DJI recently released the exciting new Mini 3 Pro, the latest and most powerful drone in their popular sub-250g Mini series. In this review of the DJI Mini 3 Pro, we shall go over the main features, its new look, who it’s for and how it compares against the competition.
This is one of DJI’s most exciting new drones and will impress people who may have been a little disappointed with the Mini 2. It looks like DJI has listened to their customers and made the necessary upgrades with some amazing features.
As this drone weighs less than 250g, you will not need to register it if you live in the USA, however, you will need to take the new FAA TRUST exam, which will test you on the safety and regulatory details of operating drones for recreational purposes.
For those of you who live in the UK, you will need to register this drone with the CAA, you will need to obtain an Operator ID for registration and a Flyer ID that will require you to pass a basic online exam.
DJI Mini 3 Pro Review
The first you will notice about the DJI Mini 3 Pro is its redesigned new look, both the original Mini and the Mini 2 looked nearly identical, however, the Mini 3 Pro comes with a new design, it has a larger body and propellers and has a kind of curved design.
According to DJI, the new look design provides the Mini 3 Pro with a longer flight time, strategically placed large sensors for obstacle avoidance and a new type of gimbal that allows for more shooting angles.
The drone is powered by an intelligent LiPo battery that provides it with around 34 minutes of flight time. There is also the intelligent + battery that will provide around 47 minutes of flight time, however, this battery is slightly heavier and takes the drone’s overall weight over 250g.
The Mini 3 Pro has over 1GB of internal storage capacity ad there is a micro SD card slot that can take a memory card with a maximum capacity of 512GB and has a UHS-I Class 3 or above rating.
Unlike the previous DJI Mini drones, the Mini 3 Pro does not come with an auxiliary light on its belly. So, if you do a lot of night time flying, you will need to purchase a strobe light so that the drone is always visible. The only drawback is you may need to register the drone if it takes the drone’s weight over 250g.
DJI Mini 3 Pro Review – Controller
DJI have developed a whole new controller for the Mini 3 Pro with the new DJI RC, it has a 5.5-inch high luminance screen with HD resolution. It comes with the DJI Fly app pre-installed and runs on the Android OS.
It’s a really nice controller that has around 4 hours of operating time and a micro SD card slot. It used DJI’s latest version of their long range transmission technology which will allow users to view the live video feed from 12km.
On a personal note, I really hope they make this controller compatible with other DJI Mini drones, having a controller with a big screen is so much more convenient than having to attach your smartphone.
The drone is also compatible with the RC-N1 controller, which is convenient as some of you may already own a DJI drone like the Mini 2 or Air 2 that comes with the same controller, so you will not need to purchase an additional one.
To access the drone’s advanced features such as FPV, autonomous flight modes, and advanced camera settings, you will need to download the DJI Fly app.
This app is easy to navigate use and gives you access to tutorials, GEO no fly zones and a simple video editing feature and it also displays vital telemetry data about the drone.
DJI Mini Pro Camera
The Mini Pro gets a huge upgrade in the camera department, the camera comes with a large 1.13-inch CMOS sensor that can capture 12MP and 48MP images in JPEG and RAW formats.
It has a large f/1.7 aperture and an 82.1°FOV and also comes with dual native ISO technology which will extend the dynamic range of the camera and also reduce noise and produce sharper images in low light environments.
This is the first drone that comes with dual native ISO technology and will give photographers more control in capturing great aerial night time images with a higher dynamic range.
I must mention the 3-axis mechanical gimbal on this drone which is very different from the ones on the other DJI Mini drones and has a wide axis that will allow you to get more creative with your shots.
One cool feature of the gimbal is its ability to rotate between landscape and portrait mode, allowing users to shoot true vertical videos and images which is a feature that DJI included for people who use social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram.
It has multiple photography modes, single, AEB, interval and Panorama, although, you can only shoot 48MP images in single shot mode.
For videos, the Mini 3 Pro can record in 4k at 60fps, 2,7k at 60fps, 1080p at 60fps and can record slow motion HD videos at 120fps. The maximum video bitrate is 150Mbps and videos can be recorded in both H.264 and H.265.
There is an HDR mode that will allow you to record 4k HDR videos at 30fps and you have the option of two colour profiles to shoot with, D-Cinelike or Normal.
