DJI launches sub-249g drone, DJI Mini 3 Pro

GaryPageau

DJI introduces DJI Mini 3 Pro, a powerful lightweight and portable camera drone. weighing less than 249 grams. The $669 drone delivers advanced features like 4K/60fps video, ActiveTrack, tri-directional obstacle sensing, and 90° gimbal rotation to shoot vertical imaging for social media, all while extending its flight time to well over 30 minutes.

“When we launched the Mini drone series in 2019, our goal was to give everyone the easiest way to see the world from above for the first time,” said Ferdinand Wolf, Creative Director at DJI. “Through their images and stories, we discovered how capable a small aerial camera could be. Today, we share the integration of excellent flight capability, intelligence, and imaging versatility into our ultra-lightweight aerial camera. DJI Mini 3 Pro raises the bar on what a portable, powerful camera drone can achieve.”

DJI Mini 3 Pro (no remote controller) retails for $669 USD and includes DJI Mini 3 Pro, and excludes any remote controller for those who already have a compatible model to control the drone. DJI Mini 3 Pro retails for $759 USD and includes DJI RC-N1. DJI Mini 3 Pro (DJI RC) retails for $909 USD and includes DJI RC.

Like its predecessors – Mavic Mini, Mini 2, and Mini SE – DJI Mini 3 Pro keeps the same compact foldability for packing and taking anywhere. But Mini 3 Pro was made with more built-in features than any other DJI drone its size, thanks to enhanced flight performance, camera system, battery life, and intelligent features that were previously only available in the Air and Mavic series, the company said.

Obstacle Sensing for Safer Flight

In a first for the Mini drone series, DJI Mini 3 Pro features Tri-Directional Obstacle Sensing, consisting of forward, backward, and downward visual sensors. The forward and downward sensors have a wider field of view, providing seamless coverage for better route planning and environmental awareness. These sensors also enable Advanced Pilot Assistance Systems (APAS) 4.0, which automatically detects and finds a safer path around obstacles during flight. In addition, these sensors also enable the entire FocusTrack suite, which allows users to select a subject that the drone automatically keeps within the center of the frame during flight while automatically planning a safe flight route. Thanks to its upgraded sensing system, DJI Mini 3 Pro is the first of the Mini lineup to integrate APAS and FocusTrack.

A Camera System for Pro-Quality Content

DJI Mini 3 Pro also has a 1/1.3-inch CMOS camera sensor has dual native ISO, a capturing technology previously only available on cinema and some micro single cameras. It also has an aperture of f/1.7 and shoots images at up to 48MP and video at up to 4K/60fps. To help capture high-quality easy-to-upload content, the camera rotates 90 degrees for True Vertical Shooting, creating incredible photos and videos in portrait orientation without quality-cutting image zooming and cropping. For the most vivid detail, HDR video recording is available at frame rates up to 30fps. A Normal color profile is available for quick in-app editing, while D-Cinelike allows for more post-editing possibilities. Digital video zoom at up to 2x is available in 4K, 3x in 2.7K, and 4x in Full HD. The drone has a maximum flight of 34 minutes and, for the first time, Mini 3 Pro also introduces an extended flight battery option. The Intelligent Flight Battery Plus allows for a maximum flight time of 47 minutes. Pairing perfectly with this extended flight time, Mini 3 Pro features the O3 transmission system, which delivers a crisp 1080p live view from a distance as far as 12 km. 

Intelligent Features

A full suite of intelligent capturing modes from DJI’s Air and Mavic series is now available on Mini 3 Pro to let you create like never before:

  • FocusTrack Suite
    • Spotlight 2.0 keeps the subject in frame while you fly manually.
    • Point of Interest 3.0 circles the subject in a set flight radius and speed.
    • ActiveTrack 4.0 follows the subject in two selectable ways:
      • Trace: The aircraft tracks the subject at a constant distance
      • Parallel: The aircraft tracks the subject while flying beside it at a constant angle and distance
  • QuickShots
    • Dronie: Aircraft flies back and up with the camera locked on the subject.
    • Helix: Aircraft flies up and spirals around the subject.
    • Rocket: Aircraft flies up with the camera facing down.
    • Circle: Aircraft circles around the subject.
    • Boomerang: Aircraft flies around the subject in an oval path, ascending as it flies away and descending as it returns.
    • Asteroid: Aircraft creates a shot that begins as a sphere panorama high above the subject and ends with a normal shot hovering near the subject.
  • MasterShots: Keeps the subject in the center of the frame while executing different maneuvers in sequence to generate a short cinematic video.
  • Hyperlapse: Creates a dynamic timelapse where the aircraft flies on set paths during capture.

Introducing DJI RC

DJI is expanding its remote controller lineup with DJI RC, a lightweight remote controller with a 5.5-inch built-in touchscreen. With the DJI Fly app already integrated, the user doesn’t need to mount their smartphone to their controller.

The DJI Mini 3 Pro arrives with several accessories:

  • DJI Mini 3 Pro Intelligent Flight Battery has a maximum flight time of 34 mins
  • DJI Mini 3 Pro Intelligent Flight Battery Plus has a maximum flight time of 47 mins
  • DJI Mini 3 Pro Two-Way Charging Hub charges Mini 3 Pro Intelligent Flight Batteries in sequence
  • DJI Mini 3 Pro ND Filters Set (ND 16/64/256) lets Mini 3 Pro capture more detail in the brightest of conditions
  • DJI Mini 3 Pro Propellers are essential to help ensure reliable flight every time
  • DJI 30W USB-C Charger charges an Intelligent Flight Battery to 0-100% in just 64 minutes and an Intelligent Flight Battery Plus in 101 minutes.