I have 2 now, a Mavic Mini and a Mavic Air 2. Buying a Mavic 3 soon, just deciding if I want to spring for the thermal version (Mavic 3 Enterprise). I also use a lot of software for mission planning and image/data processing and analysis. For example, I use Dronelink to plan missions and fly them without further input, I have a bunch of "pre-cooked" stuff set up for my usual AO. I can do 3D scans of the ground and buildings, which turn out surprisingly good. Or I can just launch the drone and have it perform a "patrol" on a given route. The batteries on the MA2 last about 20-25 minutes, depending on factors such as speed or winds aloft. Dronelink still allows the "Return to Home" functionality of the drone, if a mission requires more than one battery, it will return for a change then fly back and continue where it left off. It's paid software, and not cheap (my current plan is $480/year), so if you're not using it to make money, might be better off sticking with the DJI app to fly.
Just another tool in the box, to be used when/where appropriate. Noise is a concern, as is visibility or the possibility of following the drone back to its control point. The new Mavic Mini 3 Pro is supposed to be much quieter than the others, although once the drone is above 200' AGL, you really don't hear it, and it's a hard sound to localize. With the gray color of the DJI drones, they're pretty darn hard to spot above 100', and almost impossible at 400'.
And for everyone (joking or not) talking about shooting drones down, it'd be a lot harder than you think. And if it's not a WROL situation, shooting a drone will get you in significant hot water, as it would fall under 18 USC 32, the Aircraft Sabotage Act. Shooting a drone is, in the eyes of the law, very much the same as shooting at an airliner. And while we're talking about laws, you do not control the airspace above your property. The FAA does. If someone is using a drone to actually harass or spy, that would be a crime, but just flying over someone's land is not. Just trying to be realistic instead of being a keyboard commando.
As far as RF security, unless everything is shut down, your signals will disappear in the RF soup that currently exists. And the only people with the ability to exploit that are going to be national-level agencies. DJI does have a few controllers with a built-in display, and I've heard that they're really good. But my old eyes prefer the biggest screen I can get, so I fly with an iPad now. Had to get a bracket to mount it on the controller, and a longer USB cable, but it's surprisingly well-balanced and not tiring to fly with. And I can actually see things on the ground when I'm flying.
I just have them for photography and mapping, might take the mini with me on a patrol, but the infrastructure required for sustained flight operations isn't going to help your pack weight.