The DJI Mavic 3 arrived a year ago, with an impressive 46 minutes of flight time and a telephoto lens camera capable of capturing close-up footage from afar. It also came with an expensive price tag: a downside that DJI is trying to address with a new addition to the Mavic 3 lineup called the Classic, which walks back one of the Mavic 3’s best features.
On the surface, the DJI Mavic 3 Classic is nearly indistinguishable from the original two options: the 8GB standard model and the Mavic 3 Cine (which added a 1TB SSD drive and support for capturing video to the Apple ProRES 422 codec). Fifteen minutes of extra flight time was a welcome upgrade the Mavic 3 drones had over the Mavic 2, but the inclusion of two cameras — one with a 24-millimetre prime lens and one with a telephoto — was their biggest selling point. Unfortunately, that’s what the new Mavic 3 Classic sacrificed for a price drop.
The new entry-level option includes just a single Hasselblad camera with a 20-megapixel, 4/3 CMOS sensor and 24-millimetre equivalent lens that can capture 5.1K footage at 50fps or 4K and 1080P at 60fps. It’s also got a slow motion mode that can boost 4K captures to 120fps and 1080P to 200fps. Photos are captured as 12-bit RAW files for an increased dynamic range, while video is recorded in 10-bit D-Log so there’s flexibility for grading and colour correction.
The DJI Mavic 3 Classic is also compatible with both the DJI RC remote controller, with its built-in touch screen, and the cheaper DJI RC-N1 remote controller, which requires the user to pair it with a smartphone and the DJI app for live camera previews.
The DJI Mavic 3 Classic is available for sale starting today. On its own, with some basic accessories, the Classic starts at $US1,469 ($2,039), but you’ll need to bring your own compatible controller. For those new to DJI’s drones, the Mavic 3 Classic can also be purchased bundled with the DJI RC-N1 remote controller for $US1,599 ($2,220), or the more advanced DJI RC remote controller for $US1,749 ($2,428).
For comparison, the standard DJI Mavic 3 model, which includes the DJI RC-N1 remote controller, is currently listed on DJI’s online store for $US2,049 ($2,844), so opting for the new Classic option instead will save you about $US450 ($625). If you’re a drone videographer who actually makes a living shooting with it, the added creative flexibility of that extra camera seems more than worth the $US450 ($625) premium.