DJI Air 3: our full review

The DJI Air 3 is the latest addition to DJI’s “Air” range and replaces the Air 2S, a model popular with both pilots and content creators. Notably, it features a dual-camera system, similar to DJI’s high-end Mavic 3. What are its other new features? What is it really worth? And above all, is it the right drone for you? All the answers in this article.

DJI Air 3: design and radio controls

A new design

Weight	720g
Dimensions (folded, without propellers) (L x W x H)	207 x 100.5 x 91.1 mm
Dimensions (unfolded, without propellers) (L x W x H)	258.8 x 326 x 105.8 mm

The first thing you notice is that the DJI Air 3 is larger and heavier than its predecessor, the DJI Air 2S. This new edition measures 258.8 x 326 x 105.8 mm when unfolded, and weighs 720 grams (compared with 595g for the Air 2S, i.e. 125g more). The Air 3 therefore falls between the Air 2S and the Mavic 3 in terms of size, and we lose a little in ease of transport.

Aesthetically, the DJI Air 3 is now closer to the Mavic 3. But the most striking new feature is on the front of the drone: a dual-camera setup, as on the first Mavic 3. It therefore features a wide-angle lens along with a telephoto lens positioned above it, a point that will be detailed later in the image section.

Finally, another new design feature borrowed from the Mavic 3 is the battery. It slides and clips directly into the drone from the rear, without a cover.

Two new radio controls

Compatible radio controls	DJI RC-N2 DJ RC 2
Video transmission system	O4
Operating frequencies	2.4 GHz 5.1 GHz 5.8 GHz
Max. transmission distance	FCC: 20 km CE: 10 km

The Air 3 doesn’t come alone: its release is accompanied by not one, buttwo new radio controls:

• the DJI RC-N2, without display, which is in fact an update of the DJI RC-N1.
• the DJI RC 2, with screen, a new version of the DJI RC, introduced with the Mini 3 Pro.

The main novelty of these two new radio controllers is that they incorporate DJI’s new video transmission protocol, OcySync 4, or O4 for those in the know.

This new protocol adds an extra frequency band in Europe, the 5.1 GHz frequency (in addition to the 2.4 GHz and 5.8 GHz frequencies), and is also accompanied by an increase in the number of transmitting and receiving antennas. Result: 2km more theoretical maximum range, i.e. 20 km FCC and 10 km CE.

The DJI RC-N2 looks just like its predecessor, the DJI RC-N1. The main change is the integration of the new O4 transmission protocol.

The DJI RC 2, on the other hand, has evolved slightly in physical terms, the main new feature being the addition of two external folding antennas located on the top edge.

Regarding transmission, available tests and user feedback do not report signal dropouts under typical usage conditions.

🚨 Regulatory note
With a weight of less than 900 grams, the DJI Air 3 is classified C1 in Europe. With this classification, the flight is operated in sub-category A1: overflight of dwellings, commercial, industrial or recreational areas is authorized, but overflight of people is prohibited (unless it is involuntary and stopped immediately). When following a subject, the drone must not fly more than 50 meters from the pilot.

DJI Air 3: battery and autonomy

Batteries	4241 mAh Li-ion 4S
Battery weight	267 g
Max. flight time	46 minutes
Max. hovering time	42 minutes
Recharge time	65W charger: approx. 80 minutes Charging station + 100W adapter: approx. 60 minutes

Like the drone itself, the battery has grown in size. At 267 grams on the scale, it alone accounts for over a third of the Air 3’s total weight.

This does have its advantages, however, since with the new battery the DJI Air 3 offers an impressive maximum flight time of 46 minutes. This is a big improvement on the Air 2S, which has a flight time of 31 minutes. This remains a theoretical figure, but available measurements and feedback often report flight times close to 40 minutes, typically between 35 and 40 minutes.

Charging time is 1h20 minutes with the 65W charger, and around one hour with the three-battery charging station supplied with the Fly More pack, combined with the 100W mains adapter.

As for the charging station, we’ve found it to be well worth the money. Intelligent, it will charge the batteries one after the other, prioritizing the most charged battery in order to obtain a 100% operational battery as quickly as possible, thus offering the longest possible flight time. But it can also recharge the most heavily charged battery directly with energy from the other two, without having to plug the whole thing into the mains. Quite ingenious.

DJI Air 3: in flight

Flight performance

Maximum speed	21 m/s (limited to 19 m/s in Europe)
Max. ascent speed	10 m/s
Max. descent speed	10 m/s
Max. wind resistance	12 m/s (level 6)

It’s been a habit with DJI for some time now, and the Air 3 is no exception: it handles very well in flight.

There are still 3 flight modes available: Normal mode, the slower Cine mode for more precise maneuvers and optimized image capture, and Sport mode, where you can push the drone to the limit.

