Introduction
Now that the new DJI Mini 4 drone has been released, let’s dive into a review of the DJI Mini 3. As someone who has been into videography since a young age, the evolution of drones has always caught my attention. The DJI Mini 3, in particular, has been a delight to use over the past few months.
Compact and Lightweight
One of the main advantages of the DJI Mini 3 is its compact size and lightweight design. At under 250g, this drone does not require registration in many countries, making it convenient for quick and hassle-free flights. Additionally, its small size allows for easy transport and discreet flying, even in crowded areas. The ability to fold it down and pack it in a travel bag makes it a great companion for capturing aerial footage on the go.
Performance and Maneuverability
Despite its small size, the DJI Mini 3 offers impressive performance and maneuverability. The drone is responsive and stable in the air, allowing for precise control during flights. The built-in camera delivers high-quality footage, capturing smooth and clear videos. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced drone pilot, the Mini 3 offers a user-friendly flying experience with professional results.
Features and Technology
The DJI Mini 3 is equipped with a range of smart features and technology that enhance the overall flying experience. Intelligent flight modes such as QuickShot and Dronie make capturing cinematic shots a breeze. The drone’s GPS functionality ensures accurate positioning and reliable return-to-home capabilities. With advanced safety features and obstacle avoidance technology, the Mini 3 provides peace of mind while flying.
Compact and Lightweight
The DJI Mini 3 drone is remarkably compact and lightweight, weighing in at less than 250g. This makes it an ideal drone to travel with and easily bring on your adventures. Whether you’re capturing shots for vlogs or simply exploring new landscapes, the Mini 3’s portability is one of its standout features. The drone easily fits in a backpack, making it convenient to take everywhere you go.
4K Video Capability
One of the key features of the DJI Mini 3 is its ability to shoot in 4K. This high-quality video resolution is more than sufficient for the majority of videographers, providing sharp and detailed footage. Despite its small size and affordable price point, the Mini 3 delivers impressive video quality that rivals larger and more expensive drones on the market. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned drone pilot, the 4K video capability of the Mini 3 is sure to impress.
Affordable Price Point
While the DJI Mini 3 offers advanced features and high-quality performance, it comes at a price point that is accessible to most consumers. Many drone enthusiasts appreciate the value that the Mini 3 provides, especially when compared to other drones in its class. By waiting for sales or purchasing the fly more combo bundle, which includes extra batteries and a travel case, you can save even more money on this already affordable drone. With a price tag that is equivalent to around $475 USD, the DJI Mini 3 is a steal for the quality it delivers.
Lack of Obstacle Sensors
One potential downside to the DJI Mini 3 is the lack of obstacle sensors. Unlike some higher-end drones, the Mini 3 does not have sensors to help avoid obstacles during flight. While the drone can still perform well in moderate wind conditions, users should be mindful of their surroundings and fly with caution. Despite this limitation, many users find that the compact size and other features of the Mini 3 more than make up for the lack of obstacle sensors.
Convenience and Portability
One of the standout features of the DJI Mini 3 is its convenience and portability. The compact size and lightweight design make it easy to carry around and set up wherever you go. This makes it perfect for travelers and outdoor enthusiasts who want to capture stunning aerial footage without the hassle of lugging around bulky equipment.
Picture Quality
The DJI Mini 3 allows you to capture high-quality video footage in HDR, which helps to maintain crisp and less noisy images even in lower light environments. With various quality and frame rate settings to choose from, including 4K resolution at 24 and 30 frames per second, you can ensure that your footage is of the highest quality possible.
Long-Term Investment
While the Mini 2 SE may be a couple of hundred dollars cheaper than the Mini 3, investing in the latter ensures that you have a drone that will continue to meet your needs for several years to come. With 4K resolution becoming the standard for videography, opting for the Mini 3 ensures that you won’t be left behind in terms of video quality and content creation capabilities.
