DJI Mavic 3 Pro Drone Review

July 20, 2024

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When the DJI Mavic 3 Pro was released in May of 2023, I knew it was going to be the drone for me. Every generation of DJI drones seems to get a little better and more powerful.
The DJI Mavic 3 Pro builds on the highly successful platform of the DJI Mavic 3 and Mavic 3 Classic.
Having flown the Mavic 3, I knew the Pro version was going to be very similar with the addition of a third camera angle.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

DJI Mavic 3 Pro

Fast, powerful drone with advanced obstacle avoidance and three cameras for a wide variety of shots.

Drone media has become so common now that it’s nice to differentiate your footage with the variety of focal lengths that the DJI Mavic 3 Pro offers.
I’ve really been loving the variety of shots I can get with the three-camera system on this drone. In addition, the other high-performance specs have made my job so much smoother.
Read on for my review of the DJI Mavic 3 Pro from the perspective of a professional photographer and filmmaker.

DJI Mavic 3 Pro Specs

Pros

Triple camera array
Great image quality
Powerful design
43min flight time
Fast/responsive
5.1k 50p video & 20mp stills
Full obstacle avoidance

Cons

Mid & tele lenses are not as high-quality
Slow to switch lenses
No vertical shooting

Maximum Horizontal Speed: 47 mph / 75.6 km/h
Maximum Flight Time: 43 Minutes
Number of Cameras: 3
Camera System:

Wide: 20 MP, 4/3″-Type CMOS Sensor with 24mm-Equivalent, f/2.8 Lens (84° FoV)
Standard: 48 MP, 1/1.3″-Type CMOS Sensor with 70mm-Equivalent, f/2.8 Lens (35° FoV)
Telephoto: 12 MP, 1/2″-Type CMOS Sensor with 166mm-Equivalent, f/3.4 Lens (15° FoV)

Maximum Video Resolution:

Wide: Up to 5.1K at 50 fps / DCI 4K at 120 fps / UHD 4K at 120 fps / 1080p at 200 fps
Standard: Up to DCI 4K at 60 fps / 1080p at 60 fps
Telephoto: Up to UHD 4K at 60 fps / 1080p at 60 fps

Maximum Operating Distance: 9.3 Miles / 15 km
Mobile App Compatible: Yes (Android & iOS), App Name: DJI Fly
Weight: 2.1 lb / 958 g (Takeoff)
Maximum Wind Resistance: 26.8 mph / 43.1 km/h
Maximum Hover Time: 37 Minutes
Avoidance/Sensing System: Omnidirectional
Gimbal: 3 Axes, Rotation Range: Mechanical Range: Pitch (Tilt): 190°, Roll: 100°, Yaw (Pan): 46°
Remote Controller / Transmitter: Included, Operating Frequency: 2.4 GHz (2.400 to 2.4835), 5.8 GHz (5.725 to 5.850)
Battery Life: 43min flight time, Battery Capacity: 5000 mAh / 77 Wh

Build & Appearance
The DJI Mavic Pro 3 is a triple-camera drone: wide angle, medium, and telephoto.
The DJI Mavic 3 Pro is very well-built. The design is the culmination of DJI’s evolution since the release of the original DJI Mavic drone in 2016.
Over the past eight years, the design has been refined and optimized significantly. The DJI Mavic 3 Pro is an aesthetic and refined design that looks good and performs even better.
From the Hasselblad camera to the third CMOS sensor, this drone is excellent for aerial photography.
The durable gray plastic body is the largest folding drone in the DJI lineup. When folded down, it fits nicely inside a backpack.
Paired with the DJI RC remote, this drone is very capable. Some people prefer to use the older but more powerful DJI RC Pro because of its additional buttons and brighter screen.
The DJI RC remote has everything you need but doesn’t have a lot of extras. I wish the newer DJI RC2 was compatible with the DJI Mavic 3 Pro but I suspect there will be another compatible controller announced in the future.
A few things I like about the design of the DJI Mavic 3 Pro are its securely mounted battery, firm and balanced feel, and large propellers. This drone feels very stable even in significant wind.
Improvements could be made to the hard-to-access SD card slot and funky gimbal cover but those are relatively minor complaints. Of all the drone gimbal covers I’ve used, I’ve never found a design I love.
Overall, the build of the DJI Mavic 3 Pro is very solid. It has been in my kit for almost a year now and looks as good as new.

