DJI - Mavic 3 Pro

You are smart to stay away from all of the drones that have sponsored reviews. Buying a drone is fairly easy: 1. Disregard anyone who tells you to buy a cheap drone first "to learn on". That's a complete waste of money. 2. In the U.S., buy DJI or Autel. I have specimens of both and find that Autel is just a little behind the curve, but not by much. DJI typically has much, much better after sales support than Autel. 3. Spend as much as you are comfortable spending. Don't hold back. 4. You can get a brand-new DJI Mini 4K for about $300... but that won't have extra batteries or a remote control with a screen (you'll have to use a smart phone or a tablet as your screen). Even though the battery claim may be 40 minute flight per battery charge, you're really only going to get 20 to 30 minutes. Get at least 3 batteries with your purchase. Adding an RC with a screen to the this package will get you close to $1K, new. 5. DJI MIni (or Autel Nano, or any drone under 250 grams) will allow you to travel to more international destinations and fly legally. That small weight also helps limit fatigue or space for carrying. 6. If you do not plan to travel outside the US, no need to limit your drone to the less than 250 gram category. VERY generally speaking, the heavier, the less affected by winds. That is, a Mavic 3 Pro at nearly 900 grams will handle higher winds and will handle better in winds than a 249 gram mini. 7. Right now the best drone over 250 grams is probably the DJI Air3s. Others will have differing opinions with this and all of the above. 8. These are not exhaustive guidelines but will provide you a start. We haven't even begun to talk about the need for Remote ID capability, for example. 9. So many options, so little time. Enjoy!

I started on a RUKO this same model. I flew for a year first before I upgraded to the mini 4 pro then onto the mavic 3 pro. That RUKO was a great stepping stone to this adventure.

The mavic 3 pro is incredible in its ability to photograph. I love it. But yes very expensive. The mini pro 4 is a nice little drone. Great clarity.

If you are not from the EU or GB please find some information here: https://www.easa.europa.eu/en/light/topics/travelling-drones and here https://island.is/en/drone-operation Additional flying a drone is forbidden at almost each waterfall or other famous spots. In þingvellir it is allowed before 9 o’clock and after 18 o’clock (as far as I remember). I accepted the restrictions and did not fly allot. I meet a few other tourists that ignores nearly everything. Unfortunately due to those people they will add more restrictions. Don’t be like thoses guys. I used a dji 3 pro. Enjoy your journey and don’t forget your DSLM.

Totally agree! I have [Mavic 3 Pro and Bwine F7GB2 Drone](https://homeinspectiontrends.com/best-drones-for-roof-inspection/). Both comes with 4K camera and is so much easy to work with.

I have a mavic 2 pro that I’ve had at least since 2020 and just this year got a mavic 3 pro (mainly as a backup) but I’ve been using the 3 exclusively lol. Main thing for me that I love so much is the battery life and i can transfer files to my phone without having to connect it to the controller lol. I use them for real estate and both are truly great. The 3 is just seems easier to take and fly. lol

So mini will be fine to look at the roof and spot obvious damage. Mavic 3 enterprise is entry level. If you are wanting to take pretty pictures too I actually do my visual inspections with a Mavic 3 pro with 7x optical lens. The correct answer is a Mavic 3 thermal for the best fit but they are very expensive.

Honestly, to the eyes of the public, the Mavic isn't much more impressive than the mini. If you want to look serious, you need an Inspire or an M300. But that's 500% overkill for OP's use cases.

