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Entry level affordable drone: DJI Mini 3 Review

Colin Smith

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DJI Mini 3 review and tutorial

The DJI Mini 3 is a small and lightweight drone that is suitable for beginners or those who want a portable option for their adventures. It boasts the longest flight time of any consumer drone, with a standard battery providing 38 minutes of flight time and the option of a heavier battery that can extend the time to 51 minutes. However, using the heavier battery means the drone will be over the 249 gram weight limit and will require registration. The Mini Three also has a level five wind resistance and can fly up to a distance of 10 km. It lacks forward and rear optical avoidance sensors, but has a downward facing sensor to prevent it from crashing into the ground and to enable auto landing and takeoff. The gimbal and camera are sensitive and should be protected with the included gimbal guard during transport.

DJI released the MIni 3 drone today. The mini 3 pro was released about 6 months ago, see my review

The highlights are 249g weight, less than the 250 required for FAA registration

Long battery life, 38 mins, 51 with the high capacity battery which takes it over the 250g

12 mp 1/1.3 raw and jpg camera. 4k video

Range 10km

Camera can shoot in portrait or landscape mode natively (rotating)

Cost starts at $469 no controller, $559 USD with RC-N1 controller (without screen), $699 DJI RC with screen. $858 flymore combo

Buy here

The difference between the MIni3 and the pro:

Price, mini3 is around $200USD less

Downward sensors only, no front and rear

Same camera, but doesn’t shoot at 48mp, only 12 mp

4k 30fps max instead of 60fps

FHD at 60fps instead of 120fps

OC2 and video transmission of 720p vs oc3 with FHD video transmission.

Mini 3 has longer battery than the pro 30mins, 51mins with high capacity battery (same batteries)

Specs

Aircraft

    Takeoff Weight

  • 248 g
    Standard aircraft weight (including the Intelligent Flight Battery, propellers, and a microSD card). The actual product weight may vary due to differences in batch materials and external factors. Registration is not required in some countries and regions. Check local laws and regulations before use. With the Intelligent Flight Battery Plus,* the aircraft will weigh more than 249 g (about 290 g). Please check and strictly abide by local laws and regulations before flying.
    * Sold separately and only in selected countries and regions.

Dimensions

  • Folded (without propellers): 148×90×62 mm (L×W×H)
  • Unfolded (with propellers): 251×362×72 mm (L×W×H)

Max Ascent Speed

  • 5 m/s

Max Descent Speed

  • 3.5 m/s

Max Horizontal Speed (at sea level, no wind)

  • 16 m/s
    The max horizontal speed is subject to dynamic local restrictions. Please abide by local laws and regulations when flying.

Max Takeoff Altitude

  • With Intelligent Flight Battery: 4000 m
  • With Intelligent Flight Battery Plus*: 3000 m
    Increase in aircraft weight can affect flight propulsion. When the aircraft is using the Intelligent Flight Battery Plus, do not mount additional payloads like a propeller guard or third-party accessories to avoid diminished propulsion.

    * Sold separately and only in selected countries and regions.

Max Flight Time

  • 38 minutes (with Intelligent Flight Battery)
  • 51 minutes (with Intelligent Flight Battery Plus*)

    Measured in a controlled test environment. Specific test conditions are as follows: flying forward at a constant speed of 21.6 kph in a windless laboratory environment, in photo mode (without photo taking operation during flight), and from 100% battery level until 0%. Results may vary depending on the environment, actual use, and firmware version.

    * Sold separately and only in selected countries and regions.

Max Hovering Time

  • 33 minutes (with Intelligent Flight Battery)
  • 44 minutes (with Intelligent Flight Battery Plus*)

    Measured in a controlled test environment. Specific test conditions are as follows: hovering in a windless laboratory environment, in photo mode (without photo taking operation during flight), and from 100% battery level until 0%. Results may vary depending on the environment, actual use, and firmware version.

    * Sold separately and only in selected countries and regions.

Max Flight Distance

  • 18 km (with Intelligent Flight Battery and measured while flying at 43.2 kph in windless conditions)
  • 25 km (with Intelligent Flight Battery Plus* and measured while flying at 43.2 kph in windless conditions)

    * Sold separately and only in selected countries and regions.