The camera also has a decent zoom function, although you will lose a lot of quality if you use the feature at the camera’s highest resolution. The least loss in quality is probably using the zoom feature while recording in 1080p.
There are also a few intelligent features that will allow you to record high-quality videos at the push of a button.
These features include Hyperlapse, which will allow you to create really cool time-lapse videos from pre-programmed automated flight paths. Mastershots & Quickshots are similar intelligent video recording features that will allow you to create short HD videos that are suitable for sharing on social media.
The camera features on the Mini 3 Pro are way more advanced than the previous Mini 2, a good comparison would be the Air 2 and Air 2S.
If you have either of these mentioned drones, you will not need the Mini 3 Pro, however, if you have the Mini 2 and looking to upgrade, the Mini 3 Pro is certainly worth it.
Flight Features
Like all other DJI consumer drones, there are three flight modes that come with the DJI Mini 3 Pro.
They are Normal, Sport and Cine Mode, both Normal and Cine Mode are identical except in Cine mode the flight speed is limited to13.4 mph while in the Normal mode the flight speed is 22.3 mph.
In the Sports mode, the controls are more sensitive, and the drone can reach its maximum speed of 35.7 mph.
All the features like intelligent flight modes and the obstacle avoidance system are available in both Normal and Cine mode, while in Sports mode, the obstacle avoidance is disabled.
There is an additional mode called ATTI or altitude mode, this is enabled whenever the GNSS system is weak or disabled and the vision system is disabled. This is the most difficult mode to operate in and should only be flown by experienced pilots.
One major complaint about the previous DJI Mini drones, especially the Mini 2, was that they didn’t come with autonomous flight modes. To access intelligent flight modes such as Active Track, POI and Spotlight Pro, you had to purchase a third party app like Litchi.
Fortunately, these flight modes are now available within the DJI Fly app for the Mini 3 Pro and with the addition of 3-way obstacle avoidance sensors, DJI has delivered on the two major features that consumers had wanted with the previous versions.
Flight time is around 34 minutes with the intelligent battery, however, there is also an intelligent plus battery that will provide 47 minutes of flight time.
Flight Performance
The Mini 3 Pro is easy to operate, much like most DJI drones, even in the Sports mode, where the obstacle avoidance is disabled, the drone is fairly easy to control. The drone has a decent wind resistance, although, I would advise complete beginners to fly in any kind of windy conditions. Live video is streamed in 1080p and as long as the weather is good and there is no interference of any kind, the quality is very smooth.
Final Thoughts
The DJI Mini 3 Pro is the best drone in its class and one of the best drones under $1000. It comes with some amazing features and is suitable for amateur and professional photographers. Should you buy it? That is completely up to you, if you have the Air 2S or even the Air 2, it will not be worth it, however, if you have the Mini 2 or Mini SE, the drone is a major upgrade and totally worth considering.
FAQS About The DJI Mini 3 Pro
What is the difference between the Mini 3 Pro & Mini 2?
There are many major differences, the main ones being a completely redesigned new body, a far superior camera that can capture 48MP images, 4k videos at 60fps, a longer flight time of 34 minutes, obstacle avoidance technology and a longer transmission range.
Is the DJI Mini 3 Pro worth it?
That will really depend upon what you are looking for, if you are just looking for a fun drone to fly and are not too fussed about the camera quality, autonomous flight modes and the other advanced features the Mini 3 Pro comes with, then this drone is not for you. However, when compared to other similar drones in its price range, I believe the Mini 3 Pro is worth it.
Can the Mini 3 Pro fly at night?
The DJI Mini 3 Pro can fly at night, but you will need to purchase a strobe light to keep it in your visual line of sight and will need to register the drone if the strobe light takes the drone’s weight over 250g.
Does the Mini 3 Pro have obstacle avoidance?
Yes, the DJI Mini 3 Pro comes with 3-way obstacle avoidance.
Is the DJI Mini 3 Pro waterproof?
No, the DJI Mini 3 Pro is not waterproof, this is the same for all DJI consumer drones.
Can the Mini 3 Pro fly at night?
The DJI Mini 3 Pro can fly at night, but you will need to purchase a strobe light to keep it in your visual line of sight and will need to register the drone if the strobe light takes the drone’s weight over 250g.