Ergonomics & Handling
The DJI Mavic Pro 3 with the DJI RC controller.
The DJI Mavic 3 Pro is one of the best-handling drones I’ve used to date. I feel the same confidence and stability as I experienced with the Mavic 3 and Mavic 3 Classic despite the additional lens/camera.
In terms of performance, this drone is quite impressive. It offers a full suite of obstacle avoidance sensors so you don’t have to worry about unexpected crashes.
It also offers excellent photo/video capture in a variety of modes. From the 4k 120p slow motion to the 5.3k 50p video as well as the 20mp stills, the micro four thirds sensor has top-quality output.
The top speed of 47mph (76 kph) in sport mode will allow you to cover a large area quickly, while the cinematic mode on the DJI RC remote will slow things down for a smooth/polished look to your camera movements.
Although this drone’s speed and power may seem like overkill, it’s nice to know you have the juice to get it home when the wind picks up. I’ve used the DJI Mavic 3 Pro in many cases where I’m pushing the limits of what it can handle, and it has exceeded my expectations.
Having a high level of confidence in your drone will allow you to fly long distances over water or in windy, high-altitude conditions.
If you’ve used a DJI drone in the past, the interface on the Mavic 3 Pro will feel comfortable and easy to learn.
One feature that’s no longer available in the DJI Mavic 3 Pro is vertical shooting. I loved how you could rotate the gimbal on the original Mavic to get a vertical shot. This is available on the DJI Mini 3 and 4 drones.
I prefer to use the DJI RC remote over the phone app because I like having a dedicated screen that won’t be interrupted by notifications. I also feel it’s less prone to crashing when I’m performing important operations.
The controls on the DJI RC are easy to use and will provide excellent responsiveness. To get your footage to be smoother, you must tune your gain and expo settings to avoid jittery footage.
My only complaint with the DJI RC controller with the DJI Mavic 3 Pro is that it’s slow. It takes longer than I’d like to boot up and changing from the normal to the telephoto lenses is quite slow.
Despite this, I’d much rather have options rather than relying on digital zoom.
Overall, the DJI Mavic 3 Pro has excellent handling and ergonomics. Having tried several drones outside the DJI ecosystem, I’m happy to report that I love how easy this drone is to fly.

Focus Performance
DJI Mavic Pro 3 | 1/500 f/5.6 ISO 200
There isn’t much to say about the DJI Mavic 3 Pro in terms of focus performance. It offers auto and manual focus, both of which are easy to use.
Most of the time, I use autofocus and set/forget it. The f/2.8 aperture on the wide-angle lens will easily have everything in focus unless you’re very close to the subject.
There are very few times when the focus even needs to be activated. I usually tap on the subject during flight and leave it alone the rest of the time.
I have noticed there is a little more time required to lock in the autofocus when using the medium and tele camera, but it isn’t a deal breaker.
The autofocus is also slower in low light but not very many people I know are using drones in super dark conditions. The DJI Mavic 3 Pro does pretty well in low light for a drone but I prefer to use it when I have sunlight to work with.
More about low light performance in the next section.

Low Light Performance
DJI Mavic Pro 3 | 1/120 f/2.8 ISO 800
The low-light performance of the DJI Mavic 3 Pro is solid. At ISO 1600, the image quality is still quite good (for a drone).
You can push the sensor up to ISO 3200 and still get ok results, especially if you use the night mode feature. This feature mainly helps to hide the noise by darkening the shadows.
While you may not get as good image quality out of this drone as you would expect from a full-frame mirrorless camera, having the flexibility to shoot in low light in some scenarios is very helpful.
When shooting before sunset or after sunrise, the DJI Mavic 3 Pro is very capable. You’re not going to be capturing the Milky Way but getting a nice blue hour shot is very doable.
I mainly stick to the wide and medium lenses when shooting in low light because they both offer a minimum aperture of f/2.8.
The tele camera stops down to f/3.4 which is a little too dark considering the smaller sensor size of this camera.
If you do need a telephoto shot, having a variety of lenses will give much better video quality than digital zoom.
Lastly, I would argue that low light performance is one of the lower priority items for most drone users. Most of my favorite drone images/videos are shot with dynamic light at sunrise/sunset that allows you to see how the sun shines across a landscape.

