Next up in our “Ask Drone Girl” series is about getting young kids — particularly young girls — interested in drones. If you have a question for Drone Girl, contact her here.
I’m writing is because of a recent post you made about the demographics of drone pilots – something like only 8% are women. Interestingly, my two girls (7 and 9) are interested in learning how to fly drones, etc.
Do you know of any drone curricula or programs for elementary-school aged girls to introduce them to drones, flight, etc and get them flying with basic drones? Are there organizations out there who you might recommend who focus on getting girls into drones?
-Rakesh
Hey Rakesh,
Great question! Yes, the latest FAA data shows that women make up 7.9% of all certified remote pilots. The blog post you mentioned, which digs deeper into that data, lives here.
Happily, it sounds like your girls are interested in drones and that they’ll contribute to bucking that trend!
To answer your question, I have a few guides that will hopefully point you in the right direction and that contain recommendations that your girls might love:
The best STEM drones, lesson plans and books about drones for kids
If you’re seeking to buy an actual drone for your kids to get their hands on, I have a guide for that too in this breakdown of the best educational drones for STEM programs. Spoiler: by far the best educational drones for kids is the Tello drone a $99, kid-friendly drone that combines DJI flight technology and an Intel processor to create a budget camera drone that also can be used to teach newbies the basics of programming.
And finally, I urge you to check out these drone children’s books, as they’re great easy reading, especially for the age group you’re asking about. One is written by the aforementioned SheMaps, while another comes from Women and Drones, the group that puts in enormous efforts to promote and lift up women in the industry.
How to find local drone groups for kids
As far as local drone clubs and organizations, it depends on your area, but something may already exist. Drone soccer is popping up in more schools, where kids learn how to build and then actually fly small drones. Drone soccer is the only competitive student robotics program also recognized as an international sport by FAI. Many Girl Scout troops also incorporate drones into their programming. In 2021, Google-sister company Wing partnered with a Virginia Girl Scout troop to help deliver cookies via drone. Even before that, other Girl Scout troops have built their own cookie delivery drones.
Hopefully that provides plenty of options — while still giving some sort of direction — for where to go to get your kids involved in drones. And going back to that original statistic you brought up, there is hope. While women drone pilots are still a small minority at just 7.9% of overall pilots, that number has increased every single year since the data has been tracked. In 2016, just 3.9% of all drone pilots were women. Since 2016, the number of female drone pilots has increased by 30x, far higher than the overall 15x rate of increase for the broader drone industry.
If you’re looking for a beginner drone in 2023, you might check out my written, drone buying guides. But for something a little more human (that won’t entail you to read), here’s a fun conversation to tune into: I joined the crew at Drone Launch Academy to take part in their latest of their podcast “Your Drone Questions. Answered.”
“Your Drone Questions. Answered.” is a relatively new podcast that launched in March 2023. And yours truly, The Drone Girl, joined in for Episode 7, which has the very straight and to-the-point title: “What is the best beginner drone to get started?”
In this episode of “Your Drone Questions. Answered.”, I join host John Dickow to detail what beginners should look for in a beginner drone in 2023. For this podcast, I basically break beginner drones into two categories:
Cheap “trash” drones.
High-quality yet beginner-friendly drones.
Especially in the early days of drones, when it was relatively easy to crash a multi-hundred drone, I highly recommend this category of cheap “trash” drones. In short, if you crash it (which you very likely will, given how unwieldy these drones are), you didn’t spend a lot of money so it’s not a big loss. Generally speaking, the cheaper the drone, the harder it is to fly. That’s actually good news, as it helps in developing better piloting skills. You can check out my full list of the best, cheap practice drones here.
But for folks seeking a beginner drone in 2023, increasingly more today I advise jumping simply to one of the higher-quality drones. That’s because most camera drones these days have so many beginner-friendly features, including automated takeoff and landing, return to home, smart flight paths and more. These days, it’s surprisingly tough to crash a drone. You’d almost have to try (or otherwise be flying in a complicated or “noisy” environment. DJI’s entire lineup of camera drones is suitable for beginners, as long as you’re comfortable with flying multi-hundreds of dollars through the year. Beginners would be best suited for any of these DJI drones under $500.
And then there’s one drone in particular that sort of straddles both of those categories, the Tello drone. It costs about $100 so it might just barely be considered on the cheap end of the spectrum, but it’s made with DJI parts (by a company called Ryze) thus it has the DJI endorsement. It weighs just 80 grams (so you won’t have to register it), and it can fly for 13 minutes and shoot 5 megapixel photos.
About the “Your Drone Questions. Answered.” podcast
This new podcast goes from the team at Drone Launch Academy, a drone information site that first made a name for itself with its Part 107 online test prep course. While there are tons of study materials out there, the company’s differentiator is that — if you fail your in-person exam — Drone Launch Academy will pay for you to retake the Part 107 test, which is an $150 value in itself, on top of a course refund (an additional $199 value).
Since then, Drone Launch Academy has grown to have a larger community and more forms of communication and information (many of which don’t even require a course fee to take part in). That includes Drone Launch Academy’s other long-running podcast focused on small businesses using drones called the Drones to $100k podcast.
In this new podcast serious, the focus is on answering all sorts of the most common questions asked in drones. Many are beginner-focused, such as this episode where I list the best beginner drones, or the prior episode about registering recreation drones. But the podcast is also set to dive into regulations and industry news. And given its intentionally-short run-time (most episodes are less than 20 minutes), it’s a must-have on your podcast feed for a quick filler on your commute.
Next up in our “Ask Drone Girl” series delves into the history of the DJI Virtual Flight app, how it pairs with other DJI FPV drones and controllers, and why it’s no longer compatible with the DJI RC Motion 2. If you have a question for Drone Girl, contact her here.
I just purchased the DJI Goggles Integra and DJI RC Motion 2 Combo Kit with Avata drone. This is my first FPV drone, and I was excited to start practicing with the DJI Virtual Flight App. Unfortunately it looks like the RC Motion 2 is not compatible. Any suggestions??
-Lisa
Hey Lisa,
Unfortunately, you are correct. The DJI Virtual Flight App is not DJI RC Motion 2 compatible. I confirmed with my contact with DJI that there is no solution for practicing FPV flight with the Motion Controller 2.
DJI also did not do anything to indicate that an app update would be coming that could potentially make it DJI RC Motion 2 compatible. So, I fear your options are slim.
This is super frustrating. After all, you spent $1,428 on the DJI Avata Pro-View Combo with DJI RC Motion 2, and you can’t even practice with it through an app that was initially highly-touted when the DJI Avata first launched in August 2022. So, before I dive into my suggestions for what to do, let’s give readers a bit of history:
What is the DJI RC Motion 2?
The DJI RC Motion is a unique type of joystick controller designed to go with the DJI Avata, which is a Cinewhoop-style FPV drone. Unlike the Nintendo-style controllers of most drones, this one is a device that you typically hold in just one hand resembling a blaster gun. As you wave it around, the drone moves in tandem.
While neat, it had some issues. In March 2023, DJI updated many of the problems with the original Motion Controller with the launch of what was called the DJI RC Motion 2, which is now what is marketed today to accompany the DJI Avata drone.
An upgraded joystick and accelerator now offers a reverse function, which better gives you power to dictate multidirectional flight, including vertical, backward, and sideways — and is also helpful in quickly adjusting the direction or choosing a spot to land. This controller also features an Fn dial that lets users quickly adjust the camera’s ISO, shutter, and other parameters without having to interact with the goggles.
The new DJI RC Motion 2 is generally considered a far superior product to the original DJI Motion Controller. So much so that DJI has phased out even making the original, and you won’t be able to buy one directly from DJI.
But there is one area where the original DJI Motion Controller was better than the DJI RC Motion 2, and that’s compatibility with a DJI-made virtual flight app.
The now (seemingly dormant) DJI Virtual Flight app
DJI created a free flight simulator app called the DJI Fly app back in 2021 to accompany the launch of another FPV drone, the DJI FPV. It was then carried over for use with the initial Avata controller.
And through it, the app offered a fairly-realistic flying experience, coupled with detailed tutorials on how to operate the drone. Through it, you could pair your controller with an Apple or Android smartphone to simulate flying in an otherwise risk-free environment. You could also use it to experiment with various settings before using them in real life.
