In the first half of this year, DJI launched the DJI Mini 3 Pro drone, updating the DJI Mini series to the third generation. However, the DJI Mini 3 was not released together with the DJI Mini 3 Pro. Just when many people thought that there might not be a Mini 3, it appeared quietly. Then let’s take a look at the features of DJI Mini 3, and understand the differences between it and DJI Mini 3 Pro.
Continuing the lightweight design
First of all, you can see that the fuselage is still very small, and it also adopts a folding design. The bottom of the back shows the words 249g, and the appearance is still a simple gray shape. If the coat pocket is large, it can even be put in the pocket, so there is no need to prepare a large-capacity backpack.
Moreover, DJI has also created a mini carrying case for this drone. The carrying case can put DJI Mini 3 drone, DJI RC and charging hub together. Yes, you read that right, this drone supports DJI RC with screen control just like the DJI Mavic 3 series. And as long as you bring a portable bag, you can take into account the portability and battery life of the drone.
Camera and battery life are highlights
The camera on the front of the drone is equipped with a 1/1.3-inch image sensor with an equivalent focal length of 24mm, an aperture of f/1.7, and chip-level HDR technology. Compared with the DJI Mini 2 equipped with a 1/2.3-inch CMOS and f/2.8 aperture lens, the sensor size and aperture are larger, which further enhances the night shooting performance compared to the DJI Mini 2. Compared with the more expensive DJI Mini 3 Pro, it is not inferior. In addition, the drone supports 2x zoom in photo mode and 4x zoom in video mode. Therefore, the DollyZoom shooting mode can be realized in the early stage of shooting, but we will take a closer look at the specific image quality later.
Of course, considering that the price of DJI Mini 3 is $858, it is $50~300 cheaper than DJI Mini 3 Pro. A price difference naturally means that some aspects still need to make some trade-offs. DJI Mini 3 is mainly aimed at beginners in aerial photography, so the obstacle avoidance system of DJI Mini 3 follows the configuration of DJI Mini 2, and only provides the obstacle avoidance recognition system at the bottom. But novice users are actually very cautious. Their usual scope of use is to take pictures of the beautiful scenery from above and check in as souvenirs in a wide environment. Such an obstacle avoidance system configuration is also sufficient for them. After all, for them, the most important thing is to save a budget of $50~300 and complete the aerial photography experience from scratch.
At the same time, despite the small size of this drone, its battery life has been significantly improved compared to the DJI Mini 2. The DJI Mini 2 has a battery life of 31 minutes, while the DJI Mini 3 can either use an intelligent flight battery, or it can be equipped with a long-life intelligent flight battery like the DJI Mini 3 Pro, which can provide up to 51 minutes of battery life. However, after the long-endurance intelligent flight battery is installed, the total weight of the fuselage cannot be maintained at 249g. Of course, the battery life of DJI Mini 3 is still improved when using the intelligent flight battery, which can provide about 38 minutes of battery life. Perhaps due to the absence of the side obstacle avoidance system, its battery life is even better than the 34 minutes of the DJI Mini 3 Pro. It can be said to be the king of battery life among the current DJI Mini series products.
Picture quality is acceptable, one-key vertical shooting is the highlight
In terms of shooting, DJI Mini 3 provides two smart functions: one-click short movie and panorama mode. One-key short movie includes four functions of fading away, skyrocketing, orbiting and comet, but there is no asteroid shooting mode. Panoramic mode photos support spherical, 180° and wide-angle stitching, and continue to use the DJI O2 image transmission technology of DJI Mini 2, supporting image transmission distances up to 10km. Combined with the fact that the aerial photography beginners who are just getting started usually only have a flying distance of 2-3 kilometers in one aerial photography, the image transmission configuration of DJI O2 is also enough for them.
When the DJI Mini 3 Pro was launched, in addition to the camera upgrade, another product highlight was the lossless vertical shooting function. Although we can also cut horizontally shot video content into a platform suitable for vertical screens, after all, it takes time to make post-production adjustments. Therefore, DJI Mini 3 Pro has been well received by many aerial photography users after launching the vertical shooting mode. Just one click can switch the horizontal screen to vertical screen, and turn the camera to vertical shooting mode. After taking a picture or video, you can directly edit it on your mobile phone and send it to the short video platform. At the same time, the picture quality performed well. In addition, if possible, use the RAW format as much as possible, and the image quality will be even better after post-processing.
Left: JPEG original image | Right: RAW post-editing image
Conclusion
After comprehensive experience, we can see that DJI Mini 3 is actually a cost-effective product born out of careful consideration of “what kind of drone is suitable for novice users”. DJI Mini 3 helps beginners open the door to aerial photography with a lower barrier to entry and further improved performance. The upgraded imaging system and battery life allow users to enjoy better performance and experience at a lower price.