The DJI Air 3 has made a significant splash since its launch in July 2023, charming pilots’ minds, consideration, and pockets. I do know that’s been the case for me, and I remorse nothing.
Nonetheless, the opposite day, I dusted off my Autel EVO II Professional and took it for a spin. In doing so, I had a thought.
How does the Air 3 stack as much as the EVO II Professional?
As soon as I started enthusiastic about it, I knew I needed to discover out.
And also you, pricey reader, have to be interested by the identical to have landed right here. Effectively, I promise I received’t depart you in suspense!
This information will likely be a deep dive into the Autel EVO II Professional and DJI Air 3, reviewing areas like their variations in efficiency and options. Alongside the best way, I’ll let you know about my experiences flying these high-end drones. You’ll be taught why the Air 3 is my winner and will really feel impressed to make your selection between these two drones.
Given the excessive value factors of each, you don’t wish to decide the improper one and be pressured to stay with regrets. I don’t need that for you both.
This assessment will mitigate your sense of FOMO and equipment you up to choose you’ll love.
Let’s get proper into it. Your subsequent drone awaits!
Temporary overview
Autel EVO II Professional
The preliminary launch of the Autel EVO II Professional was in September 2021. Since this mannequin grew to become a smash hit for Autel, they’ve launched a number of iterations, with the newest and best being the V3 version.
That’s the one I’ll pit towards the Air 3. It’s solely honest!
The EVO II Professional is, merely put, a powerhouse. I can’t consider one other extra apt time period than that. Okay, possibly dynamo, or workhorse, or flagship drone. You get the thought.
Autel’s gradual enhancements to this drone since 2021 make the EVO II Professional V3 top-of-the-line fashions within the sky in the present day.
The EVO II Professional is filled with options that make your common drone pilot weak within the knees (myself included!), corresponding to:
- Out there in a bundle with all of the equipment you want, saving you money and time because you don’t have to purchase them individually.
- A game-changing one-inch Sony CMOS sensor that takes video in 6K Extremely HD and pictures in 20 MP. This could be top-of-the-line drone cameras you ever get your palms on, if not the most effective. It’s designed to take your skilled videography to the subsequent stage.
- An intuitive Good Controller SE with an OLED contact display, a supportable distance of over 9 miles, and an eight-core processor. As shortly as you’ll be able to navigate your EVO II Professional, the controller will reply intuitively.
- Distinctive images and videography options, together with 6K hyperlapse images, 12-bit DNG photographs with over 68 billion colours, the Moonlight Algorithm 2.0 for nighttime footage, and an adjustable aperture. You is usually a perfectionist about your footage with this drone.
- Among the greatest impediment avoidance within the recreation, achievable by 19 distinctive teams of sensors. Secure flying has by no means regarded so fashionable.
» MORE: Autel EVO II Professional vs. DJI Mini 3 (Right here’s My Alternative)
DJI Air 3
One of many new children on the block, the Air 3 was launched in July 2023. It’s a direct descendent of the Mavic Air 2, which got here out all the best way in 2020.
Effectively, I say “all the best way” prefer it was a very long time in the past, however given how briskly DJI places out drones, it feels prefer it.
It’s an entry to the Air collection that’s been referred to as “the proper drone,” and truthfully, that takes the phrases proper out of my mouth. Effectively, nearly.
No drone is ideal, even the impeccable DJI Air 3, which I liked utilizing from the primary launch and proceed having fun with increasingly more with every flight.
Right here’s why:
- An superior dual-camera system with a medium tele and wide-angle digicam. Each characteristic 1/1.3-inch CMOS sensors, with the medium tele digicam geared up with 3x zoom and the wide-angle digicam boasting a special focal size. Now, you’ll be able to take pictures and movies in line with your temper with out switching drones.
- Distinctive 48 MP picture high quality and 4K HDR video at 60 frames per second, which pushes the bounds of high quality from a DJI drone. You possibly can count on crystal-clear footage to knock your competitors out of the water.
- APAS 5.0 and omnidirectional impediment sensing to get out of Dodge earlier than you threat crashing your costly new drone. This characteristic makes the Air 3 extra accessible and beginner-friendly.
- Nice good options, from Good RTH to FocusTrack with the medium tele digicam, ActiveTrack 5.0, QuickShots modes, Waypoints, MasterShots, and Vertical Capturing in 2.7K high quality. You possibly can play all day with the Air 3.
- Prepared to make use of together with your favourite DJI FPV controllers, together with the DJI RC Movement 2, to make flying the Air 3 one of many coolest experiences ever. First-person, right here you come!
» MORE: Easy methods to Fly DJI Air 3 Drone (With DJI RC 2)
Fast verdict
The EVO II Professional and Air 3 deliver a lot to the desk that it’s powerful to decide on just one. Nonetheless, it solely takes a fast look at their value tags to make you notice that certainly, you’ve bought to decide on between them.