Very different budget, very different cameras. The only reason to get the mini if both are in budget is that it's under 250g, which in some contexts makes the regulations easier to deal with.

without question I would get something that had a telephoto lens like an Air 3 or Mavic 3 or Mavic 3 Pro. With a wide angle lens like an avata you'll never get closeup that would be the kind of thing you'll want. The 3x tele on the Mavic 3 Pro would be the best lens although the 7x might be excellent if you have room to frame it. Keep in mind you can't fly over people with out special permissions. You'll want to look into those rule and of course you have to have a Part 107 certificate to do this. Don't shoot into the sun or with the sun toward the front and you will be fine with regard to lens flare. If you don't have that Part 107 you'll really need to take some time and get it.

without question I would get something that had a telephoto lens like an Air 3 or Mavic 3 or Mavic 3 Pro. With a wide angle lens like an avata you'll never get closeup that would be the kind of thing you'll want. The 3x tele on the Mavic 3 Pro would be the best lens although the 7x might be excellent if you have room to frame it. Keep in mind you can't fly over people with out special permissions. You'll want to look into those rule and of course you have to have a Part 107 certificate to do this. Don't shoot into the sun or with the sun toward the front and you will be fine with regard to lens flare. If you don't have that Part 107 you'll really need to take some time and get it.

I do this about once a month for my son's matches. You'll hear opinions on both sides of the fence, but the reality is it does show a great tactical view of the game which can be very useful for viewers. Here's my tips and comments: Equipment: DJI Mavic Pro 3, use 2 or 3 batteries for 90 minutes match 1. Focus on one half of the pitch. Trying to move the camera can work, but it's difficult and challenging for the drone operator. In my experience you will miss more than you will get and what you get will be kind of jerky film if you were moving to capture the ball flow. 2. My son plays striker so I generally focus on the attacking side of the pitch. Position it and forget it. 3. I use a mavic Pro 3 which allows me to set three time zoom at the same high definition. The three time zoom allows me to be quite high so it's not to be distracting to anyone and frankly to avoid getting hit by an errant ball etc. 4. I use the drone either a very high elevation above the pitch or on the side of the pitch and angled so that I can see the action as people progress towards the goal. 5. I'm an American living in China so the regulations here are very different. Unless it's a DJI enforced no fly zone such as around airports, then basically you can fly anywhere. 6. If you want PM me and I'll give you my son's YouTube channel where you can see some of the footage. 7. It's good for taking pre-match shots of the team as they practice and/or have team huddles. This adds a great diversity to any film work you may be doing. 8. Again in China the public norms for filming with drones are very different than other places so you need to take that social issue into consideration. 9. My son almost never uses the film for tactical review. Lol. 10. A lot of parents and kids request the film footage because they want to see or share with friends. 11. For what it's worth, my son has never noticed the drone during matches.

Any drone could do it. But if you want the best, get the Mavic 3 pro with the 3 lenses. It can zoom in really close. But you can technically just fly closer with whatever drone you’re using.

Honestly, if you go Mavic 3 Pro, I dunno. Mavic 3 classic or Air 3s should be your internal debate IMO, on budget. A year of flying the classic a lot, and I've wished I had a pro less than five times. Either way, both are phenomenal drones, while the Mavic-3 Pro is AMAZING, it's probably overkill and overspend. FWIW - from a selling footage standpoint, my lowly Mini-3 is the only one that has made money - clearly not as good quality as every other drone I have.

Mini 4k Pro is my recommendation for beginners - I started with a Mini-3 and because of feature gaps, I went to to a Mavic 3 and haven't looked back. I probably wouldn't have a Mavic 3 at all if I got the Mini 4k Pro in the first place. FPV - I love my Avata 2. Neither Mavic-3 (or Mini-4k pro) or Avata-2 suffer from any quality including videography. If your budget is 2.5k, I think you'd be pretty close to a fly-more package for BOTH if memory serves me - if not pretty darn close.

Of course the Lidar is a joke. Bc it doesn't have Lidar. To be fair DJI never said it did. That was customers and reviewers not doing there home work. Flip is a crap drone. Do not waste your money. If you want a better price go with the M3P. Ovoid the Flip.

