Comparison
DJI Air 3 vs DJI Mavic 2 Pro
Would you notice?
Air 3 vs Mavic 2 Pro: You would notice weight mostly as paperwork, bag mass and how close you may fly to people. You would not really notice gimbal, wind. UK paperwork is part of the difference: Air 3 is C1 (Flyer ID + Operator ID); Mavic 2 Pro is unmarked (Flyer ID + Operator ID).
Set I fly on the home bench to see net upgrade cost from your airframe (CeX cash vs used / RRP). It stays in this browser.
| Spec |  C1 · 720 g |  unmarked · 907 g |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | ||
| Released | 27 Jul 2023 | 23 Aug 2018 |
| App | DJI Fly | DJI GO 4 |
| Weight & UK law | ||
| Takeoff weight | 720 g Ahead | 907 g |
| UK class / IDs | C1 · Operator ID + Flyer ID | unmarked · Operator ID + Flyer ID |
| Open subcategory | A1 Over People (C1 until 31 Dec 2027) Ahead | A3 Far from People |
| From uninvolved people | May overfly uninvolved people; not crowds. Flyer ID + Operator ID. Remote ID on from 1 Jan 2026 (C1 as UK1). Towns OK in A1. Ahead | No class mark. CAA legacy weight table: 50 m from uninvolved people; 150 m from built-up areas. No overflight. A2 only with an A2 CofC. Flyer ID + Operator ID. |
| Height (Open) | 120 m AGL Same | 120 m AGL Same |
| Folded size | 207 × 100.5 × 91.1 mm | 214 × 91 × 84 mm |
| Camera | ||
| Main sensor | 1/1.3-inch CMOS · 48 MP · 24 mm | 1-inch CMOS Hasselblad · 20 MP · 28 mm Ahead |
| Aperture | f/1.7 | f/2.8–f/11 |
| Field of view | 82° Same | 77° Same |
| ISO (photo / video) | 100–6400 / 100–6400 | 100–12800 / 100–6400 |
| Colour / log | D-Log M / HLG | Dlog-M / HLG |
| Other cameras | 70 mm 1/1.3-inch CMOS Ahead | Single camera |
| Max video | 4K/60 HDR, 4K/100 Ahead | 4K/30 |
| Gimbal / vertical | 90° tilt Ahead | 30° tilt |
| Flight | ||
| Lab flight time | 46 min Ahead | 31 min |
| Hover time | 42 min Ahead | 29 min |
| Wind resistance | Level 5 · 12 m/s Ahead | Level 5 · 10.5 m/s |
| Max speed | 68 km/h EU · 75.6 km/h FCC Same | 72 km/h Sport Same |
| Climb / descent | 10 / 10 m/s Ahead | 5 / 3 m/s |
| Max takeoff altitude | 6000 m Same | 6000 m Same |
| Sensing | ||
| Obstacle sensing | Omnidirectional Same | Omnidirectional Same |
| Transmission | ||
| Video range (CE) | 10 km CE · O4 (20 km FCC) Same | 6 km CE · OcuSync 2.0 (10 km FCC) Same |
| Power & storage | ||
| Battery | 62.6 Wh Same | 59.3 Wh Same |
| Internal storage | 8 GB Same | 8 GB Same |
| microSD | microSD UHS-I Speed Class 3, up to 512 GB | microSD, up to 128 GB |
| GNSS | GPS + Galileo + BeiDou | GPS + GLONASS |
| Operating temperature | −10 to 40 °C Same | −10 to 40 °C Same |
The i beside a spec is the explainer — hover or tap.
Questions
Will I notice the camera?
Air 3 main: 1/1.3-inch CMOS · 48 MP · 24 mm, 4K/60 HDR, 4K/100. Mavic 2 Pro main: 1-inch CMOS Hasselblad · 20 MP · 28 mm, 4K/30. You would notice sensor class in low light; you would not notice the word 4K if both already do it. Optical telephoto is only on Air 3 — that is a different picture, not a sharper crop.
Do I need to register the Mavic 2 Pro in the UK?
Mavic 2 Pro is unmarked, takeoff about 907 g (907 g takeoff. Not Mavic 2 Zoom. No class mark.). In the UK a Flyer ID is required from 100 g, and an Operator ID is required from 100 g with a camera or from 250 g — this airframe needs both. This is not legal advice; read the CAA Drone Code for the airframe and battery you actually fly. Longer version: the UK Open explainer on this site (/guides/uk).