Price Point and Value
Considering the quality of the footage it produces, the convenience it offers, and its long-term usability, the price point of the DJI Mini 3 is justified. Even with the sale of the Mini 2 SE, the additional features and improvements of the Mini 3 make it a worthwhile investment for those looking to create high-quality aerial videos and photos.
Great Value for Money
Where again, I picked up this drone for right around $475, including the fly more package. To put this into perspective, if I had bought the drone and all the accessories outright at full price, it would have cost around $620. So, the point is, make sure to pick up this drone while on sale if you can. Comparing this to the DJI Mini 4, which didn’t offer many more features that I cared about to justify the extra cost, well, it’s price at over $1000 for the fly more combo. This is more than double what I paid for with the Mini 3.
Easy to Use
Okay, let’s talk about what it’s like flying and using this drone. It’s much more intuitive and easy to use than I would have even thought before purchasing it. I got the version of this drone that doesn’t have the built-in screen within the controller, which I was initially unsure about. But using my phone as the screen has been convenient and I am super happy that I opted for this version, saving a couple hundred dollars in the process. Connecting to the drone has been way simpler than I thought it would be.
Design and Features
The DJI Mini 3 continues the tradition of its predecessors with a compact and lightweight design that makes it easy to transport and carry around. The drone features a foldable design, allowing it to easily fit into a small bag or backpack for on-the-go filming. The controller is also compact and ergonomic, providing a comfortable grip for extended use.
Flight Performance
One of the standout features of the DJI Mini 3 is its impressive flight performance. With a flight time of around 38 minutes per fully charged battery, the Mini 3 offers an extended flying experience compared to other drones in its class. Additionally, the drone is equipped with built-in flight patterns that make it easy to capture dynamic shots without needing advanced piloting skills.
Camera Quality
The DJI Mini 3 features a high-quality camera that captures stunning 4K footage and sharp still images. The camera is equipped with a three-axis gimbal for stable footage, even in windy conditions. The Mini 3 also offers intelligent shooting modes, such as QuickShot and Dronie, which automatically capture professional-looking shots with just a few taps.
Connectivity and Charging
The DJI Mini 3 offers seamless connectivity with your smartphone, allowing you to easily control the drone and access live camera feed through the DJI Fly app. The controller also features a convenient charging port, so you can charge your phone while flying without draining its battery. Additionally, the Mini 3 comes with multiple rechargeable batteries, allowing for extended flying sessions without having to wait for charging.
Performance and Features
The DJI Mini 3 is a compact and lightweight drone that offers impressive performance and features. One of the standout features of this drone is its ability to switch easily between shooting horizontal and vertical videos. This makes it convenient for content creators looking to create a variety of videos for different platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok.
Video Quality
The footage captured by the DJI Mini 3 is of high quality, perfect for color grading and editing. The images are sharp, clear, and vibrant, making for professional-looking videos. Whether you are shooting scenic landscapes or action-packed adventures, this drone delivers stunning results every time.
Cons of DJI Mini 3
Despite its many advantages, the DJI Mini 3 does have some drawbacks. One of the main disadvantages of this drone is the lack of obstacle avoidance sensors. Unlike its more expensive counterparts, the Mini 3 does not come equipped with sensors that can detect and avoid obstacles automatically. This means that pilots must exercise caution when flying in areas with potential obstacles such as trees, buildings, or power lines.
Lightweight Design and Wind Resistance
The lightweight design of the Mini 3, while beneficial for portability, makes it more susceptible to being affected by higher winds due to its weight being under 250g. Flying the drone in high wind conditions may result in shaky footage and make it potentially dangerous. However, for regular conditions, this should not be a major issue for most users.
Lack of Active Tracking
One of the largest drawbacks of the Mini 3 is the lack of active tracking of a specific subject. This means that you cannot set the drone to automatically follow a target without having to control it with the joystick. While this may not be a dealbreaker for everyone, it limits the drone’s functionality, especially for activities like tracking a moving subject, like a motorcycle rider.