I totally agree that a basic Mini 3 is pretty much all you need if your just starting out with drone photography. It’s got a 4K camera, a good 38-minute battery, and falls under the FAA’s 250-gram limit, so it’s really convenient. If you do want more down the road, the Air 3 comes with two cameras and a longer battery. The Mavic 3 Pro ups it even more but costs alot. And the Avata 2 is great for speed and a more immersive feel, but for most beginners, the Mini 3 hits the sweet spot. And also check this thread. https://www.reddit.com/r/ConsumerAdvice/comments/1fum9ab/drone_options/

Most people are going to say the Mini 4 Pro, and they're not wrong, it's a great first drone. A great drone in general. I started with the Mini 3 Pro and loved it. But then I got a Mavic 3 Pro, which is a lot like the Air 3s. It adds a 3x telephoto lens, and once you use a drone with one it's very hard to go back to not having it. So my vote is the Air 3S, it'll skip an upgrading step later on. Just be aware that since it weighs more than 250 grams you'll need to get your TRUST certificate, which is dead simple, takes like 30 minutes online. Those rules are if you're in the United States. Laws for sub 250 gram drones are different in other countries, and Canada has the huge advantage of being able to legally fly a sub 250 gram beyond visual line of sight, which is pretty amazing. Edit: I assume the downvotes are because some people think <250 gram drones in Canada require VLOS. Please post a link! Surprisingly enough it's not required.

For whatever it's worth I have the same drones (mini 3 pro and Mavic 3 pro) and I never use the mini. The quality is way better on the mavic, and the 3x telephoto is magic. But telephoto maybe isn't needed by op for filming buildings.

I intend to keep my Mini 2(non-SE) which I've had for 3yrs now even though I now have a Mavic 3 which is superior in every way by a long shot. The reason- My niche is urban/architectural photography, both with a handheld as well as drones. With most of the ideal places to fly in the city, discretion is key. I can put the Mini in the air and land it without drawing much attention, and it's the perfect size and weight for foot travel. The 12mp camera is sufficient for urban landscapes/skylines given proper composure and editing . The only real downfall would be the lack of collision avoidance , but I dont rely on that anyway. Another reason- Online prints aside, I've printed and framed 6 aerial skyline drone shots that are currently hanging in my home office, as well as another handful I sold to my wife's company's corporate office. All happen to be from the Mini 2, so...

If finances allow, keep the Mavic 2 and shoot for a Mini 4 Pro. If you have the slightest interest in aerial photography/videography, You'll hugely regret trading the Mavic for a M2. I say this as a Mini 2/Mavic3 owner. Mini 4 Pro tech in a Mini package would be sublime. But to be fair, if you're flying just to fly a drone, sure. The price is right.

Hard to answer. Fpv I have seen good ones custom made. If you like brand consistency I would say DJI with avata 2 FOR FPV perhaps… but not excellent in camera if you want videography. If you want quality in video I would say mavic 3 or wait a bit I heard mavic 4 is coming. The choice maybe depends on what you want the most while bit of sacrifices on the secondary usage. Curious to hear what others advice tho

Go for the mini 4 pro. The sharpness can be reduced in the settings page and you can also use ND filters to decrease shutter speed to help make it look more natural. The convenience of having a drone weight <250g esp. when travelling overseas is unmatched. If the weight and needing a higher certification is not an issue, then go with the air 3/3s or Mavic 3 for better cameras.

They are very easy to fly and so the prop guards shouldn't be an issue. I'd go for at least the mini - if you can stretch to it the Mavic 3 (a used original Mavic 3 isn't massively more than a Mini 4 new). Though also, it sounds like just getting APS-C or even full frame camera and doing it by hand/cheap wire kit might produce even better results.

I'd take my mavic 3 and avata 2 on vacation

I shoot a lot of large scale panoramas. I have a Mavic 3 that produces excellent results. I use to travel with it but it's just a lot to carry in the already bulked up gear bag. [Example](https://www.flickr.com/photos/tattrat/52411846639/in/album-72177720295759984) Now I only use it when I'm staying local. [Example](https://www.flickr.com/photos/tattrat/51796938182/in/album-72177720295759984) For travel, I have a Mini 4 Pro. I have been consistently impressed with the footage and photos I can get with it. Amazing little piece of kit. [Example](https://www.flickr.com/photos/tattrat/54255392468/in/dateposted-public/) Unless you're really pixel peeping, I think the Mini 4 Pro really holds it's own.

