DJI Launches New Mini 3 Pro Drone

[PhillyGuy72]

I wouldn't mind buying this. I still have Mavic Pro 1 since May 2018 and never had a problem with it - knock on wood. Camera is ok... but "blah" compared to the newer drones since it's release.

First drone in April 2017 I bought an Autel X-Star Premium (looked like orange Phantom 3). The reviews were pretty good with this so I gave it a shot. Camera was actually great, far better than the Mavic Pro IMO. BUT...man, it had issues. It had an annoying gimbal tilt out of the box, also the darn thing lost connection to my controller out of nowhere 3 weeks after I bought it and crashed from 20ft. (Sent it out free 3000+ miles away to WA state, 2 1/2 week turnaround to get that back, gimbal fixed also).

But ugh, had to do this a few times, it was never right. A FINAL firmware - end of life for this was released Oct 2017, what a mess that was. Gimbal tilt was horrible, plus it messed with my batteries, it would go from 45-50% life to 1% in 1/2 second...caused panic and I had to land that thing real fast! Autel did give me 4 replacement batteries which was cool...but still did not fix that % issue. Selling it...I could (the batteries may be worth more than the darn drone) It's still in it's case. Autel still has it's Evo line, but I've seen issues with this also. Their customer service seemed to take a real hit also.

 

[Saturn007]

What kind of munitions can this carry? asking for a friend...

Is that you, Calvin?! ?

Frankly, I’d prefer getting an Ingenuity!



Seriously, I would enjoy hearing what people use these for — and how they avoid invading other's people privacy, quiet, and space.

 

[toph2toast]

does anybody where I can "rent" a high quality drone like this for a day or two? I just bought a new house. It would be nice to have a drone video of my new house from the sky.

Thanks!

You can probably buy a used one for a good price as people upgrade to this drone. Just a suggestion.

 

[toph2toast]

Sounds like he got a lemon.

With almost 54+% of consumer drones sold being DJI's, another 20% being "kids drones" and the remaining 25% a mix of every other reputable manufacturer, there IS going to be more perceived failures and flyaways.

DJI take their warranty seriously though and assuming it's an aircraft failure (based on flight logs), they will most of the time replace it.

My Mini Mk1 decided to decend over the ocean, unfortunately it's dead and was way out of warranty due to the pandemic. But I'd still buy a DJI drone again in a heartbeat.


The Mini 2 is awesome.

I concur that the Mini 2 is a great first drone. I have one and after watching a couple of youtube videos, I was up and flying in no time. No prior drone experience either.

 

[brewc99]

These sub 250g drones are the key to the average user as they don't require pilot licensing or registration in many countries. I do hope they keep the mini 2 and SE around for a while as it is allows a good entry level drone

 

[bored]

Clueless here. Please explain why this is on a Mac site?

So you can take spy videos of Apple Park.

 

[Ryan0751]

The advertising about "no need to register with the FAA!", while truthful, also misleads people into thinking they can just buy one of these and fly it in the USA with no regulations.

If you are flying in the USA, you need to go to "faadronezone.faa.gov" and learn about about the regulations before you buy one of these things.

- Unless you have a Part 107 drone license, you can only fly for non-commercial purposes. If you say, use your drone footage on a YouTube channel that's monetized, then THAT is commercial purposes and you need your Part 107 - And YES, the FAA does go after people. I've seen a few travel channels where the flyers got in some hot water.
- If you truly ARE flying for non-commercial purposes, you are allowed to fly under the recreational exception. However, you still need to take a quick drone safety course (called TRUST) and carry around proof you took the test whenever you fly your drone.
- Regardless of the weight of the drone, you MUST follow all of same the FAA guidelines: No flying over 400 feet AGL, drone must remain in line of site, no flying over people, no flying at night, etc. You need to know your airspace, and if flying in an area of restricted airspace you need to obtain clearance (it's easy, via an app and LAANC).
- You still can't fly where drones are restricted, even if the drone is under 250g (no national parks, etc.).

Registering a drone over 250g is a 2-minute process. You create an account at FAA Drone Zone, put in the serial number and model of your drone, pay $5, and that's it. You then need to put the FAA number on your drone (sticker, etc).

Having a 249g drone definitely makes it safer. But you still have to follow the rules, and if you choose not to, the penalties are incredibly steep.

