A Four Thirds camera with Hasselblad colour science and all-around obstacle avoidance sensors are among the ambitious technologies inside. Though cinematographers should take into consideration the Cine edition, which adds ProRes recording and more onboard storage, the base model is a serious tool for photography and video that is capable of 5.1K video capture and Raw stills. The Mavic 3 carries on the tradition of the Mavic line by remaining a small, foldable quadcopter. However, given that the drone’s new position makes it one of the largest in the Mavic series when unfurled. The arms of the Mavic 3 are longer and lower, keeping the top of the drone free of any moving parts, and the front propellers no longer spin over top of the drone. you can read our article on DJI Mavic 3 review.
DJI Mavic 3 review: Design
The Mavic 3 is larger than previous Mavic drones from DJI. Four arms on the Mavic 3 fold out from its body, making carrying the drone more simpler. Under the drone’s brow is a sizable camera mounted on a gimbal, and its back is where the battery is located. Though the Mavic 3 has 8GB of internal storage, you’ll want to add your own card. A USB-C port and a microSD card slot are located directly above the battery compartment. Although we are not major fans of the grey paint job on the Mavic 3, it is a design that works. It is one or two shades darker than its sibling drones, which makes it more difficult to notice while it is in the sky. Why not add a pop of vibrant orange or red? In addition to the camera, the drone has sensors on the front, back, top, bottom, and sides to prevent collisions with objects. (In contrast, the DJI Air 2S lacks side-view sensors.)
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 information. We like the way it looks, and it’s comfortable in the hand and strong enough to support an iPhone 13 Pro Max just in case. 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, which is a convenient option that matches 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 can get the new Smart Controller (included with the Cine), which is a little bit larger than the previous model and supports the Mavic 3’s O3+ and Wi-Fi 6 capabilities. Pro users not only avoid having to plug their phone into their controller, but also benefit from the included screen’s outdoor visibility and 15MB/s download speed (beyond Wi-Fi 6 range). Additionally, the control latency should be reduced by 10 m/s to 120, though it is unlikely that this will have a significant impact on typical Mavic flying. Some pilots may object to the change from the “more professional” DJI Go4 app to DJI Fly, but it appears DJI is paying attention to feedback and quickly adding features, like RAW only shooting, as this was added in the December update. You can also change other flight characteristics using curves in the Advanced settings menu, so there won’t be a quick return to the previous software any time soon.
DJI Mavic 3 review: Features
There are no new flying modes in the Mavic 3 compared to the Mavic 2 Pro and Mavic Air 2. The Mavic 3 can lock onto a subject, just like its forerunners, and then fly a number of pre-set patterns while maintaining the subject in the centre of the frame. The Mavic 3 is better at following objects no matter how they move, and according to DJI, its algorithms can also react to subjects’ movements more quickly. However, object-tracking has improved. Another really clever feature of this is that the drone can continue tracking you even if you briefly disappear from view, like if you walk behind a tree. Even though you can’t hide forever, it was interesting and rather unsettling to have the Mavic 3 keep an eye out for us. There are three flight modes available on the Mavic 3 (Cinematic, Normal, and Sport); Sport mode allows you to travel at up to 43 mph, while Cinematic mode slows down the pace to a dignified 11 mph. The Mavic 3 was just as simple to fly in any mode as its predecessors, and its camera’s 3-axis gimbal ensured that every video we shot looked incredibly stable.
Flying experience
Flying the Mavic 3 is a thrill. The controls are easy and straightforward enough for a total beginner to take up in a matter of minutes, and its larger propellers ensure that it remains rock steady even in heavy gusts. Additionally, it is faster than its predecessor, which is especially apparent on ascents and descents. By avoiding obstacles, any danger is eliminated while you get some really intriguing shots. Of course, you can turn it into Sport mode and really tear up the skies if you have the need for speed, but we doubt you’ll be doing that very often. also you will learn our article on DJI Mavic 3 review. We discovered the tracking modes to be dependable and efficient, and the new ActiveTrack 5.0 in particular impressed us. The Mavic 3 can follow a target while deftly navigating around obstacles to keep a clear view. The drone will try its best to keep framing from the side you choose for it to fly on when approaching a subject. It’s not perfect, and it struggles to maintain a head-on shot when flying backwards, but it’s a huge improvement over earlier iterations and a very useful tool to have. We like utilizing MasterShots and QuickShots, which are now available on the Mavic 3. While you sit back and relax, these modes can soar around a subject and produce a range of beautiful photos using pre-programmed flight paths. If you can get past the feeling that you’re cheating, it’s unquestionably a great way to capture some quick, stunning shots of a location. However, it feels like a feature that would be more at home on a consumer-focused drone rather than the pricey and professional Mavic 3.