The DJI Air 3 can reach a top speed of 21 m/s (75.6 km/h) in Sport mode, but if you live in Europe, please note that this speed will be limited to 19 m/s (68.4 km/h) by law.

Finally, its wind resistance is 12 m/s (approx. 43 km/h), i.e. level 6 winds. While the drones in the DJI Mini range, despite their light weight, manage to remain very stable in flight, the Air 3 pushes the bar even higher, thanks to its heavier weight and wider wingspan. Available tests and feedback indicate that the DJI Air 3 maintains very good stability, even in gusts close to its stated maximum wind resistance.

Security

Obstacle sensors

Omnidirectional detection system + infrared sensor under the drone

This is one of the big new features of the latest addition to the DJI Air range: the Air 3 now incorporates an omnidirectional detection system, capable of detecting obstacles in all directions. Another improvement borrowed from the Mavic 3 that will reassure many users.

These sensors can be used in conjunction with the APAS 5.0 system , which enables the drone to avoid obstacles autonomously. When this function is activated, Air 3 can brake and avoid obstacles detected in its path. Although not always very fluid, this system works very well and can save your drone in certain situations.

Obstacle sensors will also be used for the advanced RTH automatic return-to-start function. Activated in the event of signal cut-off, low battery, or manually by the pilot, this function will return your drone to the take-off point while ensuring it doesn’t hit any obstacles in its path.

Last but not least, the DJI Air 3 also features the AirSense system, which warns of nearby airplanes and helicopters.

Automatic flight modes

Once again, the DJI Air 3 is a clear step up from the Mavic 3, offering a host of new autonomous flight functions for our enjoyment.

For starters, the Air 3 incorporates the FocusTrack subject tracking suite, which enables you to follow a moving target, such as a car, motorcycle or yourself hurtling down a ski slope. This suite integrates 3 modes: Spotlight 2.0, where the drone is manually piloted and keeps the subject in the center, ActiveTrack 5.0, in which the drone will follow the subject at a set distance and angle, and Point of Interest 3.0, in which the drone will fly in orbit around the subject.

Available on the Air series for the first time, Waypoint lets you program point-by-point flights. These circuits can even be stored in the application’s memory for replay at different times of the day or year.

Finally, introduced with the Mavic 3, Cruise Control works like a speed regulator: it maintains a constant trajectory and speed to ensure smooth, jerk-free motion while making it easier to focus on framing.

DJI Air 3: cameras and image quality

Wide-angle camera	CMOS 1/1.3 inch 48 MP 24 mm equivalent, FOV 82°, Aperture f/1.7
Medium telecamera	CMOS 1/1.3 inch 48 MP 70 mm equivalent, FOV 35°, Aperture f/2.8
Max. image size	8064 x 6048
Photo resolution	12 MP and 48 MP
Max. video resolution	4K up to 100 fps FHD up to 200 fps 2.7K vertical pickup up to 60 fps FHD vertical pickup up to 60 fps
ISO range	100 to 6400 (Photo, Normal Video and Slow Motion) 800 to 12800 (Night Video)
Photo format	JPEG DNG (RAW)
Video format	MP4 (MPEG-4 AVC/H.264, HEVC/H.265)
Max. bit rate	150 Mb/s
Color profile	Normal (8 bits) HLG (10 bits) D-Log M (10 bits)
Digital Zoom	Wide-angle camera: 1x to 3x Medium-angle telecamera: 3x to 9x

The camera, or rather THE cameras

The DJI Air 3 is equipped with a dual-lens nacelle, like the Mavic 3 (yes, him again 😁 ). The two sensors, which are the same size (1/1.3 inch), are as follows:

• the wide-angle main camera, with a lens equivalent to 24 mm, an f/1.7 aperture and an 82-degree field of view.
• the telecamera, with a 70 mm lens, f/2.8 aperture and 35-degree field of view.

Both cameras offer a choice of 12 MP or 48 MP photo resolution, as well as the same video resolutions, namely 4K up to 100 fps and FHD up to 200 fps. It’s also important to note that the various settings are all available on both sensors: resolutions, image formats, ISO range and color profiles.

For digital zoom, the main lens can zoom from 1 to 3 times, and the telecamera will take over, zooming from 3 to 9 times.

Is this second lens really useful? You’ll tell us it’s useless, you just have to get closer. That’s not entirely untrue. But at the same time, to get the same framing, you’ll need to get much closer to the drone than you would with a telephoto lens. And in some cases, it can be really practical to keep your distance, for example when filming a crowd without risk (remember, flying over people is forbidden in Europe), or a no-fly zone.

What’s more, this second sensor offers even more creative possibilities. You’ll be able to achieve very different effects than with the main camera, such as compressing the perspective of a scene by bringing elements located at different distances closer together.

Photo/video features

On the photo side, there are the classic modes: Single Shot, Interval, Burst, Automatic Exposure Bracketing (AEB) and the three Panorama modes (Sphere, 180° and Wide-Angle). All these modes are available on both 12 MP and 48 MP sensors.