I agree. I don’t bother with goggles with my camera drone- Mavic 3. The Avata 2 with goggles 3 is amazing. They finally nailed the goggle experience.

I like my Mavic 3 a lot but it wasn’t my first. I also mostly film/photograph real estate so I do wish I’d have gotten the Avata 2 to have a bit more fun with. Hindsight is 20/20 as they say. 🤷‍♂️

I got an open box mini 2 SE for really cheap it may have been 250.. It wasn't my first one but once I got that one it changed my thoughts about spending money on drones. I believe 2 days later I purchased the Mini 4 pro brand new and a couple weeks later I think I got Mav 3.. And now I have a bunch of DJI drones new/used and whole bunch that were open boxed drones. They all have the care package on them and started the day I got them. Really a good deal. But I do think it was a mistake for me to keep purchasing drones that were 40 to 230 that were not DJI. Atom and Loheer and maybe Contixo would be okay first drones because you can fly pretty good with those. But nothing like any DJI drones and the photo/video is hands down 100X better with DJI

I’m in Iceland for the moment. Last week I had some nice flying opportunities that were all legal places. The few people who saw me flying were uninterested or friendly, partly because I didn’t annoy anyone nor flew in restricted areas. For now me, my wife and my Mini 4 pro are stuck in a snowstorm in the north, meaning you can expect all kinds of weather anytime, including drone-unfriendly weather. If you want a sturdier drone that can handle more wind and you want to invest look at the Mavic 3.

Agree with posts , DJI is market leader at this time based on consumer models. After budget then the choice is camera or FPV model. If your budget is huge and camera focused then it’s the full sized mavic or Inspire models, however its more likely you want a 249g or less weight class to maximize convenience so a mini. I would recommend the refurbished DJI units regardless of budget then you can spend the savings on extra batteries and/or DJIcare (insurance replacement).

I have a Mavic and my Avata 2 will be here Wednesday. I have used my Mavic only a handful of times just because I don’t find a lot of fun in just flying at that speed and taking pictures, and the videos just aren’t that exciting with it. I am hoping the Avata re energizes my enjoyment for drone flying. The honeymoon phase with the Mavic died off quickly. And I live in Colorado with more photogenic locations than I know what to do with

I've basically stopped using my Mavic and use my Mini 3 Pro for most things now. Wind resistance isn't quite as good, but image quality is more than good enough and being under 250 g makes flying a lot easier (in Canada, might be different where you are). Some people assume 'bigger is better'. I've seen that in photography, where my Nikon D800 with huge lens gets more respect than a smaller camera. (So sometimes I'll being the bigger camera for show, use it for a few pictures while mostly using a smaller camera, and let people assume that the best pictures were taken with the bigger camera when in reality all the pictures came from the smaller easier-to-carry camera.)

It's actually not a bad photographic done. It's easier with say a Mavic which is a super stable platform especially once you get the full gimbal but a little practice and it's not bad at all.

If you want something good and not care about price get the mavic but if you do care about price then get the dji mini 3 or 4 pro remember to ALWAYS do the training flight simulater when you buy a new drone you will need to

I have a Mini 4 Pro. It's a great all-rounder. It's small enough that it can fly indoors with some prop guards if needed, though it's better outside. The camera is versatile, and it can tilt its head for pure vertical shooting. Weighs less than 250g, so registration (especially when traveling) is often easier or absent. Folds up really small. I think it's the best international travel drone for that reason. Here are why you'd want the other drones: * The mini flies well, but the Air flies even better. In places like iceland with high winds, Minis get sent to the shadow realm (the ocean), but Airs can manage better. * Mavic line when you want the best camera setup on a drone for photo and video. The flagship camera drone line for a reason, that tri camera is a beautiful, beautiful tool. * Neo for a more entry level, indoor friendly drone. It's just as easy to carry as the mini and costs less, but the camera is not as good and it's not as strong a flyer. Supersedes the Tello. Lacks omnidirectional obstacle avoidance. * Avata 2 is the strongest flyer, but it's for a different type of flight and shooting. It's for first person flight and exploration. It can definitely chase cars and is the fastest, and also the easiest to control at high speeds, but it's definitely rooted in a concept that's flight-first and photography-second. That said, it's a far more capable camera than its roots in custom handbuilt FPV. The others shown are older models. Good if you want to shave some of the newer features for a discount.

