Though there’s no flawed alternative, per se, choosing between drones from heavy hitters like Autel and DJI isn’t simple.
I’ve had the pleasure of utilizing each these drones and absolutely testing their options, and now that I’ve made up my thoughts, I’m right here that can assist you do the identical.
This text will likely be a radical, head-to-head comparability of the Autel EVO II Professional and the DJI Mini 3 Professional. My choose – the Mini 3 Professional – will make extra sense after discussing my experiences and the options of each drones.
Let’s provide help to discover the right drone on your wants, whether or not you’re a hobbyist beefing up your pictures and videography sport or an expert desperate to make your day-to-day initiatives extra environment friendly and easy.
Overview
Autel EVO II Professional
Initially launched in 2020, the Autel EVO II Professional is as much as Model 3, accessible as a part of a bundle with all of the equipment wanted to take your drone sport to the subsequent degree proper out of the field.
After all, any drone producer can pack theirs with equipment. With the EVO II Professional, it’s not in regards to the variety of options however the high quality. As an illustration:
- 1-inch Sony CMOS picture sensor that shoots in 20 MP picture high quality and 6K video at 30 frames per second
- 360-degree impediment avoidance, achievable with nearly 20 sensors
- Dynamic Observe 2.9 for monitoring targets with pinpoint accuracy
- Three-axis gimbal for wonderful stabilization whereas remaining cost-effective
- 7100 mAh battery that costs quick in solely 90 minutes
I’m simply scratching the floor right here, however that is solely the overview!
» MORE: Autel EVO Lite Plus vs DJI Avata (Which One Is Higher?)
DJI Mini 3 Professional
An immediate traditional, the Mini 3 Professional is backed by DJI’s long-standing popularity of excellence and lots of different profitable Mini drones earlier than it, together with the Mini 3.
It’s no marvel it’s such a critically acclaimed drone, and your on a regular basis drone person loves it too.
Actually, the higher query is, what’s not to like? The Mini 3 Professional is a verifiable powerhouse jam-packed with options equivalent to:
- Extremely-tiny, foldable, and light-weight design to convey it in every single place (and you’ll!)
- Three-way impediment sensing for safer flights backed by APAS 4.0
- 48 MP picture high quality, 4K HDR video high quality, and enjoyable videography/pictures options like slow-mo video and nighttime recording
- Superior video transmission system with a distance of as much as 12 kilometers
- Vertical taking pictures modes so your content material is able to go viral on social media
» MORE: DJI Mini 3 Professional Assessment
Fast Verdict
That is such a toughie, contemplating each drones are workhorses in their very own proper.
We solely share the perfect drone suggestions right here on Droneblog, and after intensive testing in lots of situations, we picked a winner.
Right here it’s.
The DJI Mini 3 Professional outperforms the Autel EVO II Professional in a number of key areas: weight, portability, picture high quality, and social media-friendliness. It’s a extra accessible drone for learners, particularly influencers and YouTubers desperate to take their footage to the subsequent degree.
Was this a tough alternative? You betcha. In spite of everything, the EVO II Professional excels in some areas the Mini 3 Professional lacks.
It has approach higher impediment avoidance, a serious consideration for learners afraid of smacking their several-hundred-dollar drone right into a tree or constructing.
The EVO II Professional additionally has undeniably higher video footage, though its picture high quality is lesser.
Bearing all that in thoughts, I’m nonetheless assured in my determination to pick the Mini 3 Professional.
» MORE: DJI Mavic 3 Basic vs. Mini 3 Professional (Right here’s My Selection)
What are the primary variations?
The enjoyable half about evaluating these drones is that they’re neck-and-neck in some ways. Nonetheless, in the event that they had been so related, I wouldn’t be penning this.
There are sufficient differentiating elements between these two drones to go well with numerous audiences.
Are you a social media buff who at all times has to put up up-to-the-minute footage? Perhaps you’re an influencer who by no means skips a beat. Use the Mini 3 Professional.
