Thanks for studying this text on which drone I’d select: the DJI Mavic 3 Professional or the Air 3.
This 12 months (2023), DJI has been releasing drones seemingly again to again, and I’ve had the chance to completely check the entire new 2023 releases.
With a selected curiosity find the most effective drone to behave as the principle workhorse for my images and videography enterprise, I’ve been utilizing the Mavic 3 Professional and Air 3 in knowledgeable capability for 2 months.
On this article, I’ll look at the important thing variations between the Mavic 3 Professional and Air 3, the upgrades within the Mavic 3 Professional, my experiences over the past 4 to 5 weeks with every, and why I think about the Mavic 3 Professional to be the most effective total “pro-level DJI shopper drone” accessible.
In case you’re a industrial drone pilot, like I’m, I can assist you resolve which drone is true for your small business wants.
Transient Overview
Mavic 3 Professional
Launched in Might of 2023, the Mavic 3 Professional is an improve to the unique Mavic 3 and Mavic 3 Traditional in that it has a tri-camera system that enables for 3 completely different focal lengths.
When on the lookout for the very best picture high quality in a DJI prosumer drone, the Mavic 3 Professional (together with the Mavic 3 Professional Cine) is the drone to accumulate if in case you have the finances for it.
- Tri-camera system for bringing cinematic imaginative and prescient to life from various views
- A number of Shade Profiles for added coloration grading flexibility
- Waypoint Missions in-app to simply plan repeatable and complicated routes
- Apple ProRes Video Encoding, included within the Cine model, for skilled TV and Video productions
» MORE: DJI Mavic 3 Professional Overview (I’ve NEVER flown a drone that I loved a lot)
DJI Air 3
Launched a couple of months after the Mavic 3 Professional, in July 2023, the Air 3 was a extremely anticipated improve to the very fashionable and much-loved Air 2S.
The Air 3 is a robust alternative drone for pilots who’re solo content material creators and people seeking to do varied industrial tasks for shoppers.
Whereas the Air 3 has a smaller important digital camera than the Mavic 3 Professional, it has much-needed upgrades in different points.
- Twin-camera system, which provides viewers very good parallax results
- Omnidirectional impediment sensing to make sure the protection of the Air 3 whereas in flight
- OcuSync 4 Video Transmission System for stronger, interference-free video indicators
- Enhanced monitoring and added flight modes for these seeking to movie themselves or specific topics
» MORE: DJI Air 3 Overview – Is This the Drone for You?
Fast Verdict
As a result of I used to be on the lookout for a drone to retire my present consumer workhorse, I’ve used each the Mavic 3 Professional and the Air 3 on varied industrial jobs.
For my functions, the Mavic 3 Professional is the clear alternative for consumer deliverables.
With a full spectrum of shoppers, all of which have varied wants, the digital camera on the Mavic 3 Professional is ideal for delivering the imagery my shoppers need, want, and have come to anticipate.
Whereas the Air 3 has nice high quality picture and video capabilities, the Mavic 3 Professional takes this up a notch, with the next dynamic vary for movies and better decision pictures.
With higher-resolution pictures, my shoppers are capable of blow their photos up for varied sorts of printing, some even utilizing the pictures for giant automobile wraps.
The Air 3 is a superb drone for content material creators, these needing a backup industrial drone, and people doing a little industrial work, relying on the trade.
The Mavic 3 Professional, however, is a full industrial workhorse, one which handles all content material calls for with flexibility and the best high quality.
» MORE: Drone Insurance coverage Made Simple (For Pilots and Purchasers)
What are the Predominant Variations?
I actually get pleasure from utilizing each the Air 3 and the Mavic 3 Professional. Nonetheless, when on the lookout for a each day driver that accomplishes every thing wanted, the Mavic 3 Professional is the go-to for my functions.
When taking varied sorts of pictures for shoppers, the Mavic 3 Professional carried out flawlessly.
The number of pictures ranged from Actual Property properties to Metropolis landmarks to landscapes for lake administration corporations, and even for corporations doing customized wraps for firm fleet autos.
What the Mavic 3 Professional has over the Air 3, for these on the lookout for a industrial workhorse, is primarily camera-related:
- Tri-Digital camera System: Just like the Air 3, the Mavic 3 Professional has each 24 mm and 70 mm equal digital camera lenses. It additionally has a further 166 mm digital camera lens, including yet one more dimension for creativity when filming video.
- Digital camera high quality: That is the place the Mavic 3 Professional actually units itself other than the Air 3. The primary 24 mm digital camera is a 4/3 20 MP Hasselblad digital camera with glorious coloration science. For professionals, having the next decision digital camera, with bigger pixels than the Air 3, permits for extra dynamic vary and suppleness when working in put up and delivering content material to shoppers, as we’ll focus on shortly.
Moreover, if choosing the dearer Cine model of the Mavic 3 Professional, Apple ProRes video encoding is on the market for all three cameras.