But not only has DJI stopped producing the DJI RC, it appears to have given up any focus on maintaining the app. The last time this app got an update in the Apple App Store was more than six months ago in September 2022.
For what it’s worth, the app never really got great reviews. People said the feedback of the controllers were laggier than what they are in real life. The app would often freeze. Switching modes was difficult and sometimes impossible.
It seems that perhaps DJI has given up on fixing it (at least for now) though there are no clear plans to pick it back up.
The DJI Motion Controller
Your options for practicing with the DJI RC Motion 2 Controller
So with that, here are some options for you:
Buy another controller that is compatible (not recommended)
If you’re really set on using the DJI Virtual Flight app, you’ll have to turn to another one of the Virtual Flight compatible devices. The DJI Virtual Flight app is compatible with:
DJI FPV Goggles V2
DJI FPV Remote Controller 2
DJI FPV Motion Controller
Of course, this means shelling out more money than you already paid. It also might be hard to track down some of these items like the original Motion Controller, though you might find them on shelves that haven’t sold out yet or you might get a deep discount by buying them used (just understand the risks of buying used drones). At press time, it’s available on Amazon at a 30% discount from its original $200 price.
Use a different simulator
There are other non-DJI simulators that you could experiment with. While I love simulators like the Drone Racing League’s DRL SIM (which costs $9.99) it’s not designed in the style of the Motion Controller but rather a more traditional drone RC, so it might not turn out to be all that helpful to you. and is designed to help complete newbies learn the basics.
And that brings me to my next piece of advice, and that is to simply fly your Avata drone with your RC Motion 2 Controller out in the real world. Yes, without having practiced first!
For starters, there are many built in safety features that are ideal for new pilots. The motion controller’s Emergency Brake button lets you stop immediately simply by tapping one button. And with support for RTH, you get added protection when the battery is low or signal drops out.
While it’s not completely crash-proof, there’s downward binocular vision and ToF infrared sensing, which detect obstacles below.
For what it’s worth, the controller — albeit a bit different for people used to the traditional DJI controllers — is actually very intuitive after a few minutes for most people.
My best advice is to simply take the drone someplace safe, low-risk and protected where you can practice in, say, a fenced in backyard with no other people around aside from a spotter.
And if you are flying inside, there’s a built-in propeller guard both to protect the drone and the walls where you might inevitably crash into.
Next up in our “Ask Drone Girl” series delves into the history of the DJI Virtual Flight app, how it pairs with other DJI FPV drones and controllers, and why it’s no longer compatible with the DJI RC Motion 2. If you have a question for Drone Girl, contact her here.
I just purchased the DJI Goggles Integra and DJI RC Motion 2 Combo Kit with Avata drone. This is my first FPV drone, and I was excited to start practicing with the DJI Virtual Flight App. Unfortunately it looks like the RC Motion 2 is not compatible. Any suggestions??
-Lisa
Hey Lisa,
Unfortunately, you are correct. The DJI Virtual Flight App is not DJI RC Motion 2 compatible. I confirmed with my contact with DJI that there is no solution for practicing FPV flight with the Motion Controller 2.
DJI also did not do anything to indicate that an app update would be coming that could potentially make it DJI RC Motion 2 compatible. So, I fear your options are slim.
This is super frustrating. After all, you spent $1,428 on the DJI Avata Pro-View Combo with DJI RC Motion 2, and you can’t even practice with it through an app that was initially highly-touted when the DJI Avata first launched in August 2022. So, before I dive into my suggestions for what to do, let’s give readers a bit of history:
What is the DJI RC Motion 2?
The DJI RC Motion is a unique type of joystick controller designed to go with the DJI Avata, which is a Cinewhoop-style FPV drone. Unlike the Nintendo-style controllers of most drones, this one is a device that you typically hold in just one hand resembling a blaster gun. As you wave it around, the drone moves in tandem.
While neat, it had some issues. In March 2023, DJI updated many of the problems with the original Motion Controller with the launch of what was called the DJI RC Motion 2, which is now what is marketed today to accompany the DJI Avata drone.
An upgraded joystick and accelerator now offers a reverse function, which better gives you power to dictate multidirectional flight, including vertical, backward, and sideways — and is also helpful in quickly adjusting the direction or choosing a spot to land. This controller also features an Fn dial that lets users quickly adjust the camera’s ISO, shutter, and other parameters without having to interact with the goggles.
The new DJI RC Motion 2 is generally considered a far superior product to the original DJI Motion Controller. So much so that DJI has phased out even making the original, and you won’t be able to buy one directly from DJI.
But there is one area where the original DJI Motion Controller was better than the DJI RC Motion 2, and that’s compatibility with a DJI-made virtual flight app.
The now (seemingly dormant) DJI Virtual Flight app
DJI created a free flight simulator app called the DJI Fly app back in 2021 to accompany the launch of another FPV drone, the DJI FPV. It was then carried over for use with the initial Avata controller.
And through it, the app offered a fairly-realistic flying experience, coupled with detailed tutorials on how to operate the drone. Through it, you could pair your controller with an Apple or Android smartphone to simulate flying in an otherwise risk-free environment. You could also use it to experiment with various settings before using them in real life.
But not only has DJI stopped producing the DJI RC, it appears to have given up any focus on maintaining the app. The last time this app got an update in the Apple App Store was more than six months ago in September 2022.
For what it’s worth, the app never really got great reviews. People said the feedback of the controllers were laggier than what they are in real life. The app would often freeze. Switching modes was difficult and sometimes impossible.
It seems that perhaps DJI has given up on fixing it (at least for now) though there are no clear plans to pick it back up.
The DJI Motion Controller
Your options for practicing with the DJI RC Motion 2 Controller
So with that, here are some options for you:
Buy another controller that is compatible (not recommended)
If you’re really set on using the DJI Virtual Flight app, you’ll have to turn to another one of the Virtual Flight compatible devices. The DJI Virtual Flight app is compatible with:
DJI FPV Goggles V2
DJI FPV Remote Controller 2
DJI FPV Motion Controller
Of course, this means shelling out more money than you already paid. It also might be hard to track down some of these items like the original Motion Controller, though you might find them on shelves that haven’t sold out yet or you might get a deep discount by buying them used (just understand the risks of buying used drones). At press time, it’s available on Amazon at a 30% discount from its original $200 price.
Use a different simulator
There are other non-DJI simulators that you could experiment with. While I love simulators like the Drone Racing League’s DRL SIM (which costs $9.99) it’s not designed in the style of the Motion Controller but rather a more traditional drone RC, so it might not turn out to be all that helpful to you. and is designed to help complete newbies learn the basics.
And that brings me to my next piece of advice, and that is to simply fly your Avata drone with your RC Motion 2 Controller out in the real world. Yes, without having practiced first!
For starters, there are many built in safety features that are ideal for new pilots. The motion controller’s Emergency Brake button lets you stop immediately simply by tapping one button. And with support for RTH, you get added protection when the battery is low or signal drops out.
While it’s not completely crash-proof, there’s downward binocular vision and ToF infrared sensing, which detect obstacles below.
For what it’s worth, the controller — albeit a bit different for people used to the traditional DJI controllers — is actually very intuitive after a few minutes for most people.
My best advice is to simply take the drone someplace safe, low-risk and protected where you can practice in, say, a fenced in backyard with no other people around aside from a spotter.
And if you are flying inside, there’s a built-in propeller guard both to protect the drone and the walls where you might inevitably crash into.
If you’re considering buying a Mavic 3 drone, you actually have quite a few options to choose from. Most people who aren’t professional cinematographers will find themselves choosing between the lowest-cost drones of the lineup: the DJI Mavic 3 Pro vs. Mavic 3 Classic.
There are really two key differences between the DJI Mavic 3 Pro vs. Mavic 3 Classic. In terms of the drone itself, the Mavic 3 Pro has three cameras versus just one, two of which are telephoto cameras. But perhaps more of a crucial deciding factor for most people is the price. The DJI Mavic 3 Pro is 37.5% more expensive than the DJI Mavic 3 Classic.
