DJI Mini 3 Release Date, Price, Features & Specs 

You may need seen the rumours already, however they’re true: DJI has launched a extra inexpensive model of the Mini 3 Professional.

As you’d anticipate, it doesn’t have the entire Mini 3 Professional’s options however it does have the identical digicam, which might shoot horizontally and vertically. Nonetheless, there are specific limitations which we’ll get to in a bit.

When is the DJI Mini 3 launch date?

As common, DJI has made the Mini 3 available for purchase as quickly as it’s formally introduced. Meaning you’ll be able to head to DJI’s web site or one in every of its companions and purchase one proper now.

How a lot does the DJI Mini price?

• From $469/£439 (with out distant controller)

There are 5 completely different bundles, though not all can be found in each area.

As with the Mini 3 Professional, there’s the choice to purchase the Mini 3 by itself with no controller (you continue to get a battery and spare propellers), however it’s also possible to get it with the RC-N1 controller or the DJI RC, which is the distant that has a built-in display and doesn’t require your cellphone.

Even that bundle is about the identical worth because the Mini 3 Professional naked drone.

There are two Fly Extra Combo bundles, one with the RC-N1 controller, and the opposite with the DJI RC (beneath).

Jim Martin / Foundry

The Fly Extra Combo Plus is obtainable solely in Australia.

Most individuals received’t have already got a suitable distant controller, which suggests the actual base worth of the Mini 3 is $559/£519.

That’s fairly much more than the worth of a Mini 2, which is presently $449/£419 from DJI, however cheaper at different retailers. It’s about twice the worth of a Mini SE, though this appears to have been discontinued, and shoots solely 2.7K video.

If the Mini 3 is simply too costly for you, then check out our roundup of the most effective drones for a few alternate options.

DJI Mini 3 vs Mini 3 Professional and Mini 2

In fact, the large query is which options has DJI chopped to be able to scale back the Mini 3 Professional’s worth for the Mini 3.

There are fairly a couple of. One of the crucial noticeable is the shortage of sensors for impediment avoidance: the Mini 3 has solely downward-facing sensors, which aren’t the identical as these on the Mini 3 Professional.

This implies you must be extra cautious when flying the Mini 3: it received’t brake and keep away from crashing into timber and different issues robotically, except you’re descending the the impediment is beneath.

Sadly, it implies that ActiveTrack is one other casualty: the Mini 3 has no monitoring capabilities in any respect, identical to the Mini and Mini 2 earlier than it. Other than QuickShots and return-to-home, which can set off if the battery is simply too low or the sign from the distant is misplaced, there are not any computerized flying modes.

The Mini 3 additionally has DJI’s O2 video transmission system, which suggests a reduced-quality video feed (720p at 30fps) from the Mini 3 over a shorter distance (10km within the US and 6km within the UK / EU) than the Mini 3 Professional. Nonetheless, it is a smart compromise to deliver the worth down which most individuals received’t care about.

Some taking pictures modes are lacking: there’s no timelapse, no slo-mo, no MasterShots and no Asteroid mode inside QuickShots (enjoyable computerized video clips).

Though the digicam sensor and lens is identical because the Mini 3 Professional, the Mini 3 is restricted to taking pictures at 4K at 30fps, reasonably than at 60fps, however nonetheless affords the choice of HDR video at 24, 25 and 30fps, together with in 4K.

Jim Martin / Foundry

In the event you do need to shoot at 60fps, you’ll have to drop all the way down to 2.7K. 60fps is the very best body fee on supply at any decision.

High quality isn’t fairly the identical as from the Mini 3 Professional as a result of the Mini 3’s video bitrate is restricted to 100Mbps, reasonably than 150Mbps, and there’s no choice to shoot within the flat D-Cinelike color profile for modifying later. Neither is there an choice to file in H.265: solely H.264. There’s no on-board storage, both, so you’ll be able to’t neglect to insert a microSD card.

Whereas the lacking taking pictures modes aren’t supreme, for the overwhelming majority of individuals in search of an entry-level drone, not one of the different digicam variations will matter in any respect: the Mini 3 nonetheless affords a noticeable improve over the Mini 2’s digicam due to a bigger f/1.7 aperture which ought to imply higher high quality video at evening.

It’s doable to make use of digital zoom as much as 2x at 4K30, 4x in 1080p and 2x in 12Mp pictures.

Plus, just like the Mini 3 Professional, the Mini 3’s digicam can rotate to a vertical orientation for taking pictures video for social media, and taking ‘true vertical’ pictures.

Speaking of a pictures, there are alternatives for 180°, Huge, and Sphere panorama, HDR single shot, auto publicity bracketing, and the selection of saving in JPEG and RAW (DNG) format.

Right here’s how the Mini 3 compares to the Mini 3 Professional and older Mini 2 (which was launched in 2020):

As you’ll be able to see, the Mini 3 has the longest flight occasions of all three, with as much as 38 minutes from an ordinary battery. It’s doable to fly for 51 minutes provided that you purchase the non-compulsory Battery Plus, which has a better capability and pushes the burden up over 250g. These batteries aren’t offered in all places: you’ll be able to’t purchase them within the UK or EU, for instance.

When it comes to equipment, the Mini 3 is suitable with the identical ND filters because the Mini 3 Professional, and you should purchase a set of prop guards to make indoor flights safer.

The Mini 3 additionally helps QuickTransfer, for video downloads over Wi-Fi as much as 25MB/s.

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