Mavic 3 Pro is awesome but might buy a Mini 4 Pro as well for noise/size?

[coldbricks]

Hey everyone,

I’ve been absolutely loving my Mavic 3 Pro—it’s an incredible drone, and I’ve gotten some amazing shots with it. That said, I can’t help but feel that it’s a bit invasive in certain situations. It’s a bigger drone, and while it’s not exactly loud, it does have a noticeable presence when flying around quieter areas like neighborhoods or parks. It is just a bigger 'full-sized' small UAS and I personally think it's overkill sometimes.

Recently, I’ve been drawn to the idea of picking up a Mini 4 Pro as a second drone. It’s smaller, more portable, and I imagine it would feel less intrusive for casual flights in places where I don’t necessarily want to attract attention or haul around a larger rig. I am looking at the Fly more now kit, with the RC2.

Here’s where I’m a bit stuck: Does owning both seem ridiculous? For those of you who’ve flown both, is the sound difference between the Mini 4 Pro and the Mavic 3 Pro actually noticeable? Would the Mini 4 Pro give me a meaningful advantage in situations where a quieter or less conspicuous drone would be appreciated? I sometimes just don't want the attention. Of course, I won't have that amazing zoom capability of the Mavic, and it's optics...that's the big advantage of the big camera ship. But how does the Mini 4 Pro handle if I am used to the Mavic 3 Pro? The Mavic 3 Pro has been my first drone, btw, so I imagine I might be a bit spoiled in performance.

I’d love to hear your thoughts, especially if anyone else here has added a Mini to complement their larger drones. I don’t want to overthink this, but I also want to be sure it’s a practical addition and not just me indulging in my gear obsession!

Thanks in advance for your input!

 

[rwilliam99]

I don't own a larger drone or own a mini 4 - I have a mini 3 pro - what I can tell you is that the mini 3 pro is a LOT quieter than the previous mini drones and I'd assume the 4 is even quieter than the 3 is. You don't have to get it up too high for it to be pretty much invisible. It is one of the first things I noticed about the drone.

I love my mini 3 for its compactness and relative quiet.

 

[MARK (LI)]

The Mini 4 Pro is a great little machine, but it is easy to lose in the sky, at not great distance...there are times I lose it in the sun and the only way to re establish VLOS is to hit RTH...and I always hear it before I can spot it again

 

[Felix le Chat]

Hey everyone,

I’ve been absolutely loving my Mavic 3 Pro—it’s an incredible drone, and I’ve gotten some amazing shots with it. That said, I can’t help but feel that it’s a bit invasive in certain situations. It’s a bigger drone, and while it’s not exactly loud, it does have a noticeable presence when flying around quieter areas like neighborhoods or parks. It is just a bigger 'full-sized' small UAS and I personally think it's overkill sometimes.

Recently, I’ve been drawn to the idea of picking up a Mini 4 Pro as a second drone. It’s smaller, more portable, and I imagine it would feel less intrusive for casual flights in places where I don’t necessarily want to attract attention or haul around a larger rig. I am looking at the Fly more now kit, with the RC2.

Here’s where I’m a bit stuck: Does owning both seem ridiculous? For those of you who’ve flown both, is the sound difference between the Mini 4 Pro and the Mavic 3 Pro actually noticeable? Would the Mini 4 Pro give me a meaningful advantage in situations where a quieter or less conspicuous drone would be appreciated? I sometimes just don't want the attention. Of course, I won't have that amazing zoom capability of the Mavic, and it's optics...that's the big advantage of the big camera ship. But how does the Mini 4 Pro handle if I am used to the Mavic 3 Pro? The Mavic 3 Pro has been my first drone, btw, so I imagine I might be a bit spoiled in performance.

I’d love to hear your thoughts, especially if anyone else here has added a Mini to complement their larger drones. I don’t want to overthink this, but I also want to be sure it’s a practical addition and not just me indulging in my gear obsession!

Thanks in advance for your input!

I have two Mavic 2's (zoom & pro) and bought a mini 3 pro for when I need to get closer to target or in confined areas. Having Little & Large is a perfect balance. Having an excellent mini camera that flips for true portrait orientation with full sensor resolution is icing on the cake.

 

[Jim Martin]

I have a similar plan. I have a Mini 4 Pro and recently picked up an Avata 2. Between the 2, I've got a lot of bases covered. With a little luck, my next drone will be a Mavic 4 Pro. My thought is that I can use the Mini 4 when I need unobtrusive, small and quiet, and for doing reconnaissance before risking the Mavic. The pain of loosing the Mini would be much less than the Mavic Pro. The Mavic would be my goto for when an absolutely awesome shot presents itself and I want every last bit of quality I can get.