For the standard configuration kit, the DJI Mavic 3 Classic goes for $1,599. Meanwhile, the Mavic 3 Pro is $600 more at $2,199. So is it worth paying 37.5% more for the Mavic 3 Pro? Here’s how to know:
A brief history of the Mavic 3 lineup
Before we dive into comparing the Mavic 3 Pro vs. Mavic 3 Classic, it’s important to understand the history of the Mavic 3 line.
Sally French, The Drone Girl, with the DJI Mavic 3 drone.
The original Mavic 3
Original retail price: $2,199
Launch date: November 2021.
The initial DJI Mavic 3 drone launched in November 2021 as a dual-camera drone. The primary camera was a 4/3 CMOS Hasselblad sensor with a 20MP resolution, and then there was a second, digital zoom lens with a 1/2-inch CMOS (12MP) sensor. It offers an incredible 28x Hybrid Zoom.
The DJI Mavic 3 Cine edition.
Mavic 3 Cine: a Mavic 3 for serious photographers
Original retail price: $4,999
Launch date: November 2021.
In coincidence with the DJI Mavic 3 came the launch of an upgraded version called the Mavic 3 Cine. It has a few minor differences like bonus accessories, but the primary difference between the Mavic 3 Cine and the Mavic 3 is Apple ProRes 422 HQ encoding, which means higher-quality video for richer video processing. There’s also an internal 1TB SSD onboard for high-speed data storage. The DJI Mavic 3 Cine Premium Combo launched at $4,999, making it more than twice the price of the Mavic 3.
The DJI Mavic 3 Classic
Mavic 3 Classic: a stripped-down version for pilots on a budget
Original retail price: $1,599
Launch date: November 2022
A year after the launch of the Mavic 3 and Mavic 3 Cine, DJI did the budget-conscious drone pilots a solid by launching the DJI Mavic 3 Classic, essentially a stripped-down (and much cheaper) version of the original Mavic 3. Most notably, the Mavic 3 Classic does not include the telephoto lens. At launch, it retailed for $1,599.
A rendering of the DJI Mavic 3 Enterprise drone
Mavic 3 Enterprise: a version for industrial use-cases
Original retail price: $3,959
Launch date: October 2022
The same year DJI gave us the Classic, DJI also gave us the DJI Mavic 3 Enterprise, which has features more appealing to the industrial crowd including a 56× zoom camera and RTK module for centimeter-level precision.
The DJI Mavic 3 Pro and Cine version.
Mavic 3 Pro and Mavic 3 Pro Cine: the latest and greatest (with three cameras)
Original retail price: $2,199 (Pro) and $4,799 (Cine)
Launch date: April 2023
And that brings us where we are today, with the DJI Mavic 3 Pro — a drone that can claim the title of world’s first three optical camera drone. Much like the 2021 launch of the Mavic 3 and Mavic 3 Cine edition, the Mavic 3 Pro also comes with a ‘Pro’ Cine option.
What’s impressive is that — despite inflation in pretty much every other aspect of life — these drones cost either the same or slightly less than the initial Mavic 3 cost, despite being more advanced. The Mavic 3 Pro matches the Mavic 3’s price at $2,199, while the Cine edition is actually $200 cheaper at $4,799 versus the original Cine that went for $4,999.
Comparing all the Mavic 3 drones
Unless you’re buying a used Mavic 3 drone or have otherwise found it at a deep discount, there’s little reason to compare the Mavic 3 vs. Mavic 3 Pro, as the Mavic Pro is better by almost every metric (there are only a few small drawbacks such as 6.5% lesser flight time (43 minutes vs. 46 minutes).
And in fact, DJI has discontinued sales of the original Mavic 3 drone on its website (though you can still find it through other third-party sellers such as Amazon), so we’ll skip that comparison here.
The Cine version of the Mavic 3 Pro is targeted at serious photographers who value Apple ProRes 422 HQ encoding (if you don’t know what that is, it probably means you don’t need it). The Enterprise version is good if you need RTK (and again, if you’re confused what RTK means, you definitely don’t need it).
But most people are left with a choice: Mavic 3 Pro? Or Mavic 3 Classic? Here’s how to decide:
Mavic 3 Pro vs. Mavic 3 Classic: are the two zoom cameras worth the extra cost?
Is the Mavic 3 Pro worth the upgrade? Let’s start with a comparison table of the two drones:
FOV: 84° Format Equivalent: 24 mm Aperture: f/2.8-f/11 Focus: 1 m to ∞
Medium Tele camera and lens specs
1/1.3-inch CMOS, Effective Pixels: 48 MP
FOV: 35° Format Equivalent: 70 mm Aperture: f/2.8 Focus: 3 m to ∞
N/A
Tele camera and lens specs
1/2-inch CMOS, Effective Pixels: 12 MP
FOV: 15° Format Equivalent: 166 mm Aperture: f/3.4 Focus: 3 m to ∞
N/A
Digital zoom
Hasselblad Camera: 1-3× Medium Tele Camera: 3-7× Tele Camera: 7-28×
3×
Gimbal mechanical range
Tilt: -140° to 50° Roll: -50° to 50° Pan: -23° to 23°
Tilt: -135° to 100° Roll: -45° to 45° Pan: -27° to 27°
Sensor
4/3″ CMOS
1/1.3″ CMOS
Obstacle Avoidance
Omnidirectional binocular vision system, supplemented with an infrared sensor at the bottom of the aircraft
Omnidirectional binocular vision system, supplemented with an infrared sensor at the bottom of the aircraft
Max Flight Time
43 minutes
46 minutes
Transmission System
O3+
O3+
The biggest difference between the Mavic 3 Pro vs. Classic is that you’re getting those two telephoto cameras. Whether those two additions are worth it to you depends on your photography style.
When to skip the Mavic 3 Pro upgrade
If you prefer shooting big, sweeping landscapes or panoramas, the telephotos likely won’t be of use to you. Even if you like to zoom in relatively close to a subject, what’s cool about drones is it’s usually easy to just fly right up to it. If you can’t get close to a subject, fly the drone closer!
Even among photographers who do use the zoom lenses, they’re primarily going to be flying with the Hasselblad camera anyway. Hasselblad is one of the most top-of-the-line camera companies, and so you’ll want to maximize it by making it your primary camera anyway.
After all, the Hasselblad camera on the Standard has incredible specs like:
4/3 CMOS 20-megapixel camera
Hasselblad Natural Color Solution
4K video at 60 fps and 1080p video at 60 fps
H.26x encoders
10-bit D-Log for video (and 12-bit RAW for photography)
Night mode for video recording
When to opt for the Mavic 3 Pro upgrade
Where the telephoto lenses often comes into play is in scenarios where you can’t fly the drone closer. Perhaps you’re a wildlife photographer but you don’t actually want to fly that close to the animals so as not to disturb them. Maybe you’re flying in an environment with lots of ‘noise,’ where you don’t want to risk losing signal, or there is something on the ground that you cannot fly over — namely people.
The zoom enables it to look like you were flying much closer to (or over) something that you actually weren’t very close to at all.
The two separate lenses also offer up different aesthetics than what you’d get solely with the generally-single aesthetic that you get with the Hasselblad camera.
The medium tele camera compresses the depth of field and depth of focus to highlight the subject and give a unique sense of depth and space. You might use it for shots that aren’t super tight, but not wide either, like perhaps a building or a car. Among its specs:
1/1.3″ CMOS sensor
3x optical zoom
48MP/12MP photos
4K/60fps video.
Supports the new D-log M.
The standard tele camera is truly best for situations where you just can’t get as close as you’d otherwise like to (typically because you’re prevented from flying drones in a certain area due to government restrictions or common sense, like an inexperienced pilot flying over crowds of people or animals). Among its specs:
Aperture from f/4.4 to f/3.4
4K/60fps video
7x optical zoom
12MP photos
Joanna Steidle, one of the best drone photographers in America and the owner of Hamptons Drone Images, got her hands on a Mavic 3 Pro early and shared some sample video of its video capability up to 28x:
Other factors to consider
The more-expensive pro has an incredible 43 minutes, but that’s actually slightly less than the 46 minutes on the Classic (presumably the extra cameras adds extra weight that drops flight times). Three minutes out of 43 likely wouldn’t be a deal-breaker for anyone, but if you do fly in scenarios where every minute is precious, then that could be something to consider as a reason to actually prefer the cheaper drone.
