DJI Air 3S Digital camera Drone Is Insane

The digicam drone I’ve been completely utilizing for the previous six months is the DJI Air 3S. Since its launch, I’ve reviewed a few others right here on the channel, just like the Neo and the Flip. Though these drones are in a totally totally different class from what the Air 3S presents, I’ve additionally used others just like the Mavic 3 Professional and the Encourage 3 on particular tasks that required these plane and their cameras. Nevertheless, the Air 3S has been the drone I’ve used for many of my travels, private tasks, and shopper work when I’ve a say within the drone I can fly. After six months, this factor continues to be a beast.

There are a lot of causes this camer drone has develop into my favourite: lengthy flight time, quick high pace, one of the best and latest impediment avoidance expertise, and a robust transmission system. I’ve actually come to love utilizing the RC2, however by far, my favourite factor about this drone is the digicam.

Capturing Michigan’s Winter Magnificence

Lately, I took a highway journey to the Higher Peninsula of Michigan. It was a approach for me to unplug and reset due to how distant the realm was, however I needed to pull out a drone for some images and movies of the snowy panorama and snowmobile adventures. A particular spot I needed to fly was Taquamenon Falls, as Michigan permits drone flights in state parks underneath sure parameters. I used the chance of an empty park to take nonetheless photos of the falls as they froze over. This particular angle was enjoyable to play with; the elevated perspective makes for an ideal shot of my buddy Alex with the decrease falls proper behind him. The realm the place he stood was all ice, a few ft previous the railing you’d often stand behind to view the falls throughout spring or summer season. Because of the snow and chilly temperatures, there was a thick layer of ice you could possibly stroll on to get even nearer to the falls. After all, I needed to replicate the identical shot with a photograph of myself.

Enhancing Air 3S Photographs

Now, I briefly wish to convey you to my desktop to interrupt down some photos I’ve taken with the Air 3S, beginning with the one I simply talked about—me on the snowbank. That is the place I begin to nerd out. After I get all of the information into Lightroom and start enhancing, the very first thing I discover is how nice the dynamic vary is. This complete scene is just about backlit; the bushes don’t have any solar hitting them, and you may inform the solar is hitting my again as the principle topic, with the shadow coming down towards the entrance of the picture. Every little thing is backlit, but the dynamic vary holds this picture collectively. After all, that is edited, but when we present the unique, there’s nonetheless a variety of element to play with.

This can be a 50-megapixel picture, and if we zoom in on my face, you possibly can see all of the element in my eyebrows, eyes, facial hair, blemishes like freckles, and the snow on my hat. You possibly can completely learn “CCM Hockey.” I sat right here for a few minutes, zooming out and in on my face, marveling on the readability of this digicam. Readability, dynamic vary—every little thing is off the charts. I used to be actually proud of lots of the pictures I took at Taquamenon Falls. It was a tough scene to seize because of the publicity variations and the brightness of the snow, however I nonetheless walked away with what I consider are nice images.

Extra Beautiful Pictures

Shifting on, I’ve a few different images to share, like some I grabbed at Lengthy Seashore Island with the 3x digicam. Simply wow—there’s a lot nice coloration on this picture. The “earlier than” seemed okay—a typical uncooked {photograph}—however when you possibly can push and pull and edit the picture to convey out its finest, that’s the place you mark what an excellent digicam is. I’ve acquired different nice pictures from Streamsong, the place I performed some golf. One picture become a panorama; I acquired three particular person photos of the center part and, with 50 megapixels, created a pleasant panorama for my social media. There’s a lot element and readability to play with—you could possibly zoom in on the again constructing and nonetheless see particular person tables and golf carts.

I additionally talked about some images I took in Utah of the flag; these turned out nice too. One other throwback is among the first photos I took with the Air 3S—of the Ferris wheel at Wonderland in Ocean Metropolis, which is sadly being torn down. This can be a impartial scene that may be simple to {photograph} with any drone. Nevertheless, utilizing the 3x digicam compressed the picture, so you have got the entire Wonderland Pier within the entrance and the Ferris wheel within the background. With the 1x digicam, the Ferris wheel appears a lot farther again. It’s cool to compress the picture, get some water within the scene, showcase the pier, boardwalk, and the large Ferris wheel. Total, 10 out of 10—this digicam is a pleasure to shoot with, and I really like enhancing the information.

