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DJI’s Mini 3 Drone Is Its Cheapest But It Comes With Compromises

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DJI Mini 3

In the quest of drone companies to make their drones meet certain government regulations, especially for drone beginners and occasional users who may not want to register and be able to fly, DJI has released a new version of its Mini drone, the DJI Mini 3. There are nice features included in this drone which is at 249g, is under the minimum 250g weight that will require it to be registered with the relevant government authority.

But first the good bits, for a small package, the DJI Mini 3 has a flight time of 38 minutes, which gives it more time to stay up in the air so video capture of whatever scenes that drone pilot wants can be taken with even more care rather than in haste. With the extended batteries that will be released in North America, flying time goes up to 51 minutes. Even for its small size, it is able to handle wind resistance of up to 10.7m/s making it stable flying platform needed for taking videos. It also has downward vision system and infrared sensing for stable hovering.

For image and video capture, it uses the same Type 1/1.3 (9.6 x 7.2 mm) f/1.7 sensor that the Mini 3 Pro has, with video capture can be done 4K HDR and 12 megapixel stills. With the ability to flip the camera to vertical, it is ready to capture images that are used in social media especially Instagram, YouTube Shorts and TikTok.

Now for compromises, the frame rate at 4K is limited to 30fps which does not leave room for doing some slow motion footage during post processing. What we love about DJI cameras seen in the companies drones and action cameras is the Active Track feature which holds lock into a selected subject but is absent in the Mini 3. It also does not have Mastershots and Timelapse.


DJI Mini 3 02

You better develop better drone piloting skills as a feature we like in the more expensive DJI drones is the obstacle sensors in which the Mini 3 lacks the front and rear sensors. Without any propeller protector, anyone can smash it against a tree or building, especially for beginner users.

The most compelling reason to buy the Mini 3 is its price. It is already available for US$469 without the remote controller; USD $559 with the DJI RC-N1 controller without screen; and US$699 with the RC controller with screen. It can be a good gift to yourself this Christmas if you still have some left of your budget after your airsoft shopping spree.

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