The Pro drone does offer a few extra upgrades that will be seen as minor to most drone pilots. The Pro version supports recording oof up to one billion colors via its new 10-bit D-Log M color mode. That’s good for pilots filming in high-contrast scenarios (like during sunrises and sunsets). That also reduces the difficulty of color grading, allowing an efficient post-production without losing quality or image clarity.
But since both drones entail use of Hasselblad’s Natural Colour Solution (HNCS) technology — which can accurately restore the colors the human eye perceives without post-production — both will deliver stunning colors.
The DJI Mavic 3 Pro (left) and DJI Mavic 3 Classic (right)
Mavic 3 Pro vs. Mavic 3 Classic: the bottom line
If you’ll never need the extra telephoto lenses, save your money and go with the Classic. But if you’re looking to experiment with new photography techniques (or already have a need for zooming in) then you’ll certainly want that Pro, as the different lenses unlock new possibilities of the types of images you can take.
There’s also slightly better color capabilities (but slightly worse flight times) on the Pro.
Of course, if you’re really a serious photographer, you’ll skip the Mavic 3 Pro altogether and go for the Inspire 3 that launched earlier this month and ships at the end of June. That drone offers up a full-frame Zenmuse X9-8K Air Gimbal Camera that allows for interchangeable lenses. Lens options for that include:
An additional 18 mm F2.8 full-frame ultra-wide lens
A new telephoto lens specially made for 8K aerial cinematography
Full-frame 24mm, 35mm, and 50mm lenses
That said, there’s one glaring problem with that Inspire 3 telephoto lens: it hasn’t been formally released yet and there’s no firm date when it’ll arrive (but it likely won’t be until after June 2023). If you need a telephoto sooner than that, well then the Mavic 3 Pro (or Mavic 3 Cine) might actually serve you better.
The DJI Mavic 3 Pro begins shipping at the end of May 2023.
If you’re considering buying a Mavic 3 drone, you actually have quite a few options to choose from. Most people who aren’t professional cinematographers will find themselves choosing between the lowest-cost drones of the lineup: the DJI Mavic 3 Pro vs. Mavic 3 Classic.
There are really two key differences between the DJI Mavic 3 Pro vs. Mavic 3 Classic. In terms of the drone itself, the Mavic 3 Pro has three cameras versus just one, two of which are telephoto cameras. But perhaps more of a crucial deciding factor for most people is the price. The DJI Mavic 3 Pro is 37.5% more expensive than the DJI Mavic 3 Classic.
For the standard configuration kit, the DJI Mavic 3 Classic goes for $1,599. Meanwhile, the Mavic 3 Pro is $600 more at $2,199. So is it worth paying 37.5% more for the Mavic 3 Pro? Here’s how to know:
A brief history of the Mavic 3 lineup
Before we dive into comparing the Mavic 3 Pro vs. Mavic 3 Classic, it’s important to understand the history of the Mavic 3 line.
Sally French, The Drone Girl, with the DJI Mavic 3 drone.
The original Mavic 3
Original retail price: $2,199
Launch date: November 2021.
The initial DJI Mavic 3 drone launched in November 2021 as a dual-camera drone. The primary camera was a 4/3 CMOS Hasselblad sensor with a 20MP resolution, and then there was a second, digital zoom lens with a 1/2-inch CMOS (12MP) sensor. It offers an incredible 28x Hybrid Zoom.
The DJI Mavic 3 Cine edition.
Mavic 3 Cine: a Mavic 3 for serious photographers
Original retail price: $4,999
Launch date: November 2021.
In coincidence with the DJI Mavic 3 came the launch of an upgraded version called the Mavic 3 Cine. It has a few minor differences like bonus accessories, but the primary difference between the Mavic 3 Cine and the Mavic 3 is Apple ProRes 422 HQ encoding, which means higher-quality video for richer video processing. There’s also an internal 1TB SSD onboard for high-speed data storage. The DJI Mavic 3 Cine Premium Combo launched at $4,999, making it more than twice the price of the Mavic 3.
The DJI Mavic 3 Classic
Mavic 3 Classic: a stripped-down version for pilots on a budget
Original retail price: $1,599
Launch date: November 2022
A year after the launch of the Mavic 3 and Mavic 3 Cine, DJI did the budget-conscious drone pilots a solid by launching the DJI Mavic 3 Classic, essentially a stripped-down (and much cheaper) version of the original Mavic 3. Most notably, the Mavic 3 Classic does not include the telephoto lens. At launch, it retailed for $1,599.
A rendering of the DJI Mavic 3 Enterprise drone
Mavic 3 Enterprise: a version for industrial use-cases
Original retail price: $3,959
Launch date: October 2022
The same year DJI gave us the Classic, DJI also gave us the DJI Mavic 3 Enterprise, which has features more appealing to the industrial crowd including a 56× zoom camera and RTK module for centimeter-level precision.
The DJI Mavic 3 Pro and Cine version.
Mavic 3 Pro and Mavic 3 Pro Cine: the latest and greatest (with three cameras)
Original retail price: $2,199 (Pro) and $4,799 (Cine)
Launch date: April 2023
And that brings us where we are today, with the DJI Mavic 3 Pro — a drone that can claim the title of world’s first three optical camera drone. Much like the 2021 launch of the Mavic 3 and Mavic 3 Cine edition, the Mavic 3 Pro also comes with a ‘Pro’ Cine option.
What’s impressive is that — despite inflation in pretty much every other aspect of life — these drones cost either the same or slightly less than the initial Mavic 3 cost, despite being more advanced. The Mavic 3 Pro matches the Mavic 3’s price at $2,199, while the Cine edition is actually $200 cheaper at $4,799 versus the original Cine that went for $4,999.
Comparing all the Mavic 3 drones
Unless you’re buying a used Mavic 3 drone or have otherwise found it at a deep discount, there’s little reason to compare the Mavic 3 vs. Mavic 3 Pro, as the Mavic Pro is better by almost every metric (there are only a few small drawbacks such as 6.5% lesser flight time (43 minutes vs. 46 minutes).
And in fact, DJI has discontinued sales of the original Mavic 3 drone on its website (though you can still find it through other third-party sellers such as Amazon), so we’ll skip that comparison here.
The Cine version of the Mavic 3 Pro is targeted at serious photographers who value Apple ProRes 422 HQ encoding (if you don’t know what that is, it probably means you don’t need it). The Enterprise version is good if you need RTK (and again, if you’re confused what RTK means, you definitely don’t need it).
But most people are left with a choice: Mavic 3 Pro? Or Mavic 3 Classic? Here’s how to decide:
Mavic 3 Pro vs. Mavic 3 Classic: are the two zoom cameras worth the extra cost?
Is the Mavic 3 Pro worth the upgrade? Let’s start with a comparison table of the two drones:
FOV: 84° Format Equivalent: 24 mm Aperture: f/2.8-f/11 Focus: 1 m to ∞
Medium Tele camera and lens specs
1/1.3-inch CMOS, Effective Pixels: 48 MP
FOV: 35° Format Equivalent: 70 mm Aperture: f/2.8 Focus: 3 m to ∞
N/A
Tele camera and lens specs
1/2-inch CMOS, Effective Pixels: 12 MP
FOV: 15° Format Equivalent: 166 mm Aperture: f/3.4 Focus: 3 m to ∞
N/A
Digital zoom
Hasselblad Camera: 1-3× Medium Tele Camera: 3-7× Tele Camera: 7-28×
3×
Gimbal mechanical range
Tilt: -140° to 50° Roll: -50° to 50° Pan: -23° to 23°
Tilt: -135° to 100° Roll: -45° to 45° Pan: -27° to 27°
Sensor
4/3″ CMOS
1/1.3″ CMOS
Obstacle Avoidance
Omnidirectional binocular vision system, supplemented with an infrared sensor at the bottom of the aircraft
Omnidirectional binocular vision system, supplemented with an infrared sensor at the bottom of the aircraft
Max Flight Time
43 minutes
46 minutes
Transmission System
O3+
O3+
The biggest difference between the Mavic 3 Pro vs. Classic is that you’re getting those two telephoto cameras. Whether those two additions are worth it to you depends on your photography style.
