DJI Mini 3 Pro – why I ordered the mini drone directly…

This article is about the DJI Mini 3 Pro, which was presented by DJI yesterday on May 10.5.2022, XNUMX. In this article you will find out why I am already enthusiastic about it and why I stayed away from drones for a long time.

I've been involved with drones for quite a long time and have also flown wild models. My first photo drone was an 8-rotor microcopter, which was extremely large, but unfortunately vibrated so much that it was impossible to record a movie with it. Even the photos were blurry at times, although the camera was a Sony Alpha NEX 7, which certainly had good autofocus.

Update 20.05.2022/XNUMX/XNUMX: DJI Mini News Group

If you would like to exchange ideas with other DJI Mini users (without sending your data to Facebook), you are welcome to join my group. I use the Apple Messages app. If you would like to join the group, please send me your Apple ID (email or phone number). info@sir-apfelot.de and write "DJI Mini Group" in the subject. Then I put him in the group.

The DJI Mini 3 Pro is a small drone that weighs less than 250 grams and therefore has hardly any restrictions when flying. I ordered it straight away because it combines fascinating features in the smallest of spaces (photos: DJI).

My former drone fleet

Then came various other models, such as the Asctec Falcon 8, DJI Mavic, DJI Phantom, DJI Spark and the DJI Mavic Air. So I've been through a lot and in the end I have to say that DJI drones offer the best bundles of good technology and a good app from my point of view.

With the Mini 3 Pro you can either take the controller on the left, which requires a smartphone. I also ordered the new controller (right), which has an integrated 5,5 inch display and is basically an Android system with the pre-installed DJI app.

Drones weren't fun anymore...

However, I haven't bothered about drones seriously in the last few years, because the constant legal changes and the introduction of the drone license have spoiled the fun of flying for me. And overall, there is a negative attitude towards drones among the population, which is often not unfounded when you see some YouTubers simply flying in cities, highways or near people and animals without regard to any laws, thereby endangering them .

But despite all these negative points, in the last two or three years I haven't had the opportunity to take a little sightseeing flight or take a few photos from a bird's eye view when I've been out in nature. The only drone I currently have is the DJI Mavic (the first Mavic) and it's too heavy to take with me on every hike. So basically I would still have the will to do something with a drone, but I don't have the right model.

The DJI Mini is really pocket-sized, but don't forget that you also have a controller with you. So you need at least two jacket pockets.

DJI Mini 3 Pro - insane technology in the palm of your hand

The DJI Mini model series is the solution to my problem and with the DJI Mini 2 I could have bought a decent mini drone last year. No question, the DJI Mini 2 is also impressive for its size (I'm saying that without ever having flown it and just based on the reviews I've seen), but it just doesn't have a LOG profile for filming, which one does would enable a high dynamic range and proper post-processing for videos.

I wasn't entirely convinced of the picture quality I've seen so far either. Photos in sunlight are of course good and the RAW format also helps to get more out of post-processing, but the darker areas are often noisy and the dynamic range is not that great either.

For these reasons I have not bought a DJI Mini before, but that has changed with the DJI Mini 3 Pro.

With a flight time of 34 minutes, the flight duration is another 3 minutes longer than with the Mini 2.

DJI Mini 2 vs. DJI Mini 3 Pro - the improvements

The DJI Mini 3 Pro seems to be the advancement that all DJI Mini 2 owners have been waiting for. Well, it is slightly larger than the DJI Mini 2 when unfolded, but only slightly larger in pack size and the same weight.

What has been improved are the following points:

• Resolution: 48MP compared to 12MP on the Mini 2
• Sensor: 1/1.3 inch CMOS instead of 1/2.3 inch CMOS (larger sensor)
• Video: 4K/60fps compared to 4K/30fps on the Mini 2
• Bit rate: 150 Mbps instead of 100 Mbps
• Flight time: 34 minutes instead of 31 minutes for the Mini 2
• Video transmission: 8km, 1080p/30fps instead of 6km, 720p/30fps
• Sensors: forward, backward and down instead of just down on the Mini 2
• Aperture: f/1.7 aperture instead of f/2.8 on the Mini 2
• Camera orientation: horizontal AND vertical (true vertical!)
• Gimbal tilt: Up to 60° (significantly less with the DJI Mini 2, but don't have a value at hand)
• Slow Motion Video: 120 fps (not available on DJI Mini 2)
• Video format: MP4/MOV (H.264/H.265) instead of MP4 (H.264/MPEG-4 AVC) for Mini 2
• MasterShots: only available on the DJI Mini 3 Pro (a sequence of different video recordings and photos that the drone takes at the push of a button)
• DJI RC Controller (with 5,5 inch display): only for the DJI Mini 3 Pro

You can already see that the DJI Mini 3 Pro is technically quite a leap forward. A small, unpleasant side effect is that the price is also noticeably more expensive.

• The DJI Mini 3 Pro costs: 829 EUR (at DJI)
• The DJI Mini 2 costs: 459 EUR (at DJI)

So if you are looking for a cheap entry-level drone, the DJI Mini 2 might be the best choice. If you want the latest technology at a still good price, you can access the DJI Mini 3 Pro without hesitation.

The DJI Mini 3 Pro has another special feature: it can actually turn the camera into the vertical format and thus create high-resolution photos in portrait format.

Why I ordered the DJI Mini 3 Pro...

My DJI Mavic is actually quite a passable drone. There are only three things that bothered me a bit:

1. When I pack the drone with 3 batteries and controller, my backpack is almost full.
2. She only has down sensors.
3. Fumbling with the controller and iPhone has always horrified me. The mount couldn't hold my cased iPhone and it was always annoying to take the iPhone out of the case, put it in the controller and then launch the app.
4. The DJI Mavic weighs well over 250 grams and thus falls into the "Open Category A1 C1", where you are not allowed to fly over uninvolved people. This means flying over a ski slope or over a beach where people are walking is not allowed. With the DJI Mini 3 Pro, on the other hand, it does, since it weighs less than 250 grams and thus falls into the "Open Category A1 C0".

In principle, I want to have a drone that is as harmless as possible, that is nice and small, maybe also makes less noise than a large one and still delivers usable photos and videos. The DJI Mini 3 Pro should meet these requirements.

If you want to take a look at them, you can go directly to DJI or Amazon. The relevant links are here:

• DJI Mini 3 Pro on Amazon
• DJI Mini 3 Pro at DJI

DJI Mini 3 Pro - Lightweight and foldable camera drone with 4K/60fps videos, 48MP photos, 34 minutes...

• Worry-free flying - With a weight of <249 g, the Mini 3 Pro does not require any ...
• Professional Recording - Record your world in stunning detail with 4K/60fps video and 48MP photos. That...
• Perfect portrait shots - The new DJI Mini 3 Pro offers true vertical shots for portraits, ideal for ...

829,00 EUR

Buy it at Amazon Price includes VAT, plus shipping costs (updated: 20.05.2022 at 03: 20 clock)

Jen Kleinholz( Founder & Sir Apfelot )

Jens has been running the blog since 2012. He appears as Sir Apfelot for his readers and helps them with problems of a technical nature. In his free time he drives electric unicycles, takes photos (preferably with his iPhone, of course), climbs around in the Hessian mountains or hikes with the family. His articles deal with Apple products, news from the world of drones or solutions for current bugs.

The page contains affiliate links / images: Amazon.de