Launched in the summertime of 2023, the DJI Air 3 has confirmed to be a dependable, well-rounded drone, good for these searching for a mid-level drone with nice specs.
Like its predecessor, the Air 2S, the DJI Air 3 has a wonderful cost-to-feature ratio, enabling the Air 3 to be accessible to a variety of drone homeowners. From newcomers to content material creators, to lovers alike, the Air 3 has one thing for everybody.
We’ll take a look at most of the options of the DJI Air 3 that make it a viable choice for Actual Property images, in addition to some pattern pictures from Actual Property shoots since its launch.
Overview
As talked about, the DJI Air 3 was launched in July 2023 and is the successor of the ever-popular DJI Air 2S, launched in 2021.
One factor that helped make the virtually three-year-old Air 2S a well-received drone was its 1-inch CMOS Sony sensor digital camera. That digital camera was good for various forms of business work, together with Actual Property. Truthfully, till 2023, the Air 2S was my actual property work-horse, with many flight miles on it.
» MORE: DJI Air 3 Overview – Is This the Drone for You?
Sure, the Air 3 does have smaller important and secondary cameras than the DJI Air 2S’ important 1-inch” CMOS sensor digital camera. Nonetheless, the newer know-how in each of the Air 3’s cameras has aided the Air 3 in taking wonderful photographs, in each shiny daylight and in low-light circumstances.
Due to the Air 3’s newer imaging know-how, though technically solely 12 MP photographs (extra on this shortly), the photographs taken are detailed and work effectively for actual property, whether or not capturing buildings or the encompassing setting.
Required Certifications
Taking images and movies of properties on the market with the Air 3 falls beneath business functions, or the furtherance of enterprise.
In the US, you have to fly your drone beneath the FAA’s Small UAS Rule (Half 107) to be legally acknowledged as a business drone pilot.
Due to this, if needing to do drone Actual Property images, in the US, a Half 107 Certification is required.
For extra data on the Half 107 Certification course of, beginning your personal drone enterprise, or registering your DJI Air 3, please see the next articles:
Background on Shifting to the Air 3 for Actual Property
I’ve been capturing Actual Property photographs and movies for purchasers since 2018. I used a DJI drone with a 1-inch sensor when initially beginning out. On this case, the Phantom 4 Professional.
Again then, 1-inch sensors and capturing 20 MP photographs had been absolutely the trade normal and a primary requirement for actual property professionals.
As a small firm, we added a couple of smaller-sensored Autel foldable drones to the fleet as backups. We additionally used them periodically when the DJI drones had been grounded as a consequence of unlockable geofenced areas.
We didn’t like the unique Evo’s 12 MP picture high quality again then, however we stored them round simply the identical.
Quick ahead to 2021, and we retired our a number of Phantom 4 Professional workhorses in favor of the smaller footprint and 1-inch sensor of the Air 2S. The Air 2S can be our main workhorse for years.
For our higher-end properties over $500,000, we used the Mavic 3 Professional usually for a time, as its 4/3 Hasselblad digital camera is unbeatable.
Nonetheless, the bigger, vastly costlier Mavic 3 Professional would show to be overkill for the extra average-sized and average-priced properties we usually started getting booked for in 2023.
That is the place the Air 3 is available in.
Digicam know-how has gotten so good over the previous 2 years or in order that it has grow to be evident that the 1/1.3″ sensor digital camera on the Air 3 would just do high-quality for actual property over the smaller sensor 12 MP cameras on the drones of yesteryear.
In our space, many house patrons are viewing actual property photos on smartphones and tablets. Thus, extraordinarily high-resolution photographs taken on giant sensor drone cameras aren’t a necessity for our purchasers usually.
For these purchasers particularly requesting content material from the upper priced and spec’d Mavic 3 Professional, it’s accessible.
The Air 3’s mixture of measurement, weight, flight efficiency, and picture high quality makes the Air 3 the perfect drone for our actual property functions and is used usually.
» MORE: Actual Property Drone Images: A Complete Information (Insider Ideas)
Air 3 Options for Actual Property Images
One of many causes the Air 3 is such a strong and well-rounded drone is the truth that DJI has crammed a variety of one of the best options from different DJI drones into the Air 3.
The Air 3, whereas an reasonably priced superior client drone, shares most of the higher-end options of the far more costly and professional-level Mavic 3 collection.
These options all result in a greater actual property photograph expertise, akin to:
- Twin cameras, with focal lengths equal to 24 mm and 70 mm, respectively
- Omnidirectional impediment avoidance
- Evening Mode, leading to wonderful night and nighttime photographs
Moreover, the Air 3 advantages from even newer DJI proprietary know-how over the Mavic 3 collection, particularly:
- OccuSync 4.0 video transmission system
We’ll be discussing these options in-depth all through this text.