Image Quality
DJI Mavic Pro 3 | 1/400 f/4 ISO 100
Image quality from the Mavic 3 Pro is one of my favorite characteristics.
It’s a significant improvement from the drone photography I did with my old DJI Mavic 2 Pro. The DJI Mavic 3 continues the collaboration with Hasselblad.
For video on the main Hasselblad camera, you’re able to capture either 5.1k 50 fps or 4k 120 fps. Both of these options produce awesome results but I usually opt for 5.1k because it offers so much more resolution.
Shooting 120 fps slow motion footage with a drone allows you to capture exciting action moments and replay them at 20% speed with exceptional video image quality.
For photos, the 20mp RAW stills from the main camera are excellent quality. The photos are sharp and can be color-corrected easily to match other cameras.
Both photo and video modes have great dynamic range and the images are very colorful/crisp.
I do recommend a polarizing filter to cut reflections and make things a little more vibrant when shooting in bright sun.
In addition to the impressive specs of the main camera, the medium and tele cameras offer good performance as well. The photos/videos are lower resolution and not quite as sharp, but are still acceptable.
Having the flexibility to switch camera angles is so helpful in capturing a wide variety of perspectives. Even if it comes with a slight drop in sharpness, I’m pleased to utilize these extra focal lengths.
Getting the same wide-angle drone view is great but having two other lenses is really what makes the DJI Mavic 3 Pro stand apart.

Overall Performance
Overall performance of the DJI Mavic 3 Pro is great. I mentioned that it can be slow to start up or switch cameras but that is a minor issue.
I never have any issues or lag capturing 5.1k 50 fps video, which is impressive considering the compact design of this drone.
This drone is quick to take off and land and has enough speed and maneuverability to capture fantastic footage of almost any subject. You might not keep up with fast cars, but otherwise, you have a ton of options for interesting perspectives.
One thing to note is that I highly recommend learning to use a proxy workflow when editing video from the DJI Mavic 3 Pro. Unless you have a very fast computer, playing back 5.1k 50 fps video will be a little slow/laggy.
You can easily work around this by creating proxies and using them to build your video. (If you’re not familiar, proxies are basically lower-resolution versions of your footage that get replaced with the highest-quality version when you export your video.)
I am very happy with the overall performance of the DJI Mavic 3 Pro.

Other Useful Features
A few other useful features that make the DJI Mavic 3 Pro easy to use are its obstacle avoidance system, the strong connection, and the powerful design.
First up, having a complete omnidirectional obstacle avoidance system is so helpful. I rarely worry about crashing because the drone easily navigates around objects.
I used to be concerned about hitting small tree branches or power lines but the vision system is very effective at either warning you of danger and stopping or re-routing the flight path to avoid collision.
Next up, having a solid connection to the controller gives me much more confidence to fly in tricky situations. With older drones (especially the first-generation Mavic), I would be worried about crashing my drone because the signal would drop.
This is no longer an issue with the DJI Mavic 3 Pro unless I am flying behind very solid objects (concrete buildings). Technically, you must maintain a visual line of sight to obey drone laws, but having a solid connection allows you to be more confident when you need the extra connectivity.
Although the battery life on this drone is slightly less than some of the others DJI now offers (Mavic 3 Classic), it’s still an impressive 43 minutes.
This is enough battery life compared to older drones to give you confidence in capturing a wide variety of shots.
Lastly, having a super powerful drone is an excellent feature. I remember nearly crashing my first-generation Mavic because I got over my head in windy conditions.
Now, with the DJI Mavic 3 Pro, I can fight even the most powerful wind.
Pro tip: If you’re concerned about wind, fly upwind to ensure you’ll be able to safely navigate back to the landing zone without getting blown off course.
There are numerous other useful features on this drone and I guarantee you’ll find more as you get familiar with it. I still haven’t mastered all the cool features like waypoints or cruise control.