Is it Still Worth Buying in 2024?
Should you buy the Mini 3 in 2024? In my opinion, it is still a worthy purchase. The quality you get for the price point is fantastic, especially when compared to the Mini 4, which is priced over double. The video quality is also impressive, ensuring that you won’t feel the need to upgrade to a new drone in the next 2 to 3 years.
Performance
The DJI Mini 3 may not have all the advanced features of the more expensive drones in DJI’s lineup, but it still offers impressive performance for its price point. With a reliable GPS system and stable flight controls, this drone is perfect for capturing high-quality aerial footage. Its compact size and lightweight design make it easy to transport and maneuver, making it a great option for beginners and casual drone enthusiasts.
Camera Quality
One of the standout features of the DJI Mini 3 is its camera quality. The drone is equipped with a high-resolution camera that can capture stunning 4K footage and 12MP photos. Whether you’re capturing scenic landscapes or action-packed moments, the Mini 3 delivers sharp and vibrant images that will impress even the most discerning photographers.
Battery Life
Battery life is always a concern when it comes to drones, but the DJI Mini 3 offers a decent amount of flight time on a single charge. With up to 30 minutes of continuous flight time, you’ll have plenty of opportunity to capture the perfect shot without worrying about running out of battery. Additionally, the drone’s intelligent battery management system helps extend its overall lifespan, ensuring that you can enjoy more flight time in the long run.
Portability
The DJI Mini 3 is designed with portability in mind, making it easy to take with you on all your adventures. Whether you’re hiking in the mountains or traveling to a new destination, this compact drone can easily fit into your backpack or carry-on luggage. Its foldable design allows for quick and convenient storage, so you can bring it wherever your creativity takes you.
The DJI Mini 3 continues to be a worthwhile investment for drone enthusiasts in 2024. Its compact size, lightweight design, performance, and advanced features make it a versatile and reliable drone for capturing stunning aerial footage. Whether you’re a hobbyist or a professional videographer, the DJI Mini 3 offers an excellent combination of portability, functionality, and quality that is hard to beat in its class.
Overall, the DJI Mini 3 continues to be a popular choice for drone enthusiasts in 2024. With its compact size, 4K video capability, and affordable price point, the Mini 3 offers a great value for those looking to capture stunning aerial footage. While it may lack some advanced features found in higher-end models, the Mini 3 remains a reliable and user-friendly option for both beginners and experienced pilots. If you’re in the market for a versatile and portable drone, the DJI Mini 3 is definitely worth considering.
The DJI Mini 3 is still worth buying in 2024. It offers great value for money, ease of use, and quality performance. If you’re looking for a reliable and cost-effective drone for your aerial photography and videography needs, the DJI Mini 3 is a solid choice.
The DJI Mini 3 is still a worthy investment in 2024 for drone enthusiasts and content creators alike. With its compact design, impressive flight performance, high-quality camera, and user-friendly features, the Mini 3 offers a convenient and reliable option for capturing stunning aerial footage. Whether you are a beginner looking to explore drone photography or a professional seeking a portable and versatile drone, the DJI Mini 3 is definitely worth considering for your next purchase.
The DJI Mini 3 is still a worthwhile investment in 2024 for drone enthusiasts and content creators alike. Its compact size, impressive performance, and high-quality footage make it a versatile tool for capturing breathtaking aerial shots. While it may lack some advanced features found in higher-end models, the Mini 3 offers a good balance of functionality and affordability. Whether you are a beginner looking to hone your piloting skills or a seasoned professional in need of a reliable drone, the DJI Mini 3 is definitely worth considering.
The DJI Mini 3 is still a worthy investment in 2024. Despite being a few years old, this drone continues to deliver impressive performance, camera quality, battery life, and portability. Whether you’re a beginner looking to hone your flying skills or a seasoned drone pilot in need of a reliable backup, the Mini 3 has a lot to offer. Consider adding this versatile and affordable drone to your collection for endless aerial adventures.