» MORE: DJI Mini 2 SE for Actual Property Images (All You Have to Know)
Air 3 Digicam
One of many issues that makes the Air 3 so versatile is the twin cameras. Just like the unique Mavic 3’s setup, the cameras on the Air 3 are a bit smaller at 1/1.3″ sensors, versus the Mavic 3’s 4/3″ important digital camera.
» MORE: Greatest Digicam Settings for DJI Air 3 (Photograph & Video)
The primary digital camera on the Air 3 is equal to 24mm with an f/1.7 aperture, and the tele lens digital camera is equal to 70mm with an f/2.8 aperture. Each of those cameras take the identical decision photographs, which is right for actual property images.
The brand new 70mm digital camera is ideal for zooming in on explicit areas of curiosity inside a property or space facilities whereas sustaining distance out of your topic.
Within the above picture, the pool-goers had been alerted forward of time of the shoot. On the finish of the situation session, all of them talked about they didn’t hear and even discover the Air 3.
In some neighborhoods, being as inconspicuous as attainable is important, and relying on the scenario, the Air 3 at instances offers this.
| Digicam | DJI Air 3 |
|---|---|
| Vast-Angle Digicam: | 1/1.3-inch CMOS, Efficient Pixels: 48 MP Images decision: 8064x6048px FOV: 82° Format Equal: 24 mm Aperture: f/1.7 |
| Medium Tele Digicam: | 1/1.3-inch CMOS, Efficient Pixels: 48 MP Images decision: 8064x6048px FOV: 35° Format Equal: 70 mm Aperture: f/2.8 |
Photograph Codecs & Photograph Modes
As is predicted of all of DJI’s newer drones, together with the Mini collection, the Air 3 is able to capturing JPEG or RAW (DNG).
For skilled photographers, the choice to shoot RAW information oftentimes is a should, relying on their modifying model. This isn’t to say you can’t be an expert actual property photographer whereas capturing JPEG, as many do desire capturing JPEG due to the file sizes, and the photographs are nonetheless superb.
The Air 3 RAW (DNG) information are giant, uncompressed, and unprocessed information. Like floor cameras akin to Sony, Canon, and Nikon, these information retain the entire information and data in a photograph. They’ll then be manipulated in any approach utilizing your actual property photograph modifying software program of alternative.
Along with a slew of photograph modes, the Air 3 provides the next nonetheless images modes an actual property photographer ought to discover helpful:
- Single Shot: 12 MP and 48 MP
- Automated Publicity Bracketing (AEB): 12 MP, 3/5 frames; 48 MP, 3/5 frames at 0.7 EV step
Single-shot actual property photographs taken with the Air 3 look nice. When uncovered correctly, it’s laborious to make a distinction between the Air 2S 1-inch sensor and the Air 3’s 1/1.3″ sensor, even on the decrease 12 MP choice.
Other than the usual single-shot mode, which I personally use 50/50 when capturing properties, the AEB (automated publicity bracketing) mode is great.
AEB on the Air 3 works precisely prefer it does for floor cameras, supplying you with the power to seize 3 or 5 frames at 0.7 publicity worth steps between every captured picture.
» MORE: DJI Air 3 for Images
The Air 3 could be very steady when flying, even in breezy circumstances. When merging the AEB frames collectively, the ensuing images look nice, even with the motion of the Air 3, as will be seen within the instance beneath.
Low-Mild & Nighttime Capabilities
When doing actual property images, there could also be instances when it’s essential to get twilight pictures. There could even be instances when nighttime pictures are wanted, maybe when capturing property in downtown areas.
Fortunately, the Air 3 takes wonderful lowlight and nighttime images, both utilizing Evening Mode or fine-tuning the guide settings your self in Professional Mode.
A lot of that is because of the Air 3’s important 24 mm digital camera having a really vast f/1.7 aperture which permits a variety of mild.
That is an argument for these saying the low-light efficiency of the Air 3 can’t match the low-light efficiency of the Air 2S. The Air 2S, whereas having a bigger sensor, does have a tighter f/2.8 aperture. Photos converse a thousand phrases.
Though there could also be some traces of noise within the pictures taken in low-light circumstances with the Air 3, for essentially the most half, this may be addressed in post-editing software program and isn’t a difficulty in anyway.
» MORE: Drone Images Final Information
48 MP Issues for Actual Property
Just like the Mavic Air 2 and DJI Air 2S earlier than it, the Air 3 can shoot 48 MP photographs.
