by Dr Drone December 09, 2022
DJI is releasing another drone in the Mini 3 Series that offers a more affordable alternative to the Mini 3 Pro. Their newest drone is called the Mini 3, a capable micro drone with a compact design and powerful camera available for an affordable price. The DJI Mini 3 has an extended battery life and spectacular 4K HDR video that allows you to capture true-to-life color and detail. It has plenty of fun features like True Vertical Shooting and QuickShots that let you capture social media-ready videos in minutes. Whether you’re filming on the beach, hiking in the forest, or climbing a mountain, you can capture every beautiful moment with the Mini 3.
Like all DJI Mini drones, the Mini 3 is a compact, ultra-lightweight camera drone weighing under 249g. The reason this weight is significant is that it falls under the 250g limit set by Transport Canada, which means you can fly it without needing to register it or obtain a drone pilot certificate. The DJI Mini 3 has a foldable design that allows you to take it in your bag or pocket for your next adventure. Whether you’re filming high up in the snowy mountains or deep in the dense jungle, the Mini 3 is light enough to carry with you wherever you go.
With the DJI Mini 3, you can turn your imagination into vivid images. Record in dazzling 4K HDR with true-to-life colors anytime of day or night. The Mini 3’s camera comes with a 1/1.3-inch CMOS sensor equipped with dual native ISO and chip-level HDR technology. This works to help the drone capture incredible detail unlike anything you’ve seen from a microdrone. During the day, you can capture both highlight and shadow details for more nuanced visual results with greater depth. At night, you can continue to capture clearly and vividly, even as the light begins to fade.
The camera has an f/1.7 aperture and larger 2.4μm 4-in-1 pixels that record crystal-clear details. These details allow the Mini 3 to present exceptional imagery even in low-light scenarios, ensuring nothing gets in the way of you and your perfect shot. With 4x zoom, you can use the Mini 3 to explore further and farther away. Instead of worrying about flying into dangerous areas, you can use the zoom function to scout locations before you even begin shooting.
It’s an unfortunate pain to have to edit horizontal imagery into a vertical frame. With social media making vertical imagery absolutely essential, the Mini 3 allows you to film vertically instead of horizontally.
True Vertical Shooting will let you film anything from a towering lush tree to the tallest skyscraper in a perfect vertical frame.
You can compose your shot aesthetically by using the innovative gimbal design to do a wide-angle tilt. It’s easy enough to switch to True Vertical Shooting and turn a casual shot into a stunning work of art that’s instantly ready for social media.
The Mini 3 comes with the attractive QuickShots feature, which allows you to get cinematic shots in just seconds. All it takes is a tap to perform pre-programmed maneuvers such as Dronie, Circle, Helix, Rocket, and Boomerang. When you select one of these modes, the drone will automatically fly in a preset movement while it films a visually stunning video. You can then use QuickTransfer to send the results to your mobile device within seconds. With QuickShots and QuickTransfer, you can film and share a professional quality video in a matter of minutes to wow all of your friends and family online.
The DJI Mini 3 has an incredible flight experience that allows you to fly longer and further than most micro drones on the market. No longer do you have to worry about low-battery anxiety, as the Mini 3 comes with an Intelligent Flight Battery capable of providing 38 minutes of flight time. If you go for the Intelligent Flight Battery Plus, you can increase the flight time to a staggering 51 minutes, giving you ample time to fly around and explore the scenery around you.
The DJI Mini 3 comes with Ocusync 2.0 digital video transmission, giving you a 10 km max range and powerful anti-interference capabilities. While this is not as advanced as the O3 transmission of the Mini 3 Pro, it should be more than enough room to play with as you explore the landscape around you.
The DJI Mini 3 is made to be safer and more secure than previous DJI micro drones. You won’t have to worry about the elements while you fly, as the Mini 3 can withstand winds of up to 38 kph (10.7 m/s). This Level 5 wind resistance keeps the Mini 3 flying smooth and steady in windy coastlines or on mountain valleys. It also contains a downward obstacle avoidance sensor to detect obstacles underneath the drone and keep the drone from colliding when coming in for a landing.