Right here at Droneblog, we try to deliver you the most effective drone suggestions. That’s achieved by many, many, many hours of area testing and private flight expertise.
I examined each of those drones so that you don’t should. You possibly can simply decide the most effective one and get proper to work.
We’ve concluded that the DJI Air 3 is the superior decide over the Autel EVO II Professional, though its victory is slender. The Air 3 has superb picture and video high quality (however inferior to the EVO II Professional), sturdy impediment detection, a strong battery, so many enjoyable Clever Flight Modes, and a very good transmission vary. It’s bought every part you need in a drone after which some!
It might be silly to gloss over the EVO II Professional as if it have been merely some also-ran, because it’s something however.
This drone is phenomenal in most of the identical methods because the Air 3, because it has among the trade’s main impediment avoidance know-how, a video high quality the Air 3 can’t prime, and so many nice options you’d nearly marvel if you happen to’re flying a DJI drone.
Its single-camera system is greater than succesful however doesn’t supply the identical diploma of artistic freedom the Air 3’s dual-primary-camera system does.
» MORE: Does DJI Air 3 Have Return to House (Defined)
What are the principle variations?
I promised a assessment of those drone’s variations, and I’m right here to ship.
It’s an interesting comparability, contemplating that whereas the Air 3 and EVO II Professional are completely different in some ways, they share many cutting-edge options, corresponding to top-of-the-line video and picture high quality, security, and flight modes.
Nonetheless, the methods through which they diverge make them much more attention-grabbing, wouldn’t you say? I feel you’ll by the point you learn this part.
With out additional ado, listed here are the variations I discovered in these two drones after testing them each for numerous hours.
- Variety of cameras: Effectively, okay, I didn’t should fly them to be taught this one. The EVO II Professional has just one digicam, and it’s an ultra-capable, one-inch Sony CMOS. The Air 3 has two: a 1/1.3-inch CMOS medium tele and a wide-angle digicam. Two issues are higher than one, as DJI proves.
- Video high quality: There’s nothing improper within the slightest with the Air 3’s video high quality. Nonetheless, it’s not as excessive because the EVO II Professional’s, 6K vs. 4K HD. I discover that attention-grabbing, given the age of the Air 3 in relation to the EVO II Professional.
- Photograph high quality: There’s give and soak up drone improvement, as evidenced by the Air 3’s larger picture high quality in comparison with the EVO II Professional’s.The Autel drone’s picture high quality is not any slouch, but it surely doesn’t fairly match as much as this newest entry within the Mavic Air line.
- Weight: Neither drone is a light-weight, however the EVO II Professional makes the Air 3 seem like a Mini. The Autel drone weighs 2.6 kilos or 1,191 grams, whereas the DJI is a average 720 grams.
- Bundle choices: The EVO II Professional is packed right into a bundle with every part you should get began, which explains its excessive price ticket. Alternatively, the Air 3 is dear as a result of it’s a DJI drone. It doesn’t include practically as many equipment.
» MORE: Does DJI RC Professional Work with Air 3 (Answered)
Autel EVO II Professional
Autel Robotics has staked its declare within the drone world with unimaginable fashions just like the EVO II Professional.
Revised and improved since its preliminary launch in 2021, the EVO II Professional V3 comes filled with a spare battery, energy cable, battery charger, spare propeller pair, RC lanyard, carrying case, spare management sticks, distant controller, RC charging cable, and RC charger.
What extra do you actually need? I’m hard-pressed to think about something.
Nonetheless, Autel didn’t relaxation on its laurels. It went out of its option to construct top-of-the-line drones on the market, as evidenced by the EVO II Professional’s videography and images capabilities.
The CMOS sensor produces 6K Extremely HD movies and 20 MP photographs, and you may fine-tune your images settings to get simply the suitable shot.
That’s a should whether or not you’re utilizing your drone for a piece challenge or constructing a social media following.
» MORE: Autel EVO II Professional vs. DJI Mini 2 (Right here’s My Alternative)
You possibly can alter the max ISO to 44,000 and tinker with the aperture vary, setting it between f/2.8 and f/11.
The digicam’s elevated body charges, noise discount, and dynamic vary are value writing dwelling about, as is the Moonlight Algorithm 2.0.
How about some hyperlapse? The 6K Hyperlapse images choice will enliven your portfolio, as will Dynamic Observe 2.0 for locating and locking onto targets.
You don’t should be an skilled drone pilot to profit from these options, which is superior.
Whenever you’re accomplished together with your day of enjoyable, the 12-bit DNG photographs will scale back your time spent in put up. The photographs render colour over 64 occasions higher than 10-bit capturing, opening your door to 68.6 billion colours.
