the price difference makes it a no brainer A3S all the way. But it does make it blatantly obvious that they are dropping the Mavic 4 soon and then it will be followed by the Air 4 and eventually the Air 4S. Makes one wonder what they are currently developing and holding back.

[@dinodenton1223]

Also. Just because it can go to 6400 ISO does not mean you should push it that far. I limit the iso on all my cameras to where I feel its comfortable limit is. Great video though. I think the A3S will be my next purchase.

[@djg1028]

Great comparison, all valid points

[@VincentMartinFree]

I think I'll wait for the Mavic 4 pro to come out, because I think the upgrades will blow your mind if they combine all what they have implement it all the drones that all out now it will be a Beast. Great information, as always, Billy. I have all of them at this point, accept this new one just came out.

[@jaredmeche6325]

For my architecture & interior design clients, I still have to go with the Mavic 3's main lens for still photos, usually bracketed. Adjustable aperture on top of true 20MP micro 4/3 sensor is superior for photos. Saying these drones, including M3P, as well as phones saying they are 40-50MP is very misleading when they're really true 12MP sensors. If I was just doing video, I think the Air 3S has closed those gaps and surpassed in some. Really hoping we don't have to wait too much longer for Mavic 4.

[@TheSmartWoodshop]

I have the M3 Cine, but I plan to wait for the M4, although I would love to have the 70mm lens since I never use the M3's telephoto lens. In reality, I have a single-lens setup. I like the variable aperture for flexibility, as I shoot 80% photos and 20% video. The feature I miss most from my earlier Mavic is the camera's ability to flip for portrait mode. I shoot a lot of manual panos, and portrait orientation is great for that. With the current setup, I have to create multi-row panos in landscape mode. Billy, great review! I almost went with the Air 3S, but the M4 should be a significant upgrade from the M3. I hope DJI offers an optical zoom, if possible, and a true 50MP or higher sensor. Fingers crossed that the proposed DJI ban doesn't go through.😎🤙

[@ThePNWRiderWA]

@@TheSmartWoodshop do you lose much detail if you crop the footage to 3x equivalent?

[@TheSmartWoodshop]

@ it is only a 20mp camera so a 3x crop would hurt

[@tarrda]

Hello, I'm new to Drone photography but I still want the best available. I also just like flying one....I recently purchased a Air 3 and got iit on sale then I discovered the Air 3s,,,ordered one from DJI and after a few days in customs It was delivered 2 days ago. I am very happy with the Air 3 flying and am looking forward to using both drones as a hobby. I intend on getting a license and have learned a lot about the dos and don'ts of flying. Your channel is very informative I will be watching a lot. Thanks

[@stoneyridgelights5543]

Your video popped up instantly while searching Air 3S vs Mavic 3 Pro. I'm on the verge of purchasing with a limited budget. I shoot mostly my Christmas light show which is all pixels so the light generated is much more vivid than normal Christmas lights. I was very confident in the beginning of the video with the Air 3S until you got to the low light section. Low light adjustment is crucial. I'm concerned that the Air 3S is not going to cut it for me but the Mavic 3 Pro is outside of my budget. Any insights on this?

[@TVNetworld]

i still think the mavic 3 pro is the much better drone - maybe the air 3s has a little bit oversharpening in the software but after editing the 3 pro is a better choice and using the variable average is a must have in pro photography

[@roberthansen2498]

Very good lesson. Thank you. Still I am happy with my AIR 3. Greetings from Norway.

[@Maximilan20]

I downloaded your videos so thank you for sharing them. After watching a side by side with my Mini 4 Pro I REALLY can't see a noticeable difference between the Air 3s. I mean nobody will be able to tell the difference between the Mini 4 Pro and Air 3s when showing your work. I feel like you sold the Air 3s to be the drone above all drones.