When capturing 48 MP, though the cameras are technically 12 MP, Quad Bayer know-how is used. Quad Bayer know-how quadruples every megapixel within the digital camera, leading to sharper photographs. 48 MP photographs.
At present, I’m not utilizing the 48 MP choice for actual property, and all of our shopper photographs (together with the photographs on this article) are delivered as 12 MP photographs.
This all boils all the way down to the current degradation within the high quality of 48 MP photographs the Air 3 produces from both digital camera.
Upon its summer season 2023 launch, the Air 3 took nice photos in each 12 MP and 48 MP choices. A number of months later, nonetheless, a firmware replace was put out by DJI that brought about the 48 MP pictures to be barely blurry, with a noticeable improve in chromatic aberration and ample artifacts.
DJI was made conscious of the problem and has since launched a slew of subsequent firmware updates to handle a few of these points.
Sadly, in my view, I don’t really feel the 48 MP pictures are pretty much as good as they initially had been upon the Air 3’s authentic launch. Due to this, I’ll proceed to shoot 12 MP photographs till this difficulty has been rectified.
» MORE: Digicam Expertise in Drones (Defined)
Chromatic Aberration
I discussed that the Air 3 suffers from chromatic aberration when capturing 48 MP photos. It likewise suffers some when capturing 12 MP photographs.
What’s chromatic aberration?
Chromatic aberration is when there are noticeable coloured edges that seem round objects in high-contrast conditions. These colours are usually purple, inexperienced, or magenta.
Chromatic aberration is brought on by a digital camera’s lens, whether or not drone, mirrorless digital camera, or DSLR.
I actually seen a rise in chromatic aberration on shiny, unedited photographs, across the branches of bushes and on the roof tiles.
Within the instance beneath, chromatic aberration was significantly noticeable within the treeline, the place the solar was shining from the southeast. The shot was not used for the shopper.
Though nonetheless seen, to counter this, I had to make use of a heavy hand in Lightroom when utilizing the defringe software, together with pulling again the inexperienced, purple, and magenta saturation.
As the instance highlights, this didn’t work effectively on this case, because the roof tiles had been the identical shade as the vast majority of the chromatic aberration, and desaturating that shade would destroy the look of the tiles.
This could possibly be countered simply by taking the identical image later within the day when the solar had moved. This, nonetheless, was not a viable choice that day as we had one other three shoots lined up one after the opposite.
Fortunately, there are methods across the chromatic aberration that’s typically discovered with the Air 3. That is both by way of using photograph modifying software program, altering the place of the Air 3, and even taking some photographs at one other time of day.
» MORE: Can You Fly DJI Air 3 at Evening (Defined)
Measurement & Flight Traits
The DJI Air 3 is barely longer, taller, and heavier than the Air 2S and nearly 3 times the load of the Mini Professional traces of DJI drones.
The Air 3 flight traits will be outlined as managed and well-refined. These are traits anybody taking actual property photographs would need.
The Air 3 flies easily on all fronts, no matter transferring ahead, in ascent, or in descent. Flying the Air 3 for any objective is like driving a high-powered luxurious sports activities automobile, with equal components consolation and efficiency.
The Air 3 can actually be described as a fantastic flying drone.
When capturing actual property photographs, it’s fast to rise up and go and could be very straightforward to regulate. The Air 3 motors are highly effective, nevertheless it doesn’t really feel just like the Air 3 might be fast to get away from you in an uncontrolled method.
As a consequence of its managed flight traits, the ascent and descent speeds of 22mph don’t really feel as quick as they really are. They do turn out to be useful when attempting to get in as many photograph shoots as attainable in at some point.
With the Air 3 weighing 720 g, it handles wind very effectively. So effectively, in truth, that it’s immune to winds as much as 26mph.
For our most up-to-date actual property initiatives on the Gulf Coast of Florida, the Air 3 was flown in gusts between 15 and 20 mph. For the decrease register of that vary, it simply stayed in place for varied pictures.
In greater mph winds, I might believe the Air 3 would carry out equally as effectively.
Battery Life
That is the place the Air 3 actually shines. Nevertheless it’s not as a result of it has the longest battery lifetime of a client DJI drone; the Mini 3 holds that title at 50 minutes.
The Air 3 is rated to fly 46 minutes per battery.
Drone operators will hardly ever, if ever, get these forms of flight instances. Nonetheless, when constantly flying all the way down to about 25% battery on actual property work, I’m simply capable of get about 34 minutes of utilization.
For actual property work, I recommend getting the fly extra combo, as three batteries is an effective quantity to have when doing a number of actual property jobs.
What makes the Air 3 battery setup so stellar is the all-new Air 3 battery charging hub.
