The DJI Air sequence of drones has all the time been small however mighty — and the most recent addition to the DJI Air Household is by far essentially the most highly effective but. DJI at this time launched the Air 3 drone, which primarily stands out for its twin major cameras. Scroll on for my DJI Air 3 evaluation, a comparability of this drone versus different high contenders, and the official Drone Lady tackle whether or not the brand new DJI Air 3 drone is value it.
Watch me unbox the DJI Air 3 right here:
The DJI Air 3 drone, in a nutshell
The 2 cameras on the brand new DJI Air 3 drone are a wide-angle digicam and a 3x medium tele digicam, each of that are able to delivering 48MP photographs and 4K/60fps HDR movies. And it’s not simply the digicam {that a} large deal, however the construct of the drone itself, able to providing vital enhancements to flight, akin to:
- As much as 46 minutes flight time
- Omnidirectional impediment sensing
- O4 HD Video Transmission System
The DJI Air 3 extends a historical past of DJI Air merchandise that began with the unique Mavic Air (which launched in 2018), and since concerned to supply the improved Air 2 and later the spectacular DJI Air 2S. The Air lineup presents a form of center worth level for digicam drones, offering the best-of-both-worlds when it comes to value versus high quality.
And now, the DJI Air 3 marks the primary drone in DJI’s Air sequence to supply skilled options like twin major cameras and omnidirectional impediment sensing, whereas on the similar time retaining its light-weight capabilities with a weight of simply 720g for extra freedom and adaptability.
Given its worth level (it begins at simply $1,099), the DJI Air 3 is an accessible possibility for a critical photographer who doesn’t need all of the bells and whistles of one thing just like the DJI Mavic 3 Professional (and its excessive worth level at $2,200) however needs a higher-end, extra sturdy and extra highly effective choose than one thing on DJI’s more-affordable finish (just like the $759 Mini 3 Professional).
With all that (and extra), it’s unsurprising that the brand new DJI Air 3 has steadily climbed into the highest spot of greatest drones for photographers of 2023 in search of a high-quality digicam. So with that, this DJI Air 3 evaluation presents a deeper dive into all of the options, advantages and tradeoffs:
DJI Air 3 evaluation: the twin major cameras
(I’ll add photographs shot in digicam shortly! Please bear with me as I simply acquired my arms on this drone, however needed to get a evaluation up as quickly as attainable!)
DJI doesn’t wish to accept one when it will possibly supply two. Following the lead of a lot higher-end drones just like the DJI Mavic 3, the DJI Air 3 takes on a dual-primary digicam system, that means one drone has two cameras built-in with it. This makes the DJI Air 3 the primary of the Air sequence to supply such a characteristic.
The specs on these two cameras are:
- A 1/1.3-inch CMOS wide-angle digicam
- 24mm format equal
- F1.7 aperture
- A 1/1.3-inch CMOS 3x medium tele digicam (can obtain 3x optical zoom)
- 70mm format equal
- F2.8 aperture
Each cameras supply the identical specs when it comes to:
- 2.4μm pixel measurement
- 48MP photographs
- 1/1.3-inch CMOS sensors
- Put up-cropping assist for simple secondary composition.
- Assist for twin native ISO for direct output of 4K/60fps HDR video at excessive body charges and as much as 4K/100fps max
- Assist for 10-bit D-Log M and 10-bit HLG coloration modes
The 2 cameras have the identical sensor measurement (throughout two totally different sensors) however totally different focal lengths, which isn’t solely environment friendly when it comes to measurement and value financial savings, however may be seen as a plus for photographers because it presents a constant picture high quality throughout each cameras.
Why are two cameras vital? The straightforward reply is that you simply don’t have to decide on between the aesthetic you need for that shot. That medium tele digicam can put a single topic, like an individual, ito the middle of the body, creating a powerful sense of spatial compression. With a wide-angle digicam, you possibly can higher seize the entire panorama.
Sometimes somebody wanting each a large shot AND a tele shot would want to land their drone and manually change the lenses. Having two lenses can also be costlier.
