In this article, we will talk about the DJI Mavic 3 review. This was an expensive option. Despite not being very cheap, the DJI Mavic 3 has a 4/3 CMOS sensor, a secondary 28X digital zoom lens, a 46-minute flight period, and omnidirectional sensors, making it one of the most useful drones for videographers thus far. In essence, the Mavic 3 is a drone that combines the Mavic 2 Pro and Mavic 2 Zoom into one. While the Mavic 2 drones start at roughly $1,500, the Mavic 3 has a substantially higher starting price of $2,199.
We’ll examine the DJI Mavic 3’s features and capabilities to determine whether it’s the perfect drone pilot apps. A dual camera with two distinct sensors and lenses performing different roles makes the Mavic 3 the most impressive and potent Mavic series drone to date. The main camera, with its 20 MP Four Thirds CMOS sensor and variable f/2.8-f/11 aperture in the 24mm equivalent lens, is unquestionably the most remarkable and significant.
Design
A large portion of the Mavic 3’s design will be recognizable to anyone who has used one of DJI’s contemporary camera drones. With a few noticeable modifications, the drone’s basic design is not all that different from the Mavic 2. For starters, the camera on this thing is enormous, which is not surprising given the significant advancements DJI included into that part of the drone. Second, the drone’s batteries are now long and rectangular in design, and they load from the back.
The Mavic 2’s folding configuration is still used for both deployment and stowing, but there are some noticeable yet slight improvements. Now, when the drone is turned off, the gimbal and camera lock automatically. Additionally, the fussy plastic bubble that previously shielded the camera and gimbal has been replaced with a durable wrap-around hood. This function protects the gimbal, as well as the motors, blades, and sensors, from harm when being transported.
Controller
The controller, which is a carryover from the Air 2S and other recent DJI drones, doesn’t offer much in the way of fresh detail. We like the way it looks, and it’s comfortable in the hand and strong enough to support an iPhone 13 Pro Max smartphone. The sleek cable well, rubberized grips, and bays for the control sticks are all very well-designed. Even better, USB-C is used for charging, a sleek approach that suits the batteries. Better yet, it can easily maintain a charge on its own for much longer than the three batteries included with the “Fly More” and “Cine” packs, so
If you want to spend more money, you may get the new Smart Controller (included with the Cine), which is a little bit larger than the previous one and supports the Mavic 3’s O3+ and Wi-Fi 6 capabilities. Pro customers not only avoid having to plug their phone into their controller, but also benefit from the accompanying screen’s outdoor visibility and 15MB/s download speed (beyond Wi-Fi 6 range) (nearly 3 times faster). Additionally, the control latency should be reduced by 10 m/s to 120, while it is unlikely that this would have a substantial impact on regular Mavic flying.
Features
Despite being lighter, the Mavic 3 is bigger than its predecessor. This is becoming more crucial as the 900g limit for legal flying is frequently reached; we go into more information on this in our guide on drone laws in the UK and US. The Mavic 2 just fits in at 895g, whereas the Mavic 2 Pro went above this restriction (or 899g for the Cine). The additional propeller diameter and weight savings also enable longer flight periods and a lower-pitch, less obtrusive noise while flying, so they are not the only advantages.
The redesigned muzzle-style gimbal protector is one of the biggest design changes. Once you buy the hang of it, it’s a really creative and practical method to keep your drone. At first, it’s a little fiddly. With only one handy strap around the drone, every propeller neatly clicks into place, the sensors are covered, and the gimbal is secured from all angles. We are really happy to see this sophisticated new solution since this level of protection previously required numerous complicated equipment.
We were very thrilled by the Fly More kit’s carrying bag. We can tell some significant design went into this, and it seems durable enough to last a lifetime. DJI could have included a fairly inexpensive solution and not had many complaints, but we can tell some serious design went into this.
Image Quality
The Mavic 3 comes in two versions: the basic model, which I tested, and the “Cine” version, which has ProRes 422 HQ video recording support and additional internal storage (8 gigabytes vs. 1 terabyte). For video professionals, the ProRes capability is crucial, and the larger SSD is necessary mostly due to the size of ProRes footage’s files. The largest sensor offered in the Mavic range, a 20-megapixel Four Thirds CMOS sensor from DJI, has the same megapixel count as the 1-inch sensor in the Mavic 2 Pro but is bigger, providing higher detail.
Accordingly, the Mavic 3 is able to capture 5.1K at 50 frames per second (fps), 4K at drr, and 20-megapixel RAW still photo and video. However, the Mavic 3 also has two different lenses and two different sensor sizes. A 24-mm prime lens was created in collaboration with Hasselblad as the main optic. It has a variable aperture with a range of f/2.8 to f/11. I shoot 99 percent of the time with this lens. On a drone, it’s among the greatest tiny lenses we’ve ever used.
Vedio Quality
The Mavic 3 contains not one, but two cameras: a primary 1/2-inch CMOS (12MP) sensor that serves as the digital zoom lens and a secondary 4/3 CMOS Hasselblad sensor with a 20MP resolution. The primary camera features a 4-degree field of view, a 24mm-equivalent lens, and an aperture range of f/2.8 to f/11; you can change the aperture, which offers you considerably more control than you would with other drones. The ISO ranges from 100 to 6400, however at ISO 3200 and above, you start to notice a lot of graininess, much as with most other cameras.
It you can record video in up to 4K and 5.1K resolutions. This is a significant improvement over the Mavic 2 Pro’s maximum of 4K/30 fps. Even in 4K, the video we captured was quite stunning. we used the Mavic 3 to fly over my neighborhood and a friend’s farm in upstate New York, and we was able to see even the smallest of details in every image we took.
Performance
While the camera may be the eye-catching aspect of the Mavic 3 that everyone really cares about, the engines, rotors, and battery that keep that camera in the air are every bit as crucial. we want to emphasize how resilient this drone is in strong gusts in this post. Although we don’t advise flying in such circumstances on purpose, the weather can quickly change, and you don’t want to be blown out of the sky by a stray gust.
Price
In the fall of 2021, the Mavic 3 went on market. The drone costs $2,199 (including controller and battery). Three batteries, a charging hub, a quartet of neutral-density filters, an extra set of propellers, and a carrying bag are included in the Fly More combo ($2,999). The DJI Mavic 3 Cine Premium Combo ($4,999) includes a Mavic 3 model with 1TB of onboard storage and capability for Apple ProRes 422 HQ video. Everything from the Fly More combo is included in this set, but four more ND filters are added, and the basic remote is replaced with the DJI RC Pro, which retails for $1,199 when purchased separately.
Final Words
Like GoPro with action cams, DJI has come to dominate the consumer drone market; every year it releases a new drone that somehow leaves the competition far behind. The cameras are incredible, and the flight time of nearly 50 minutes means you can keep it in the air much longer.
However, the $2,199 Mavic 3 is much more expensive than the models it replaces: it’s more than double the price of the second most powerful model in DJI’s hangar, the Air 2S ($999), which has a smaller 1-inch CMOS sensor, less powerful shooting capabilities, and a shorter but still great 31-minute flight time.
The DJI Mavic 3 is probably too big a drone for most people; your money would be better spent on the Air 2S, the Air ($799) or the Mini 2 ($449). But if you’re looking for the best video quality and longest flight time in a compact drone, the Mavic 3 is worth the investment.