[@mickue]

"It's truly a 12mp sensor that is being beefed up with some behind the scenes magic". Why not take half an hour and learn how a quad Bayer sensor works, instead of spreading misinformation? The sensor has a native resolution of 50mp. Aside of any quality rating, that's a technical fact, not magic. 4 Pixel share the same color filter, but this doesn't change the fact, that the sensor has 50mp. If needed, 4 pixels can be binned together. So, it's beefed down. Of course, I agree that those 50mp won't give you the ability to zoom in at 100%, but they will give you more detail than 12mp. Even if it would be a 50mp sensor with a traditional Bayer filter layout, a lens this size weren't able to give the needed sharpness. For video, the quad Bayer sensor makes sense, as it give strong low light performance when the pixels are binned, but also offers the possibility for digital zoom until the tele lens kicks in. From a photography stand point a true 24mp would be better. In my case I am happy with 12mp. I mostly do HDR panoramas and the 12mp makes handling easier because of the smaller file size. The 50mp RAWs aren't perse bad or useless. They just require "deeper" photography and editing skills. For example you shouldn't go beyond ISO200 in dim conditions and expose manually as the drone won't let expose longer than 1/60. Use AEB so don't have to stress the RAWs that hard and you should know about sharpen and denoise techniques.

[@CLIFFLIX]

On a quad-Bayer sensor, it's the amount of color filters that limit it's resolving power. Every photosite under that optical filter spot is getting the exact same voltage reading. What the sensor "can" do is an exposure time-split between two of the four...or...do a gain-split between them. This allows for a "brightness" (bad word to use) difference between the two pairs and allows for an HDR blend. Yes, quad Bayer gives a slight "read-out" advantage but never a "resolution" advantage. The resolution is determined at the color filter "before" it ever gets sampled under it. A sensor with a 12mp color filter is literally 12mp worth of "light" or "optical" or "resolution" quality. (strange way to put it) It doesn't matter how many ways you sample it "under" that filter. The "light" divisions or light "blocks" are only 12mp in quality.

[@mickue]

@@CLIFFLIX no, every photosite does not get the same voltage. That's the point. Although they share the same filter, they can get different voltages and create different shades of that color. And that's why it is a 50mp sensor. A sensor resolution is defined by the smallest possible change that a sensor can perceive.

[@CLIFFLIX]

@@mickue A single color filter dumps the photons over the single cell or cell block it's sitting over. If you have 4 photosites under the exact same same color filter, those four cells are receiving the almost the exact same light intensity. Only ONE general light intensity can pass through ONE color filter square. However!...2 of the 4 photosites can be pre-amped differently from the other two....or...they can be split-exposed and HDR joined inside the same read cycle. It's important to understand that yes, the dynamics of each pair ARE different, they are reacting to the exact SAME light source. A sensor with 12 million Bayer color filters is optically divided into resolution of 12 "megapixels divisions". You can sample as many times you want "under" that color filter. Remember, the sensor has micro lenses that "funnel" the light over each circuit cell to "JAM" surrounding edge light into the cell to "PACK" it as much as possible. That ALONE would distort and blur straight light falling onto the color filter. Even if 2 cells in a 4 cell block "could" manage to get different light from the other two, the difference between it's 2 sister cells would not produce ANY significant image data difference. On a 1 micron cell block, each quad cell is only .020 microns in size? This is why 48mp quad Bayer sensors don't produce any REAL "resolution" advantage over a single cell 12mp chip. They DO however often produce a bit more dynamic range. Quad Bayer is not a resolution boosting tool. It's a dynamic range boosting tool. (although "48mp" is a good marking trick)

[@kylecouture1917]

Im upgrading from a Mini 3 Pro. Hoping the Air 3s is better in every single way. I mainly take photos and videos of roofs for contractors as a side hustle. Super excited for my Air 3s to come if it ever gets through customs lol

[@vegasrealestatephotography]

Great video, thanks! I'm deciding which to get, upgrading from Mavic Pro2 & Mavic Pro2 zoom. I'm leaning toward the 3 pro because of the low light advantages. Pretty sure they haven't release Mavic 4 pro yet because they're waiting for me to purchase one of these first.