Video Capabilities of the Air 3S Digital camera Drone

On the video facet, one in every of my favourite tasks with the Air 3S digicam was a collaboration with the Weber County Search and Rescue crew in Utah. They hung the world’s largest free-hanging American flag between two mountains for Veterans Day—one of the crucial epic sights I’ve seen. In case you haven’t seen that full video, go watch it; the story behind why they cling this flag and the way it’s completed is spectacular. This was a drone-heavy mission, and the Air 3S was one of the simplest ways to seize the flag and everybody concerned. With the solar low behind the mountains, one facet of the canyon acquired no solar, posing a problem for the digicam’s dynamic vary. However I used to be proud of the pictures—the colours and readability are nice, and the Air 3S’s advantages made this video a pleasure to create.

I’ve additionally used this drone for vertical-oriented tasks. Although it doesn’t have a digicam and gimbal just like the Mini 4 Professional that rotates vertically for true portrait images or movies, it provides a 2.7K crop from the center of the sensor. This supplies extra room on the highest and backside due to the 4:3 picture it captures, chopping off the edges for a higher-resolution vertical output than if you happen to shot in 4K and cropped the edges in put up. Most of those clips have been for my Instagram web page—issues like a giant snowstorm in Philly or the devastating airplane crash in Northeast Philadelphia. An Air Jet had points after takeoff and crashed into the bottom, inflicting unimaginable harm. It occurred in a single day, so I went out early throughout golden hour, and the colours and dynamic vary held collectively properly.

Chasing Sunsets and Fall Colours

I’ve chased many sunsets down the shore with this digicam drone. Generally, until you have got a loopy sundown filling the sky, it could actually look underwhelming with the large digicam as a result of it captures an excessive amount of panorama. However flipping to the medium telephoto lens—the 3x 70mm digicam—makes it look approach higher than it truly is. Every little thing about these clips appears good: the colours, distinction, readability, and element. Taking pictures 4K at 60 FPS, I used to be pleased to have the Air 3S for these pictures—it dealt with the heavy wind off the ocean effectively. That is additionally the drone I took to New Brunswick and Maine to chase fall colours on the finish of 2024. I shared a lot of these photos in my preliminary Assessment video of this drone. I gained’t share all of them once more, however I uploaded some as take a look at information so that you can obtain from that video. I’ll repost the hyperlink under—examine them out in your laptop. You’ll be happy with the pictures as you edit them; the readability, distinction, and latitude to regulate publicity and colours make these information a pleasure to edit, whether or not you’re a photographer or videographer.

Why the Air 3S Stands Out

I may gush concerning the Air 3S’s digicam for hours and share extra picture and video examples from current private journey and shopper tasks, however I feel you get the purpose. The {hardware} is nice, the picture processing pipeline is top-notch, and it’s the latest and finest software program DJI has put into their drones. You in all probability know from working with the information—whether or not from my take a look at information or if you happen to personal this drone—that there’s a lot flexibility to edit the pictures, whether or not images or movies. The colours, readability, picture high quality, and dynamic vary—every little thing about this digicam is nice.

Right here’s the factor: the digicam on a drone is just nearly as good because the airframe that carries it. On this case, the Air 3S is one of the best flying digicam drone DJI has made up to now—higher than the Mavic 3 Professional and Encourage 3, and I stand firmly behind that take. After I first acquired the Air 3S, I put it by way of a heavy comparability in opposition to the Mavic 3 Professional. For a full day, I flew each drones back-to-back in related eventualities and instantly seen the Air 3S flew approach higher. On paper, it’s the higher drone: sooner high pace, faster ascent and descent, higher vary, and a superior picture transmission system. However you possibly can really feel it when flying—it’s extra responsive, faster, and smoother. DJI has put their newest flight controller and flight methods on this drone. So, I totally stand behind it as DJI’s finest flying digicam drone, making capturing video even simpler.

A Nod to the Digital camera Drone Itself

I needed this video to give attention to the Air 3S’s digicam system, however I couldn’t accomplish that with out shouting out the drone itself—it’s actually nice. If you wish to be taught extra about the entire drone, try my full overview video. I’ll depart the hyperlink within the high nook and outline.

Exploring Drone Digital camera Methods

For the second half of this video, I wish to step again and have a look at digicam methods on drones as an entire—from the Air 3S to the Encourage 3 to the Mini 4 Professional—all of the various kinds of cameras we see on drones. The expertise is shifting in an attention-grabbing course. When the primary DJI drones got here out, that they had one digicam; the sensor stored getting larger, enhancing picture high quality, coloration science, and body charges. However in 2021, when the Mavic 3 launched, DJI added a second digicam for an extended focal size, zooming as much as seven occasions optically. They took it additional with the Mavic 3 Professional in 2023 by including a lens within the center, giving a 1x, 3x, and 7x digicam.