These are my favourite options after hours spent flying it:
- Picture high quality: Crystal-clear photos? You’ve obtained ‘em with the Mini 3 Professional. You’ll by no means really feel such as you’re photographing the elusive Sasquatch as some drone cameras make you’re feeling with their lack of gimbal and blurry footage. That is DJI, among the many finest within the sport. The 48 MP picture high quality is top-notch. Oh, and did I point out these are RAW picture information, so much more information is retained? Oh sure!
- Vertical Taking pictures: It’s all about vertical mode anymore, particularly when sharing to Fb or Instagram Tales. Slightly than waste hours you don’t should crop your photos and movies to suit, the Mini 3 Professional does all of it for you in its Vertical Taking pictures mode.
- Prepared for journey: When it’s time to get out and go, the Mini 3 Professional is true there with you. It weighs beneath 249 grams and folds up so you’ll be able to stash it in your pocket, backpack, purse, day bag, or no matter you’re carrying. It’s constructed for journey, and I like that about it.
- Transmission system: Social media by no means stops, so you’ll be able to’t both. You wouldn’t wish to be hampered by a drone that may’t transmit video and picture so far as you’ll be able to skip a stone throughout a lake, would you? DJI has at all times been the chief in video transmission, and its O3 system proves that once more with 12 kilometers of transmission in crystal-clear 1080p/30fps high quality.
» MORE: DJI Mavic 3 Professional vs. Mini 3 Professional (Right here’s My Selection)
None of this takes away from the EVO II Professional one iota. I like this drone for therefore many alternative causes, all of which add as much as a vastly completely different flight expertise from the Mini 3 Professional.
- Video high quality: Autel outfitted the EVO II Professional with a top-of-the-line CMOS sensor from Sony. Maybe that alone isn’t all that completely different from drones you’d discover from this model and different top-notch producers like DJI, however its high quality is. The EVO II Professional’s one-inch sensor can shoot in 6K ultra-HD high quality. The Mini 3 Professional can’t match it.
- Superior impediment detection: Once more, impediment detection is a typical characteristic in any drone price greater than a pair hundred {dollars}. Nonetheless, what makes the EVO II Professional particular right here is that it has nearly two dozen sensors to supply impediment detection for all 360 levels. This is without doubt one of the finest beginner-friendly options of this drone.
- Orange: Sure, siree, this drone is orange! That helps you see additional within the sky (though you’ve nonetheless obtained to observe FAA flight guidelines relating to VLOS) and offers you type factors, which I can at all times respect.
- Glorious flight time: The Mini 3 Professional doesn’t include the perfect flight time out of the field, however the EVO II Professional does. It will probably fly for upwards of 40 minutes vs. the Mini 3 Professional’s 34 minutes (until you utilize the Clever Flight Battery Plus, then it’s 47 minutes).
» MORE: DJI Mini 4 Professional vs. Mini 3 Professional (Right here’s My Selection)
Autel EVO II Professional
The EVO II Professional is without doubt one of the best-selling drones from Autel Robotics.
It’s an on a regular basis drone for industrial and leisure pilots, and its versatility is without doubt one of the causes drone customers equivalent to myself can’t get sufficient.
The EVO II Professional stands out amongst different EVO sequence drones for its simplicity, sturdiness, and measurement. It’s not the tiniest drone on the block, and Autel has smaller drones, such because the EVO Nano.
Slightly than specializing in retaining it small, Autel prioritized ruggedness, and might I simply say? What a wise alternative that was. There are greater than sufficient small drones.
In addition to, it’s not just like the EVO II Professional can’t fold down. It will probably! It’s simply not ultra-tiny.
It’s not precisely the lowest-priced, but when you concentrate on every part you get within the bundle, the worth makes a whole lot of sense.
It has the identical transmission vary because the Mini 3 Professional (sure, you learn that proper), so though it will not be designed for a similar influencer and social media trendsetter crowd, it may possibly nonetheless maintain its personal.
Its flight time is great, and I haven’t talked about the controller, a 6.4-inch Sensible Controller SE with a nice-sized display.
You may go away your smartphone behind as you play with this good, intuitive, ergonomic controller.