OK not one correct answer I see. Find you tube look up Joshua Bardwell. If he is interested in electronics and you want to push him into a hobby that could lead to an engineering degree or something in stem look into FPV. He can start with a little whoop starter kit or just buy a pair of goggles and a controller and he can play on a simulator on a computer and learn to fly before he gets an actual drone. You can buy his first but he should definitely build his second one. It builds a great skill set in both mechanical and programming. I've seen 5 year old flying fpv. It's a great entry into robotics there is so much of a benefit to a young kid. Don't buy him a Mavic or any camera drone. They aren't meant for kids they are too easy to fly. It's the type of thing that a kid without supervision can really get themselves in trouble. If he Flys fpv it takes skill and it's the kind of thing that builds respect as you learn and most people find it more enjoyable to fly low and in a confined area. Where camera drones seems like everyone wants to fly as high and far as possible.

Mavics are so good!

Bottom line it's a more expensive version of shat is a generic Chinese built drone. It has a "sort off" collision  avoidance but not great in lower light. The cameras are as they say they are but as there is no active gimbal they are no where near 8k quality unless it's not flying (even then it's debatable). So up to this point you get what you pay for..... Now stability......GPS on.... its as stable as Donald Trump..... GPS off..... you never know where it's going..... In short it's not the worst but if you need it for anything semi decent then pay more money for a mavic

What is the benefit of the remote with the screen over using your iPhone/Android? I just ordered a gently used air 2s and am planning to do some mapping with it. I have used drone deploy in the past with a mavic and phantom. Planning to try maps made easy for my next project.

A Mavic isn’t really going all-out. If you had the choice of hiring someone who could only bring a Mini or someone who had a Mavic, who would seem more serious to you? Who would you hire?

It depends entirely on your requirements. While there are some advantages to the better camera on the maverick, unless your client is going to run the video on large screens there may be no practical difference. Your skill as a videographer and editor will make much more of a difference than the camera. As others have pointed out, the Air is a great compromise, but depending on where you need to fly, the Mini 4 Pro may have advantages. One of the challenges in an urban environment is operating over people. Unless you have a category UAV or a waiver, you can’t legally fly over uninvolved people. In an urban setting that can be a challenge. A category 1 drone needs to be under 250g with prop guards and remote ID. The only current option to get there in the DJI lineup is a Neo with an external RID module, but the photo/video quality isn’t as good as the air or mini, and that’s a bit of a limitation for pro photographers. (On a related note, if someone from DJI is reading this, please poke your product management with a sharp stick and wake them up. The new DJI Flip is one firmware change away from being an awesome option that 107 pilots like me — who already own a M4P and Neo — would buy in a heartbeat. Please add the option to turn on Remote ID in the USA so we can fly it as a Category 1 UAV.) Category 2 essentially requires a parachute which right now is stupid expensive. Your other option is to apply for a waiver. I won’t go into all the details in case OOP isn’t important to you. But if it is, an M4P with extended battery, prop guards, and an anti-collision light is still light enough to operate over people and moving vehicles under a 107 waiver without requiring a parachute. Flight times and wind handling will decrease, but in an urban area that might make the difference between being able to legally get your shots or not. Just buy the extended batteries because they turn RID on. On the other hand, if OOP isn’t an issue, then in the USA under 107 an Air is probably a better choice. And, if you have any interest in popping north of the border, do yourself a favour and take an M4P with standard batteries. Being under 250g in Canada will make your life much, much easier. Remember that the best camera in the world isn’t going to help if you can’t get it where you need it.