The digicam, apart from the apparent two sensors, can also be an enormous standout over its predecessor, the DJI Air 2S, for a number of different causes. They provide video specification now even with out FOV cropping in comparison with its predecessor, the DJI Air 2S. Additionally, the DJI Air 3 is the primary drone of the Air Sequence to assist 2.7K vertical video capturing (9:16), which suggests the pictures you movie can simply and be instantly shared throughout horizontal codecs as is the case on most social media websites like Instagram Reels and TikTok.
DJI additionally individually sells a set of ND8/16/32/64 filters, which is especially helpful in producing smoother footage at slower shutter speeds.
Good capturing modes
Like most DJI drones, this one comes with what DJI calls “Clever Options.” These are computerized movie modes the place the drone both flies a preset route or follows a chosen object by way of its route, whereas additionally executing sure video kinds mechanically, like time lapse fashion movies. Among the many standout video modes are:
- FocusTrack (Tracks the topic within the middle of the body)
- MasterShots (Robotically carry out numerous digicam actions, shoots a number of clips, edits the clips, and provides music)
- Evening mode
- Hyperlapse (Movies 4K horizontal or 2.7K vertical timelapse footage)
- Sluggish Movement (Choose 4K/100fps or 1080p/100fps to instantly file a 4x slow-motion video)
And that’s simply a few of the flight modes. There are numerous extra with albeit goofy names like Rocket, Droie, Helix and Boomerang that execute numerous flights mechanically for extra exact footage, too.
DJI Air 3 evaluation: the drone itself
The 2 cameras are highly effective, however the drone itself is a powerhouse.
Battery life
DJI Air 3 stands out particularly because it presents as much as 46 minutes flight time. That’s 48% greater than the DJI Air 2.
Together with improved battery life comes a brand new and improved charging hub with a extremely good characteristic: an influence accumulation operate. You possibly can press and maintain a button on the charging hub, which then transfers the remaining energy from a number of batteries to at least one single battery with the very best remaining energy. That’s handy when you have three batteries on you every with, say, 15% battery life left. When you had been unable to really cost your battery into an influence outlet (maybe you had been out within the subject) however you had the hub with you, you can then theoretically switch three batteries value of 15% juice to a single battery with sufficient energy to take one other flight.
DJI additionally individually sells a DJI 100W USB-C Energy Adapter which may cost the battery and distant controller concurrently, or cellular units by way of the USB-C ports. There’s additionally a DJI 65W Automotive Charger which makes use of a common port to cost not solely the battery and distant controller, however your different units like your smartphone and laptop computer.
Omnidirectional Impediment Sensing
The DJI Air 3 is the primary drone within the Air Sequence to incorporate omnidirectional impediment sensing. Its most up-to-date predecessor, the Air 2S, presents four-way directional impediment sensors. However, this drone presents even higher consciousness — in all instructions past simply 4.
That’s due to a pair of fisheye lenses mounted to the entrance and the again of the drone which detect obstacles in all instructions. These supply up that commonplace ahead, backward, left, proper and upward sensing. In the meantime, the underside is provided with binocular lenses and a 3D TOF, that are what contribute to the complete, omnidirectional impediment sensing.
However it’s not sufficient to only see the objects. It has to then keep away from objects in its manner. The DJI Air 3 achieves this by way of APAS 5.0, which is expertise to actively keep away from and easily bypass obstacles by mechanically arising with a brand new, higher route.
In keeping with that can also be Superior RTH (return to dwelling), which mechanically sends the drone dwelling (all of the whereas avoiding obstacles) once you interact it or if it in any other case detects an issue.
O4 Video Transmission
New to the DJI Air line can also be O4 Video Transmission, the next-generation O4 video transmission system that gives a transmission distance of as much as 20 km.
Different upgrades with this model embrace extra transmission stability to keep away from stuttered stay view for safer flight. It helps as much as 1080p/60fps stay feeds.
DJI Air 3 controller
If you buy the Air 3, you’ve gotten a pair choices of which controller you get, both the cheaper DJI RC-N2 or the pricier DJI RC 2.
The equipment with the DJI RC-N2 is most cost-effective, getting you the drone and controller for $1,099. In order for you the DJI RC 2 (the higher-end controller), you’ll pay $1,549 for that underneath the even-upgraded Fly Extra Combo. You possibly can choose to additionally buy the DJI RC 2 individually for $369, which you would possibly do when you begin with the lower-end controller and determine to improve sooner or later.