You shouldn’t have to be an expert to pilot the DJI Mini. With these intelligent functions, even the most novice of fliers can get their drone up in the air right away. The Mini 3 comes with an Auto Takeoff function that will help you get started on your flight journey by automating the launch process. It also allows you to shoot in Panorama mode, shooting 180°, Wide Angle, and Sphere panorama photos that pack more content into one frame.
The Mini 3 includes several Return to Home (RTH) functions that will instruct the aircraft to automatically return to its starting point. Smart RTH, Low Battery RTH, and Failsafe RTH initiate a return to home when you trigger the function or the drone has a low battery or loses signal. Lastly, the aircraft combines GNSS with the downward vision system and the infrared sensing system to hover stably and accurately. This allows you to fly with confidence while you hover over the ground and capture a smooth, uninterrupted video of whatever gorgeous sight you’ve got your eye on.
The RC-N1 is the standard remote controller for the DJI Mini 3. It lacks a built-in vision system, but includes a power button, camera button, Return to Home button, and a Function button that can be customized in a variety of ways. The RC-N1 is compatible with the Mini 2, Mini 3 Pro, Mavic Air 2, Air 2S, and Mavic 3 and 3 Cine.
The DJI RC is the next step up in DJI remote controllers. It’s a lightweight and easy-to-use remote controller with a built-in screen. With the built-in DJI Fly app, you can use the DJI RC without needing to connect to a smartphone. This makes takeoff more focused and allows you to enjoy aerial photography stress-free.
The Intelligent Flight Battery allows you to enjoy a smooth and worry-free flight. While the standard Intelligent Flight Battery has a max battery life of 38 minutes, the Intelligent Flight Battery Plus supports a max flight time of 51 minutes.
The two-way charging hub will charge the remote controller and three batteries in sequence. It also serves as a mobile power source and stores batteries for convenient carrying.
With the ND Filters set, you can adapt the Mini 3 camera to strong lighting conditions. The ND 16/64/256 filters will make sure you’re ready for any shot.
This guard fully covers the propellers, protecting them from harm. It’s easy to attach and detach, making sure your flight is always safe in a simple and efficient way.
The propeller holder will bind the front and back propellers when the Mini 3 is folded. This allows for more convenient storage, giving you the ability to toss the drone in your bag and head out on your journey.
The DJI Mini 3 comes in four different packages. The DJI Mini 3 with RC-N1, DJI Mini 3 with DJI RC and the fly more combos for both versions. The standard kit includes the DJI Mini 3 aircraft, the remote controller, one intelligent flight battery, extra propellers and USB cables.
With the fly more combo, you’ll get two Intelligent Flight Batteries, one Two-Way Charging Hub, and 2 pairs of propellers. You’ll also get the necessary screws and data cable to set up and connect your aircraft, as well as a shoulder bag for convenient transportation. The fly more combo provides better value for money and includes the most popular accessories.
The Mini 3 and Mini 3 Pro share many similarities, but the Mini 3 is a much more affordable option. Although it lacks the front and rearward obstacle avoidance sensors and the O3 transmission of the Mini 3 Pro, the Mini 3 is still a powerhouse of a micro drone.
by Dr Drone October 07, 2024
Dr Drone
Author
DrDrone is Canada's leading provider of drone technical services, with over a decade of experience and the distinction of being the first company in the country to offer drone servicing and repairs. As the largest drone vendor in Canada, we are also the primary supplier of Remotely Piloted Air Systems (RPAS) to the Canadian government. Our team members possess extensive knowledge of each drone's technical specifications and have a wealth of hands-on experience. For more than ten years, we have been dismantling and reconstructing drones, ensuring a deep understanding of these systems.