On the video side, there’s a full panoply of modes for all types of creations: Timelapse, Hyperlapse, the famous QuickShots automated flight modes (Rocket, Dronie, Circle, Spiral, Boomerang and Asteroid), and Mastershots, which generates small, original cinematographic sequences to music, ready to post on networks without having to edit.

Note that all these modes are available in 4K at up to 100 frames per second, and in Full HD at up to 200 frames per second, which will also make for some very nice slow-motion shots.

We also feature the Night mode already present on the Mavic 3, which optimizes sequences in low-light conditions by increasing the ISO range. This mode is available up to 4K at 30 frames per second.

The HDR function has also been added: it optimizes captures by superimposing several different exposures to retain maximum detail in both shadows and highlights, resulting in brighter images without any retouching.

If you’ve taken a look at the technical specifications table, you’ll also have noticed the presence of the ” vertical plug “. The latter, available in 2.7K and Full HD up to 60 fps, achieves a 9:16 aspect ratio by cutting the image vertically. Handy for those who like to post on social networks that use this format, such as TikTok. The 2.7K is more than adequate for this type of publication.

Last but not least, QuickTransfer mode is also present, for fast transfer of your photo and video files to your smartphone.

Image quality

If you’re familiar with the DJI Air 2S, the Air 3’s predecessor, you’ll have noticed that DJI has decided to abandon the Air 2S’s 1-inch sensor for these two new 1/1.3-inch sensors, the same size as the Mini 3 Pro.

Does this mean we’re taking a step backwards? Well, apparently size doesn’t always matter, because although the Air 3’s sensors are smaller, DJI has found a way to optimize them, and image quality is better than on the Air 2S: sharper rendering, better dynamic range, more detail in shadows and highlights.

As previously detailed, the new dual-camera system provides greater creative possibilities. Another advantage is that both sensors have the same resolutions, frame rates and color profiles (Normal, HLG and D-Log M), so the same settings can be made on both lenses, making it easy to assemble shots taken with both lenses.

Note, however, that both lenses have a fixed aperture, with no variable aperture on the main lens, unlike the Mavic 3, for example. No problem if you’re taking photos, but if you’re filming, you won’t be able to adjust the aperture, so it’s a good idea to buy ND filters to compensate for this and adapt to changing light conditions, for example if you’re filming at sunrise or sunset.

Another point to note: due to its different aperture, the secondary lens is slightly less light-sensitive than the main lens. So you’ll have to play around with the settings or ND filters to get the same brightness in certain situations.

DJI Air 3: price

Standard pack with DJI RC-N2 remote control	879€	See on Amazon
Fly More pack with DJI RC-N2 remote control	1079€	See on Amazon
Fly More pack with DJI RC 2 remote control	1239€	See on Amazon

The DJI Air 3 is available from the DJI online store from €879.

DJI offers the beast in 3 different versions:

• standard pack with DJI RC-N2 radio control for €1099
• Fly More package with DJI RC-N2 radio control for €1,349
• Fly More pack with DJI RC 2 radio control for €1549

In addition to the drone and radio control system, the basic package includes a battery, 3 pairs of propellers, a nacelle cover and various charging and data transmission cables.

Fly More packs add 2 batteries and 3 additional pairs of propellers (i.e. 3 batteries and 6 pairs of propellers in total), a charging station and a shoulder bag.

The highlight of the more expensive Fly More package is, of course, the DJI RC 2 remote control with display, which is also available separately for €369.

DJI Air 3 conclusion: should you buy it?

The DJI Air 3 is heavier than its predecessor, but incorporates a whole host of new features that make it a much more complete drone for designers, as well as being safer in flight.

New transmission system, omnidirectional detection system, dual lens, greatly extended autonomy and numerous new automatic flight modes… Of course, its price has also gone up, but the DJI Air 3 is more than just an evolution of the Air 2S, it’s more like a mini Mavic 3, at a much more affordable price.

Buy it if…

… you want to buy the Mavic 3 but it’s out of your budget. With all its new features and dual cameras, the DJI Air 3 is a true mini Mavic 3, with image quality not quite as good, but at a much better price, and in a more compact format.

Don’t buy it if…

… you want a drone that’s easier to transport. For a drone in the DJI “Air” range, the Air 3 is heavier and bulkier than the previous generation, and this can be felt in the backpack. In that case, it might be wiser to opt for the Air 2S, or even a DJI Mini. Similarly, if the price is a little high for you, or you don’t need all the features of the Air 3, a drone from the Mini range or an Air 2S will do the trick.

💡 See also..:
➡️ Our full review of the DJI Air 2S
➡️ Our full review of the DJI Mavic 3

🛠️ For maintenance and repairs, you can find all compatible spare parts:
* DJI Air 3 Spare Parts