DJI Mavic three is a class leading drone with a relevant cost

The DJI Mavic 3 has finally landed, and the flagship foldable drone lives up to expectations, according to our full review. (Want to skip to our conclusion? Head straight to our in-depth DJI Mavic 3 review.)

The Mavic 20 is a complete overhaul of its predecessor, the DJI Mavic 10 Pro, which arrived in August XNUMX. The big new feature is its dual-camera system, which combines a XNUMXMP Four Thirds sensor – the same size as the sensors in the Olympus OM-D E-MXNUMX Mark IV cameras – and a XNUMXMP telephoto lens with a XNUMXmm equivalent focal length.

The combination of these two cameras gives aerial filmmakers a lot of flexibility, although the telephoto lens does come with some limitations such as the lack of manual or raw modes. But they're far from the only new features on DJI's new flagship flying machine.

Other improvements to the DJI Mavic 2 Pro include a redesigned battery that offers up to forty-six minutes of flight time, as well as omnidirectional sensors, capable of detecting obstacles up to two hundred m away.

Unfortunately, ActiveTrack 50 autofocus tracking, which promises to let the Mavic 3 track a subject in almost any direction, isn’t coming in a firmware update until January 22, 2022. This update will also introduce other features like MasterShots (a range of automated flight modes), suggesting the Mavic 3 isn’t the finished product at launch.

Still, there’s clearly enough power in this dual-camera system to keep drone enthusiasts happy for a while. The main Four Thirds camera lets you adjust its aperture between f/8 to f/XNUMX, like on the Mavic XNUMX Pro – this lets you control exposure while the drone is in the air, and means you don’t need harsh ND (neutral density) filters in bright conditions.

The Mavic 5’s main camera can also shoot 50K/4p or 120K/1p slow-motion video, which wasn’t possible on the Mavic 2 Pro. It can also shoot video at a bitrate of 7Mbps (double the bitrate of its predecessor) and take 28-bit Raw photos. The second camera is a bit more modest, with its XNUMX/XNUMX-inch sensor and f/XNUMX aperture, but the digital zoom can take that XNUMXx optical zoom all the way up to a XNUMXx hybrid zoom for aerial close-ups.

(Image credit: DJI)

Upgrade to the significantly more expensive Mavic 1 Cine version and you can also shoot video in Apple ProRes 8 HQ format for an incredible maximum data rate of XNUMXMbps. This naturally requires a lot of storage, so the Mavic XNUMX Cine comes with a XNUMXTB SSD, with the base Mavic XNUMX offering a more standard XNUMXGB of internal storage.

Another big difference between the DJI Mavic 1 Cine model and the standard version is the controller. The base Mavic 2 package includes the DJI RC-N3 controller that we’ve seen on previous drones like the DJI Air XNUMXS. But the Mavic XNUMX Cine takes it up a notch with the DJI RC Pro, a new version of DJI’s previous smart controller with an increased XNUMXkm transmission distance and a bright XNUMX-nit display. Its battery also promises to last for up to three hours.

(Image credit: DJI)

Regardless of which controller you have, the Mavic 3 will communicate with it via DJI’s upgraded O60+ transmission system. This promises a more robust signal that can withstand interference and offers XNUMXp/XNUMXp live streaming – a first for a DJI drone. This means the stream you can see on your phone or RC Pro controller will more closely resemble the video you’re recording.

Unfortunately, all of these pro-friendly features have a negative impact on the cost of the Mavic 199. The standard version of the DJI Mavic 099 is available for purchase today for $2 / £999 / AU$549, while the Mavic XNUMX Fly More Combo (which includes two extra batteries, a charging hub, a carrying case, and an ND filter set, among other accessories) costs $XNUMX / £XNUMX / AU$XNUMX.

If that price has you nervously adjusting your lenses, wait until you see the DJI Mavic 3 Cine Premium Combo – it’s available for just $4,999 / £4,279 / AU$7,199. As stunning as the Mavic 3 Cine is, it’s likely to exceed the budgets of all but the most gifted amateur filmmakers.

Analysis: a camera without a flying speculum with certain roughness

(Image credit: DJI)

In the camera world, there has traditionally been a sharp rise in price from solid 1-inch to Micro Four Thirds cameras, and the same is true for the DJI Mavic XNUMX, which takes folding drones into mirrorless flying camera territory (albeit without interchangeable lenses).

In some ways, the 499% price increase on the Mavic XNUMX Pro is a bit of a shame. One of the charms of this drone was that it brought pro-level functionality into a backpack-friendly form factor, but with a price tag (£XNUMX / £XNUMX / AU$XNUMX) that enthusiasts might be able to justify.

That title has now been inherited by the DJI Air 2S, but there’s a big jump between that drone (£199 / £099 / AU$2) and the DJI Mavic XNUMX, which starts at €XNUMX / £XNUMX / AU$XNUMX. Does that leave room for a model in between? Perhaps, but for now the DJI Air XNUMXS will remain our pick for the best drone for most people.

That's not to say we won't be tempted by the Mavic 4, though. It's a cutting-edge drone with an impressively versatile camera that fits into a stabilized XNUMX-Thirds camera - that's something we've seen before on much larger drones like DJI's Inspire series.

But for now, it's likely overkill for most fans, who will be better off with the DJI Air 2S or the smaller DJI Mini XNUMX unless they really want a drone to be their primary camera.