 

[AppleInLVX]

I think I'd have a lot of fun with something like this if I knew what I was doing. I've flown a drone only once and it was sheer disaster, though. I couldn't imagine piloting this thing over the water or a canyon, or anywhere I could lose it. There's too many variables in wind, obstacles, user error. It's still too expensive for someone to just get and use, although I guess if you wanted to try your hand, you just keep it in the back yard. But then, you never get the good stuff. This is one of those items I'd love to try, but wouldn't shell out for because I don't think it'd last long in my hands. Le sigh.

 

[mikethemartian]

Does anyone have any experience using drones for security purposes? There might be someone in my neighborhood trapping cats and dumping them elsewhere and I was wondering about the practicality of using a drone to find out what is happening.

 

[macduke]

Surprised nobody is talking about the big rumor here: this is rumored to have the same 48MP Sony sensor as the upcoming iPhone 14 Pro. So this could give us some ballpark image quality comparisons. Obviously Apple will have a superior image processing pipeline, but even so, I’m looking forward to downloading some real world photos to see how this thing does.

This would be a good story for @jclo to cover as a follow up.

 

[mikethemartian]

The advertising about "no need to register with the FAA!", while truthful, also misleads people into thinking they can just buy one of these and fly it in the USA with no regulations.

If you are flying in the USA, you need to go to "faadronezone.faa.gov" and learn about about the regulations before you buy one of these things.

- Unless you have a Part 107 drone license, you can only fly for non-commercial purposes. If you say, use your drone footage on a YouTube channel that's monetized, then THAT is commercial purposes and you need your Part 107 - And YES, the FAA does go after people. I've seen a few travel channels where the flyers got in some hot water.
- If you truly ARE flying for non-commercial purposes, you are allowed to fly under the recreational exception. However, you still need to take a quick drone safety course (called TRUST) and carry around proof you took the test whenever you fly your drone.
- Regardless of the weight of the drone, you MUST follow all of same the FAA guidelines: No flying over 400 feet AGL, drone must remain in line of site, no flying over people, no flying at night, etc. You need to know your airspace, and if flying in an area of restricted airspace you need to obtain clearance (it's easy, via an app and LAANC).
- You still can't fly where drones are restricted, even if the drone is under 250g (no national parks, etc.).

Registering a drone over 250g is a 2-minute process. You create an account at FAA Drone Zone, put in the serial number and model of your drone, pay $5, and that's it. You then need to put the FAA number on your drone (sticker, etc).

Having a 249g drone definitely makes it safer. But you still have to follow the rules, and if you choose not to, the penalties are incredibly steep.

Good info.

 

[deevey]

You can probably buy a used one for a good price as people upgrade to this drone. Just a suggestion.

While I've sold my own drones in the past, I dunno if i'd trust one owned by someone else though. Too many little things could go wrong even with a "I only flew it once" drone.

If I did buy S/H I'd want one that has a (transferable) warranty.

I think I'd have a lot of fun with something like this if I knew what I was doing. I've flown a drone only once and it was sheer disaster, though. I couldn't imagine piloting this thing over the water or a canyon, or anywhere I could lose it. There's too many variables in wind, obstacles, user error. It's still too expensive for someone to just get and use, although I guess if you wanted to try your hand, you just keep it in the back yard. But then, you never get the good stuff. This is one of those items I'd love to try, but wouldn't shell out for because I don't think it'd last long in my hands. Le sigh.

You could Pick up an el-cheapie fully manual drone like the Syma X5 for around $40 to practice with.

It'll have terrible battery life, non-existant camera, and no auto hover. But If you can learn to pilot that reasonably proficiently, flying any DJI product will feel stupid easy.

 

[centauratlas]

The link at the start:
with this anchor "Mini 3 Pro" which has this link "https://www.dji.com/dji-mini-3-pro" gives a 404 error for me on both Safari and Chrome.
This one seems to work:

DJI Mini 3 Pro - Fly Mini, Create Big - DJI

The mini-sized, mega-capable DJI Mini 3 Pro is just as powerful as it is portable. Weighing less than 249 g and with upgraded safety features, it's not only regulation-friendly, it's also the safest in its series. With a 1/1.3-inch sensor and top-tier features, it redefines what it means to fly...

www.dji.com

if you want to update the think. It seems they are doing something stupid with their URLs trying to be clever.

