DJI’s new Mini 3 drone welcomes back pilots on a budget
DJI had an instant hit with the launch of theMini 3 Pro, a sub-250g drone with a great camera and all of the features suited to compete directly with all but the most expensive drone in the lineup. Despite its popularity, the Mini 3 Pro also came with a pretty big price increase that went above the budget for many potential buyers. Today, DJI is back with a new non-Pro variant of the Mini 3, sporting most of the same virtues of the Pro model, but at a significantly lower price.
As you would expect, specs for the new DJI Mini 3 body are a near perfect match to the Pro model; and surprisingly, they also share the same 1/1.3-inch camera sensor with f/1.7 aperture. Likewise, the 90-degree rotating gimbal is still here. The single notable physical change comes with the loss of forward and rear obstacle avoidance sensors. How much this impacts pilots will depend quite a bit on where and how they’re flying.
The next big difference comes to the flight times. The non-Pro model actually adds four minutes to the airborn times of the Pro model with either the regular or Plus batteries, enabling a maximum flight time of 38 minutes and 51 minutes, respectively. While the Mini 3 on a regular battery can’t outlast the insane 46 minutes of the much larger Mavic 3, it holds a strong second place among DJI’s consumer drones, and actually does hold the record when powered by a Plus battery.
Since the two variants share the same camera sensor and lens system, they have comparable image quality. However, some of the capabilities have been scaled back a bit, and it’s likely that DJI is simply using a less powerful chip for all of the camera operations.
The Mini 3 can still shoot 4K HDR video, but it’s capped at 30fps compared to the Pro version, which can reach 60fps. Lower resolutions can still reach 60fps. Likewise, the non-Pro model lacks the 120fps @ 1080p recording mode. Of course, both of these are relatively niche recording modes and won’t be missed by most shooters.
Some features are also missing, most notably is the ActiveTrack feature that has been a staple in many DJI drones. Mini models of the past also lacked ActiveTrack, but seeing as some of the intelligent flight modes for things like boomerang are still tracking a subject, it seems like this mode may just be disabled — which may mean it’ll be re-enabled in the future. On the more technical side, there’s no support for the h265 codec, which means videos will be encoded in the less efficient h264 codec at a larger file size. More advanced editors will also be disappointed to see the D-Cinelike color profile isn’t there, which can be used to capture a larger dynamic range. Since most users tend to prefer the Normal color mode because it doesn’t require any extra steps in editing, this really only impacts a small set of video shooters.
The standard package, including a controller that connects to your smartphone, will run $559 USD. Anybody that already has a compatible controller can save a little money by ordering the drone by itself for $469 USD. And if you want to get the DJI RC controller, saving yourself the hassle of connecting a smartphone, the package is available for $699. As always, there is a Fly More combo available with two additional batteries and other accessories for $169. Everything is available for order straight fromDJI’s online store, or you can pre-order fromB&HorAdorma.
All told, the sacrifices for the non-Pro model probably won’t impact most fliers, as long as they’re a bit more careful while flying and have some larger-capacity memory cards. With a price coming in at about 25% lower than the Pro model, this is easily the drone to recommend for most people, especially since it doesn’t require registration or licensing in many places because of its sub-250g weight class. For professional use, it may still be worth looking at the Mini 3 Pro or a Mavic 3, but most casual fliers, and even most full-time YouTubers will get everything they need from the new Mini 3.
From faster storage to better speakers
Things get red hot for Magenta
Breaking language barriers, one feed at a time
Pixelsnap on a Pixel 9
Keep privacy a priority with the best VPNs
Get 14 ports for $170