The Mavic 3 isn’t technically the primary DJI drone with a number of cameras—a lot of their Enterprise drones, just like the M350, have had totally different payloads with cameras for years. Their latest business drone, the Matrice 4T, has a digicam that appears prefer it got here from an alien ship. These a number of sensors enable common wide-angle images and movies, zooming far to seize distant particulars, and a few even have thermal sensors to detect warmth anomalies. The Mavic 3, although, introduced a number of sensors to the lots—extra individuals purchased it or the Mavic 3 Professional than would buy an Enterprise drone, which prices extra resulting from its expertise and functions.

A number of digicam methods have been popularized by smartphones for years. When area is restricted, as an alternative of optical zoom, totally different cameras with varied focal lengths make sense. What doesn’t make sense to me is that DJI match a digicam with optical zoom on the older Mavic 2 Zoom, which zoomed from 24mm to 48mm—a two-times optical zoom. This gave the identical high quality images and movies in any respect zoom ranges as a result of the {hardware} was zooming, not digitally. The Mavic 3 Professional, however, has mounted focal lengths at 1x, 3x, and 7x. You possibly can zoom between them, but it surely’s digital, decreasing high quality.

Different Digital camera Varieties

For completeness, I’ll convey the Encourage 3 into the combo, which makes use of the Zenmuse X9-8K Air with a large full-frame sensor and an interchangeable lens system utilizing DJI’s DL Mount lenses. There’s additionally the digicam system launched on the Mini 3 Professional, trickled all the way down to the Mini 3, and made its option to the Mini 4 Professional—a gimbal that rotates the digicam vertically to seize portrait images and movies in native decision as an alternative of cropping the edges. That is unique to these three drones: Mini 3 Professional, Mini 3, and Mini 4 Professional.

To put it out, there are 4 sorts of digicam methods on DJI drones:

1. A single digicam with a set focal size—the standard format.
2. A vertical rotating digicam, particular to the Mini 3 Professional, Mini 3, and Mini 4 Professional.
3. A a number of digicam system, just like the Air 3S, with totally different cameras on one payload for varied focal lengths and zooms (together with thermal on Enterprise drones).
4. Interchangeable lenses, particular to the Encourage sequence (Encourage 2 with Zenmuse X5 and X7, Encourage 3 with Zenmuse X9-8K Air) and a few Enterprise drones just like the P1 for high-quality mapping.

Selecting the Proper Digital camera System

The kind of digicam system is a giant consider selecting a drone. A single mounted focal size digicam fits those that prioritize weight—smaller drones just like the Flip, Neo, Avata 2, and Mini sequence have mounted cameras with some digital zoom however no a number of cameras for optical zoom resulting from measurement constraints. In case you care about social content material, the Mini 3 Professional, Mini 3, or Mini 4 Professional are preferrred—the one drones with a digicam that rotates for true vertical images and movies. Many with higher-end drones just like the Mavic 3 Professional purchase a Mini 4 Professional only for vertical video.

If you need a bigger, extra skilled drone that handles wind higher and has a superior digicam, you’ll probably select one with a number of cameras. DJI’s current high-end drones—just like the Air 3S, Air 3, Mavic 3, and Mavic 3 Professional—all have a number of cameras. The following step up is the Encourage 3 with interchangeable lenses for one of the best picture high quality.

The Way forward for Drone Cameras

Wanting again on the Mavic 2 Zoom with its optical zoom from 24mm to 48mm, I feel that’s the proper future. You don’t get essentially the most vary, however you get the very best high quality zoom and may snap to widespread focal lengths (24mm, 35mm, 50mm) with out shedding high quality. With the Mavic 3 Professional, you’re restricted to 24mm, 70mm, or 166mm—something in between is a digital crop. Switching cameras additionally means coping with totally different coloration sciences in put up, which could be a ache. The Encourage 3’s interchangeable lenses provide top-notch high quality, however switching lenses mid-flight is inconvenient—you need to land, swap lenses, energy off to keep away from damaging the gimbal, and take off once more.

All these methods have execs and cons. A single digicam provides a light-weight drone; a vertical capturing digicam is nice however restricted to 1 focal size because of the delicate gimbal; a number of cameras are versatile on the fly however restricted to set focal lengths; interchangeable lenses provide the very best quality however are a trouble to change. My preferrred system is a drone with optical zoom from 1x to 3x—24mm to 70mm with full high quality wherever in between, plus some digital zoom for additional attain. This might enable zooming on the fly with constant coloration science from one digicam.

What do you concentrate on the Air 3S’s digicam? And what’s your dream digicam setup for a digicam drone? Let me know within the feedback! As at all times, I’ll speak to you later. Peace!