I have had the privilege of flying the new DJI Air 3 for the past week ahead of today’s release, and I must say this has been my favorite drone to review since taking this position. Here are my complete thoughts on the drone that I’m sure many of you will end up buying.
Specs breakdown
Let’s break down what we’re getting one more time before I go over my thoughts on the Air 3. The newest drone is supposed to fill DJI’s mid-tier lineup, replacing the Air 2S that came out back in April 2021. That drone featured a single 1-inch, 20MP camera and was renowned for its photo quality. The Air 3 will certainly have some big shoes to fill.
The DJI Air 3 is coming with a bit of flair, just like the Mavic 3 did when it came out in late 2021, with two cameras. While yes, these two are smaller than the Air 2S’s, but having two is greater than one, and they both produce amazing picture quality.
A key point to mention is that, unlike the Mavic 3 Pro, these two cameras have the same sensor and only differ in focal length and aperture. Coming in at 1/1.3 inch, the bottom camera matches the rest of the lineup at 24mm, while the top camera brings the 70mm 3x zoom down from the top dog. Having the same sensor on the two cameras means you’ll have similar video quality between the two.
Speaking of video, the Air 3 supports up to 4K 60fps HDR video, 4k 100fps slow-motion video, and 48MP stills from both cameras.
Is this the true flagship drone?
Before the release, leaked marketing material pitched the Air 3 as a quasi-flagship drone. While flying it around Milwaukee for the past week, I came to think that is very true. While the Mavic 3 boasts the highest quality and most cameras, the Air 3 isn’t lacking in any way.
The boost to an estimated 46 minutes of flight time makes it the longest-flying drone in the consumer fleet. I did a good amount of shooting and photo-taking all on one battery. Paired with the two extra batteries if you purchase the Fly More Combo, running out of battery will be a challenge.
Pair all of this with the 10-bit D-Log M video format and the 70mm camera, and you truly have a drone capable of playing a major role in content creation for small and medium productions.
70mm is back, and it’s glorious
Okay, so let’s talk about the addition of the 3x zoom on drones. I could easily write an entire article on it, and maybe I will. The Air 3’s 70mm camera is amazing, and so is the Mavic 3 Pro’s, but having this on a drone on the cheaper side is game-changing.
For so long, we have become accustomed to the wide-angle viewpoint of drones. Either you’re high and wide, capturing a vast landscape, or close up capturing the action. A little bit of compression and distance change the way you look at capturing the shot and add an extra level of complexity.
For example, take a look at these two images below. One shows a wide range of buildings while the other punches in, showing the old and the new coexisting.
As you can tell, the extra zoom and compression really make a difference in telling the story. It gets even better when you start dealing with video. Slow-moving zoomed-in shots start looking more like something from a helicopter rather than a drone.
A new king of autonomous flying
However, if you’re going to purchase the Air 3 for one feature, I think it has to be ActiveTrack 5.0. An upgrade we saw first on the Mavic 3, it is now available on the Air 3. The upgraded omnidirectional obstacle avoidance and support for APAS 5 allow the Air 3 to glide around trees, poles, fences, or whatever else you put in its path.
I try to take every drone I get around the same general course to see how well it can handle a few different obstacles. Around two big trees, a large light pole, in and out of a baseball field, and then behind a brick wall. Some fail, some get close, but only a few have blown me away with how well they perform.
The three best right now are the Skydio 2, Mavic 3, and now the Air 3. With Skydio pretty much neglecting the consumer market at the moment, I have no choice but to give the Air 3 the nod as one of the best drones to use for biking, snowboarding, or whatever else you need to follow. However, we’ll have to do some more testing; I’m sure our publisher would love to try this thing out on the slopes this winter and compare it directly against his Skydio 2.
Is this the drone for you?
At this point in DJI’s lineup, there really isn’t a bad drone you can pick. While a lot of individuals ask, “Which drone is the best?” the real question should be, “Which drone is the best for X?” Insert what you plan to use it for in place of “X.”
All of DJI’s flagship drones now offer at least 4K 60fps video and take up to 48MP photos. Furthermore, all of DJI’s lineups offer amazing picture quality, great usability, and reliability that is unmatched by other manufacturers.
So, in my opinion, you need to consider what you need from the drone. Do you need Apple Pro Res? What about multiple cameras? Can you get away with just the Mini 3? However, I think the Air 3 is a great drone to purchase for those wanting to be on the safe side. It offers enough features to make you feel like you’re flying a premium top-of-the-line drone, without breaking the bank too much. It even offers as good or better features than the Mavic 3 Pro.
Finally, the Air 3 will give you room to grow as a creator, being able to take you from a beginner pilot to your first gig, and even on to larger productions.
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