Recently the DJI Mini 3 Pro has shown up in a new video and several photos online. It is likely to offer substantial upgrades over the non-Pro variant including a larger battery, and an obstacle avoidance sensor among others.
Drone maker DJI has changed the name from what we would expect, i.e. DJI Mini 3, to DJI Mini Pro. When you take a closer look at this DJI mini drone you will understand why.
The name DJI Mini Pro is prominently displayed on the left, front arm of the drone.DJI Mini 3 Pro has a 3-axis gimbal
One of the major changes is that the DJI Mini 3 Pro features a 3-axis mechanical gimbal for jitter-free and smooth video footage. A major improvement when compared wit the previous two versions that did not have such a gimbal.
The camera on the DJI Mini 3 Pro has a maximum aperture of f/1.7 for better low-light performance when taking photo or shooting aerial video.
The camera and gimbal are very well protected on the left and right side by extensions of the drone body.
There is a cut-out above the camera indicating that the camera on the DJI Mini 3 might be able to look up as well. This allows for some creative photos and video angles but also makes the drone suitable for inspection work.
We expect that both the photo and video recording capabilities of the DJI Mini 3 Pro will be significantly better than the outgoing model.
Obstacle-avoidance sensors on the DJI Mini 3 Pro
The DJI Mini 3 Pro has two forward-facing obstacle avoidance sensors to help the drone pilot stay out of trouble. This is a first for the DJI Mini series of drones. There are two additional sensors on the bottom to help with precision landing of the drone.
DJI Mini 3 Pro weighs less than 250 grams
There’s also the weight of this leaked drone. Like all of its ‘Mini’ predecessors, this Mini 3 weighs in at just 249g, putting it below the 250g limit many legislative bodies have put in place around the world as the starting weight at which you have to register your drone with the local flight authorities.
Overall, it is really impressive that DJI was able to add obstacle-avoidance sensors, and a 3-axis gimbal to such a small drone AND keep the weight below 250 grams. I wonder where the weight-savings have come from.
The battery is the heaviest components of the drone. If that is where the weight-savings have come from, than hopefully the flight time is not negatively impacted too much. I guess we will soon find out.
DJI Mini 3 Pro release soon?
The drone is these photos and video was apparently activated on March 4th according to DealsDrone, which seems to indicate that a launch cannot be far away anymore.
Talking about the pricing, it remains a mystery whether or not DJI will take up an expensive price tag or stick to the entry-level pricing.
We haven’t heard yet from DJI but I would not be surprised if we see the DJI Mini 3 Pro come to the market this month still. Fingers crossed!
Are you excited about the yet-to-be-released DJI Mini 3 Pro? Do you think DJI has maxed out what is possible in the sub-250-gram with this iteration? What features do you think are most important for the DJI Mini 3 Pro? Would you sacrifice obstacle-avoidance sensors over photo and video quality? I know I would. Let us know what your thoughts are in the comments below.
In the meantime, to keep you busy, have a look at our existing DJI drone reviews.
