DJI Mini 3 and Autel Nano+ are identical in many ways, they both have similar features. They both are under 250 grams, have similar features, good cameras and similar prices. We still need to find out which one is better despite all those similarities.
Since Autel’s EVO Nano+ was released a while ago and DJI Mini 3 pro was set to be released last year but delayed until Nano Plus got released and only then it hit the shelves. Before the release of Mini 3 Pro people were comparing EVO Nano Plus with Mini 2 which of course was in no position comparatively for neck-to-neck comparisons.
We are going to compare each specification and feature of DJI Mini 3 Pro against Autel’s Nano+ so that you can make a better decision on which one to choose.
Weight and Size
Both of these drones fall in the category of under 250 grams. This weight class is very important to understand as you may need to get a permit for your drone to fly otherwise. So these tiny drones that fall under the 250 g have the liberty to fly in most of the regions without getting one. It gives us some flexibility to fly over peoples and vehicles etc. to get the cinematic shots recorded which might not be a possibility otherwise.
We compared the size of both drones, from the outlook the Mini 3 Pro looks a bigger drone than the Nano plus but both have the same weight class. The Mini 3 Pro has sensors, camera and more importantly the design that makes it look a little bigger.
Built & Structure
When we hold in our hands both of these drones do feel like plastic because the manufacturers have to keep the weight under control, to achieve that they do not use any material that might add up more weight to them. They are so small that we can carry them in our hands. Nano+ has propeller covers/bands to keep them secure because the propellers get broken easily. So build-wise Autel has taken care of its safety. If we see DJI Mini Pro 3, its propellers flip around if we change the position or move our hands.
DJI Mini 3 Pro vs Autel Nano Plus Camera Comparison & Difference
These two drones have almost similar cameras and the footage looks almost the same. Still we had to see which one gives even better results. So we did the camera test. It all depends on the buyer’s preference which one he wants to go for. Camera-wise Mini 3 Pro shoots videos in 4K 60 while the Nano Plus shoots in 4K 30 but the color difference sets them apart from one another. That’s why we said it depends on personal preferences. We flew both of these drones in the similar environs on automated camera settings. So again we can always change the settings for the camera and choose the one that suits our preferences and what color schema we want our footage to be shot in.
Shooting in Normal Colors Settings– We shot with both the drones in normal color settings and could not discern the one from the other. But Nano+ seems a clear winner as it enhances the footage and we get a clear picture of things all the way. But in the most cases cameras of Nano+ and Mini 3 Pro are almost identical.
Shooting With Color Profiles Settings– We can choose different color profiles in these drones. We also shot in the D-CineLike color profile on Mini 3 and Log color profile on Nano Plus and both of them gave us crisp footage. Like we said earlier, both have similar cameras you just need to change the settings as you want. Anyone can use these flat color profiles on Mini 3 Pro and Nano+ to add an extra layer of greatness to their footage.
Night Time Shooting – Nano+ will really surprise you if you compare its time shooting after its last update. Some people thought Mini 3 Pro will provide us with more enticing footage at night time than Autel’s Nano+ but for the night time shooting in every way Nano+ is a clear winner. Someone else’s opinion may differ on this count but the footage speaks volumes for the edge that Nano+ has in this specific test.
We even changed the ISO settings on Mini 3 pro to see if it performs any better for the shadows at night while shooting. The footage from Nano+ has more detail and depth in the footage. We see in the camera comparison Nano+ seems a winner on a couple of counts. Even though they are new in the drone business. One more Nano+ firmware update is scheduled which might draw the difference even further.
Photos– We know both of these drones are capable of taking pictures at comparatively higher resolutions in Raw. The Mini 3 pro has a 48 MegaPixel camera while the Nano+ has 50 MegaPixel camera for the start. For the test we shot photos in Raw on high resolution on both of these drone cameras to give us more detail and sharpness or photo quality in general. We noticed that the photos taken on Mini 3 Pro are sharper and of high quality and detailed during the day and night in the same conditions and sunlight. So for the Photos we think Mini 3 Pro is a clear winner.
Mini 3 Pro vs Autel Nano Plus Video & Photography Comparison
Flight Performance
Sensors, Tracking or ActiveTrack on DJI MINI 3 Pro – DJI Mini 3 Pro and Nano Plus come with sensors all around backward, forward and under them. DJI Mini 3 pro has big sensors that are used while using ActiveTrack. But remember this, they don’t work in the thick forests as the objects multiply 100x more. So the drone will definitely find it difficult to follow you. They work well on the frontside and the backside. DJI Mini Pro 3 has just these sensors and the sensors under it are used for RTH only when it lands. No sensors on its sides.
So they work well in the plain areas where there are no jungles and the area is pretty wide, its ActiveTrack just follows the subject appropriately.
Autel EVO Nano+ Sensors and Tracking System -Dynamic Track 2.1- Nano plus comes with DynamicTrack 2.1 instead of ActiveTrack used in Mini 3. The next Nano Plus firmware update will add it later and you will also see a message about it on the screen. So despite the fact it shows it uses DynamicTrack 2.1 the firmware update alert shows it will be added, which means it’s not as active as it should be at this moment.
So at this point the tracking system on Nano plus is not 100% functional. So as we used Portrait Mode it could easily spot us but obviously for a proper tracking system it required firmware update.
However, even though Mini 3 has ActiveTrack, it does not work as it should be while Nano+ does not have it yet, so deciding which of the two has a better tracking system is very difficult at this point.
Noise Comparison
Both of these drones have very different approaches to producing noise. As we started flying Mini 3 Pro took off smoothly with producing minimum noise while the Nano+ took off like an angry drone with a lot more noise and energy or aggression whatever you term it.