Max Wind Speed Resistance

  • 10.7 m/s (Level 5)

Max Tilt Angle

  • 40°

Operating Temperature

  • -10° to 40° C (14° to 104° F)

Global Navigation Satellite System

  • GPS + GLONASS + Galileo

Hovering Accuracy Range

  • Vertical:
    ±0.1 m (with vision positioning)
    ±0.5 m (with GNSS positioning)Horizontal:
    ±0.3 m (with vision positioning)
    ±1.5 m (with GNSS positioning)

Internal Storage

  • N/A

Camera

Image Sensor

  • 1/1.3-inch CMOS
  • Effective Pixels: 12 MP

Lens

  • FOV: 82.1°
  • Format Equivalent: 24 mm
  • Aperture: f/1.7
  • Focus: 1 m to ∞

ISO Range

  • Video:  100-3200
  • Photo: 100-3200

Shutter Speed

             Electronic Shutter: 2-1/8000 s

Max Image Size

              4000×3000

Still Photography Modes

  • Single Shot: 12 MP
  • Timed: 12 MP
  • JPEG: 2/3/5/7/10/15/20/30/60 s
  • JPEG + RAW: 5/7/10/15/20/30/60 s
  • Automatic Exposure Bracketing (AEB): 12 MP, 3 frames at 2/3 EV step
  • Panorama: Sphere, 180°, Wide Angle
  • HDR: The Single Shot mode supports outputting HDR images.

Photo Format

  •  JPEG/DNG (RAW)

Video Resolution

  •  4K: 3840×2160@24/25/30 fps
  • 2.7K: 2720×1530@24/25/30/48/50/60 fps
  • FHD: 1920×1080@24/25/30/48/50/60 fps
  • HDR: Recording with the 24/25/30fps frame rate supports outputting HDR images.

Video Format

  •  MP4 (H.264)

Max Video Bitrate

  •  100 Mbps

Supported File System

  • FAT32 (≤ 32 GB)
  • exFAT (> 32 GB)

Color Mode

                 Normal

Digital Zoom

  • 4K: 2×
  • 2.7K: 3×
  • FHD: 4×

QuickShots Modes

            Dronie, Helix, Rocket, Circle, and Boomerang

Gimbal

  • Stabilization

            3-axis mechanical gimbal (tilt, roll, and pan)
  • Mechanical Range

  1. Tilt: -135° to 80°
  2. Roll: -135° to 45°
  3. Pan: -30° to 30°
  • Controllable Range

  1. Tilt: -90° to 60°
  2. Roll: -90° or 0°
  • Max Control Speed (tilt)

            100°/s
  • Angular Vibration Range

         ±0.01°

Sensing

  • Sensing Type

            Downward vision system
  • Downward

  1. Precise Hovering Range:
  2. 0.5-10 m
  • Operating Environment

Downward:
Diffuse reflective surfaces with a clear pattern and reflectivity > 20% (such as walls, trees, or people)
Adequate lighting (lux > 15, normal indoor lighting conditions)

Video Transmission

  • Video Transmission System

           DJI O2
  • Live View Quality

                   Remote Controller: 720p/30fps
  • Operating Frequency

  1. 2.400-2.4835 GHz
  2. 5.725-5.850 GHz
  • Transmission Power (EIRP)

2.400-2.4835 GHz:
< 26 dBm (FCC)
< 20 dBm (CE/SRRC/MIC)5.725-5.850 GHz:
< 26 dBm (FCC/SRRC)
< 14 dBm (CE)
  • Max Transmission Distance (free of interference)

FCC: 10 km
CE: 6 km
SRRC: 6 km
MIC: 6 km

Measured in an unobstructed outdoor environment free of interference. The above data shows the farthest communication range for one-way, non-return flights under each standard. During your flight, please pay attention to RTH reminders in the DJI Fly app.
  • Max Transmission Distance (with interference)

  1. Strong Interference: urban landscape, approx. 1.5-3 km
  2. Medium Interference: suburban landscape, approx. 3-6 km
  3. Low Interference: suburb/seaside, approx. 6-10 kmData tested under FCC standard in unobstructed environments with typical interference. Used for reference purposes only and provides no guarantee for actual flight distance.
  • Max Download Speed

