New DJI Mini 3 Pro Does It All, Fits In A Pocket

[advrider]

Full disclosure: Your author is an FAA-certified drone pilot and owns DJI products.

As noted above, I’m a drone nerd, so much so that I paid good money, studied reams of pilot stuff and passed what had to be one of the most difficult tests I’ve ever taken to get certified to fly my drones “commercially” (as in I charge people money to take pictures of them and their stuff from up in the air). It pays for beer and gas, and maybe some tires for the DR650, but no superyachts quite yet. But mostly, it’s just fun to fly these little birds and I love to be able to get shots of riding motorcycles that most people just can’t get. Like so:

You’re not going to get a shot like this from a smartphone. Photo: Bill Roberson

Now, drone maker DJI has introduced a new model, the Mini 3 Pro, that will probably tick most all the boxes for casual fliers and it has a surprisingly robust feature set for pro pilots as well. Best of all, it weighs 249 grams in base form, which is just under the FAA’s mandatory registration 250 gram weight limit (for now, at least). Second best of all, it lives up to its name, as it’s small enough to slip into a pannier, backpack, saddlebag or even a tank bag, remote and all.

If drones have been off your radar for a while, the capabilities of the Mini 3 Pro may seems preposterous, but trust me, this technology has been maturing and advancing at a very rapid pace. The Mini 3 Pro can shoot 48 megapixel photos including in RAW format, record full HDR 4K resolution video with zoom, will fly up to 12 km (over seven miles!) away while beaming back crisp 1080p video and can hit speeds up to 35 mph in Sport mode. It can track and follow you on your bike and will fly around obstacles automatically with a sophisticated AI-based avoidance system on the front, top and bottom. The three-axis gimbal keeps video steady even in a stiff wind or while it’s at top speed. And the Mini 3 Pro will also shoot phone-friendly vertical video and photos by rotating the gimbal 90 degrees. It can also shoot pix and video looking upward – another new feature.

Last one to the top buys the pizza! Photo: Bill Roberson

Lose sight of it because it’s so small? Hit the Home button and it will speed back to its takeoff location and avoid hitting anything along the way. Flight time is over half an hour on a standard battery and over 45 minutes with an optional long-duration battery, but that will put it over the 250-gram FAA weight limit for registration, which is no big deal and costs $5. The remote will even tell you if there’s a full-size aircraft nearby (and where it is) using the APAS 4.0 connected flight path data system (some Internet is required for that via your phone).

Some forest road riding in Eastern Oregon. Photo: Bill Roberson

You can order it up as a “drone only” package if you already have certain DJI drones and it will work with the older remotes, but the real juice is the kit with the new remote control that includes a high-def bigger-than-your-phone screen and DJI’s excellent app already built in—plus it has the latest tech for maximum range and features. All for a grand or less, depending on how you option it up.

That’s some pretty amazing capabilities for the money and size, and the unique photos and videos you get of your adventures make it seem like a pittance in the long run. And with OTA updates, new features and safety updates can be added as well so it stays up to date.

I’m still flying two DJI drones, a old-school white Phantom 3 Pro and a newer Air 2S, and they are huge fun to pilot and the images, especially from the Air 2S, are incredibly good. Plus, the tech now makes these drones extremely easy to fly safely, even for rank beginners (although educating yourself and flying some sim time is a smart move).

And to be clear: You must register a drone weighing over 250 grams with the FAA as you are piloting a legitimate aircraft in FAA-controlled airspace, and if you hit another aircraft with it, terrible things can happen. Flying for fun is free but there are flight regulations which can vary by location in the U.S., and keep in mind that if you decide to start a drone business to make money, you’ll need to get an FAA Part 107 pilot’s license. If you don’t and get caught, the fines are huge and you’ll likely lose your drone as well. Fly safe—and legal.

Look for more drone imagery on ADVrider.com soon!

Got drone questions? Fire away in comments.

 

 

 

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