So noise-wise there’s a major difference between these two drones. Obviously the Nano produces a lot more noise than Mini 3 Pro and it’s a clear winner in this comparison.
Vertical Videos or Shooting For Social Media
Mini 3 Pro introduced this concept of vertical shooting realizing the need for sharing photos and videos on Instagram, Facebook or even Reddit. They don’t require any chopping, they are just out of the oven and into the mouth—which means we can share them on social media without changing anything. They are shot that good. In this comparison Mini 3 Pro is a clear winner because Nano+ does not have that feature. It can only shoot in horizontal position.
Nano Plus Vs DJI Mini 3 Pro HyperLapse Comparison
Both of these drones have HyperLapse features. We know DJI used HyperLapse on the first Sub250 drone Mini 3 Pro which is also present on Nano+. The results of hyperlapse footage on Mini 3 pro will surprise you to the roots. They have used it on a sub250 DJI drone for the first time. We shot HyperLapse videos on Mini 3 Pro on all the settings, compiled the View once it was done and for each setting the videos are just mind blowing. They are crisp, smooth, sharp and crystal clear.
However, we did not get the same hyperlapse results with Nano+. The videos were not crisp and smooth as compared to its counterpart. We used Nano+ Normal HyerpLapse and Circle shooting, although it flew smoothly and took photos after a while and then compiled them. Autel needs to work on this feature to come to the quality of Mini 3 Pro’s in the final footage.
Speed and Control
When we flew the DJI Mini 3 Pro it was a lot smoother and slower as compared to the Nano plus which took off aggressively and flew faster. So if you like speed then Nano is quicker and swift while for the smooth-lovers DJI Mini 3 pro is the go.
Please remember it also affects the battery consumption. So both of these choices are before us; it depends upon our priorities and what we want.
The other thing we need to understand is that both of these drones can be calibrated to the suited choices. We can make Nano+ slower by changing its settings and do the same on Mini 3. The comparisons were made on the benchmarks out of the box without changing anything.
Wind Resistance Mini 3 Vs Nano Plus
Both of these drones come with amazing resistance capability against the wind. We still need to find out which one is even better than the other one. To find out that we did a wind resistance test by flying both Mini 3 and Nano+ together. We found out that Mini 3 was smoother against the wind torrents as compared to Nano+ which was shaky at times. So in the wind resistance test, Mini 3 pro is a clear winner.
Mini 3 Pro Vs Nano+ Flight Time Difference
DJI Mini 3 and Autel Nano+ have almost similar flight time. We tested both in the same wind. Mini 3 Pro flew for about 30 minutes while the Nano+ flight lasted 28 minutes to be specific so the time difference is not very much different here. It also depends on the conditions you fly your drone in and the wind resistance.
Price
The Nano Plus costs $1100 for the drone, controller, two batters and other accessories. While the DJI Mini 3 with Fly More Kit also costs the same price of $100 USD. So this price for a smaller drone is quite a lot and most of the users will prefer DJI Mini 3 Pro for obvious reasons.
Mini 3 Pro Controller Vs Autel Nano Plus Controller
DJI Mini 3 Pro comes with a built-in view controller with higher brightness and other features. It is very light, ergonomic and comfy to use. DJI Mini 3 Pro controller is an edge over Autel’s Nano+ controller as it adjusts to give us footage even in the low light. The same cannot be said for Nano Plus controller when the light was low we could not see footage on the phone screen. Despite the fact that Nano+ controller is very different from DJI’s and similar to XBox controller which adds an extra layer of comfort to it. But quality and result-wise we liked the Mini 3 controller.
However, we faced issues on the DJI Mini 3 Pro controller due to Geo-zoning. It lacks the internet facility so we had to share the internet from the phone which kept failing and took us a while to connect it to the phone. While the Nano Plus controller does not have that issue of geofencing.
Video Review – Autel Nano+
The Problems With Nano Plus Drone
One of the biggest problems with the Nano Plus is they released it very early without making sure all the features work, especially its software or firmware. Autel is ages slower while updating their firmware. This thing requires quick fixes to rule the drone market. There has not been many Nano Plus firmware updates since its release.
The support of Autel Nano Plus has been lukewarm. The users are facing real issues while contacting them and they are not responsive. The support language is another barrier.
The third big issue with Nano Plus is continuous voice commands and beeping. When we were flying it sounded more like someone is shouting incessantly that could have been replaced with a simple beep instead in terms of an alert or a caution.
What Makes DJI Mini 3 Pro a Better Drone?
Autel needs a lot of work on their drone. From firmware updating to support, stabilizing and reducing unnecessary alerts like ‘Jimbal is self checking…’ when landing when the aircraft has already taken the flight.
On the other hand, DJI Mini 3 Pro has scored all of that. From their support to firmware updates, ease of use, controller, features and even price; all are sorted for them. The Nano Plus team still needs to take care of all these things.
Conclusion – DJI Mini 3 Pro or Autel Nano+ Which One is a Better Drone?
As all the specs and features of both of these drones have been discussed in detail above. DJI Mini 3 Pro is a refined drone in many ways, from smoothness to support, updated software and all these things work better for this drone. While Nano+ has the better speed, camera, detailed night-time videos and no-geofencing.
So if you are a pilot looking for the features which Nano+ master in you should definitely choose this drone. But it has some major issues such as software and others that we have discussed in detail that put the DJI Mini 3 Pro in a better position against it.
So in many ways DJI Mini 3 Pro is a better drone but that does not mean Nano+ is any lesser than that, once its issues are sorted which could be done this year soon, Nano Plus can really match the supremacy of Mini 3 Pro.
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