[@seventyone30]

Great video, bro! Should have the 3S today or tomorrow! 🤘🏼

[@JinKazama92]

Low light is the ultimate stress test for ANY camera. The Air 3s footage definitely looks like it has digital sharpening going on. Mavic 3 Pro still the more professional choice.

[@MauroTandoi]

yes, The AIR3s was born without an anti-aliasing filter and with the bit rate halved compared to the AIR3, no one tells us, but those who know what the AL filter is for and what impacts a reduction in the bit rate will understand.

[@captraykelly]

Great video! Guess I will be keeping my Mavic 3.

[@JACro78]

Awesome review mate 👌👌👌 Air3S it is… until the Mavic 4 Pro. Any ideas on that release ?

[@LittleMountainLife]

Fantastic comparison video!

[@kristofeight9668]

I won't say much, I just want to say... it's amazing how the footage looks from the 3 Pro, definitely worth a bit more $$ , now i can't even imagine what the image will be like from the incoming 4 Pro, thanks for comparisons, Air looks a bit poor, especially those 60Mbs at 4k 30fps where you don't have much root for color grading

[@Jjmartin1530]

I got a mini 2 refurbishedd from dgi website as my first drone, awesome little guy btw . Im not sure if its greed or not but m already eyeing that air 3s

[@cristhiandanielagudelomart3596]

Hi, there’s a the DJI magic 3 pro new almost at the same price than the DJI Air 3s, Considering that they have very similar prices (friends) which one is better for me? I want to buy the best of the two with the best quality (it's my first drone)

[@bobfiore8]

Cool comparison Billy! Thank you

[@MrEddieNunez]

Casey Neistat!!

[@bobfiore8]

@@MrEddieNunez 🤣🤣

[@JamalienN]

Thanks for including the uncompressed files

[@billykyle]

You’re welcome 👍🏼

[@blackout19]

Quad Bayer sensors work the other way around. They pixel bin down to 12, they don't upscale to 50. The pixels are there and real, they are laid out differently to assist with pixel binning, but no upscaling is happening.

[@Philonic]

It’s interesting to me that you seem to be the only KZbinr complaining about the night mode on the Air 3S. Not saying you’re wrong. My Air 3S arrives on Friday so I’ll be able to see for myself. I just find it interesting that everyone else seems to be raving about the night mode

[@Philonic]

@ZIGZAGBureauofInvestigation the USPS has mine now from DHL, so just waiting for it to arrive

[@billykyle]

From the examples shown in this video, what do you think about the night video? Especially when comparing it to the Mavic 3 Pro?

[@adrianbruce1160]

Billy didnt use the full potential as ist seems. The Night Footage is shot at 3200 ISO, but the Air 3S is capable of 12800 ISO.

[@MikeSarni]

@@adrianbruce1160u are not making sense that is just a gimmick dji uses to pump up the expos/ light in video …. As a rule of thumb u always want to use the lowest iso u can achieve along with ss etc basically more iso = more noisy video …. So him being at 3200 iso was actually the right way to show off this cameras low light performance he had that tied in nicely with his shutter speed for a nicely lit low light seen…. Sure he can go to iso 12800 but i can guarantee it looks like noisy “garbaggio” think im going to trade mark that word lmao yessss …. Garbaggio i say garbaggio! I use iso 12800 to fly around in low light sure works good for that but not my videos bro bro🤙

[@skycam509]

Billy, thanks for the great comparison video. I have a Mavic 3 and a Mini 4 Pro. My primary use-case is still photography. The Mini 4 Pro uses the same quad bayer technology to achieve a supposed 48MP. I have done extensive testing on this, and in my opinion, it is barely worth using, especially if file size is a consideration. In editing, the 48MP does offer a little more resolution, but certainly not quadruple, and there are trade-offs with noise and weird, unfixable coloration on water. For low light, the 48MP is worthless. In either case, I'll take the Mavic 3's 20MP hands down. If video was my primary concern, I think I would like the Air 3s. I really like the lidar for low-light obstacle avoidance and the extra power would probably resist higher winds. (That might be a good test for a video!) For now, I'm sticking with my Mini 4 Pro for its stealth, small size, vertical camera capability, and superior range (compared to the Mavic 3), and the Mavic 3 for its great photos. Both do a good job on video, IMO. Thanks again for all your great content.

