'ZDNET Recommends': What exactly does it mean?
ZDNET's recommendations are based on many hours of testing, research, and comparison shopping. We gather data from the best available sources, including vendor and retailer listings as well as other relevant and independent reviews sites. And we pore over customer reviews to find out what matters to real people who already own and use the products and services we’re assessing.
When you click through from our site to a retailer and buy a product or service, we may earn affiliate commissions. This helps support our work, but does not affect what we cover or how, and it does not affect the price you pay. Neither ZDNET nor the author are compensated for these independent reviews. Indeed, we follow strict guidelines that ensure our editorial content is never influenced by advertisers.
ZDNET's editorial team writes on behalf of you, our reader. Our goal is to deliver the most accurate information and the most knowledgeable advice possible in order to help you make smarter buying decisions on tech gear and a wide array of products and services. Our editors thoroughly review and fact-check every article to ensure that our content meets the highest standards. If we have made an error or published misleading information, we will correct or clarify the article. If you see inaccuracies in our content, please report the mistake via this form.
DJI Mini 3 Pro first impressions: A tiny, quiet, flying camera wrapped around a battery
DJI has finally released the Mini 3 Pro. After weeks of mockups and leaks, there wasn't much that we didn't know about this sub-250g drone.
I've had the drone for a few hours, so what follows are my first impressions of the Mini 3 Pro. Once I have a dozen or so hours of flight time under my belt with this new craft, I'll post a more detailed review that looks at the flight characteristics as well as the quality of the new camera.
DJI Mini 3 Pro tech specs
- Sub-249g
- 1/1.3-inch sensor
- Aperture: f/1.7
- Up to 4K/60fps videos and 4K/30fps HDR videos
- 48MP JPEG/DNG (RAW) photos
- 34-min max flight time (windless conditions)
- Up to 12km 1080p/30fps video transmission
- Forward/backward/downward tri-directional dual-vision obstacle sensing system
- Advanced Pilot Assistance Systems 4.0 (APAS)
- FocusTrack: ActiveTrack 4.0
- FocusTrack: Point of Interest 3.0
- FocusTrack: Spotlight 2.0
- MasterShots
- Timelapse
- True Vertical Shooting
The first thing I noticed about the Mini 3 Pro is the weight. It's really close to that 250g mark. So close that I don't think you can even add a strobe to it without taking it over that weight. This is not a problem in the US, but in territories where that sub-250g category allows for much more flying freedoms and going beyond that weight could result in regulatory headaches, it's something to note.
The Mini 3 Pro is bigger and bulkier than the Mini 2, but retains the same quality feel. Even though modern drones are made of lightweight plastic, the Mini 3 Pro doesn't feel like lightweight plastic. There's a quality, premium feel to the drone that sub-250g drones from other companies just don't have.
The front/rear obstacle avoidance sensors add to the bulk of the drone, and to be able to fit this tech into a sub-250g package, DJI had to shave weight off the drone somehow.
But it's hard to see where this was done.
This is a superbly made product.
The batteries snap into the body with a very positive click and don't feel like they are going to fall out accidentally in mid-flight. Like the Mavic 3, the Mini 3 Pro doesn't have a battery door, which reduces weight and also means fewer bits to break off.
Also: DJI Mavic 3: The very best drone for 2022
In a change from previous foldable drones from DJI, the Mini 3 Pro doesn't have legs built on to the arms, but instead has feet built on to the belly of the fuselage. I'm curious to see if this improves wind resistance or makes takeoff and landing on rough terrain easier.
Time will tell.
Here are a few things I've noticed from my short time with the Mini 3 Pro.
- It gets really hot, really fast. As in too hot to hold comfortably. I'm assuming that, when it's flying, the moving air is cooling it down, but when grounded and doing things like updating, this thing pumps out a lot of heat.
- It's also the quietest DJI drone I've flown. I'm not really that bothered by sound, but the quieter a drone is, the less attention it attracts. For people who like to fly without drawing attention to themselves, this could be a nice bonus.
- The gimbal cover is the easiest and quickest to snap off and on that I've come across. This pleases me, and is going to save a lot of frustration when I'm trying to pack up the drone in a hurry.
The Mini 3 Pro with RC controller
The package I have for testing is the Mini 3 Pro with the RC controller (more on this controller in the future).
Mini 3 Pro Fly More combo
I also have the Fly More kit... more on this in a future review.
DJI Mini 3 Pro in folded configuration
Cooling vents on the back of the DJI Mini 3 Pro
Front sensors and gimbal covering the camera on the DJI Mini 3 Pro
Side view of the DJI Mini 3 Pro
The DJI Mini 3 Pro rests on its belly as opposed to on legs off the arms -- a novel design
The DJI Mini 3 Pro battery
The battery compartment. The Mini 3 Pro is essentially a flying camera wrapped around a battery
DJI Mini 3 Pro with RC controller
A couple of questions I want to answer about the Mini 3 Pro over the coming weeks are, well, first, what makes this "Pro" (price aside)? Secondly, is this a replacement for the Mini 2 or is it a different product line?
I have my thoughts, but it is too early to share them right now. I need more flight time.
The Mini 3 Pro comes in three bundles -- the Mini 3 Pro featuring the standard controller for $759, the Mini 3 Pro featuring the new DJI RC controller for $909, and the Mini 3 Pro drone with no controller for $669.
The Mini 3 Pro Fly More kit, which adds two extra batteries, a charger, spare props, and a few other bits, costs an additional $189.