Do I need to register the Air 3 in the UK?
Air 3 is C1, takeoff about 720 g (C1. Flyer ID required.). In the UK a Flyer ID is required from 100 g, and an Operator ID is required from 100 g with a camera or from 250 g — this airframe needs both. This is not legal advice; read the CAA Drone Code for the airframe and battery you actually fly. Longer version: the UK Open explainer on this site (/guides/uk).
How far from people can I fly the Mavic 2 Pro in the UK?
Mavic 2 Pro (unmarked): A3 Far from People. No class mark. CAA legacy weight table: 50 m from uninvolved people; 150 m from built-up areas. No overflight. A2 only with an A2 CofC. Flyer ID + Operator ID. Open height is 120 m AGL. Never over crowds. This is not legal advice — the CAA Drone Code (March 2026) applies to the airframe and battery you actually fly. Longer version: the UK Open explainer on this site (/guides/uk).
How far from people can I fly the Air 3 in the UK?
Air 3 (C1): A1 Over People (C1 until 31 Dec 2027). May overfly uninvolved people; not crowds. Flyer ID + Operator ID. Remote ID on from 1 Jan 2026 (C1 as UK1). Towns OK in A1. Open height is 120 m AGL. Never over crowds. This is not legal advice — the CAA Drone Code (March 2026) applies to the airframe and battery you actually fly. Longer version: the UK Open explainer on this site (/guides/uk).
Which is better in wind?
Mavic 2 Pro carries more mass into DJI’s published wind figure (Air 3 12 m/s, Mavic 2 Pro 10.5 m/s). On a UK headland that is often the whole decision. Lab Level numbers that match can still feel different because weight is not in the level name.
Which is better at dusk?
Mavic 2 Pro on paper. Air 3 is 1/1.3-inch CMOS with Omnidirectional; Mavic 2 Pro is 1-inch CMOS Hasselblad with Omnidirectional. Nightscape still needs texture and a minimum lux — it is not night vision.
Which is better for travel?
Air 3 if the constraint is a bag and UK class (C1, 720 g). Mavic 2 Pro if you will accept unmarked and 907 g for the bigger airframe.
Can I keep my Air 3 batteries, controller or ND filters?
These do not share a battery family. Plan to buy packs, and check ND thread and RC protocol — Mini 4 Pro filters and batteries do not sit on a Mini 5 Pro.
How much more does it cost?
DJI UK RRP (as of 2026-08-31): Air 3 £869, Mavic 2 Pro —. Used and CeX sit on the price board below — some of these are discontinued as new.
Who should buy which?
Air 3: Dual camera and wind; you accepted C1. Mavic 2 Pro: The job pays, or the Hasselblad is the point.
Price board
UK pounds, dated snapshots. Each cell names the box that figure is for. EAN is the barcode on that carton when a UK listing cited one; otherwise we leave it blank rather than guess. Not live APIs. Buying used checklist.
| Air 3 as of 2026-08-31 | Mavic 2 Pro as of 2026-08-31 | |
|---|---|---|
| DJI Store UK RRP | £869 Air 3 (DJI RC-N2) — not Air 3S | — Discontinued as new — Mavic 2 Pro (not Zoom, not Mavic 3) |
| Amazon UK | See Amazon No new Air 3 (not 3S) buy box — search only | See Amazon No new Mavic 2 Pro buy-box — search only; confirm it is not Zoom |
| eBay UK band | £600–£850 Used Air 3 Fly More Combo (not Air 3S) | See eBay Used Mavic 2 Pro kits — confirm it is not Zoom or Mavic 3 |
| CeX sell | — Air 3 (RC-N2) Fly More Combo, SKU SROBDJIA3RCN2FMA — unpriced | — CeX search — no SKU invented |
| CeX cash / voucher | See CeX Air 3 (RC-N2) Fly More Combo, SKU SROBDJIA3RCN2FMA — unpriced | See CeX CeX search — no SKU invented |
Reviews that put these together
- DJI Air 2S vs Mavic Air 2 vs DJI Mavic 2 Pro
1-inch vs Air 2, 5.4K, no class mark, front/back/up/down sensing
Heliguy · 2021-04-15 - DJI Air 3 vs Mini 4 Pro: which compact drone is best?
Dual 1/1.3 + 70 mm tele and wind vs sub-250 g Mini 4 Pro legality and size
DPReview · 2023-10-10