Comparison
DJI Air 3S vs DJI Mavic 2 Pro
Would you notice?
Air 3S 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, obstacle sensing. UK paperwork is part of the difference: Air 3S 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 · 724 g |  unmarked · 907 g |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | ||
| Released | 15 Oct 2024 | 23 Aug 2018 |
| App | DJI Fly | DJI GO 4 |
| Weight & UK law | ||
| Takeoff weight | 724 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 | 214.19 × 100.63 × 89.17 mm | 214 × 91 × 84 mm |
| Camera | ||
| Main sensor | 1-inch CMOS · 50 MP · 24 mm Same | 1-inch CMOS Hasselblad · 20 MP · 28 mm Same |
| Aperture | f/1.8 | f/2.8–f/11 |
| Field of view | 84° Same | 77° Same |
| ISO (photo / video) | 100–6400 / 100–12800 | 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/120 Ahead | 4K/30 |
| Gimbal / vertical | 90° tilt Ahead | 30° tilt |
| Flight | ||
| Lab flight time | 45 min Ahead | 31 min |
| Hover time | 41 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 | Omni + nightscape Ahead | Omnidirectional |
| 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 | 62.5 Wh Same | 59.3 Wh Same |
| Internal storage | 42 GB Ahead | 8 GB |
| 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 3S main: 1-inch CMOS · 50 MP · 24 mm, 4K/60 HDR, 4K/120. 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 3S — 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 3S in the UK?
Air 3S is C1, takeoff about 724 g (C1. About 724 g takeoff.). 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 3S in the UK?
Air 3S (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 3S 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?
Air 3S on paper. Air 3S is 1-inch CMOS with Omni + nightscape; 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 3S if the constraint is a bag and UK class (C1, 724 g). Mavic 2 Pro if you will accept unmarked and 907 g for the bigger airframe.
Can I keep my Air 3S 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 3S £959, Mavic 2 Pro —. Used and CeX sit on the price board below — some of these are discontinued as new.
Who should buy which?
Air 3S: 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 3S as of 2026-08-31 | Mavic 2 Pro as of 2026-08-31 | |
|---|---|---|
| DJI Store UK RRP | £959 Air 3S (DJI RC-N3) — not Air 3 | — Discontinued as new — Mavic 2 Pro (not Zoom, not Mavic 3) |
| Amazon UK | £859 Air 3S with DJI RC-N3 (third-party / Amazon listings) | See Amazon No new Mavic 2 Pro buy-box — search only; confirm it is not Zoom |
| eBay UK band | £750–£1,150 Used Air 3S (standard + Fly More; not Air 3) | See eBay Used Mavic 2 Pro kits — confirm it is not Zoom or Mavic 3 |
| CeX sell | — CeX search — no Air 3S SKU priced; ignore DJI Air 3S lens accessory | — CeX search — no SKU invented |
| CeX cash / voucher | See CeX CeX search — no Air 3S SKU priced; ignore DJI Air 3S lens accessory | See CeX CeX search — no SKU invented |
Reviews that put these together
- Mini 5 Pro vs Mavic 4 Pro vs Air 3S
Camera systems, gimbal rotation, weight class and who each airframe is for
Heliguy · 2025-10-01 - Best DJI drone 2026: Neo 2 vs Flip vs Mini 5 Pro vs Air 3S vs Mavic 4 Pro vs Avata 2
UK running costs, legality vs weather, Mini 5 Pro vs Air 3S as a complementary pair
Gadget Scout · 2026-01-15 - Best DJI drone (2026): Mini 5 Pro to Mavic 4 Pro
Sub-250 argument, Mini 5 Pro 1-inch sensor, Air 3S telephoto vs Mini 5 Pro
DroneXL · 2026-03-01 - 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