» MORE: Are Autel Drones Any Good? (You Would possibly Be Shocked)
Between the carrying case, the spare battery, the spare props, a battery charger, an influence cable, an RC charging cable and charger, two spare management sticks, and a lanyard, in some methods, the EVO II Professional is much more beginner-friendly than the Mini 3 Professional, because it contains a lot.
You’ll spend extra upfront however save later as you don’t have to purchase accent after accent.
Autel Robotics EVO 2 PRO V3
Autel EVO II Professional V3 is upgraded with Autel drone’s all new SkyLink 2.0 video transmission expertise, permits video transmission from as much as 15 km.
We earn a fee for those who make a purchase order, at no extra value to you.
11/02/2023 03:42 am GMT
DJI Mini 3 Professional
Switching gears now, the DJI Mini 3 Professional is the successor of the Mini 3 however not the newest within the Mini household (that’s the Mini 4).
And whereas newer is normally higher in the case of drones, the Mini 3 Professional is amongst my favorites within the Mini household for a lot of distinctive causes.
This drone is ultra-beginner-friendly, in some ways extra so than the EVO II Professional.
It’s so light-weight you don’t should trouble registering it with the FAA. Effectively, until you use the drone commercially, then its weight doesn’t matter.
That’s why the Mini 3 Professional is a wonderful alternative for the influencer/social media/YouTuber crowd.
You don’t should get into all of the intricacies of drone flight, but you don’t should really feel like a full newbie utilizing this drone, both.
In spite of everything, the Mini 3 Professional boasts DJI’s ordinary assortment of Clever Flight Modes that supply skilled outcomes each time, and all hands-off, too.
Between MasterShots, FocusTrack, Hyperlapse, and Digital Zoom, you’ll be able to grasp the artwork of drone pictures and impress your social media viewers in a single fell swoop.
Extra subscribers, right here you come!
Downloading your footage will likely be no sweat, contemplating the Mini 3 Professional is provided with QuickTransfer to do downloads at 25 Mbps.
And certain, perhaps the impediment avoidance isn’t nearly as good because the EVO II Professional’s, however it has DJI’s superior Superior Pilot Help System, aka APAS.
This fourth version isn’t the latest (it’s as much as 5.0 as of this writing), however greater than adequate impediment avoidance that occurs in real-time and sophisticated environments.
» MORE: The best way to Fly a DJI Mini 3 Professional (Defined for Rookies)
Oh, and the way have I not talked about the digicam but? It’s an distinctive little piece of labor that captures extra of your world with a 1/1.3-inch CMOS sensor that shoots in 48 MP picture high quality and 4K video.
You may sustain with at present’s hottest drone tech and spend a fraction of what you’d pay for newer fashions. Woohoo!
DJI Mini 3 Professional (DJI RC)
Light-weight and Foldable Digicam Drone
- 4K/60fps Video
- 48MP Picture
- 34-min Flight Time
- Tri-Directional Impediment Sensing, Built-in RC and display
We earn a fee for those who make a purchase order, at no extra value to you.
11/02/2023 01:02 am GMT
Head-to-head comparability: Autel EVO II Professional and DJI Mini 3 Professional
And now, the second you’ve all been ready for: the battle between the Autel EVO II Professional and DJI Mini 3 Professional.
Pound for pound, which of those top-line drone fashions achieves supremacy?
Whereas I’ve chosen the Mini 3 Professional as my drone of alternative between the 2, I acknowledge that lots of you studying this may lean extra towards the EVO II Professional.
As you’re about to see, each drones have their robust fits and weaknesses.
It’s only a matter of which elements you prioritize extra in making your alternative. Let me make it simpler for you on this part.
» MORE: DJI Mini 3 vs Mini 3 Professional – Which is Higher?
Digicam system
Winner: DJI Mini 3 Professional
This was a tough one to select a winner for, let me inform you that.
Technically, I might go as far as to say that the winner adjustments relying on whether or not you need cutting-edge video or picture high quality.