Not like some other DJI battery charging hub (as of this text’s writing), there may be an choice that means that you can press and maintain the black perform button (whereas the hub is unplugged) and switch the remaining energy from a number of batteries to the battery with the very best remaining energy.
As an alternative of getting three partially powered batteries as you head to the following actual property shoot, now you can have one totally (or near a completely) charged battery on your subsequent flight.
That is significantly helpful if doing various shoots throughout the day. I’ve had situations of not solely taking photos at a number of properties throughout a day but in addition filming 4k 60fps footage for every property as effectively.
A number of batteries utilizing the facility switch function was a lifesaver.
» MORE: DJI Air 3 – Battery (All You Have to Know)
Distant Controller Choices
Equally as essential because the digital camera specs, battery life, and efficiency is how the Air 3 is bodily managed by the tip consumer.
The Air 3 makes use of two completely different distant controller choices, the DJI RC 2 and the DJI RC-N2, each of that are good for the Air 3.
As a result of the Air 3 is on a distinct transmission system than, say, the Air 2S or Mavic 3 collection, the DJI RC-N1, DJI RC, DJI Sensible Controller, and DJI RC Professional won’t work with it.
For individuals who already personal the DJI RC Professional, this can be a disappointment, as that distant controller is the very best skilled management system for DJI client and prosumer drones.
Fortunately, each the DJI RC 2 and RC-N2 are viable choices, choices that each occur to work fairly effectively for the Air 3.
Each controllers really feel and behave like their predecessors, the DJI RC and DJI RC-N1.
Most instances, after we are out doing actual property, we’ll use the DJI RC 2, as that controller is a lot shiny, at 700 nits, for many of our sunny days.
If capturing ocean or gulf-front properties, we’d decide to additionally deliver alongside the DJI RC-N2. This may be to connect one in all our 1000-nit high-brightness tablets.
Moreover, when capturing actual property video footage, we at all times deliver the RC-N2 hooked up to a 7″ high-brightness pill. The RC-N2 and pill mixture guarantee I can get one of the best framing attainable, because of the bigger display screen.
» MORE: How you can Fly DJI Air 3 Drone (With DJI RC 2)
Impediment Avoidance
When flying for actual property, it’s important to get the best-composed pictures of the property as humanly attainable.
Oftentimes, we is likely to be so centered on the shot at hand that we ignore our environment.
That is the place the brand new omnidirectional impediment avoidance system performs a significant function. This 360-degree, omnidirectional safety contains:
- Entrance
- Again
- Left/Proper Sides
- High
- Backside
When not doing skilled drone work, I’m one to usually fly with all impediment sensors off.
Nonetheless, I’ll admit that there have been instances once I was totally engaged in a tough shot or two between a variety of bushes and was so grateful that I had remembered to allow the right security options.
I’ve been spared from a couple of shut calls utilizing the omnidirectional impediment avoidance system.
Whereas, sure, the Air 3 advantages from the added safety of 360-degree impediment sensing, we by no means recommend totally counting on automated impediment avoidance.
» MORE: Impediment Avoidance in DJI Drones (Defined for Rookies)
OccuSync 4.0 (Transmission System)
The Air 3 makes use of the upgraded OcuSync 4 (O4) video transmission system. This method is an improve over the Mavic 3 traces working on the O3+ system.
With OcuSync 4, the video sign vary has been prolonged to 12.4 miles on the Air 3, in comparison with the Mavic 3’s 9.3 Miles.
We by no means endorse or advise drone pilots to fly that far, because the regulation in the US is to fly inside visible line of sight (VLOS) always.
What the OcuSync 4.0 transmission system means for Air 3 homeowners utilizing the Air 3 for actual property work is that the Air 3 has a good stronger and cleaner sign working between the drone and distant controller.
That is supreme for actual property photographers taking photos in each extremely congested city and downtown areas.
» MORE: DJI Transmission System (The whole lot You Have to Know)
Geofencing Issues?
Like all DJI drones, the Air 3 can be geofenced.
Not like the skilled drones of previous (the Phantom Professional and Mavic Professional traces), this era of DJI drones is less complicated to unlock in authorization zones.
When doing actual property shoots, with the ability to instantly unlock places is essential, as your shopper’s house simply is likely to be in an authorization zone, needing LAANC approval to fly.
With earlier iterations of DJI drones, it was typically laborious, if not unimaginable, to unlock the drone to do business work in sure areas. Due to this, many, myself included, had non-geofenced drones to fly in areas the place LAANC was approved for the pilot however denied by DJI unlock.
Since utilizing the Air 3 for actual property work, we have now had completely no points unlocking the Air 3 whereas on location in authorization zones.
» MORE: Do DJI Drones Have Geofencing? (And How you can Unlock Them)