[@4q2ube]

You asked for our opinion, so here's mine,,, i'm waiting for the Mavic 4 pro. 😁

[@jimgiraffe5253]

today billy taught me that adjustable aperature is a crutch and a nd filter is more betterer and he can ride his shutter speed to get perfect exposure. i think i will do this with my other cameras, just disable adjustable aperature

[@billykyle]

I’m happy to hear you watched that far into the video

[@jimgiraffe5253]

@@billykyle it was hard but i perservered

[@jimgiraffe5253]

@@billykyle tbh when i heard you say adj aperature was a crutch , i disregarded everything else you said in this video.. and immediately stopped watching after a massive realisation.

[@billykyle]

That’s fine. If you need to keep using it as a crutch on your drone then maybe you can check out some of my other videos on how to use your drone’s camera better. Adjustable aperture has no impact on depth of field or image quality, so unless you aren’t capable of using a ND filter, it’s not really necessary.

[@jimgiraffe5253]

@@billykyle thanks for the offer billy, but watching moar of your videos is not in my plans. I seen and heard all i need to. I will watch people who know what they are doing, thanks

[@HikeFly22]

Air 3s is looking very good

[@AtortAerials]

I think the Mavic 3 Pro was way more than a slight refresh it was entirely new drone with refined firmware and was the drone that should have been released initially yet DJI failed with firmware that was so lacking and caused lots of issues for many. That should have been their release period in my opinion it was only by then their firmware was up to speed with their drone.

[@proflex310]

Hi Billy, could you compare the new 1-inch sensor of Air 3S with the 1-inch sensor of Air 2S?

[@billykyle]

Have a video coming soon

[@dfwald4657]

I'd love to see this too.

[@damaylaphoenix1155]

no comparison !

[@BrianKerchner]

@@billykyle this is what I am most interested in. Air 3s vs Air 2s when it comes to still photos.

[@mobilesecure]

Many thanks for great video. Just bought Dji Air 3s) What is the best and most common frame rate to shoot in 4k? 24/25, 30 or 60? I was filming today in 4k 60fps active tracking myself while walking from different angles and in cine mode. When i checked video i founded that picture is little unstable and not really smooth.

[@robertkrein8016]

there is a lot of colour noise on the landscape images from the air 3s. not sure why I have seen it in almost all of the air 3s shots. It could be the quad sensor but i dont like it. This is the reason that holds me back to jump on it and swap from the air 2s

[@SiteSpecialistsLLC]

Thank you for doing this. I need to upgrade I have the original Autel. it's time to upgrade I have one question about the white balance adjustment you referred to. are you able to make a good judgment from the display on the controller, or do you look at actual footage from a test flight and then adjust the white balance for your final flight?

[@chipferguson5129]

Great video Billy...thank you.

[@ipadmini1874]

Can u explain mbps speeds & how they affect overall for those of us who don't know? Thanks!

[@davidhuang9832]

thanks for making this comparison. my one remaining doubt is about the D-logM. the comparison here was done with normal profile. How about the log profiles, can the 3S D-logM footages easily graded to match that of the graded Mavic 3 D-log?

[@janplexy]

Dude, how do you expect image of the Mavic 3 Pro to be sharp when shooting at shutter speed of 1/60

[@NDT-hw7nr]

Really great comparison! I just wish we could get them here in florida. Customs in Miami won't let them through... Mine's been stuck there since Monday

[@danielgrobe]

Should I upgrade mavic 2 zoom to 3s?