When to skip the Mavic 3 Pro upgrade
If you prefer shooting big, sweeping landscapes or panoramas, the telephotos likely won’t be of use to you. Even if you like to zoom in relatively close to a subject, what’s cool about drones is it’s usually easy to just fly right up to it. If you can’t get close to a subject, fly the drone closer!
Even among photographers who do use the zoom lenses, they’re primarily going to be flying with the Hasselblad camera anyway. Hasselblad is one of the most top-of-the-line camera companies, and so you’ll want to maximize it by making it your primary camera anyway.
After all, the Hasselblad camera on the Standard has incredible specs like:
4/3 CMOS 20-megapixel camera
Hasselblad Natural Color Solution
4K video at 60 fps and 1080p video at 60 fps
H.26x encoders
10-bit D-Log for video (and 12-bit RAW for photography)
Night mode for video recording
When to opt for the Mavic 3 Pro upgrade
Where the telephoto lenses often comes into play is in scenarios where you can’t fly the drone closer. Perhaps you’re a wildlife photographer but you don’t actually want to fly that close to the animals so as not to disturb them. Maybe you’re flying in an environment with lots of ‘noise,’ where you don’t want to risk losing signal, or there is something on the ground that you cannot fly over — namely people.
The zoom enables it to look like you were flying much closer to (or over) something that you actually weren’t very close to at all.
The two separate lenses also offer up different aesthetics than what you’d get solely with the generally-single aesthetic that you get with the Hasselblad camera.
The medium tele camera compresses the depth of field and depth of focus to highlight the subject and give a unique sense of depth and space. You might use it for shots that aren’t super tight, but not wide either, like perhaps a building or a car. Among its specs:
1/1.3″ CMOS sensor
3x optical zoom
48MP/12MP photos
4K/60fps video.
Supports the new D-log M.
The standard tele camera is truly best for situations where you just can’t get as close as you’d otherwise like to (typically because you’re prevented from flying drones in a certain area due to government restrictions or common sense, like an inexperienced pilot flying over crowds of people or animals). Among its specs:
Aperture from f/4.4 to f/3.4
4K/60fps video
7x optical zoom
12MP photos
Joanna Steidle, one of the best drone photographers in America and the owner of Hamptons Drone Images, got her hands on a Mavic 3 Pro early and shared some sample video of its video capability up to 28x:
Other factors to consider
The more-expensive pro has an incredible 43 minutes, but that’s actually slightly less than the 46 minutes on the Classic (presumably the extra cameras adds extra weight that drops flight times). Three minutes out of 43 likely wouldn’t be a deal-breaker for anyone, but if you do fly in scenarios where every minute is precious, then that could be something to consider as a reason to actually prefer the cheaper drone.
The Pro drone does offer a few extra upgrades that will be seen as minor to most drone pilots. The Pro version supports recording oof up to one billion colors via its new 10-bit D-Log M color mode. That’s good for pilots filming in high-contrast scenarios (like during sunrises and sunsets). That also reduces the difficulty of color grading, allowing an efficient post-production without losing quality or image clarity.
But since both drones entail use of Hasselblad’s Natural Colour Solution (HNCS) technology — which can accurately restore the colors the human eye perceives without post-production — both will deliver stunning colors.
The DJI Mavic 3 Pro (left) and DJI Mavic 3 Classic (right)
Mavic 3 Pro vs. Mavic 3 Classic: the bottom line
If you’ll never need the extra telephoto lenses, save your money and go with the Classic. But if you’re looking to experiment with new photography techniques (or already have a need for zooming in) then you’ll certainly want that Pro, as the different lenses unlock new possibilities of the types of images you can take.
There’s also slightly better color capabilities (but slightly worse flight times) on the Pro.
Of course, if you’re really a serious photographer, you’ll skip the Mavic 3 Pro altogether and go for the Inspire 3 that launched earlier this month and ships at the end of June. That drone offers up a full-frame Zenmuse X9-8K Air Gimbal Camera that allows for interchangeable lenses. Lens options for that include:
An additional 18 mm F2.8 full-frame ultra-wide lens
A new telephoto lens specially made for 8K aerial cinematography
Full-frame 24mm, 35mm, and 50mm lenses
That said, there’s one glaring problem with that Inspire 3 telephoto lens: it hasn’t been formally released yet and there’s no firm date when it’ll arrive (but it likely won’t be until after June 2023). If you need a telephoto sooner than that, well then the Mavic 3 Pro (or Mavic 3 Cine) might actually serve you better.
The DJI Mavic 3 Pro begins shipping at the end of May 2023.
The DJI Mavic 3 drone not one, but two cameras. And today, the Chinese drone maker launched a new, spiffier version of the popular camera drone, and this one has three cameras. And with that, the DJI Mavic 3 Pro can claim the title of world’s first three optical camera drone.
There’s the Mavic’s renowned Hasselblad camera, plus two tele-cameras of varying degrees of zoom capabilities. Unlike the traditional dSLR or mirrorless cameras (which goes for the cameras you’d mount in the $16,000+ drone rigs like DJI’s Inspire 3 or the Sony Airpeak) where you’d have to completely change the physical lens, the Mavic 3 Pro’s triple camera combination lets you switch between shot composition with just one tap. It’s not unlike the trend in today’s smartphones like the newer iPhone models (largely starting with the iPhone 11 Pro) and the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra that features a triple-camera system on one side. Take that idea to the air for maximal convenience.
Throw in omnidirectional obstacle sensing, 15-kilometer video transmission and 43 minutes of flight time, and this here is one pretty incredible drone.
How the Mavic 3 Pro fits into the broader Mavic 3 universe
The DJI Mavic 3 drone first launched in November 2021 with two cameras: a 4/3 CMOS Hasselblad sensor with a 20MP resolution, and a secondary 1/2-inch CMOS (12MP) sensor that’s used as its digital zoom lens. Since then, it’s evolved to have a few different versions. A year after its initial debut, DJI dropped a stripped-down, cheaper version called the DJI Mavic 3 Classic. The company also released an upgraded version called the DJI Mavic 3 Enterprise, which took the shell and many of the internal parts of the existing Mavic 3 and put it on commercial-grade drone steroids.
And today, we get the DJI Mavic 3 Pro — a drone that gets its first-ever third camera, and that provides one more stepping stone toward DJI’s seriously high-end, professional camera drones (most notably the Inspire 3 that launched earlier this month).
Here’s everything you need to know about the new DJI Mavic 3 Pro:
The DJI Mavic 3 Pro’s three cameras
Each of the DJI Mavic 3 Pro’s three cameras has a different focal length. They are the:
Hasselblad wide-angle camera (24mm).
Medium tele camera (70mm).
Tele camera (166mm).
About the Hasselblad camera
The primary camera is that Hassleblad camera, which has been integral to DJI ever since it acquired a stake in Hasselblad in 2015 (within a year, the two companies had developed their first joint product — a combination of the M600 drone platform with the A5D medium format camera). When the DJI Mavic 3 launched in 2021, there was a dual-camera system (which included one zoom camera as well as one custom Hasselblad L2D-20c aerial camera.
The Hasselblad professional-level, 4/3 CMOS Hasselblad camera uses a 24mm prime lens and offers higher dynamic range and resolution, plus reduced noise in low-light environments for sharper, clearer photos. It supports shooting 12-bit RAW photos with a native dynamic range of up to 12.8 stops.
For videos, expect image capture at up to 5.1K at 50fps or DCI 4K at 120fps.
There’s also Hasselblad Natural Colour Solution (HNCS), which can accurately restore the colors the human eye perceives without post-production, and complex color presets.
New to the Pro version is a 10-bit D-Log M color mode, which supports recording up to one billion colors. This is ideal for filming in high-contrast scenarios, like sunrises and sunsets, and it also reduces the difficulty of color grading, allowing an efficient post-production without losing quality or image clarity.
