If you're in the forum, you probably already have a pretty good opinion of what you like and don't. I'm writing for those readers still on the fence. My Air 2S took a swim last summer and I debated getting a new body, moving to the Air 3, or maybe trying a Mini. I got a Mini 3 for Christmas and quickly ruled that out as too feature limited and locked (i.e. no SDK, No Litchi) for me. I compared Mini 4 Pro specs to the Air 2S on paper, and I was unconvinced. But DJI kind of locked us into a corner. No LItchi, no waypoints, a few failed attempts on ebay for a cheap Air 2S (if you're going to spend the money...) so Mini 4 Pro it is.
And what a delightful suprise! Once you get past the toy-like feel of the Mini 4 Pro, I haven't found anything on this drone that's really missing from the Air 2S. Yes, maybe you'd like to shoot in 2.7k instead of 1080 or 4k. And I'm sure there are some other features buried under the covers. But as a hobbyist flyer, the Mini 4 is great. Quick to start, easy to fly, still fast, VERY capable in the wind, and waypoint flights without the jerkiness of viritual sticks. AND the ability to continue a waypoint mission upon signal loss (in the US.) I especially like the quick transfer workflow to move content from the drone to my phone without handling any SD cards. As a long time GoPro and DJI action user, the ability to connect from phone to device and back is easy to screw up. DJI really got that right. The only thing missing is the ability to do a quick transfer from the RC 2 to the phone as well.
Why transfer to the phone? For me, anything that hits my phone automatically goes to Synology. By the time I've powered down and put aside my drone gear, the content is waiting on my NAS when I get my laptop powered up. This may no be everyone's setup, but it got me out of the SD card shuffle.
I know every user has different wants, needs and preferences for their specific use cases, but I wanted to share mine in the event it might be helpful. If you're still on the fence like I was, it's safe to hop off.
And what a delightful suprise! Once you get past the toy-like feel of the Mini 4 Pro, I haven't found anything on this drone that's really missing from the Air 2S. Yes, maybe you'd like to shoot in 2.7k instead of 1080 or 4k. And I'm sure there are some other features buried under the covers. But as a hobbyist flyer, the Mini 4 is great. Quick to start, easy to fly, still fast, VERY capable in the wind, and waypoint flights without the jerkiness of viritual sticks. AND the ability to continue a waypoint mission upon signal loss (in the US.) I especially like the quick transfer workflow to move content from the drone to my phone without handling any SD cards. As a long time GoPro and DJI action user, the ability to connect from phone to device and back is easy to screw up. DJI really got that right. The only thing missing is the ability to do a quick transfer from the RC 2 to the phone as well.
Why transfer to the phone? For me, anything that hits my phone automatically goes to Synology. By the time I've powered down and put aside my drone gear, the content is waiting on my NAS when I get my laptop powered up. This may no be everyone's setup, but it got me out of the SD card shuffle.
I know every user has different wants, needs and preferences for their specific use cases, but I wanted to share mine in the event it might be helpful. If you're still on the fence like I was, it's safe to hop off.