How I Tested the DJI Mavic 3 Pro
The DJI Mavic 3 Pro landing in my hand after a flight.
I’ve been testing and using the DJI Mavic 3 Pro for almost a full year on commercial photo and video projects.
From flying over the Atlantic Ocean to the tallest peaks in the Rocky Mountains, I’ve put this drone through some very challenging conditions.
I’ve flown it at 14,000 feet and in winds gusting up to 45mph and it has performed exceptionally well.
The DJI Mavic 3 Pro is by far the most powerful and capable drone I’ve owned and I am continually amazed by the awesome photos/video footage I can create with it.
I am certainly going to continue relying on the awesome performance of the DJI Mavic 3 Pro – at least until the Mavic 4 comes out. 😉

Alternatives to DJI Mavic 3 Pro
Regardless of how you feel about DJI as a company, they pretty much own the drone market. Sure there are competitors like Autel, but the reality is that DJI owns around 75% of the consumer drone market.
Because of this, the main competitors to the DJI Mavic 3 Pro are other models from DJI. You might consider the DJI Air 3 its closest competitor because it offers some of the same features in a smaller and less expensive package.
At around US$1,500, the DJI Air 3 is about half the price of the DJI Mavic 3 Pro (comparing the Fly More Combo prices). This is an excellent option if you want a lower price point and don’t need three cameras.
Although less expensive drones are available, the DJI Mavic 3 Pro remains my choice because of the impressive features it offers: three cameras, a larger sensor, 20 mp stills, etc.

Value for Money
At around US$3,000 for the Fly More Combo kit, the DJI Mavic 3 Pro is not a cheap drone. You’re getting the best possible quality in a compact drone.
When you compare the features that are packed into this drone, I believe it offers solid value. I love that I can create great quality photos and videos from a compact, foldable drone.
The user interface is functional enough that I can capture great quality media by myself without the need for a more complicated drone like the DJI Inspire.
If you want a top-of-the-line compact folding drone, the DJI Mavic 3 Pro is the best option.

FAQ’s
What is the difference between Mavic 3, Mavic 3 Classic, and Mavic 3 Pro?
The Mavic 3 was released first, and it has two cameras. The Mavic 3 Classic was released next, and it has one camera and is cheaper. The Mavic 3 Pro was released most recently, and it has three cameras. It’s the most expensive of the three, although the Mavic 3 original is no longer available.
Do you need a drone license for DJI Mavic 3?
If you are flying commercially (making money from your drone), then yes. If you are a recreational pilot, you only need to register it.
How far can Mavic 3 fly away from you?
Range tests indicate this drone can fly 2-3 miles (~5000m) away from you in perfect conditions, but most regulatory agencies (FAA in the United States) require you to maintain a visual line of sight, which is probably around 3000 ft (~900m).

DJI Mavic 3 Pro Review | Conclusion

I will definitely be keeping and using the DJI Mavic 3 Pro for the foreseeable future. It’s honestly a game changer with the micro four thirds camera and the telephoto lens cameras.
I use this drone almost every time I go out for a shoot because it provides such a fun and unique perspective that adds to the production value and allows me to get the perfect shot (usually with the medium tele camera).
Whether I need a nice scene-setting video intro or a top-down photo of a landscape, the DJI Mavic 3 Pro delivers.
If you’re looking for the best balance of quality and compact design with excellent performance, this drone is ideal. I can’t wait to continue exploring the plethora of features like cruise control and focus track.
Leave any questions or comments below and I will do my best to get back to you. Thanks for taking the time to read my review of the DJI Mavic 3 Pro!

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

DJI Mavic 3 Pro

Fast, powerful drone with advanced obstacle avoidance and three cameras for a wide variety of shots.