The two telephoto cameras
So why three cameras in the latest iteration? It’s all designed to turn the drone into more of a storytelling tool, rather than simply taking sweeping, wide-angle (often landscape) shots that are more common in aerial photography (especially up through the past couple years). With the drone in one take, you might establish the environment with the wide-angle camera, then move in to a specific location with the medium tele, and then finish up the scene by using the 166mm tele camera to focus in on a particular area or character.
Medium tele camera
The first of the tele cameras is what’s referred to as a medium tele camera (which has a 70mm format equivalent). You’d use it for shots that aren’t super tight, but not wide either, like perhaps a building or a car, as it compresses the depth of field and depth of focus to highlight the subject and give a unique sense of depth and space.
This camera has a 1/1.3″ CMOS sensor and 3x optical zoom, and it is capable of 48MP/12MP photos, 4K/60fps video. Similarly, it supports the new D-log M.
Tele camera
This one is your true telephoto, offering increased resolution, aperture (from f4.4 to f3.4), and video frame rate from the original DJI Mavic 3. It supports shooting 4K/60fps video with 7x optical zoom and 12MP photos.
Both the medium tele camera and tele camera support taking RAW photos in normal photo mode, just not in Explore mode.
So what’s the point of a zoom camera anyway, if a drone can just fly and zoom by moving through the air? There are plenty of scenarios where you don’t want to get too close. Maybe you don’t want to disturb animals. Maybe you don’t want to risk losing signal. Maybe the shot you want involves flying over other people. With powerful zoom, the drone can remain close to you while still getting that far out shot you need.
Joanna Steidle, one of the best drone photographers in America and the owner of Hamptons Drone Images, got her hands on a Mavic 3 Pro early and shared some sample video of its video capability up to 28x:
And if all that isn’t enough, there’s also a bonus accessory called the DJI Wide-Angle Lens for Mavic 3 Pro/Pro Cine. This is just a lens cover, which you pop onto the gimbal to increase the Hasselblad lens’ 84° FOV to 108°, with a 15.5mm format equivalent.
The DJI Mavic 3 Pro: the drone itself
The Mavic 3 Pro stands out for its powerful flight time of 43 minutes. Although for what it’s worth, the original Mavic 3 offers a slightly longer 46 minutes (presumably the extra camera adds extra weight that drops flight times).
The battery takes approximately 96 minutes to charge when connected to the USB-C charging cable of the DJI 65W Portable Charger, or 70 minutes when charging with the DJI 100W USB-C Power Adapter and charging cable.
Another powerful add on this drone (which was also there in the original Mavic 3 launch) is omnidirectional sensing and APAS 5.0. This drone features eight wide-angle vision sensors, which can sense obstacles in all directions and plan a safe flight route to avoid them.
That also makes this drone a solid contender for best follow-me drone, putting it in the ranks of others like the Skydio 2+ that have historically had better sense and avoidance capabilities than DJI’s drones.
The transmission system is built around the DJI O3+ transmission system which can transmit a 1080p/60fps HD live feed at high frame rates at a distance of up to 15 km.
Once back on the ground, the footage can easily get to your phone through the High-Speed QuickTransfer option, which allows quick image and video downloads direct from the drone to a mobile phone over Wi-Fi 6 at speeds up to 80 MB per second — and that’s all without connecting to the remote controller.
This drone can largely fly itself, and take better videos than even the most adept pilot could thanks to its smart shooting modes.
As far as flying, expect features like:
Waypoint Flight: Automatically plans a flight route based on the user’s preset waypoints and can precisely repeat routes.
Cruise Control: Allows the drone to fly in any direction without continually pressing the control sticks for smoother camera movement during long-distance manual control.
Advanced RTH: Automatically determines a safe and efficient flight route back to its home point, easily bypassing obstacles on the RTH path.
Those are the smart flying modes, but there are smart filming modes too. Those include:
FocusTrack: Offers stable tracking shots in multiple directions via ActiveTrack 5.0, Spotlight, and Point of Interest (only available on the Hasselblad camera and the medium tele camera)
MasterShots: With one tap, the drone automatically shoots, edits and adds soundtracks to automatically generate cinematic footage. (only available on the Hasselblad camera
QuickShots: Allows the drones to fly in angles like Dronie, Rocket, Circle, and Helix (only available on the Hasselblad camera)
Panorama: Composes a 100MP lossless panorama photo (only available on the Hasselblad camera)
What about the DJI Mavic 3 Pro Cine?
Just as the original Mavic 3 launched with an upgraded counterpart called the Cine edition, the Pro is also launching alongside a Cine edition. It’s far more expensive, but it can be worth it for film professionals as it means that now all three cameras support Apple ProRes 422 HQ, Apple ProRes 422, and Apple ProRes 422 LT encoding.
The Cine edition also offers a built-in 1TB SSDand a 10Gbps lightspeed data cable.
Though, the Cine is far more expensive than the ‘Just Pro’ edition. The DJI Mavic 3 Pro Cine Premium Combo goes for $4,799 — still keeping it far under the Inspire 3’s $16,500 price point, but much more than the Pro.
How to get your hands on the DJI Mavic 3 Pro
While you can order it now, the DJI Mavic 3 Pro won’t ship until May. Here’s how much it costs:
There’s also the option to add on DJI Care Refresh, which is basically DJI’s extended warranty plan.
On the heels of DJI announcing a further pivot into cinematography drones with the launch of its Inspire 3 drone, a major competitor has done the opposite. Today, the Sony Airpeak drone got a makeover of sorts that transforms the aerial cinematography star into an enterprise applications workhorse.
Sony today announced a roundup of new upgrades available for its Airpeak S1 drone that solve issues with the originally-launched product while also unlocking new features that should be appealing to folks using drones for industrial applications like mapping or inspections.
Photo courtesy of Sony.
The newly-announced highlights include a:
More powerful battery.
Real Time Kinematic Kit.
New, more-advanced and lightweight gimbal.
Here’s what you need to know about the new add-ons, how much they cost, and why today’s news is a game changer not just for the company’s own trajectory but for commercial drone pilots seeking an alternative to DJI (and an alternative to any other Chinese-made drones, for that matter):
3 major new product upgrades for the Sony Airpeak drone
There are 3 major announcements to come out of Sony around its Airpeak drone:
Photo courtesy of Sony.
A better battery
Easily one of the top complaints from users and in my own Sony Airpeak review is the abysmal battery life. While Sony at launched touted 22 minutes of battery life, it felt a little disingenuous, as that was a figure without a payload. Add in a common payloads, say an Alpha camera and gimbal, and the battery life drops down to 12 minutes.
But Sony’s trying hard to fix that with today’s launch of a new LBP-HM1 Battery, which allows for significantly longer flight times.
The Airpeak S1 with the better battery can now fly for up to 30 minutes without a payload (up from 22). Throw in a standard payload like, say, the new RTK Kit, PX1 gimbal, an A7RIV, and the Zeiss 35mm F2.8, and you can expect flight times up to 20 minutes (up from the formerly-paltry 12 minutes).
Sony also tested out flight times for a sample configuration with the T3 gimbal for Airpeak, A7S III and a 24mm F1.4 G-Master lens, and you can expect up to 17 minutes. That’s still far less than the 28 minutes that DJI promises on its Inspire 3 drone using hot-swappable TB51 intelligent dual batteries, but it’s a big improvement over the original Sony Airpeak battery. (Of course, with any drone battery, actual performance varies based on settings, environmental conditions, storage, and usage.)
Many users have said battery lives under 15 minutes is non-negotiable, so the 17 minute battery life with that camera configuration could finally make the Airpeak a realistic choice.
Alongisde the actual 3,938mAh enhanced battery, Sony also invested in the drone’s intelligent battery management system, which uses the Airpeak Flight App to provide real-time information about the battery’s status. The physical battery also shows four LEDs to display information on charge level. The high-capacity battery is model
If you want the new battery, you’ll need a pretty penny and some patience. Each 3,938mAh Enhanced Battery will cost $399.99. That’s more than the standard Airpeak drone batteries, which cost $230 each.
And, the batteries are not expected to arrive in customers’ hands until June 23, 2023.
Photo courtesy of Sony.
