Is the Mavic Air 3s worth the upgrade?

[bmoore1118]

I currently have the Air 2S and have had it for about 3 years. I love it and mostly shoot photos and some video. I was looking to see if the Air 3S would be a good upgrade. I see it has an upgraded sensor and many other cool features like waypoints, etc. I am reading around and see many people not happy with the new 1-inch sensor technology they are using to get up to 50MP, and it is truly a 12MP 1-inch sensor. With the Air 2S having a true 1-inch 20MP sensor, has anyone compared the stills and have any thoughts? I am also looking at the Mavic 3 Classic, as the sensor is much better, but especially in the USA, it is becoming hard to find that model, and the Mavic 4 is out of my price point.



Thank you for any help!

 

[Riptide]

The Air 3S is a significant upgrade over the Air 2S. I think I would take an Air 3S over a Mavic 3 Classic. A Mavic 3 Pro on the other hand is a more difficult question. If your main goal is photography/videography, the cameras on the Mavic 3 Pro are superior to the Air 3S; however the “drone” part of the Air 3S is a gen ahead of the Mavic 3 Pro.

 

[bmoore1118]

The Air 3S is a significant upgrade over the Air 2S. I think I would take an Air 3S over a Mavic 3 Classic. A Mavic 3 Pro on the other hand is a more difficult question. If your main goal is photography/videography, the cameras on the Mavic 3 Pro are superior to the Air 3S; however the “drone” part of the Air 3S is a gen ahead of the Mavic 3 Pro.

I have been hearing that the air 3s has some weird photo issues with the stacked sensor

 

[Riptide]

I have been hearing that the air 3s has some weird photo issues with the stacked sensor

Haven’t heard that but there are plenty of examples of Air 3S pics and vids online for you to checkout.

 

[Rchawks]

I have a Mavic Air 2 and a A3S. I really like the feel of the A3S, it’s very smooth. I have a few pics that seem a bit off on sharpness but that might be on me with the light and settings. The zoom is incredible. It’s nice getting pictures of downtown without being downtown. My niece has a big backyard that sits on top of a hill and I flew from there just to take some pics and I was surprised how well it did.

 

[jmbsmt63]

The Air3s is a healthy step up from the Air2s—better features and range.
The "smart RTH" is amazing to watch because it will follow the course it took off from to return (including going under tree cover, for example).
I have spent WAY too much time comparing the 12MP images to the 50MP images from both cameras and haven't noticed any real issues. The 50mp WILL show some weirdness in patterns (like a roof edge), but they seem to be there in the 12mp as well, just not as pronounced and wholly related to lighting conditions.
Video rendering and choices are much improved and noticeable. I will shoot in D-Log M and apply the DJI LUT (to Rec 709), and the footage is excellent.

 

[TwoSticks]

The Mavic 3 series is on the older Ocusync but that does not mean it’s bad. It does mean that it uses different controllers than the Air3S and others like the Mini 5 Pro. If you go with a Pro controller in the future, the investment will be in an older system. Again, not bad, just something to be aware of.

 

[WilliamDaugherty]

The jump from the Air2S to the Air3 was huge for me. The dual cameras have really changed the way I use drones. Also, the extended flight time and enhanced power/speed were huge in terms of operational flexibility.

The move up to the Air3S was a much less dramatic improvement...except for the low-light functionality which is really a big step up if you need it. I sold my Air2S a few months ago since I just wasn't using it, even as a backup to both "3" models.

 

[bmoore1118]

The jump from the Air2S to the Air3 was huge for me. The dual cameras have really changed the way I use drones. Also, the extended flight time and enhanced power/speed were huge in terms of operational flexibility.

The move up to the Air3S was a much less dramatic improvement...except for the low-light functionality which is really a big step up if you need it. I sold my Air2S a few months ago since I just wasn't using it, even as a backup to both "3" models.

Thank you. If you don’t mind me asking were you sold yours and what you found was a good asking price. I will be selling mine soon

 

[WilliamDaugherty]

Thank you. If you don’t mind me asking were you sold yours and what you found was a good asking price. I will be selling mine soon

You are most welcome. I like to sell face-to-face so I used Facebook Marketplace. Wound up selling it to a guy I've worked with over the years a few times so there was no trust issue at all. The drone was a Care Refresh replacement with almost no hours on it (I bought the Air3 while I was waiting for it to get replaced after a crash) and it was the Fly More Combo with the DJI RC controller, so a very nice package. I think we agreed on just under $800. Asking price was $850. I suspect I could have got more if I was willing to ship it.

 

[mhodish]

FWIW, I bought a 2S on ebay (USA) a couple months ago, looks unused, same controller, 3 batteries, case, no spare props, for $826

 

[orlandoDrone]

I currently have the Air 2S and have had it for about 3 years. I love it and mostly shoot photos and some video. I was looking to see if the Air 3S would be a good upgrade. I see it has an upgraded sensor and many other cool features like waypoints, etc. I am reading around and see many people not happy with the new 1-inch sensor technology they are using to get up to 50MP, and it is truly a 12MP 1-inch sensor. With the Air 2S having a true 1-inch 20MP sensor, has anyone compared the stills and have any thoughts? I am also looking at the Mavic 3 Classic, as the sensor is much better, but especially in the USA, it is becoming hard to find that model, and the Mavic 4 is out of my price point.



