Mini 3 Pro is the latest of DJI’s sub-250g foldable drones and it’s immense fun to fly.
The weight is significant because it means that don’t need to register it to fly it anywhere you want in Ireland – that is, apart from in the flight-restriction zones around airports, military bases, prisons and all OPW sites.
Because it is so compact and easy to carry around, it’s a drone you can bring anywhere.
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It’s about the same size as a large smartphone but is 2.5in high.
Safety features
It’s easy to use Mini 3 Pro safely. DJI’s object avoidance system has forward, downward and backward faced sensors to help you keep clear of trees and other obstacles while flying.
But there is no upward faced sensor so you will need to take care when taking off under overhanging branches. And there are no sensors on the sides.
Moderate to high wind will have an impact, as you’d expect with any drone, but the redesigned body and stronger motors on Mini 3 Pro mean it is more capable of flying in windy conditions than previous Mini models.
Camera
Like its predecessors, Mini 3 Pro feels quite delicate in your hand but it’s packed full of features such as a larger 1/1.3in sensor that is a huge step up from the 1/2.3in sensor on the Mini 2.
The sensor is also bigger than the 1/2.0in sensor in the Mavic Air 2.
The new shooter can produce 12MP or 48MP images in RAW or jpeg format. The 48MP images are super impressive.
There is also a new gimbal that you can rotate 90 degrees for vertical video – clearly a nod to the TikTok and Reels generation.
Mini 3 Pro can capture video in 4K, 2.7K and full-HD resolution at up to 60fps. It can also capture slow motion video at up to 120fps in 1080p resolution.
The firm’s Mastershots, FocusTrack and QuickShots options make it incredibly easy to capture dynamic footage and keep your subject sharp.
Active Track 4.0 is included on Mini 3 Pro and this makes capturing stunning cinematic footage so easy.
The tracking is flawless. You just draw a box around the subject or object you want to follow before you start recording and choose the type of tracking you wish to employ. It’s so simple.
Care is needed when you are using parallel tracking because there are no safety sensors on the side of the drone so make sure you have clear visibility.
Controller
If you already own a DJI drone, then you can buy this one without a controller to save money.
But if this is your first drone, I’d recommend getting the bundle which includes new DJI RC controller.
It has a screen built-in, so you don’t need to worry about connecting your phone as you do on the older RC-N1 remote. This means you don’t have the hassle of phone calls and notifications interrupting the screen during a flight.
You can buy a bundle with the RC-N1 and Mini 3 Pro, incidentally.
This is the first time DJI has given consumers a choice of controller with their drone.
But I loved testing this drone with the newer DJI RC. It is powered by a custom-built version of Android designed to run DJI’s flight software. It works fluidly and efficiently.
Brightness peaks at 700 nits which is something you would hope the firm can improve on, and I would advise buying a screen protector as there is none pre-installed.
There is a microSD slot in DJI RC and you can use this to store screen recordings or lower-quality footage captured straight from the video transmission.
To store all your hi-res footage and photos you need to insert a micro-SD card in the drone itself as there is only 1.3GB of onboard storage.
Battery life
The Intelligent Flight Battery that comes with the drone enables up to 34 minutes of flight time.
The reality is that the drone’s return to home automatically kicks in with 20 per cent battery left so you are getting about 26 or 27 minutes of flight time.
You can override this, of course, but make sure you are confident you have enough juice left to get the drone back home manually.
Battery life is also affected by whatever features you use. When capturing a Hyperlapse, for example, your battery power will deplete at a much faster rate.
Other features
The propeller blades on Mini 3 Pro are not spring-loaded like Air 2S or Mavic 3, for example.
So, if you need to replace them, you have to use a screwdriver as there is a pair of screws on each set of propellers.
The maximum video bitrate is 150 Mbps.
There is support for the D-Cinelike colour profile with 10-bit colour which is an essential feature for anybody who wishes to colour grade their footage.
There is a brilliant Quick Transfer feature that allows you to speedily transfer photos and videos from the Fly app to your mobile device using WiFi.
Verdict
This is an excellent choice for photographers (or anyone else) looking for their first drone or for more experienced flyers who just want a machine they can take everywhere.
It delivers great image quality, the choice of two controllers and fantastic flying time.
Pricing
DJI Mini 3 Pro costs from €749.
Key Mini 3 Pro specs
Dimensions: 145mm x 90mm x 62 mm (folded), 171mm x 245mm x 62mm (unfolded)
Camera: 48MP, 1/1.3in, CMOS sensor
Speed: 16 m/s (36mph)
Weight: 249g
Range: 12km (7.4 miles)
Connectivity: DJI O3
Battery: 34 minutes
Storage : 1.2GB (expandable to 1TB w/ microSD)
Video Resolution: 4K (3840×2160) @ 24/25/30/48/50/60fps, or 1080p @ 120fps
Video Formats: MP4/MOV (H.264/H.265) @ up to 150 Mbps
Colour profiles: Normal, D-Cinelike
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