 

[CadrePilot]

I'm also considering a smaller drone to supplement my Mavic 3 Pro, but for the purposes of traveling and flying overseas, particularly in Europe.

 

[GFields]

There is nothing wrong with having multiple drones. Especially if you are wanting to add a <249 g drone

 

[coldbricks]

Picked up a Mini 4 Pro yesterday! Weather has been rainy so hopefully I can fly it later when it clears up. I can't get over how tiny it is, coming from the full size ship Mavic 3 Pro! This is going to be practically invisible compared to the big guns. I have a feeling I'm going to love this thing...feels like the ultimate combination having both. Now, I just have to think of an excuse to tell my wife when she notices my drone shrank LOL

 

[Starz]

tell my wife when she notices

Real hard to explain when my other half counted past the dozen number.
Very addictive hobby!

 

[DARKSeifer]

I still have my Mini 2 and I only fly it to cycle the batteries two or three times a year. If you have the 4/3 camera, the other drones are only an option for backpacking, to reduce weight if photography is not the main purpose of the trip.

To stop annoying people, the technique is the same as doing photos hand held, just stop 5 seconds to take the pic and move away to another point of view or location.

It's true that I tend to fly lower with the Mini as it feels less intrusive and it sounds as if it were an insect; but the fact is that it sits in the bag the whole year, same would happen with a Mini 4.

I'd consider a Neo though, as it's super lightweight, and it can be easily carried around every day and be flown with the smartphone, which you always carry anyway.

You just add a total weight of 135g to the bag (less than a smartphone) and you can quickly scout the area; and if you are caught, it looks just like a toy and feels not intimidating at all, so it's just perfect to carry on everyday walks.

 

[coldbricks]

Real hard to explain when my other half counted past the dozen number.
Very addictive hobby!

I'm the same way with guitars
Luckily not women - well not unless she picks first I guess in that case

Cheers

 

[GFields]

It’s been said that it often easier to get forgiveness than to get permission!

 

[JimSteadman]

I have both a mini 3 pro and a mini 4 pro as well as a Mavic and mini. Why 3 minis? The mini 3 was a real step up from the original mini and I loved it. BUT it does not have obstacle avoidance when flying sideways. The 4 does. They are tiny, and sometimes hard to spot in the sky, but provide amazing photography and, yes, they are much quieter than my old Mavic or any of the larger drones.

 

[moldorf]

I have a Mavic 3 and a Mini 3 pro

I have to 'force' myself to use the Mini 3. The Mavic 3 is simply a better flying/video experience. But then, where I fly I don't have the issue of noise abatement. I almost never fly around people or over houses. And as mentioned, the Mavis 3 is much more visible at distance

I almost never use the 7X camera so the triple camera of the Mavic 3 Pro doesn't appeal to me much. If I wasn't so lazy I'd probably sell the Mini 3 and buy a Mavic 3 Classic as a backup drone

 

[Daytona500]

Picked up a Mini 4 Pro yesterday! Weather has been rainy so hopefully I can fly it later when it clears up. I can't get over how tiny it is, coming from the full size ship Mavic 3 Pro! This is going to be practically invisible compared to the big guns. I have a feeling I'm going to love this thing...feels like the ultimate combination having both. Now, I just have to think of an excuse to tell my wife when she notices my drone shrank LOL

looks like you already bought the mini 4 before you came and asked if it was a good idea so no need for people to give there options

 

[ABG Multimedia]

Hey everyone,

I’ve been absolutely loving my Mavic 3 Pro—it’s an incredible drone, and I’ve gotten some amazing shots with it. That said, I can’t help but feel that it’s a bit invasive in certain situations. It’s a bigger drone, and while it’s not exactly loud, it does have a noticeable presence when flying around quieter areas like neighborhoods or parks. It is just a bigger 'full-sized' small UAS and I personally think it's overkill sometimes.

Recently, I’ve been drawn to the idea of picking up a Mini 4 Pro as a second drone. It’s smaller, more portable, and I imagine it would feel less intrusive for casual flights in places where I don’t necessarily want to attract attention or haul around a larger rig. I am looking at the Fly more now kit, with the RC2.