  • DJI O2:
    5.5 MB/s (with DJI RC-N1 Remote Controller)
    5.5 MB/s (with DJI RC)
    Wi-Fi 5: 25 MB/s*
    * Measured in a laboratory environment with little interference in countries/regions that support both 2.4 GHz and 5.8 GHz, with footage saved to the SD card. Download speeds may vary depending on the actual conditions.
  • Lowest Latency

        Approx. 200 ms
         Depending on the actual environment and mobile device.
  • Antenna

            2 antennas, 1T2R

Battery

  • Capacity

  1.    Intelligent Flight Battery: 2453 mAh
  2. Intelligent Flight Battery Plus*: 3850 mAh* Sold separately and only in selected countries and regions.
  • Weight

  1. Intelligent Flight Battery: Approx. 80.5 g
  2. Intelligent Flight Battery Plus*: Approx. 121 g* Sold separately and only in selected countries and regions.
  • Nominal Voltage

            7.38 V
  • Max Charging Voltage

          8.5 V
  • Type

          Li-ion
  • Energy

  1. Intelligent Flight Battery: 18.1 Wh
  2. Intelligent Flight Battery Plus*: 28.4 Wh* Sold separately and only in selected countries and regions.
  • Charging Temperature

           5° to 40° C (41° to 104° F)
  • Charging Time

  1. Intelligent Flight Battery:
    64 minutes (with the DJI 30W USB-C Charger and the battery mounted to the aircraft)
    56 minutes (with the DJI 30W USB-C Charger and the battery inserted into the Two-Way Charging Hub)
  2. Intelligent Flight Battery Plus*:
    101 minutes (with the DJI 30W USB-C Charger and the battery mounted to the aircraft)
    78 minutes (with the DJI 30W USB-C Charger and the battery inserted into the Two-Way Charging Hub)* Sold separately and only in selected countries and regions.

Charger

  • Recommended Charger

  • DJI 30W USB-C Charger or other USB Power Delivery chargers (30 W)*
    * When you charge the battery mounted to the aircraft or inserted into the Two-Way Charging Hub, the maximum charging power supported is 30 W.

Charging Hub

  • Input

               5 V, 3 A
9 V, 3 A
12 V, 3 A
  • Output

            USB-A: Max Voltage: 5 V; Max Current: 2 A
  • Charging Type

             Three batteries charged in sequence
  • Compatible Batteries

             DJI Mini 3 Pro Intelligent Flight Battery, DJI Mini 3 Pro Intelligent Flight Battery Plus*
              * Sold separately and only in selected countries and regions.

Storage

    Recommended microSD Cards

  • SanDisk Extreme 32GB V30 A1 microSDXC
  • SanDisk Extreme 64GB V30 A1 microSDXC
  • SanDisk Extreme 128GB V30 A2 microSDXC
  • SanDisk Extreme 256GB V30 A2 microSDXC
  • SanDisk Extreme Pro 32GB V30 A1 microSDXC
  • Kingston Canvas Go!Plus 64GB V30 A2 microSDXC
  • Kingston Canvas Go!Plus 128GB V30 A2 microSDXC
  • Kingston Canvas Go!Plus 256GB V30 A2 microSDXC
  • Kingston Canvas React Plus 64GB V30 A1 microSDXC
  • Kingston Canvas React Plus 128GB V30 A1 microSDXC
  • Samsung PRO Plus 256GB V30 A2 microSDXC

Remote Controller

   Max Operating Time

  • DJI RC-N1 Remote Controller
  • Without charging any mobile device: 6 hours
  • When charging a mobile device: 4 hours

  Max Supported Mobile Device Size

  • DJI RC-N1 Remote Controller
  • 180×86×10 mm (L×W×H)

Operating Temperature

  • DJI RC-N1 Remote Controller
    -10° to 40° C (14° to 104° F)

Transmission Power (EIRP)

  • DJI RC-N1 Remote Controller
    2.400-2.4835 GHz:
    < 26 dBm (FCC)
    < 20 dBm (CE/SRRC/MIC)5.725-5.850 GHz:
    < 26 dBm (FCC)
    < 23 dBm (SRRC)
    < 14 dBm (CE)

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