 

[happygodavid]

What kind of munitions can this carry? asking for a friend...

https://usdgs.com/drone-blaster-anti-drone-gun/

 

[Smoothie]

Clueless here. Please explain why this is on a Mac site?

Because Apple also sells a Mini.

 

[Ryan0751]

I think I'd have a lot of fun with something like this if I knew what I was doing. I've flown a drone only once and it was sheer disaster, though. I couldn't imagine piloting this thing over the water or a canyon, or anywhere I could lose it. There's too many variables in wind, obstacles, user error. It's still too expensive for someone to just get and use, although I guess if you wanted to try your hand, you just keep it in the back yard. But then, you never get the good stuff. This is one of those items I'd love to try, but wouldn't shell out for because I don't think it'd last long in my hands. Le sigh.

Was what you were flying a "quadcopter", by chance?

There were a bunch of these that came on the market inexpensively, and yeah, they can be VERY difficult to fly. When I was a kid (we are talking early 1990s), I flew remote control airplanes, and again, VERY difficult to fly.

Flying a DJI drone, however, it very easy!

You control where the drone goes and how fast, but the drone itself manages maintaining straight and level flight. If you just let go of the controls, the drone just stops and hovers, perfectly.

Of course you need to not do stupid things, like fly in 50mph winds. Or crash into things. But in general, they are very easy to fly. The app even starts you out in a learning mode where it teaches you what the controls do.

 

[gregohb]

I have owned several DJI drones but never again. Like all Chinese apps, they are legally required to share all info with the Chinese government. Indeed US Dept of defense bans their use. They are an army of spies in the skies sending info back home. Meanwhile, I have heard of non-Chinese people taking pictures or flying drones in China who were arrested. So apparently they are fully aware of the spying potential.

 

[gregohb]

Because Apple also sells a Mini.

Both DJI and Apple are essentially Chinese companies - DJI fully Chinese, and Apple with US headquarters but their manufacture in China, and adherence to all the police state laws of China.

 

[gregohb]

does anybody where I can "rent" a high quality drone like this for a day or two? I just bought a new house. It would be nice to have a drone video of my new house from the sky.

Thanks!

This is not a high quality drone. DJI makes a number of mid-level drones, and then some more expensive and advanced ones. I have not checked recently but they got up to $6000 for one with 8 rotors if I recall.

As for renting, when you first fly a drone, you are likely to crash it a few times. Its harder than driving a car with the various controls. You might hire someone who owns and is experienced with a drone

 

[kingtj1971]

I have owned several DJI drones but never again. Like all Chinese apps, they are legally required to share all info with the Chinese government. Indeed US Dept of defense bans their use. They are an army of spies in the skies sending info back home. Meanwhile, I have heard of non-Chinese people taking pictures or flying drones in China who were arrested. So apparently they are fully aware of the spying potential.

This is true, but at the same time? What do you think China is going to do with info gathered from your DJI drone, realistically? I mean, for the recreational and very occasional user like myself, I guess they could learn things like what condition my roof shingles are in, or what it looks like over my subdivision? Not exactly the stuff of serious military intelligence.

I'd be more concerned if I was using a drone in a commercial manner, such as for a news service. Then, you'd regularly be flying it over things that a foreign government might be interested in.

 

[gregohb]

This is true, but at the same time? What do you think China is going to do with info gathered from your DJI drone, realistically? I mean, for the recreational and very occasional user like myself, I guess they could learn things like what condition my roof shingles are in, or what it looks like over my subdivision? Not exactly the stuff of serious military intelligence.

I'd be more concerned if I was using a drone in a commercial manner, such as for a news service. Then, you'd regularly be flying it over things that a foreign government might be interested in.

They have hacked various US databases and credit agencies and they have files on every American by some reports. They have recently built a lot more nuclear missile silos in the Xinjiang desert - likely targeting us. Without a doubt they have high resolution maps for nuke targeting, and the drone footage would confirm, add detail, and give updates on that.

They probably use AI (that Google and Microsoft conveniently provided them) to do something like Waze does - collecting mass information and synthesizing it. Suppose the US navy was mobilizing the fleet in San Diego, and all this drone footage shows traffic flow changes, parking lots full, ship travel, docks, etc.

They could correlate the drone owner with his/her job, and geolocate you - to know you are on vacation or whatever.

This is somewhat unrelated, but they were collecting the DNA from pregnancy tests of EU women, apparently some effort at creating a bioweapon that would target Europeans but not affect their own people. So who knows what devious uses might be at play.

