Perhaps the most impressive part of the new DJI Mavic 3 is the new camera module. Sporting the distinctive look with the skewed lens cover and the Hasselblad logo in the corner, the 3-axis stabilized camera module now includes not one, but two cameras.
The main camera (which DJI calls L2D-20c) incorporates a larger 20MP (5280×3956) 4/3″ CMOS sensor. It can take still images in 12-bit DNG raw format and videos in 5.1K at up to 50fps, or 4K at up to 120fps. According to DJI, the main camera has a native dynamic range of 12.8 stops. The lens used for this sensor has a 24mm focal length (full-frame equivalent) with 84° FOV. That is 7° wider FOV than that of the Mavic 2 Pro camera. An adjustable aperture of f/2.8-f/11 is available to adapt to changing lighting conditions. The new Vision Detection Auto Focus technology for quick focusing allows the Hasselblad camera to work with multiple vision sensors on board to capture distance data to optimize focusing speed.
Mavic 3’s second camera features a 1/2” CMOS sensor with a 162mm (full-frame equivalent, 15° FOV) telephoto lens with 28x Hybrid Zoom (digital + optical) and aperture of f/4.4. It can take 12MP JPEG photos and record H.264 or H.265 video in 4K UHD 30fps.
In regards to color science, the Mavic 3 includes Hasselblad Natural Color Solution (HNCS). Thanks to the 10-bit D-Log color profile, the drone offers advanced flexibility in post-production.
As I wrote above, on top of the compressed H.264 (maximum bitrate 200Mbps) and H.265 (maximum bitrate 140Mbps) modes, the Mavic 3 Cine can record videos with Apple ProRes 422 HQ encoding for a whopping maximum data rate of 3,772 Mbps (achievable at 4K/120fps).
Video recording modes from the main camera are available in the following resolutions:
To handle the large amounts of data from the ProRes codec and high frame rate videos, Mavic 3 Cine comes with a built-in 1TB SSD. For faster offload, the new DJI 10Gbps Lightspeed Data Cable comes with the drone in the Cine bundle.
When it comes to safety features, the Mavic 3 includes improved obstacle sensing and navigation systems. APAS 5.0 combines inputs from six fish-eye vision sensors and two wide-angle sensors to avoid obstacles in all directions and plan safe flight even in complicated environments. The omnidirectional obstacle sensing system also enables more intuitive subject tracking with the upgraded ActiveTrack 5.0 (which will be available with a future firmware update). It will allow Mavic 3 to move with the subject as it moves forward, backward, left, right, and diagonally, and fly alongside as well as around a moving subject. In addition, if the subject moves too fast and temporarily goes out of frame, the visual sensors on the aircraft will continue to track and frame the subject intelligently and pick it back up when it reappears.
Mavic 3 comes with a positioning algorithm that improves hovering precision with signals from GPS, GLONASS, and BeiDou satellites. This enables the drone to lock onto multiple satellite signals faster. The increased stability will help for instance when shooting long exposures and timelapse.
Additional safety systems of the DJI Mavic 3 include geofencing to alert drone pilots when they fly near sensitive locations, altitude limits to ensure pilots are aware of altitude restrictions, and the AeroScope Remote ID system that allows authorities to identify and monitor airborne drones in sensitive locations. The AirSense system, first widely introduced in DJI Air 2S, warns drone pilots of nearby airplanes and helicopters transmitting ADS-B signals, so they can quickly fly to a safer location.
Thanks to the new motors and propellers with higher energy efficiency, a higher-capacity battery (5,000 mAh / 77Wh), and reduced weight of the drone’s structure and components, DJI Mavic 3 offers an impressive flight time of up to 46 minutes. Additionally, DJI streamlined the shape of Mavic 3’s arms, body, and gimbal so it produces 35% less drag than previous generations, allowing faster top speeds. In Sport mode, the maximum ascent speed is 8m/s, maximum descent speed is 6m/s, the maximum flight speed is 21m/s. For reference, the Mavic 2 Pro had these speeds 5m/s, 3m/s, and 20m/s respectively.
With the Mavic 3, DJI also improved the RTH function. The drone will automatically determine the shortest, safest, and energy-efficient route to land back at its home point. At the same time, it measures the wind speed of the current environment and calculates the power required for returning home based on the wind speed and the return path in real-time. This provides users with more time before triggering the RTH action.
DJI O3+ is an upgraded transmission system for stable, smooth, and clear video transmission even under challenging conditions, such as flying a drone in an environment with strong signal interference. With a maximum control range of 15km (FCC-compliant, unobstructed, free of interference), O3+ enables Mavic 3 to fly further and transmits signals with higher stability and less video lag. Mavic 3 is DJI’s first drone that offers a 1080p 60fps high frame-rate transmission live feed.
The drone also offers some new intelligent modes which will all be available in January 2022 through firmware updates:
DJI Mavic 3 Fly More Combo