[@liquidalloy]

You were using ND filters on these? Insaw the ND for the magic and the ND32 for the 3S. A video with no ND filters would've been better. Comparison from the cameras directly

[@solidsteam5634]

I currently have DJI Mini 2 and I love flying it but I don't that much anymore. I want the drone to be able to follow a subject without me controlling it and I want it to be able to completely avoid obstacles, should I go for the Air 3S or the Mavic 3 Pro or wait until next year when newer ones are released knowing that I already have a drone?

[@DarR1299]

As an Air 3S owner, I would have to concede that a comparo should be done with the best camera settings of both. Comparing features / price, now that's a different topic.

[@billykyle]

Was this video not done with the best settings?

[@DarR1299]

@@billykyle Yes of course when comparing 4k.

[@steveborghardt]

When you said the Air 3s is basically a 12mp sensor with a quad Bayer sensor... a "fake" 50mp sensor... which should be a 20mp sensor. Maybe I should keep flying my Air 2S and Evo 2 Pro V1 for a while yet....

[@ThePNWRiderWA]

The EVO still has the best images. The Sony sensor is excellent. I shot some video and stills Mavic 3 pro vs the Evo at sunset. The Evo had bettter images even with a smaller sensor.

[@steveborghardt]

@ThePNWRiderWA I agree. I'm never disappointed with the stills I get with the EVO II Pro. I really should fly it more. My Air 2S is just smoother to fly and it's smaller.

[@BrianKerchner]

Thoughts on the Air2s having true 20mp and Air 3s only having a true 12mp

[@VidathD]

Can you do a similar comparison with Air 3.

[@jonahkaiguam]

How about Air3s vs the original Mavic 3? Im wondering if the 70mm (3x) 2nd camera at 1/1.3 on the A3S is better than the 165mm (7x) ½ camera. How much "better" is the A3S 1" 24mm to the MTF 24mm on the mavic 3

[@TimZarra]

nothing mentions about the software features, are they identical in what they can do in tracking and all that?

[@stefanbernhard2710]

Great review 👏

[@willardivins3736]

Flying during sunrise/sunset / variable clouds, when lighting is changing by the second, the variable aperture saves the time, energy and missed shots of having to either do the best you can with the ND you installed, or bringing back the drone to install the one you now need. Whether the camera shoots cool, or warm, if it doesn't give the look you want, you adjust settings until it does. The only time a problem arises in that scenario is when the hardware cannot adjust to suit. Neither of these drones' cameras have that problem. For those who already have a Mavic 3 / 3 Pro, Purchasing a 3S for daytime shooting could be a money saver over waiting for what will undoubtedly be a much pricier Mavic 4 Pro. Still waiting for the drone camera that can do it all, which means variable aperture will be necessary. Please cut the condescending comments like "Have you ever heard of a ND filter?" Such comments take away from an otherwise informative and helpful video. Don't marginalize your professionalism with such low brow commentary.

[@jstoneracing]

Do we know if the new 1" sensor is the same one used in the pocket 3?

[@anthonygrant4275]

So I am suppose to pay $1600 for a drone that is unusable at night. Or buy a refurbished classic for $1100 that can do day and night operation. Adjustable aperture doesn’t matter anymore just put on nd filter. DJI may as well cancel the mavic line according to you no need for adjustable just put nd filter on.

[@BornIn68]

if you use the drone mainly for photography then an adjustable aperture is a must, if you are mainly doing videos then yes it doesn't matter as much

[@ReneGamper]

The Air 3s is a great drone, but overall i think the image quality of the Mavic 3 Pro is still better in every way. Also not being able to adjust the aperture on the Air 3s is a big downside when filming video, you can not land the drone to change ND filters all the Time and adjusting the shutterspeed makes the footage look not as smooth as it should be (if you care about that). The main problem I have with the air3s is that, when the light changes quickly, like sunset, sunrise or also just some clouds you don't have any other ways to adjust the exposure except cranking the shutter. The only other solution I come up with is to always fly at higher ISO and stepping that down when there is too much light... But yeah... that will decrease the quality of the image again and introduce noise. But the overall improved hardware and better performance AND better price of the Air 3s makes it still an excellent drone. So yeah, I don't know lol... which one would you buy?