Here’s where I’m a bit stuck: Does owning both seem ridiculous? For those of you who’ve flown both, is the sound difference between the Mini 4 Pro and the Mavic 3 Pro actually noticeable? Would the Mini 4 Pro give me a meaningful advantage in situations where a quieter or less conspicuous drone would be appreciated? I sometimes just don't want the attention. Of course, I won't have that amazing zoom capability of the Mavic, and it's optics...that's the big advantage of the big camera ship. But how does the Mini 4 Pro handle if I am used to the Mavic 3 Pro? The Mavic 3 Pro has been my first drone, btw, so I imagine I might be a bit spoiled in performance.

I’d love to hear your thoughts, especially if anyone else here has added a Mini to complement their larger drones. I don’t want to overthink this, but I also want to be sure it’s a practical addition and not just me indulging in my gear obsession!

Thanks in advance for your input!

I have the Transport Canada Advanced RPAS Certificate and own several large drones. I bought the Mini 4 because I live in Canada and can fly the Mini 4 almost anywhere and don't need a Visual Observer ($$$) when doing real estate shoots around town. The small sensor was off putting at first but I have found clients don't care about the quality difference between the P4/Matrice 210 Zenmuese X4S and the Mini 4's teeny sensor. The Min 4 handles well in moderate wind and is responsive to the controls. I especially like the RC with built in screen. Quiet, unobtrusive and good enough for Residential Real Estate. Get one!

 

[Droning on and on...]

Hey everyone,

I’ve been absolutely loving my Mavic 3 Pro—it’s an incredible drone, and I’ve gotten some amazing shots with it. That said, I can’t help but feel that it’s a bit invasive in certain situations. It’s a bigger drone, and while it’s not exactly loud, it does have a noticeable presence when flying around quieter areas like neighborhoods or parks. It is just a bigger 'full-sized' small UAS and I personally think it's overkill sometimes.

Recently, I’ve been drawn to the idea of picking up a Mini 4 Pro as a second drone. It’s smaller, more portable, and I imagine it would feel less intrusive for casual flights in places where I don’t necessarily want to attract attention or haul around a larger rig. I am looking at the Fly more now kit, with the RC2.

Here’s where I’m a bit stuck: Does owning both seem ridiculous?

Yes. Utterly ridiculous. Wasteful, redundant, selfish, completely and embarrassingly FANBOY.

That's why I own a Phantom 4, Air 3, Mavic Air, Mini 4 Pro, DJI FPV, Avata, Avata 2, and Neo. and I've sold about as many DJI drones.

Seriously, get it. They compliment each other. I'll bet you end up flying the M4P most of the time. That is, until you get an Avata 2

 

[wrybread]

I have a Mavic 3 and a Mini 3 pro

I have to 'force' myself to use the Mini 3. The Mavic 3 is simply a better flying/video experience. But then, where I fly I don't have the issue of noise abatement. I almost never fly around people or over houses. And as mentioned, the Mavis 3 is much more visible at distance

I almost never use the 7X camera so the triple camera of the Mavic 3 Pro doesn't appeal to me much. If I wasn't so lazy I'd probably sell the Mini 3 and buy a Mavic 3 Classic as a backup drone

Me too. I have a Mavic 3 Pro and a Mini 3 Pro. The only time I use the Mini is when I need to get near people. And even then I mostly prefer the Mavic because I can just use the telephoto lenses and keep it a long way away.

 

[wrybread]

Seriously, get it. They compliment each other. I'll bet you end up flying the M4P most of the time. That is, until you get an Avata 2

That hasn't been my experience at all. I have the Mavic 3 Pro, Mini 3 Pro, and Avata 2. At least 90% of my flying is done with the Mavic. The Avata is fun but it's kind of a gimmick in my opinion. It's fun to fly, but not fun to watch the videos of the flight. The Mavic makes amazing videos. And photos if that's your thing. The 3x telephoto camera is absolutely amazing. For me, if I lost my Avata 2 and Mini 3 Pro I'd almost not even notice.

 

[Droning on and on...]

That hasn't been my experience at all. I have the Mavic 3 Pro, Mini 3 Pro, and Avata 2. At least 90% of my flying is done with the Mavic. The Avata is fun but it's kind of a gimmick in my opinion. It's fun to fly, but not fun to watch the videos of the flight. The Mavic makes amazing videos. And photos if that's your thing. The 3x telephoto camera is absolutely amazing. For me, if I lost my Avata 2 and Mini 3 Pro I'd almost not even notice.

That makes a lot of sense if the captured imagery is your priority. Nothing wrong with that!