By Yadira B. Arnold 
DJI’s Mavic 3 caused an early stir when a spill indicated that it would have a large 4/3 sensor and a dual camera system, as well as an incredible battery life of 46 minutes. However, potential buyers were also surprised to learn that it has a starting price of 2,200, compared to 1,449 for the Mavic 2 Pro. And it goes up to 5,000 if if you want advanced features like ProRes HQ video.
The first pictures show that the camera is indeed impressive, and the additional flight time of 50% is extremely useful. However, buyers have also complained about the price, the too simple Fly app and features like ActiveTrack 5, which will only be available with a January update.
I wanted to know if it’s worth that much money, especially if you already own a Mavic 2 Pro. I have had the standard model for a few weeks now and I tested it in the French countryside with a licensed drone pilot, Samuel Dejours. Here’s what we found out.
As already mentioned, there are two versions of the DJI Mavic 3: the standard model and the Cine. Both have identical cameras and drones, but the Mavic 3 Cine has a built-in 1TB SSD, a microSD slot and Apple ProRes 422 HQ video support. It also comes with the RC pro remote control equipped with a display, while the standard model includes the simpler RC-N1, which requires a smartphone.
The ProRes 422 HQ is desirable for professional filming, as it provides higher image quality and superior color fidelity, especially for detailed scenes. The disadvantage is that it takes up much more space and uses 1 GB for about 10 seconds of video, which corresponds to a total SSD record time of 167 minutes. The only way to get these recordings from the drone is through the Thunderbolt USB-C port and the included cable, but it can be transmitted at very high speeds of up to 700 MB/s.
The Cine model comes with three batteries, a carrying matter, two sets of ND filters and more. As mentioned earlier, it also costs 5,000, so you need a good reason for these features. Since the cinema is more aimed at professional filmmakers, we tested the standard model in the Fly More combination with 3,000 Fly. This includes three batteries, a powering hub, a set of ND filters and a nice carrying matter that can be turned into a backpack. It is equipped with a microSD slot and 8 GB of memory, which are really useful only in matter of emergency
Just like the Air 2S, the Mavic 3 folds up into a compact size that is easy to carry. With a battery, it weighs 899 grams, which is slightly less than the Mavic 2 Pro’s weight of 907 grams. It has a slightly larger wingspan, as the arms are a hair longer to accommodate larger propellers.
Due to the dual camera system and the larger main camera sensor, the camera module is also larger. As a result, it protrudes a little from the body of the drone and is more susceptible to damage in the event of an accident.
The camera module itself no longer pans like the camera of the Mavic 2 Pro, so all panning must be done by moving the drone. However, it is now tilting by 30 degrees, which can be very convenient for some types of sprouts, inspection work, etc. The camera snaps into place when the drone is turned off and is protected by a harness, which my colleague jokingly called a bondage mask.
The battery of the Mavic 3 is much larger than that of the Mavic 2 pro at 5,000 mAh versus 3,850 mAh. That, along with a few aerodynamic tweaks, gives it a 50 percent boost in the range of 31 to 46 minutes—an enormous and incredibly useful payoff. The 65-watt power, which is now powered by USB-C, can power a battery in about an hour and 50 minutes.
DJI notes that the flight time is 46 minutes with a hover time of 40 minutes. However, as you might expect, it depends a lot on the outside temperature and the way you use it. With sunny skies and low temperatures of 47 degrees F (8 degrees C) with a mixture of sports, cinema and normal flying, we could easily achieve about 35 minutes of battery life. This is really good and suddenly Samuel did not feel the need to hurry, as he sometimes does with his Air 2 or FPV. And these figures should be significantly higher in the summer.
Now let’s get to the cameras. The main camera was built by DJI in collaboration with Hasselblad and has a 24mm 1: 2.8 1: 11 lens and a 4/3 sensor. For reference, this is a third larger than the 1-inch sensor of the Mavic 2 Pro and the same size as, for example, Panasonic’s GH5 II mirrorless camera sensor.
The video specifications are almost as impressive as the GH5 II. It can record at 5.1K at 50 fps or 4K at 60 fps at the full width of the sensor, creating razor-sharp, oversampled videos. You can also record in 4K at 120 fs if you don’t mind cropping about 50%. This won’t be a big deal for most people, as 4K 120fps footage on a drone is extremely useful for action, wildlife, moving water, etc.
The larger sensor also offers superior low-light performance, more detail, improved dynamic range, and an overall more cinematic look. At the same time, the variable aperture from 1: 2.8 to 1: 11 makes the camera more flexible in different lighting conditions. However, if you often take pictures in bright sunlight, I recommend that you buy the neutral density filter kit.
At ISO 1600 and 3200 we got sharp images with some noise in shadows and dark areas. However, the noise is well controlled and organic, so it is not annoying and can be damped with a slight noise reduction. The noise level gets too high at ISO 6400, but this setting can still be used for night scenes if you don’t need a lot of shadow details.
DJI has significantly increased the H. 264 data rate from 100 Mbps to 200 Mbps and introduced H. 265 acquisition at up to 140 Mbps. This is an important update, as aerial images taken by drones may have details that confuse long-term compression (MP4). As a result, the quality is improved in most circumstances, and this is noticeable when striking in detail.
This raises the question of whether you need the ProRes option and a 1TB SSD at all, given the high price difference. I would say that this is a valuable feature for broadcast strikers, as it pushes the drone into professional territory. For others like YouTubers or industrial users, the H. 264 quality is light enough.
The Mavic 3 uses Hasselblad’s color profiler, which is designed to provide precise shades. In general, it performed well over the entire color spectrum, regardless of whether we were striking in cities, coasts or in the countryside. Skin tones are heat, and although you may not think that this is very important for a drone, the Mavic 3 could be very useful at weddings, documentaries and even movies. It is so smooth that for some plans it can replace a crane or trolley.
To maximize the dynamic range and processing flexibility, you can record 10-bit D-log sequences. When striking directly in the sun and in other difficult situations, I found that I was able to maintain the dynamic range and highlight additional details in the highlights and shadows.
One of the most important innovations of the Mavic 3 is the 162 mm telephoto lens with a half-inch sensor. I’ve seen some confusion about zooming on the Mavic 3, so this is how it works.