Nonetheless, I made a decision to slim it all the way down to the sensor measurement. An even bigger sensor can collect gentle higher, sustaining high quality throughout resolutions.
Smaller sensors require extra publicity time, making them not as nice of a alternative.
The EVO II Professional has a one-inch sensor versus the 1/1.3-inch Mini 3 Professional sensor.
And sure, sensors can be found in small increments like that, so the extra 1.3 inches actually does make all of the distinction.
The truth is, the sensor measurement doubtless explains why the Mini 3 Professional is the king of picture high quality between these two drones. It will probably shoot in 48 MP decision.
Is that the perfect decision yow will discover in a shopper drone? It’s just about up there, sure.
Higher but, these are RAW images, which implies extra highlights and shadows with much less noise.
In the event you’re a skilled drone photographer or a social media person who’s entering into drones, you’ll adore this digicam. It offers you a aggressive benefit, as your photos will likely be clearer than JPGs shot in decrease decision.
Now, don’t get me flawed right here. The EVO II Professional’s picture decision is nothing to sneeze at.
It shoots in 20 MP with an aperture vary of f/2.8 to f/11. It’s good, however it’s not Mini 3 Professional good.
Autel has the Moonlight Algorithm, whereas the Mini 3 Professional has an evening mode, so you’ll be able to’t evaluate them a lot there.
So, let’s transfer on and pit them towards each other within the enviornment of video.
That is the place the EVO II Professional shines. Its 6K video guarantees extra element, shade, and brightness, and let me inform you, these aren’t empty guarantees.
I used to be blown away by all of the element this drone digicam may seize once I used it.
In the event you do any form of outside filming, the interaction between daylight and shadow comes via so impeccably, and also you don’t lose an oz. of element.
This can be a should for taking pictures industrial initiatives, whether or not you need crystal-clear information footage or actual property movies.
YouTubers additionally ought to strongly think about the EVO II Professional for its videography, as your footage will usurp all of your rivals, providing you with a leg up within the ultra-competitive YouTube world.
The Mini 3 Professional has a really acceptable video price of 4K HDR, which is another excuse I really feel it’s solely proper to provide it this class. It has higher pictures capabilities and solely marginally worse video.
» MORE: Digicam Expertise in Drones (Defined)
Efficiency
Winner: Autel EVO II Professional
How do you set a value on efficiency? It’s powerful, however I did it. And that value is the price of the EVO II Professional.
This was one other powerful class to decide on a winner, as each these drones carry out so effectively.
They’ve a typical suite of clever modes.
Within the case of the EVO II Professional, these are Dynamic Observe, Handbook Flight, Parallel Observe, Tripod Observe, Precision Flight, Gesture Management, Orbit, Viewpoint, VR, and Twin Stability.
The Mini 3 Professional contains DJI’s Clever Flight Modes, like Panorama, Vertical Taking pictures, QuickShots, and MasterShots.
So, provided that they’re about equal there, let’s increase the parameters of what it means for a drone to carry out effectively.
A drone’s measurement is actually one consideration. The Mini 3 Professional is likely to be smaller, however I used to be amazed at how effectively the EVO II Professional dealt with by comparability.
It’s aerodynamic, intuitive, and responsive, and also you’ll by no means miss a smaller drone when flying it.
Its wind resistance outpaces the Mini 3 Professional, with the wind resistance of the previous 17 m/s versus 10.7 m/s for the DJI drone.
Bear in mind, Autel designed the EVO II Professional to be rugged, so its increased diploma of wind resistance doesn’t strike me as shocking.
What actually made me give this class to the EVO II Professional is impediment avoidance sensors. The Mini 3 Professional has the APAS system to make up for its three-directional impediment sensing.
Effectively, I ought to relatively say increase, as its impediment detection and avoidance options are completely superb on their very own.
Nonetheless, in comparison with the 19 obstacle-detecting and avoiding sensors the EVO II Professional has, DJI’s impediment avoidance within the Mini 3 Professional leaves a bit one thing to be desired.
That’s shocking, contemplating DJI is normally the chief on this space.