RTK GNSS system for Airpeak S1 with high-precision positioning capability
RTK, short for Real Time Kinematic, is a crucial tool for many industrial applications. RTK systems allow drones to achieve far more precise positioning than they would be able to without it (typically meaning centimeter-level accuracy). That’s crucial for applications like mapping, where a drone cannot afford to be off by an inch or two in its waypoint. Sony’s RTK also promises no lag.
This announcement should be a huge win for the growing community of enterprise users turning to Sony drones. With RTK, the drone is better able to maintain a stable flight path and gather precise data to geotag images for inspections and other applications. And because the RTK has a networking port, it might turn out to be useful to pilots seeking to sync image and mapping data.
RTK works via a base station that receives satellite signals from the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). Pair it with an Airpeak mounted receiver, and the drone can determine its position, making for stable flight even in environments with strong magnetic field interference. By comparing the signals from multiple GNSS satellites, the system can calculate Airpeak’s precise location, velocity, and orientation, providing centimeter-level accuracy in positioning and reproducible flight. This provides centimeter-level accuracy in positioning, allowing the S1 to maintain a stable flight path and gather precise data for inspections and other applications.
Alternatively, to the use of the base station, the RTK system can be connected to the internet and make use of a GNSS correction data service to achieve centimeter-level accuracy supporting various work environments. The accuracy of the data is calculated in the module so it can determine exactly where the sensor is, the position its facing and track the timing of the RTK and geotagging data.
RTK data can be taken off the Airpeak through one of two options. The first, available now, is taking the SD card out of the RTK interface model, and then taking the images off the SD card on the Alpha, and then running it through a third-party software like Pix4D which will merge the geodata with the images.
The next option will require a dongle. A company spokeserson said the team is woking on a tool through the Airpeak flight app that will take the data it has captured off the RTK unit and then write that data to the images on the SD card, though that’s coming later.
The RTK Kit w/ Base Station (RTK-1) will cost $3,999.99. It’s expected to be in customers’ mailboxes by June 9, 2023.
Photo courtesy of Sony.
Gremsy Gimbal PX1 for Airpeak (GBL-PX1)
Here’s a lightweight, easy-to-use gimbal designed for enterprise applications. How light? It’s 40% lighter than the GBL-T3 from Gremsy that was originally built for Airpeak (also serving as a key factor in reducing flight times).
The gimbal, named the Gremsy Gimbal PX1 for Airpeak (GBL-PX1), is compatible with Sony’s full-size mirrorless interchangeable lens α cameras such as Sony’s A7R V, A7R IV, or the A7R IVA cameras. Likewise, it supports various lenses such as the Zeiss 35mm F2.8, the 24mm F2.8G, 40mm F2.5 G, or the 50 F2.5 G. The gimbal also integrates with the remote controller (and the Flight app), so you can control the gimbal’s movements and adjust camera settings in the air.
The app also allows for gimbal customization, as settings can be changed without touching the camera. It also supports touch-operated focus area setting and selection of focus position, which can be flexibly changed on the mobile app for more accurate capturing.
It goes hand-in-hand with the RTK Kit, literally, via a Hot Shoe Cable, which can even-more precisely record positioning and log orientation to capture data.
Though, this gimbal will not come cheap, priced at $3,999 (the same price as the RTK-1, and more than the cost of the initial, heavier T3 gimbal.). Of the three major new products, this one has the earliest estimated delivery data that’s just about a month away: May 19, 2023.
A firmware update
Whether or not you’re shelling out thousands of dollars for these three new products, all Airpeak users should expect a free update to their drone.
Sony this week launched an update for the Airpeak system software to version 2.0.0 for the aircraft and controller. While it’ll obviously support the newly released products, it provides a few other updates that should solve a few existing pain points for users, including gimbal camera shake correction in combination with the FX3 camera. There are also better display and notification functions to improve usability during shooting.
Photo courtesy of Sony.
How today’s news might contribute to the rise of the Sony Airpeak drone in enterprise use cases
The new products should boost efficiency, productivity and overall functionality of the drone, especially in the eyes of enterprise users.
“When we first launched (the Sony Airpeak), we came from the photo cinema side, yet we always had intention to move into the industrial and enterprise space,” said Gabriel Johnson, a marketing manager for Sony Airpeak. “With the coming announcement of these new accessories, we’ll expand our focus into the enterprise space in a more fervent way.”
The team is calling today the beginning of phase II of the drone, which originally was heavily marketed at cinematographers. Sony dominates the camera space with its mirrorless line of Alpha cameras, so it feels nature for Sony to take those cameras and put them in the air — especially as opposed to a company like DJI that was an expert at flying robots first and then had to build cameras at a caliber that could match the high quality of its drones.
Phase II expands the Airpeak into the enterprise space, which has proven to be a surprisingly successful avenue for the drone.
Enterprise users have praised the Airpeak for features like ultra-high wind resistance (that’s higher than most competitors) and sense and avoidance. The Airpeak’s compass cycles on its own so — if flying in areas that might otherwise cause electromagnetic field issues — the drone’s compass remains robust and reliable. It offers high-resolution (full-frame up to 61 MP), ultra-light lenses, hot hot swap batteries and third-part integration.
Now given the improved battery life and RTK kit, the Sony might be a more appealing bet for enterprise users.
Why the industry should be watching Sony right now as a key non-Chinese drone
DJI has seen success with its enterprise drones like the Matrice line, but it’s increasingly running into roadblocks in acquiring new commercial users given the uptick in concern around Chinese-made drones.
NDAA-compliance is one of the hottest buzzwords in drones right now. (The National Defense Authorization Act prohibits the use of equipment manufactured by a limited set of Chinese manufacturers.) But the Airpeak is made in Japan, as are all the critical components for NDAA compliance.
Meanwhile, many commercial users are ditching DJI to appease their customers who demand NDAA-compliant gear, which has opened a door for the Airpeak to thrive. But it’s hard to ditch a drone when there are few good alternatives.
With today’s news, Sony is coming in ready to shine in the enterprise space — perhaps with even more experience and knowledge than when Airpeak first launched as an attempt to disrupt the aerial cinematography space.
Will the improvements like RTK and better battery life make the Airpeak a go-to for enterprise users? Or are the improvements still not enough? After all, 20 minutes of flight time with the new battery still isn’t a ton.
It remains to be seen, but the industry should be watching the Sony Airpeak drone — especially with these new products.
On the heels of DJI announcing a further pivot into cinematography drones with the launch of its Inspire 3 drone, a major competitor has done the opposite. Today, the Sony Airpeak drone got a makeover of sorts that transforms the aerial cinematography star into an enterprise applications workhorse.
Sony today announced a roundup of new upgrades available for its Airpeak S1 drone that solve issues with the originally-launched product while also unlocking new features that should be appealing to folks using drones for industrial applications like mapping or inspections.
Photo courtesy of Sony.
The newly-announced highlights include a:
More powerful battery.
Real Time Kinematic Kit.
New, more-advanced and lightweight gimbal.
Here’s what you need to know about the new add-ons, how much they cost, and why today’s news is a game changer not just for the company’s own trajectory but for commercial drone pilots seeking an alternative to DJI (and an alternative to any other Chinese-made drones, for that matter):
3 major new product upgrades for the Sony Airpeak drone
There are 3 major announcements to come out of Sony around its Airpeak drone:
Photo courtesy of Sony.
A better battery
Easily one of the top complaints from users and in my own Sony Airpeak review is the abysmal battery life. While Sony at launched touted 22 minutes of battery life, it felt a little disingenuous, as that was a figure without a payload. Add in a common payloads, say an Alpha camera and gimbal, and the battery life drops down to 12 minutes.
But Sony’s trying hard to fix that with today’s launch of a new LBP-HM1 Battery, which allows for significantly longer flight times.
The Airpeak S1 with the better battery can now fly for up to 30 minutes without a payload (up from 22). Throw in a standard payload like, say, the new RTK Kit, PX1 gimbal, an A7RIV, and the Zeiss 35mm F2.8, and you can expect flight times up to 20 minutes (up from the formerly-paltry 12 minutes).
Sony also tested out flight times for a sample configuration with the T3 gimbal for Airpeak, A7S III and a 24mm F1.4 G-Master lens, and you can expect up to 17 minutes. That’s still far less than the 28 minutes that DJI promises on its Inspire 3 drone using hot-swappable TB51 intelligent dual batteries, but it’s a big improvement over the original Sony Airpeak battery. (Of course, with any drone battery, actual performance varies based on settings, environmental conditions, storage, and usage.)