At this stage with their increasingly shrill war threats against us, we need to buy from non-hostile countries when possible.

 

[fricotin]

This weights 0.55 pounds?

Correct.

 

[spicynujac]

you still need to take a quick drone safety course (called TRUST) and carry around proof you took the test whenever you fly your drone.

I have been flying for a couple of years and never heard of this. I looked it up and indeed it's true: A new requirement as of a few months ago. I bet most drone pilots are unaware of this.

My take on drones for anyone curious: The majority of people buy them, use them a lot for 6 months, then they sit on a shelf. So be sure you really want one before spending $1,000 on a toy. You could buy a used one to try it out, but you should buy a new battery. The batteries deteriorate with each use (the drone pilot class I took said you take about a $2 hit every time you fly) and it could be unsafe to fly with a used battery that you don't know the history of.

DJI and Autel make the best drones. There may be others, but the software controlling the autopilot is a bit difficult to make so the larger companies are safer bets.

A good first drone would be this one. You could buy a cheap $100 one--that will actually make you a better pilot. The more advanced drones like this one will hover perfectly still in the air, and have GPS radios which can return them home automatically if signal or battery power is weak. The cheaper ones are fully manual and are a challenge just to hover in place, much less fly.

There is a drone pilot's license, but most will not need it. The biggest complaint with the license is it has an expiration date, so I haven't gotten one. It does allow you to fly at night but otherwise practically speaking it has never prevented me from flying anywhere I wanted to.

Yes you are not supposed to fly over 400 feet, but if you go way out in the country and fly super high, you will discover the ground looks incredibly similar from 200-800 feet, so this is not really a limitation. It's kind of like SCUBA diving -- the biggest differences by far are within the first 50 feet.

I am a photographer, so need a minimum 1" sensor (What the heck does a 1 / 1.3" sensor even mean? What is this bizarre combination of fractions with decimals?? Give us the size in mm please!) and I went with the Autel Evo Pro II but this is an expensive machine. Autel and DJI are very similar, though Autel doesn't restrict where you can fly with software-enforced "no fly zones" or height limits, though they are being pressured to do so.

The era of the drones has already peaked in my opinion. The early adopters misused them, which led to things like their universal banning in national parks. It's sort of a catch-22 that now that we have gotten advanced drones with really nice cameras, you can no longer take them many of the places you would like to. I packed mine on a cross country trip last year and did not use it a single time, since every location I was motivated to use it was in a prohibited area.

There are a lot of misconceptions with the rules and it's a shame this wasn't handled better, but now we ended up with this system of restrictions and having to register a drone above 250 grams, and prohibited areas.

By the way, no one owns airspace above their property; it is a public good administered by the FAA. So when your drone use is 'prohibited' somewhere, that refers to taking off and landing from their property. You can even legally fly your drone over a national park, as long as you are not piloting from inside the national park (my drone instructor was a bit weird, and did this in front of a park ranger just to show off he knew the rules).

I guess it's good people are being required to learn the rules now, but it's a bit late to the party. As I said, drones have already peaked in their adoption and usefulness, but hey, they are still a fun toy, even just for playing around with at home or the park.

The best thing to do is to take a drone pilots training class--mine was a 2 day class which let us fly a variety of drones from many manufacturers and price ranges, you can see and compare the features of each, and get some basic hands on practice flying, as well as going over the rules. They are probably tied in with that new training certificate now, I would guess, but if not, I strongly recommend the pilot class anyway.

My plan was always to use them abroad in some foreign countries with fewer restrictions (picture flying down a remote beach in southern Brazil) and hopefully the covid restrictions on international travel will be lifted soon...

 

[Mcsnee]

What is a good first drone for somebody? I have a 4 acres and have been thinking about getting one for awhile now.

I bought a mini 2 as a first drone, and it's a great little machine (and I bet it will be cheaper after this one becomes available). The drone and remote pack down into a purse-sized bag. It's intuitive, takes good pictures and movies, and is a lot of fun to fly--plus, like the Mini 3 discussed here, it's 249 grams and therefore doesn't need the FAA registration. Battery life is about half an hour per battery, so you might want to get the package with extra batteries if you plan to do lots of long shoots.

 

[fel10]

And I’m just here still rocking my Mavic Pro from 2016