Bobby, I feel there are a majority of drone pilots out there flying the
Air 2S which was introduced April 2021 and are getting all they want and more from this 3 year old drone. What is it that you want from the latest drones? I feel that no matter how many bells and whistles, flying proficiency is the best option / skill in droning.
It’s very easy to get caught up in the upgrade hype, and I admit I have. But, what I see on this forum are some excellent video and photo entries that are shot on
Mini 2’s versus the bigger, more advanced drones. I’m still in awe of the drone technology and all the constant upgrades…these ongoing upgrades are always and forever will be enticing to the consumer…me
BTW…the Classic is a worthy drone which has many years of excellent flying ahead.
Safe & Happy Flying
I had the
Air 2S but sold it 3 days ago because I was given an offer that I couldn't resist. It was too good to pass up. I had it for 3 years. If it wasn't for receiving such a good offer, I would have kept it. So it made my cost of ownership in those 3 years pretty low. I really enjoyed the
Air 2S but honestly there were some shortcomings that annoyed me.
I like the bigger sensor on the
Mavic 3 Classic and the camera is just flat out better than the
Air 2S camera. Also love the adjustable aperture on the
Mavic 3. When I first bought the
Air 2S, I thought I could live without adjustable aperture but there were times when I used the drone and wished I had an adjustable aperture. The
Air 2S camera was good but the
Mavic 3 Classic is a noticeable upgrade.
But also the longer flight time and being able to stay in the air for 50% longer is another big appeal to me. I didnt think the battery life on the
Air 2S was that good. It felt as soon as I got flying, I would have to land not longer after just to swap batteries. Landing just to swap batteries out was very annoying especially if I was in a location where it was difficult to land and take off.
I would rather have a seamless experience with longer flights. Better wind resistance too. I wish the
Air 2S had a bit better wind resistance. It was pretty good but on super windy days it made the drone unusable and it lacked power when it was super windy. And being in a location where weather can often be really windy, I would like a heavier and bigger drone to handle the stronger winds. So having a drone that is heavier, bigger, stronger and can handle a bigger spectrum of wind and weather changes, the
Mavic 3 would be more usable in my location.
Now having been a victim of this previously. In Dec 2020 I bought a brand new
Air 2 at full retail price. Only to then have the
Air 2S come out 4 months later. I was not impressed but I ended up selling my
Air 2 at a $700CAD loss to upgrade to the
Air 2S mainly for the 1" sensor. I really wanted the 1" sensor so I just bit the bullet and took the loss. Had I known the
Air 2S was right around the corner, I would not have bothered to buy the
Air 2. So I just don't want this happening again.