Your pictures will look so lifelike that your portfolio will definitely entice consideration.
As if all that wasn’t nice sufficient, the unimaginable 360 levels of impediment avoidance, achievable by 19 hard-working sensor teams, assist the EVO II Professional fly in dicey situations with out crashing or failing.
Autel Robotics EVO 2 PRO V3
Autel EVO II Professional V3 is upgraded with Autel drone’s all new SkyLink 2.0 video transmission know-how, permits video transmission from as much as 15 km.
We earn a fee if you happen to make a purchase order, at no further value to you.
11/17/2023 03:36 am GMT
DJI Air 3
What’s higher than one digicam? That’s proper – two!
That was DJI’s line of pondering when releasing the Air 3, which has two occasions the cameras of a normal DJI drone. Effectively, the Mavic 3 Professional has three cameras, however we’re not speaking about that one in the present day.
The 2 cameras share a sensor measurement however are in any other case very completely different.
The medium tele digicam has great zoom functionality of as much as 3x, whereas the wide-angle digicam opens your world when capturing huge landscapes. It’s additionally nice for actual property images and videography.
The twin-camera system produces beautiful 48 MP picture high quality and 4K HDR at 60 fps.
The variations between the format equal and aperture mean you can swap seamlessly between cameras relying on the environment you want to seize together with your drone images.
Twin colour modes, 10-bit HLG, and 10-bit D-Log M make the colour profile of the Air 3 comparable with the EVO II Professional.
I’d say it’s even higher, as I like how the Air 3 retains shadows, highlights, and particulars all through.
The omnidirectional sensing know-how is itself not impediment avoidance, however with the Superior Pilot Help System or APAS 5.0 at your fingertips, the drone can neatly get out of hurt’s means earlier than the worst occurs.
» MORE: DJI Air 3 Vertical Mode (Video)
And Clever Flight Modes, oh, let me let you know! They’re smarter than ever within the Air 3, together with Good RTH for auto flight planning, Waypoints for drawing customized flights, and Vertical Capturing with each cameras.
QuickShots embody extra capturing modes than ever, from Boomerang to Dronie, Asteroid, Rocket, Helix, and Circle.
FocusTrack comes geared up with Level of Curiosity 3.0, ActiveTrack 5.0, and Highlight 2.0 for extra superior locking onto targets, whether or not they’re shifting or stationary.
You possibly can chase something together with your drone (legally, in fact)!
That’s not even all. The Air 3 additionally boasts MasterShots for taking social-media-ready footage, SmartPhoto 3.0 (which adjusts between hyperlight, HDR, and scene recognition in line with your surroundings), Evening Mode, Sluggish Movement, and Hyperlapse for upping your images and videography video games.
Your competitors higher transfer over since you’re coming, and also you’re bringing the Air 3 with you.
Head-to-head comparability
Digicam system
Winner: DJI Air 3
Ah, was this the hardest selection ever. No, actually, it wasn’t simple.
The EVO II Professional has one of many best cameras in the marketplace. Nonetheless, its sensor measurement (in comparison with the Air 3) isn’t nearly as good.
That’s in all probability why the Air 3 has the superb 48 MP picture high quality versus the 20 MP high quality of the EVO II Professional.
I’m not making an attempt to deduce that 20 MP picture high quality is unhealthy. It’s about common and positively higher than 12 MP.
Nonetheless, professionals will need one thing higher, and that’s what the Air 3 delivers. Its picture high quality is greater than 2x higher.
Retaining that in thoughts, this drone backslides with video high quality. Its 4K HDR is nothing to sneeze at, but it surely’s not 6K Extremely HD just like the EVO II Professional.
This once more goes again to how execs need the most effective of the most effective, and I do know I do too, which makes the Autel drone a tempting purchase.
So, then why did I give this class to the Air 3? Easy! It has two cameras.
These cameras are so dynamic and broaden your freedom as a pilot, and why wouldn’t you need the choice to have extra? With how high-quality the cameras are, you’ll be able to excuse the considerably lesser video high quality of the Air 3.
In any case, like I stated, it’s not like its video high quality is unhealthy, per se. It’s simply lower than the EVO II Professional.
» MORE: Digicam Know-how in Drones (Defined)
Efficiency
Winner: DJI Air 3
This was one other class that felt so unimaginable. I actually struggled right here.
The EVO II Professional has among the greatest efficiency metrics you might ask for, together with a protracted battery life (extra on that to return) and a top-line impediment avoidance system.
So, why didn’t it win?
It’s missing in flight options in comparison with the Air 3.
This isn’t stunning contemplating how significantly DJI takes its Clever Flight Options, however the Air 3 is filled with so lots of them in comparison with what the EVO II Professional has that it grew to become shortly obvious to me which I needed to decide.