Thank you for any help!

Be aware. Air 3 and mavic 3 have automatic calibration vision sensors. If replaced or damaged the drone won't fly until fixed and reset by DJI dealer software. Air 2s.
Is more fixable

 

[bmoore1118]

Be aware. Air 3 and mavic 3 have automatic calibration vision sensors. If replaced or damaged the drone won't fly until fixed and reset by DJI dealer software. Air 2s.
Is more fixable

Would this only be needed if one of the obstacle sensors got damaged or it was crashed

 

[a2tomm]

I own the Air 3s and had the Mavic 4 ,I also owned at one time the Air 2s ,and must say the the 3s is the bomb and is my go to drone .The mavic 3 was cool but NOT worth the money .It sat on the shelf after the NEWNESS wore off so it went to Ebay like the air 2s did My fleet consists of the 3s the mini 5 the Neo 1 and 2 all fitting in a backpack so I am ready for anything .Went to Ocean city for a few days one of those days was really windy but the Mini 5 and the 3s was absolutly stellar. Wife thinks I'm nuts but I want what I want

 

[Deep South Drones]

I currently have the Air 2S and have had it for about 3 years. I love it and mostly shoot photos and some video. I was looking to see if the Air 3S would be a good upgrade. I see it has an upgraded sensor and many other cool features like waypoints, etc. I am reading around and see many people not happy with the new 1-inch sensor technology they are using to get up to 50MP, and it is truly a 12MP 1-inch sensor. With the Air 2S having a true 1-inch 20MP sensor, has anyone compared the stills and have any thoughts? I am also looking at the Mavic 3 Classic, as the sensor is much better, but especially in the USA, it is becoming hard to find that model, and the Mavic 4 is out of my price point.



Thank you for any help!

I can see a subtle difference by eye between photos from my Mavic 4 Pro & my air 3S but the difference between my older drones for both is readily apparent to everyone who sees the photos and video. The biggest plus I found with the picture quality with the air 3S when I first got it was in low light situations. Complete night and day difference (no pun intended) between the 2S. Night photos and video with the air 3S blow me away every time I use it. In fact, the night video on the 3S is good enough that I actually use that drone for night video rather than the Matrice 4T, which does great from a thermal perspective, but the 3S feels like better quality for straight low light video to me for some reason.

 

[wco81]

The Air3s is a healthy step up from the Air2s—better features and range.
The "smart RTH" is amazing to watch because it will follow the course it took off from to return (including going under tree cover, for example).
I have spent WAY too much time comparing the 12MP images to the 50MP images from both cameras and haven't noticed any real issues. The 50mp WILL show some weirdness in patterns (like a roof edge), but they seem to be there in the 12mp as well, just not as pronounced and wholly related to lighting conditions.
Video rendering and choices are much improved and noticeable. I will shoot in D-Log M and apply the DJI LUT (to Rec 709), and the footage is excellent.

There was quite a bit of discussion about them using Quad-Bayer sensors on all the new drones starting with the Air3.

 

[orlandoDrone]

Would this only be needed if one of the obstacle sensors got damaged or it was crashed

That's correct. Or if the main board is replaced. I repair drones in Orlando. I Have special software for gimbal calibration, hopefully sensors also soon.

 

[Alienatrix]

As a current Mavic 4 Pro owner, I will say this:

1. Go for the AIR 3s. Best bang for your buck, no question.

2. AIR 3s is fully compatible with the Cellular Dongle 2, for 4G connection without having to roll back FW. My current Mavic 4 Pro on the other hand, can't without downgrading the FW, and cannot do it all if you have the RC PRO 2.

3. AIR 3s can record between different lenses/zoom without having to stop the recording, and start recording again. The M4P can't.

4. AIR 3s is snappy and feels faster. At take off, and sudden turns, it feels more agile. The M4P definitely feels heavier, and although it eventually catches up to the AIR 3s, the AIR 3s beats it in terms of flying/handling dynamics.

5. The gimball roll is such an unnecessary feature on the Mini 5 Pro and the M4P. I used it 4x times since getting the M4P, and haven't used it since and don't think I will again. Also, on the AIR 3s, you can get a proper wide angle lense, and my goodness what a difference it makes. The M4P sucks *** when it comes to wide angle, especially as it's 28mm and even if you invest in a wide angle lense, you need to remove it and fit it every time, otherwise the gimball can't complete its calibration..like, what the actual f...k?

6. Battery life. I would say, this is where the AIR 3s is at a loss here, but only just...real world, the AIR 3s will give you 30mins, whereas the M4P will give you closer to 35 - 38mins. Are those extra 5-8mins enough to negate all of the above points. In my opinion, NO. If the AIR 3s was offered, somehow, with the same '51 mins' of battery life as the M4P, it would be a no brainer.

7. Price - What other drone gives you all the features, tech, speed battery life etc that the AIR 3s can, for around £1,000?

Verdict = Go for it!

 

[wco81]

The other factor, which the OP may or may not find useful, is that it's under 900 grams. The Mavic 3 Classic is as well but the other Mavic 3 Pro and 4 Pros are well over 900 grams.

 

[Riptide]

The other factor, which the OP may or may not find useful, is that it's under 900 grams. The Mavic 3 Classic is as well but the other Mavic 3 Pro and 4 Pros are well over 900 grams.

what is 900gr the cutoff for?