- Adjustable Aperture (24 mm digital camera): In contrast to many drones in the marketplace, even these dubbed as “Professional”, the Mavic 3 Professional has a much-appreciated adjustable aperture of f/2.8 – f/11, which allows rather more management over the principle digital camera’s publicity.
- Dimension and Weight: That is extra of a desire factor. Nonetheless, the Mavic 3 Professional, being a heavier drone, means it’s extra secure within the air than the Air 3, making it much more very best for windy filming situations. Its bigger measurement additionally makes it simpler to maintain inside VLOS (visible line of sight) if flying additional away from dwelling base.
» MORE: DJI Mavic 3 vs. DJI Mini 3 Professional (Which One is Proper for You?)
Mavic 3 Professional
The Mavic 3 Professional is the subsequent iteration within the Mavic 3 line.
Initially launched in 2021, it succeeded the Mavic 3 and Mavic 3 Traditional, and is particularly supposed for images and videography professionals seeking to ship the best high quality content material to their shoppers.
The Mavic 3 Professional provides a medium-tele digital camera at 70 mm and improves the tele digital camera of the Mavic 3, growing the focal size from 162 mm to 166 mm, whereas concurrently bumping up the picture high quality.
Whereas the bodily efficiency of the Mavic 3 Professional is just about equivalent to the Mavic 3 and Mavic 3 Traditional (concerning pace and stability), the principle enhancements are discovered within the technically improved and expanded digital camera system.
The Mavic 3 Professional continues the custom of getting 360-degree impediment avoidance safety because of the omnidirectional impediment avoidance sensors all through.
For a lot of professionals, that is important, particularly when filming difficult sequences in troublesome locales.
Key options of the Mavic 3 Professional:
- Triple-camera system
- Professional-level Distant Controller choice
- Hasselblad 24 mm Predominant digital camera
- 5.1k 50 fps; 4k 120fps 10-bit D-Log, D-Log M coloration profiles
- Apple ProRes (Cine Model)
- DJI Goggles and DJI Movement 2 compatibility
- Omnidirectional impediment avoidance
- Waypoints
Our Decide
» MORE: DJI Mavic 3 Professional – Easy methods to Flip ON/OFF (Step-by-Step Information & Video)
DJI Air 3
The Air 3 is the successor to DJI’s well-liked consumer-level “industrial” drone, the Air 2S, and an incremental step up from the newly launched Mini 4 Professional.
The Air 3 appeals to drone lovers, content material creators, {and professional} drone pilots on a finances seeking to get nice low-light photographs and 10-bit, 4k video for shoppers in varied industries, notably the actual property market.
In most points, the Air 3 is a serious improve over the much-loved Air 2S, even after transferring from a 1-inch digital camera right down to a 1/1.3-inch digital camera.
The standard of the 24mm and 70mm medium-tele cameras, together with their low gentle efficiency, provides the Air 3 a good footing within the skilled area.
Together with 10-bit capabilities and 4k 100fps sluggish movement, the Air 3 is nice to work with.
Air 3 key options embody:
- Twin Cameras – 24mm and 70mm
- Omnidirectional impediment sensing
- OcuSync 4.0 Video Transmission System (12.4 miles)
- 4k 100fps, 10-bit D-Log M coloration profile
- Energetic Observe 360
- Waypoints
- Glorious price-to-features ratio
» MORE: DJI Air 3 Newcomers Information (Step-by-Step Information)
Head-to-Head Comparability
Digital camera System
Winner: Mavic 3 Professional
In the case of drone images and videography, having extra focal size choices is at all times greatest. You possibly can ask any skilled who makes use of floor cameras.
When filming, having not one however three digital camera choices provides you the pliability to get actually inventive and inform tales in a way more dynamic manner.
Utilizing the 166 mm digital camera brings a selected topic into focus whereas using the 70 mm digital camera in the identical scene not solely brings focus to a selected topic but additionally establishes the instant environment.
The 24 mm vast angle then places into perspective the topic in relation to the whole scene.
To higher current visible content material, the Mavic 3 Professional can shoot video in varied coloration profiles in 10-bit, these being:
10-bit provides larger flexibility for coloration manipulation and grading when enhancing video in post-processing, as there are somewhat over a billion colours and variations to work with.
Moreover, capturing within the flatter D-Log coloration profile means capturing the next dynamic vary than attainable with the Air 3’s D-Log M profile.
Bettering over the Air 3’s most of capturing in 4k 100 fps, the Mavic 3 Professional can shoot at a most of 5.1k 50 fps.
With this increased decision comes the flexibility to crop in much more than 4k footage to get higher framing choices, if not completely locked in throughout filming.
4k 120 fps is absolutely aboard and accounted for, with the addition of FHD 200 fps for easy, ultra-slow-motion photographs.
It wouldn’t be proper if we didn’t point out right here, once more, that there’s help for Apple ProRes 422 video encoding which caters to these capturing for skilled movie and tv manufacturing.
Outdoors of the prosumer Mavic sequence, there isn’t any different prosumer drone that does this. You’d have to maneuver as much as the professional-level Encourage sequence to reap the benefits of this video encoding.
