DJI yesterday unveiled its new Air 3 drone, equipped with a dual primary camera system, with the model retailing for a starting price of 6,988 yuan (US$977).
Air 3 boasts the first dual-primary camera system of the Air series, embedding a 1/1.3-inch-CMOS wide-angle camera and a 1/1.3-inch-CMOS 3x medium tele camera in a sleek and compact body.
The two cameras have the same sensor size but different focal lengths, delivering consistent image quality and more dynamic imaging possibilities.
Both cameras also support 10-bit D-Log M and 10-bit HLG color modes. 10-bit D-Log M mode helps retain more highlight and shadow details for increased flexibility when editing. 10-bit HLG mode can present a higher dynamic range, achieving excellent imaging results without color grading.
All photos courtesy of DJI
And the 3x medium tele camera achieves lossless 3x optical zoom for spatial compression that provides a unique perspective of any subject.
Air 3 offers up to 46 minutes of flight time, an increase of 48 compared to the previous generation.
This provides plenty of time to explore, adjust compositions, and get the shots you want, all during a single flight.
The new battery charging hub supports an innovative power transfer function. The user needs only to press and hold the function button to transfer the remaining power from multiple batteries to the battery with the highest remaining power.
This function provides a more fully charged battery in situations where charging options are limited.
According to DJI’s official website, Air 3 is also the first member of the Air family to come with an omnidirectional sensing system.
This component enables comprehensive environmental awareness, allowing Air 3 to detect obstacles in all directions.
When obstacles are detected, Air 3 can use DJI’s APAS 5.0 (Advanced Pilot Assistance System 5.0) to perform smoother avoidance movements for a safer overall flight experience.
The next-gen O4 HD video transmission system empowers Air 3 with dramatically enhanced transmission performance. It provides a max range of 20 km with increased stability, and a 1080p/60fps max-quality live feed to ensure ultra-smooth viewing and operating.
Air 3 supports 2.7K vertical shooting with both cameras, giving vertical footage a superbly dynamic look when capturing landscapes or subjects.
Two 4:3-aspect-ratio CMOS sensors provide enough space for vertical crops that maintain a 2.7K resolution and are optimized for smartphone viewing. This means images are ready to share on social media without any cropping needed in post.
For the first time ever, the Waypoint Flight feature is now available on the Air series. This features can plan flight routes and shooting actions for Air 3 in advance to achieve difficult camera movements and stunning one-takes.
The user can also save flight routes to repeat the same movement with precision at a later time or date, opening the door to long-duration timelapse shots that capture transitions like day to night or season to season, according to DJI.
Besides, DJI users are able to connect to Air 3 wirelessly via the LightCut app on their smartphones for expanded creative options such as One-Tap Edit.
There is no need to download all the footage during the process, which helps save storage space on mobile devices.
DJI Air 3 also comes with a new remote controller, namely, RC-N2 and RC 2, respectively. RC 2 has a built-in 5.5-inch FHD screen and uses a powerful processor along with the new O4 HD video transmission system for seamless and convenient flight.
More details of DJI Air 3 can be accessed via the company’s website.