You have to have impediment avoidance as a newbie, and the extra full the system, the higher. You received’t flush your cash down the bathroom since you crashed your drone on day one.
» MORE: DJI Mini 3 Professional for Skilled Use (Defined for Rookies)
Portability
Winner: DJI Mini 3 Professional
Fortuitously, this was a a lot simpler battle. I might even go so far as to say it was a non-battle.
That’s no knock on the EVO II Professional, consider me. It simply doesn’t stack up within the portability class.
The drone weighs 1,191 grams, so neglect about skipping FAA registration.
It weighs far an excessive amount of for that. And whereas the EVO II Professional has foldable parts, even when it’s at its smallest, it’s nonetheless bigger than the Mini 3 Professional.
The scale is within the title. The Mini 3 Professional is light-weight, foldable, and conveyable. You may match it right into a carry-on or checked baggage with no sweat, taking it all over the world.
You may nonetheless convey the EVO II Professional in your drone adventures, however with a modicum of problem.
In the event you desire its pictures and videography options, you is likely to be prepared to incur the additional stress, however not all pilots will.
» MORE: Can I Fly a Drone Beneath 250g Wherever I Need?
RC compatibility and flight vary
Winner: DJI Mini 3 Professional
The EVO II Plus makes use of the Sensible Controller SE, a wise piece of tech in and of itself. Its OLED display is a big 6.4 inches, and it’s responsive to the touch instructions.
You get HD picture high quality because of an improved eight-core processor, so watching the view out of your drone on the distant is nearly as good as doing so in your cellphone.
Nonetheless, and it is a massive nevertheless, the distant controller solely works for the EVO II V3 sequence. You may’t use it with an EVO Nano or EVO Lite drone. A serious bummer!
And what of the Mini 3 Professional? It makes use of the DJI RC, an ergonomically designed controller that already has the DJI Fly app preloaded and able to go.
It’s additionally designed to cut back your reliance in your cellphone, and it’s gentle sufficient you could fly for hours with out worrying about hand fatigue.
The DJI RC is suitable with a laundry listing of drones, together with the Air 2S, Mavic 3, Mavic 3 Cine, Mavic 3 Basic, Mavic 3 Professional, and Mavic 3 Professional Cine.
I received’t depend ‘em up, however you’ll be able to see it’s an extended listing than the EVO II Professional’s compatibility.
What about long-range flights? Curiously, that is an space the place each drones are evenly matched.
You may count on a variety of 12 kilometers in both mannequin, so this shouldn’t sway your determination a lot.
» MORE: Finest Drone Controllers
Battery life
Winner: DJI Mini 3 Professional
That brings us to one of the vital vital concerns when purchasing for a drone: battery life.
Client drones promise about half-hour of battery life on common.
It’s best to have sufficient time to observe flying for enjoyable for some time. In the event you get used to industrial calls for, you’ll be able to stretch that half-hour to get most of your undertaking executed, maybe even your entire factor.
You may wipe the sweat off your forehead, as neither the EVO II Professional nor the Mini 3 Professional fly for half-hour solely.
The promised flight time of the EVO II Professional is a whopping 40 minutes.
The Mini 3 Professional flies for 34 minutes with the usual battery and 47 minutes with the Clever Battery Plus.
After all, you recognize in addition to I do for those who’ve ever flown a drone that there’s a distinction between the marketed flight time and your actual flight time. I used to be extra impressed with the Mini 3 Professional’s time within the sky.
» MORE: DJI Mini 3 / Mini 3 Professional Battery (All You Must Know)
Conclusion
That brings us to the top. Whereas the Autel EVO II Professional and DJI Mini 3 Professional are each nice drones with loads to supply, there might be just one, and it’s the Mini 3 Professional on this case.
This was after substantial testing of the above parameters to seek out out which got here out on high.
The Mini 3 Professional may slack in some areas – like video high quality, default battery life, and impediment avoidance sensors – however no drone is ideal, and when it excels, it actually excels!
» MORE: Autel EVO Lite+ vs. DJI Mavic 3 Professional (Which is Higher)
