DJI Mini 3 Pro | Best Entry-level drone

There is no doubt that DJI makes one of the best consumer drones globally. Their entry-level, mini drones offer a compact form factor while still upholding best-in-class video and image quality. This year is no different with their yet to be announced DJI Mini 3 pro.

They managed to improve most of the downsides to the previous generations while still maintaining the smaller footprint. In fact, with all the additions, this drone still weighs an astounding 250g. In this article, we are going to discuss all the improvements, the new features and I will finally give you my final thoughts on this compact drone.

Specs.

• Maximum flight speed: 16 m/s (S mode) – 10 m/s (N Mode) – 6 m/s (C Mode)
• Maximum flight altitude: 4,000 meters
• Maximum flight time: 34 minutes (standard battery)
• Maximum flight distance: 18 km
• Wind resistance: 29 to 38 km/h (5 Bft)
• Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
• Bluetooth 5.2
• Temperature range: 0 to 40°C
• Positioning (GNSS): GPS + Galileo + BeiDou
• Sensor: 1/1.3″ CMOS
• Resolution: 48MP
• Lens FOV: 82.1°/ 24mm equivalent
• Aperture: f/1.7
• Focus range: from 1 m to ∞
• Video 4K/2.7K/FHD
• Slow Motion: 1920 x 1080
• Quick Shots: Dronie, Rocket, Circle, Spiral, Asteroid, Boomerang
• Video transmission system: DJI O3
• Live image display: 1080p at 30fps
• Frequency range: 2.400 to 2.4835GHz | 5.725 to 5.850GHz
• Drone – controller delay: 120 ms (average)
• Range with strong interference → approx. 1.5 to 3 km | average → 3 to 7 km | weak → 7 to 12 km
• Antennas: 4 antennas, 2T4R
• Battery Capacity: 2,453 mAh
• Weight: 80.5 grams
• Voltage: 7.38 Volt
• Battery type: Li-ion
• Charging time: 64 minutes
• Charger: DJI 30W USB-C or other
• Retails for about $1000(Ksh116,000)
• Announcement and pre order: May 10^th
• Availability and shipping: May 17^th

Design Language

The DJI Mini series of drones are one of the most capable yet compact drones that there is in the market currently. With the DJI mini 3 pro comes some serious features that would wow even the professional photographers in the industry.

This DJI Mini 3 features an upgraded exterior look which not only looks sharp but most elements added are mainly functional. In a sub-250g package you get a single camera lens with an all-new Dual native ISO sensor (more on this later). Furthermore, the camera is able to shoot at 4K/60FPS with additional features such as slow motion, Dronie, Rocket, Circle, Asteroid and Boomerang.

In addition to the two downward facing sensors in the previous Mini 2, this year they added two more sensors on the front to aid in obstacle detection. Obstacle detection is a feature that automatically senses objects and avoids them so that you can focus on shooting your footage.

The four propellers, set the drone in motion and can withstand up to 38km/h of wind resistance. What’s even more interesting is that it has a maximum speed of up to 16m/s and a maximum flight time of 34 minutes. It is also worth noting that the maximum rated flight distance is 18Km. All these specs combine to make the perfect recipe for a compact drone.

New features.

CMOS sensor with Dual native ISO.

All this means is that the image quality will be significantly increased in low lighting. Here’s a more technical explanation. ISO simply refers to how sensitive the sensor is to light. But there is a problem that emerges when the ISO is increased in lower lighting. It produces images that have a lot of noise. A noisy image is one that looks grainy. To combat this, most modern cameras have adapted to a dual native ISO sensor.

In situations where a camera has one single ISO sensor, here’s how it works. When light hits the sensor, a signal is produced. The signal first goes through an analog amplifier where noise reduction occurs. After this, the signal is then taken to an Analog to Digital converter (ADC) where the analog signal is converted to a digital signal. At this point, the signal passes through a digital gain amplifier before being recorded into a codec and the image is finally ready.

In a dual native ISO sensor, once you engage a high ISO side, the signal is diverted and passed through a more powerful amplifier before it gets converted to a digital signal. So, in turn this creates a system that is able to expose an image as if it were on two different cameras with the base ISO being different in both systems. This system is being implemented in most cameras to produce the best image quality even in low lighting. And this is how DJI managed to reduce noise in images even in lower lighting in this drone.

All new remote with a display.

With the previous Mini 2, you had to connect your phone in order to use the remote control. In this new generation, the Mini 3 pro is set to come with a remote control that has a display. This makes things so much easier avoiding all the hassles that come with mobile phones. DJI had previously offered the DJI RC Pro remote which was bought separately but due to its high price point and incompatibility with some drones, it didn’t seem like a solid investment to many buyers.

All new camera features.

As with any drone, all features are in vain if the camera quality is poor. Luckily, DJI offers one of the best cameras in the consumer drone industry. This year, the DJI Mini 3 pro will have a 1/1.3” sensor as compared to the 1/2.3” sensor in its predecessor. Since the 1/1.3” sensor is significantly larger, there are more pixels which means more light is being captured per pixel resulting in a high dynamic range and better low light photos.

The aperture has also been increased from f/2.8 in the Mini 2 to f/1.7. Since the aperture is relatively larger, more light will be able to pass through resulting in faster shutter speeds, keeping noise levels low and so much more.

Comparison.

Final thoughts

The DJI Mini 3 Pro is one of the best compact drones that there is on the market right now. This is mainly aimed at the beginner who is just entering the drone space or even a beginner drone photographer. It can certainly be used by professionals but there is a wide array of professional drones higher in the hierarchy. This drone would also suit a person on a budget but wants a top tier drone. Drop a comment below on your thoughts on this drone.