How does the DJI Air 3 evaluate to different drones?
Every of DJI’s drone households — the Mini, the Mavic and now the Air — are on their third era. Inside these generations are subtypes of drones, of types (just like the Mini 3 Professional versus the Mini 3).
For this comparability, I’ve pitted one consultant from every third-generation DJI household towards one another (deciding on the precise subtype primarily based on which had the closet worth level to the DJI Air 3. So with that, right here’s a rundown of how the most recent of those new DJI drones evaluate to one another:
| DJI Mavic 3 Basic | DJI Air 3 | DJI Mini 3 Professional | |
| Beginning Value | $1,599 | $1,099 | $759 |
| Takeoff Weight | 895 grams | 720 grams | <249 grams |
| Onboard digicam(s) | Hasselblad digicam | Large-angle digicam Medium tele digicam |
DJI digicam |
| Max Photograph Decision | 20 MP | 48 MP | 48 MP |
| Video Decision | 5.1K: 5120×2700 @ 24/25/30/48/50 fps 4K: 3840×2160 @ 24/25/30/48/50/60/120 fps |
4K/60fps HDR movies | 4K/30 fps HDR movies |
| Sensor | 4/3″ CMOS | 1/1.3″ CMOS (wide-angle) 1/1.3″ CMOS (medium tele) |
1/1.3″ CMOS |
| Aperture | f/2.8 to f/11 | f/1.7 (wide-angle) f/2.8 (medium tele) |
f/1.7 |
| Impediment Avoidance Tech | APAS 5.0 | APAS 5.0 | APAS 4.0 |
| Impediment sensors | Omnidirectional binocular imaginative and prescient system, supplemented with an infrared sensor on the backside of the plane | Omnidirectional binocular imaginative and prescient system, supplemented with an infrared sensor on the backside of the plane | Ahead, backward & downward impediment sensing |
| Max Flight Time | 46 minutes | 46 minutes | 34 minutes (with Clever Flight Battery), 47 minutes (with Clever Flight Battery Plus) |
| Transmission System | O3+ | O4 | O3+ |
For this data in both higher element, I’ve put collectively a pair comparability guides that can assist you make the very best shopping for resolution when you’re contemplating the DJI Air 3 vs. different DJI drones. They’re:
Is the DJI Air 3 value it?
Given its small measurement, lengthy flight time, spectacular options and decrease value than one thing like a Mavic 3 or Encourage, this drone is good for somebody on the lookout for one thing higher and extra sturdy than the Mini line, however who nonetheless needs one thing simple to care that gained’t break the financial institution.
Which involves the important thing determine in deciding whether or not the DJI Air 3 is value shopping for, and that’s the value tag itself. The DJI Air 3 is offered in three configurations primarily based on the controller you go for, a properly as whether or not you go for the Fly Extra Combo (which throws in all types of additional equipment). The DJI Air 3 configurations and their costs are:
DJI additionally sells some equipment individually. They embrace:
Who’s the Air 3 greatest for?
The DJI Air 3 drone is good for somebody who is consistently on-the-go, pursuing out of doors adventures or taking part in sports activities. It’s additionally a pleasant candy spot drone for skilled photographers who won’t essentially want the highest-end cameras, and particularly those that worth versatility. That features people like wedding ceremony photographers, who must shortly alternate between huge pictures and zoom pictures — and who can particularly profit from zoom cameras (akin to having the ability to movie a bride and groom on the alter with out getting the drone too near disrupt the ceremony).
The Air 3 can also be simply that excellent comfortable medium between the Mini 3 Professional and the Mavic 3. It’s cheaper than the Mavic 3, maybe unsurprising given the picture high quality extra intently aligns with the even-cheaper Mini 3 Professional.
However it’s general a much more highly effective drone than the Mini 3 Professional, given a battery life that matches the Mavic 3, plus smarter tech inside like that omnidirectional binocular imaginative and prescient system. And naturally, there are these two cameras, which unlock way more filming choices. This drone is moveable however versatile, and nonetheless fairly highly effective.
As soon as once more, DJI has delivered.
What’s your Air 3 evaluation? What options do you assume are lacking or might be higher? What options are you most enthusiastic about? And is it well worth the worth? Depart a remark beneath!