Lastly, the Mavic 3 Professional has an adjustable aperture on the principle 24 mm digital camera. The aperture might be adjusted between f/2.8 to f/11 within the DJI Fly app.
That is primarily helpful for exact changes to the publicity, particularly when filming video.
When the aperture is adjusted at the side of the shutter pace, video can extra simply conform to the 180-degree rule when making an attempt to include movement blur.
In some circumstances, an ND filter should still have to be used to dial within the publicity completely.
» MORE: Finest Reasonably priced Drones with 4K Digital camera
Distant Controller Compatability
Winner: Mavic 3 Professional
As a result of the Mavic 3 Professional stays on the OcuSync 3 video transmission system, there are presently extra controller choices accessible to the Mavic 3 Professional, which embody the next:
Because the Air 3 has comparable distant controller counterparts (DJI RC 2 and DJI RC-N1), the principle differentiating issue right here can be the Mavic 3 Professional’s compatibility with the professional-level, aptly named DJI RC Professional.
From knowledgeable standpoint, the DJI RC Professional is at the moment the very best management technique for the Mavic 3 Professional as it’s a very stable and well-built, true all-in-one system.
Referring to the RC Professional as an all-in-one system is becoming due to with the ability to set up third occasion apps that can be utilized to help throughout consumer shoots, resembling gaining access to drone-specific apps like UAV Forecast, B4UFLY, and Aloft Air-Management, which allows on-the-fly LAANC authorization.
» MORE: Finest Drone Controllers
Total Efficiency
Winner: Air 3
Whereas the Mavic 3 Professional is clearly the winner with regards to the digital camera, the Air 3 surprises within the efficiency division.
This is perhaps as a result of, the place the Mavic 3 Professional makes use of the identical drone motors and airframe because the 2021 Mavic 3 sequence, the Air 3 has been redesigned from the bottom up.
The Air 3 has each sooner ascent and descent speeds at 22.36 mph over the Mavic 3 Professional at 17.89 mph and 13.42 mph respectively.
The Air 3, when in sport mode, can journey at speeds near 47 mph, which is on par with the Mavic 3 Professional. Likewise, each the Air 3 and Mavic 3 Professional can resist winds as much as 26 mph.
Along with excellent efficiency and pace, the Air 3 additionally has quieter propellers, which is because of a smaller measurement and pitch in comparison with the Mavic 3 Professional.
» MORE: Drone Motors Scorching? 5 Most-Widespread Issues (And What to Do)
Battery Life
Winner: Air 3
When out within the subject filming, minutes matter, and the Air 3’s batteries are rated at 46 minutes, whereas the Mavic 3 Professional is rated at 43 minutes.
In fact, if not flying right down to zero % on a very calm day, these ranges should not virtually achievable. Nonetheless, by fixed use of each drones, I can say the Air 3 did certainly final barely longer than the Mavic 3 Professional when flying right down to 25% on varied jobs.
The place the Air 3 actually shines, although, is just not essentially in how lengthy every battery lasts individually, however as a substitute how energy from every battery might be transferred to a different for longer battery life.
Utilizing the three-battery charging hub, whereas unplugged, press and maintain the black operate button, and the remaining energy from a number of batteries will probably be transferred to the battery with the best remaining energy.
So, as a substitute of getting three partially powered batteries, now you can have one absolutely charged, or shut to totally charged, battery to your subsequent flight, extending the quantity of capturing time considerably.
An choice like this may absolutely profit the Mavic 3 Professional!
» MORE: When Ought to You Improve Your Drone? (Learn This First)
OcuSync Model
Winner: Air 3
The Air 3 operates utilizing the upgraded OcuSync 4 (O4) video transmission system, over the Mavic 3 Professional’s O3 system.
With OcuSync 4, the video sign vary has been prolonged from the earlier 9.3 miles of the Mavic 3 Professional to 12.4 miles.
Likewise, the Air 3’s transmission is at 2.4 GHz, 5.1 GHz, and 5.8 GHz, versus the two.8 GHz and 5.8 GHz bands of the Mavic 3 Professional.
This all implies that the Air 3 has a good stronger and cleaner sign working between the drone and distant controller, which is good for each city and downtown areas.
The Mavic 3 Professional’s sign may be very robust. Nonetheless, the Air 3’s sign is a good bit stronger.
Conclusion
After two months of utilizing the Mavic 3 Professional and Air 3 commercially for repeat shoppers, I’ve to say that the Mavic 3 Professional fits the actual wants of my shoppers completely.
The digital camera on the Mavic 3 Professional gives me with absolutely the flexibility and high quality wanted to provide essentially the most skilled finish outcomes to my vastly completely different shoppers, whether or not this be pictures or movies on-line commercials.
The Air 3 is a wonderful drone, particularly for content material creators and people desirous to delve into industrial work whereas on a finances.
Nonetheless, if you’re a critical skilled needing to ship the best high quality content material and media to shoppers, the Mavic 3 Professional is the apparent alternative.
» MORE: Pilot Institute Half – 107 Industrial Drone License Course
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