DJI Mavic 3 review: Image quality
The Mavic 3’s two Hasselblad cameras are its crowning achievement. The primary camera has a 20MP Four Thirds CMOS sensor and an equivalent focal length of 24mm. This camera features an adjustable f/2.8 to f/11 aperture with auto and manual focus from 1m to infinity, just like the Mavic 2 Pro. The second camera has a 1/2-inch CMOS sensor, a fixed f/4.4 aperture, a 28x hybrid zoom, and an equivalent focal length of 162mm. The main camera produces absolutely superb overall photo and video image quality, with just a slight loss of sharpness at the borders of the frame while viewing stills. However, there is very little fall-off, and you have to seek for it. It also far outperforms the fall-off shown in the photographs taken by the DJI Air 2S. No chromatic aberration was visible along subject edges, even in scenes with high contrast, and high ISO noise handling is also excellent, producing results that are usable across the entire range, even though light grain does start to become noticeable at ISO 800. Because the Four Thirds sensor is still small in comparison to a full-frame camera, the Mavic 3’s adjustable aperture is more useful for regulating exposure than depth-of-field. However, the ability to adjust the aperture is a fantastic feature when shooting video because it allows you to quickly alter exposure when the shutter speed must remain at a particular setting.
Video quality
The Mavic 3 excels most in video quality. 5.1K 50p video with a bandwidth of 200Mbps and 10bit 4:2:2 colour information are the main features. For those who aren’t interested in technology, this might not mean much, but 5.1K resolution is a great improvement over 4K. Even in terms of video quality, the primary lens produces insanely high-quality images. This drone will enable you to record some incredible video, and it doesn’t just have excellent image quality. Maintaining focus when using a drone, especially one that moves quickly, is one of the most difficult tasks. DJI introduced what they call Vision Detection Auto Focus, a system that uses the Mavic 3’s numerous vision sensors to accelerate autofocus. Overall, the focus is very quick, and most testing show that the video feed is clear. 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 can record video in up to 4K (24/25/30/48/50 fps) and 5.1K (24/25/30/48/50/60/120 fps) 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 incredibly impressive. We used the Mavic 3 to fly around our neighborhood and a friend’s farm in upstate New York, and we were able to capture every last detail. also you can check our article on DJI Mavic 3 review.
DJI Mavic 3 review: Battery Life
The theoretical flying time of 46 minutes for the 5,000 mAh battery is eye-catching (31 was the previous flight time limit), and we nearly reached every one of them in our tests. More flight time is very helpful for setting up shots and makes working in teams much simpler, which reduces the amount that the drone operator delays production due to battery problems. This is a leap, and the Mavic 2 already had the advantage over the Inspire 2. The additional hovering time and the variety of options make it easier to hover while looking away from the aircraft, which is not a practice advised by many aviation authorities.
Price and availability
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 standard remote is replaced with the DJI RC Pro, which retails for $1,199 when purchased separately.
Conclusion
With the third generation of its flagship drone, DJI may have dropped the “Pro” from the Mavic name, but make no mistake—the Mavic 3 is aimed squarely at video professionals with a brand-new, high-quality camera, two lenses, and full manual exposure control. Although the $2,200 price tag for this drone does not reflect its flying prowess, it does reflect the camera and optics. This drone is by far the best one available if taking high-quality pictures and videos is your main use for a drone. Although you probably don’t need footage this good, if you can afford it, it sure is fun and offers amazing results.