[@izoyt]

just for fun, any chance to throw m2p or/and air 2s to the mix (photo/video, tracking etc)?

[@DarkStoneCastle]

I don’t know… I kinda prefer the Mavic footage more…at least on KZbin. My opinion might change if I download the raw files.

[@techstudioup]

Can you do the salt flats range test? That was the best video I watched on your channel

[@deanfordcreative]

Still, waiting for the 4 Pro

[@andre1987eph]

You'll have to travel abroad to buy one. DJI embargo is here.

[@billykyle]

Andre please make sure you put your tin foil hat on today

[@schweizerluchs7146]

​@@billykyle😂

[@albinocurie1920]

@@billykyle😂

[@vervetech9395]

​@@andre1987ephNo embargo yet. And don't worry, it's going nowhere since the Pentagon has no proof to back its allegations.

[@BardhokNdoji]

Yep, a new King for a month or tow. Waiting for the beast, M4P, until then I am fine using M3P

[@Harry-lmao]

As a low cost budget the Air 3s is well equipped and does its work just perfectly fine although the night mode doesnt comes close to what the Mavic 3 can perform. It really depends on what people mainly focus on or do expect for their projects. For some not even the 'best' will do. I guess it wont take too long for the Mavic 4 to make it out on the market with superior features. That's how you end up as true drone collectors, lol. btw, bk, how many drones do you currently have in total?

[@HubertAile]

Thanks Billy for this comparison, I 100% agree with you on all points, I made the same observations !

[@360PictureUK]

Great comparison, what do you expect to see on the Mavic 4?

[@kraggman]

Most detailed comparison I’ve seen on any product in a while. Well done. The Air 3S seems to be right in my wheelhouse as far as value v capability. Air 2S has been my go to for a while now. Still have a Skydio 2 and a Mavic 2 Pro sitting in the closet. The pro level Mavics are too pricey for me. So …….

[@billykyle]

Air 3S is an insane price for what you get.

[@KrisFlix]

I have the Air3. Bought the fly more combo back when it came out last year. I am considering getting the 3s. But I’m not really sure. One option I thought about doing, is getting just the air3s drone just by itself. Since I already have the batteries and remote for the 3. They should be cross compatible right?

[@MauroTandoi]

battery yes, only video transfer with air3s off is not available. but remember : the AIR3s was born without an anti-aliasing filter and with the bit rate halved compared to the AIR3, no one tells us, but those who know what the AL filter is for and what impacts a reduction in the bit rate will understand.

[@NakeanWickliff]

I wonder if the pro just has a lowpass filter were as the 3s does not. I can see moire artifacts in the 3s due to the sharpness that I am not seeing in the pro.

[@davidmaxfieldgolf]

Good video but your shots aren’t correct comparisons. For example you can’t compare the cameras having the Air 3s set at f1.8 and then the Mavic 3 pro at f7.1 then complain about the colours and separation. A lower f stop is designed to give you exactly that - background separation. I’m confused as to why you didn’t just use the same settings on both with the same ND filters.

[@ChuckD05]

Needing NDs constantly is something no mavic 3 pro owner is going to want to do tho Also did you do air 3 comparison ?

[@billykyle]

I still use ND filters on my Mavic 3 Pro. No difference to me in needing to use them on the Air 3S

[@Dadtech.]

I see your red rock videos from vegas, that is like my back yard where i fly the most!

[@billykyle]

Such an awesome spot to fly!

[@Dadtech.]

Also just signed up for skill share, Im decent at editing but want to get better so thanks for the recommendation

[@Dadtech.]

@@billykyledont want to come across as weird but if your ever in vegas and want to calibrate I would love to or if you need any recommendations for where to fly! Love your channel, your my go to for drone content! Thanks brother!