The Air 3 has Clever Flight Modes for everybody. Inexperienced persons will admire its nice monitoring, automated options, and Good RTH so your drone by no means will get too far exterior of vary.
Extra skilled pilots will benefit from the cool videography and images modes that allow you to decelerate and pace up your footage.
The Dynamic Observe 2.0 the EVO II Professional boasts is sensible at monitoring greater than 60 objects concurrently, which is means higher than what DJI affords. This drone simply doesn’t have as many flight options.
» MORE: Do I Must Register My DJI Air 3 (All You Must Know)
Portability
Winner: DJI Air 3
Is both drone actually moveable? Not within the sense that they’re so light-weight that they weigh as little as a smartphone.
That might be nice, however these drones have too good cameras and flight options to weigh underneath 250 grams.
Each drones fold, so actually, it comes all the way down to which weighs much less. That’s the Air 3, though it’s solely by about 400 grams.
Is that further weight going to make your again or shoulders harm that rather more if you happen to carry the EVO II Professional by a busy airport or when backpacking all day?
Positive! Any further weight will increase your load, slowing you down and growing your threat of ache.
Nonetheless, it’s not just like the Air 3 weighs a lot much less that you simply’d get noticeable aid. These are each heavy drones in comparison with a mini drone, however leaving them behind in your touring adventures can be a sin.
The high-quality video and lengthy battery lifetime of the EVO II Professional make it excellent for out-of-state and out-of-country adventures, whereas the Air 3’s wide-angle digicam will seize extra of the moments that make your expeditions unforgettable.
» MORE: Airline Drone Coverage (Learn This Earlier than You Journey)
RC compatibility and long-range flights
Winner: DJI Air 3
Right here was a class that was a lot simpler to determine.
The EVO II Professional makes use of the Autel Good Controller SE, which has a large working temperature vary of 14 to 104 levels Fahrenheit.
Its 6.4-inch display is greater than massive sufficient to understand each final sq. inch of your flight particulars, and it’ll make you glad to depart your cellphone in your pocket.
The OLED display responds to the touch, making it easy to attract flight maps together with your finger. The eight-core processor helps HD footage sending, and triple-band frequency hopping retains your transmission sturdy.
The distant even helps third-party apps, and it’s appropriate with a number of Autel drones, together with the EVO II Enterprise V3 and EVO II RTK V3.
The Air 3 makes use of the DJI RC 2, which additionally comes with a display to spare your smartphone. It’s a smaller display, 5.5 inches versus 6.4 inches for the EVO II Professional distant, and is FHD versus OHD.
It doesn’t have contact controls, but it surely does embody a top-notch DJI processor and its O4 HD video transmission system, the newest and best as of this writing.
So, but once more, why do I select the Air 3 for this class? Effectively, as a result of it’s additionally appropriate with DJI FPV gear, just like the DJI RC Movement 2, DJI Goggles 2, and DJI Goggles Integra.
Oh, and its transmission distance is 20 kilometers at 1080p at 60 fps video high quality versus 12 kilometers for the EVO II Professional.
» MORE: Lengthy Vary Drones: Final Information
Battery life
Winner: DJI Air 3
The EVO II Professional’s projected battery lifetime of 40 minutes is superior, and versus a DJI Mini drone, there isn’t a comparability.
Nonetheless, DJI geared up the Air 3 with a 46-minute battery life.
Neither is the precise time you get to fly the drone. I used to be at all times a number of minutes shy of 40 minutes when utilizing the EVO II Professional, which is to be anticipated.
A flight time of round 36 or 37 minutes remains to be sufficient to get your duties accomplished, however isn’t as exceptional in comparison with the Air 3.
Its battery life was extra like 41 or 42 minutes, possibly 43 on a very good day. That’s nonetheless pushing 40 minutes of flight time!
» MORE: Easy methods to Fly DJI Air 3 Drone (With DJI RC 2)
Conclusion
It is best to be capable to see now why I chosen the DJI Air 3 as my most well-liked drone selection between it and the Autel EVO II Professional.
The Air 3 is phenomenal with twin cameras, images and videography options, a battery lifetime of greater than 40 minutes, a big suite of Clever Flight Options, and DJI’s newest video transmission system on the time of this writing.
In each class the EVO II Professional misplaced, it did so very narrowly.
That is nonetheless an immensely improbable drone, particularly for its age, and its value is value it, contemplating what number of extra equipment and components you get. It’s an important bang-for-your-buck drone.
Nonetheless, I can’t cease coming again to the Air 3. It’s one of the unimaginable drones I’ve ever had the fortune of flying, and I can’t wait to get it again out into the sky quickly. I hope you’re simply as enthusiastic about it!
» MORE: DJI Air 3 vs. Air 2S vs. Mini 3 Professional: Which One is Proper for You?