Many users have said battery lives under 15 minutes is non-negotiable, so the 17 minute battery life with that camera configuration could finally make the Airpeak a realistic choice.
Alongisde the actual 3,938mAh enhanced battery, Sony also invested in the drone’s intelligent battery management system, which uses the Airpeak Flight App to provide real-time information about the battery’s status. The physical battery also shows four LEDs to display information on charge level. The high-capacity battery is model
If you want the new battery, you’ll need a pretty penny and some patience. Each 3,938mAh Enhanced Battery will cost $399.99. That’s more than the standard Airpeak drone batteries, which cost $230 each.
And, the batteries are not expected to arrive in customers’ hands until June 23, 2023.
Photo courtesy of Sony.
RTK GNSS system for Airpeak S1 with high-precision positioning capability
RTK, short for Real Time Kinematic, is a crucial tool for many industrial applications. RTK systems allow drones to achieve far more precise positioning than they would be able to without it (typically meaning centimeter-level accuracy). That’s crucial for applications like mapping, where a drone cannot afford to be off by an inch or two in its waypoint. Sony’s RTK also promises no lag.
This announcement should be a huge win for the growing community of enterprise users turning to Sony drones. With RTK, the drone is better able to maintain a stable flight path and gather precise data to geotag images for inspections and other applications. And because the RTK has a networking port, it might turn out to be useful to pilots seeking to sync image and mapping data.
RTK works via a base station that receives satellite signals from the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). Pair it with an Airpeak mounted receiver, and the drone can determine its position, making for stable flight even in environments with strong magnetic field interference. By comparing the signals from multiple GNSS satellites, the system can calculate Airpeak’s precise location, velocity, and orientation, providing centimeter-level accuracy in positioning and reproducible flight. This provides centimeter-level accuracy in positioning, allowing the S1 to maintain a stable flight path and gather precise data for inspections and other applications.
Alternatively, to the use of the base station, the RTK system can be connected to the internet and make use of a GNSS correction data service to achieve centimeter-level accuracy supporting various work environments. The accuracy of the data is calculated in the module so it can determine exactly where the sensor is, the position its facing and track the timing of the RTK and geotagging data.
RTK data can be taken off the Airpeak through one of two options. The first, available now, is taking the SD card out of the RTK interface model, and then taking the images off the SD card on the Alpha, and then running it through a third-party software like Pix4D which will merge the geodata with the images.
The next option will require a dongle. A company spokeserson said the team is woking on a tool through the Airpeak flight app that will take the data it has captured off the RTK unit and then write that data to the images on the SD card, though that’s coming later.
The RTK Kit w/ Base Station (RTK-1) will cost $3,999.99. It’s expected to be in customers’ mailboxes by June 9, 2023.
Photo courtesy of Sony.
Gremsy Gimbal PX1 for Airpeak (GBL-PX1)
Here’s a lightweight, easy-to-use gimbal designed for enterprise applications. How light? It’s 40% lighter than the GBL-T3 from Gremsy that was originally built for Airpeak (also serving as a key factor in reducing flight times).
The gimbal, named the Gremsy Gimbal PX1 for Airpeak (GBL-PX1), is compatible with Sony’s full-size mirrorless interchangeable lens α cameras such as Sony’s A7R V, A7R IV, or the A7R IVA cameras. Likewise, it supports various lenses such as the Zeiss 35mm F2.8, the 24mm F2.8G, 40mm F2.5 G, or the 50 F2.5 G. The gimbal also integrates with the remote controller (and the Flight app), so you can control the gimbal’s movements and adjust camera settings in the air.
The app also allows for gimbal customization, as settings can be changed without touching the camera. It also supports touch-operated focus area setting and selection of focus position, which can be flexibly changed on the mobile app for more accurate capturing.
It goes hand-in-hand with the RTK Kit, literally, via a Hot Shoe Cable, which can even-more precisely record positioning and log orientation to capture data.
Though, this gimbal will not come cheap, priced at $3,999 (the same price as the RTK-1, and more than the cost of the initial, heavier T3 gimbal.). Of the three major new products, this one has the earliest estimated delivery data that’s just about a month away: May 19, 2023.
A firmware update
Whether or not you’re shelling out thousands of dollars for these three new products, all Airpeak users should expect a free update to their drone.
Sony this week launched an update for the Airpeak system software to version 2.0.0 for the aircraft and controller. While it’ll obviously support the newly released products, it provides a few other updates that should solve a few existing pain points for users, including gimbal camera shake correction in combination with the FX3 camera. There are also better display and notification functions to improve usability during shooting.
Photo courtesy of Sony.
How today’s news might contribute to the rise of the Sony Airpeak drone in enterprise use cases
The new products should boost efficiency, productivity and overall functionality of the drone, especially in the eyes of enterprise users.
“When we first launched (the Sony Airpeak), we came from the photo cinema side, yet we always had intention to move into the industrial and enterprise space,” said Gabriel Johnson, a marketing manager for Sony Airpeak. “With the coming announcement of these new accessories, we’ll expand our focus into the enterprise space in a more fervent way.”
The team is calling today the beginning of phase II of the drone, which originally was heavily marketed at cinematographers. Sony dominates the camera space with its mirrorless line of Alpha cameras, so it feels nature for Sony to take those cameras and put them in the air — especially as opposed to a company like DJI that was an expert at flying robots first and then had to build cameras at a caliber that could match the high quality of its drones.
Phase II expands the Airpeak into the enterprise space, which has proven to be a surprisingly successful avenue for the drone.
Enterprise users have praised the Airpeak for features like ultra-high wind resistance (that’s higher than most competitors) and sense and avoidance. The Airpeak’s compass cycles on its own so — if flying in areas that might otherwise cause electromagnetic field issues — the drone’s compass remains robust and reliable. It offers high-resolution (full-frame up to 61 MP), ultra-light lenses, hot hot swap batteries and third-part integration.
Now given the improved battery life and RTK kit, the Sony might be a more appealing bet for enterprise users.
Why the industry should be watching Sony right now as a key non-Chinese drone
DJI has seen success with its enterprise drones like the Matrice line, but it’s increasingly running into roadblocks in acquiring new commercial users given the uptick in concern around Chinese-made drones.
NDAA-compliance is one of the hottest buzzwords in drones right now. (The National Defense Authorization Act prohibits the use of equipment manufactured by a limited set of Chinese manufacturers.) But the Airpeak is made in Japan, as are all the critical components for NDAA compliance.
Meanwhile, many commercial users are ditching DJI to appease their customers who demand NDAA-compliant gear, which has opened a door for the Airpeak to thrive. But it’s hard to ditch a drone when there are few good alternatives.
With today’s news, Sony is coming in ready to shine in the enterprise space — perhaps with even more experience and knowledge than when Airpeak first launched as an attempt to disrupt the aerial cinematography space.
Will the improvements like RTK and better battery life make the Airpeak a go-to for enterprise users? Or are the improvements still not enough? After all, 20 minutes of flight time with the new battery still isn’t a ton.
It remains to be seen, but the industry should be watching the Sony Airpeak drone — especially with these new products.
It’s no secret that drone conferences are expensive. There’s the travel costs and the time off work. And then there are the conference registration fees. But here’s a pretty sweet offer that might get you into the 2023 Law-Tech Connect workshop for free.
2022 Scholars Program participants. Photo courtesy of P3 Tech Consulting.
The 2023 Law-Tech Connect workshop is an all-day legal-focused event set for Monday, May 8. It’s co-located within the massive AUVSI XPONENTIAL palooza set for this May in Denver, Colorado. It costs $299 to attend, which includes an AUVSI XPO Hall Pass (worth $169 on its own) plus meals for that day, admission to a Sunday night networking event at a mini golf venue the evening prior plus 8 CLE credits for attorneys.
But you might be able to save that $299 and get in for free.
The second annual Law-Tech Connect Workshop has significantly expanded its scholarship program over the past year, creating more opportunities for students, faculty, nonprofit leaders and select industry members to get in for free.
It’s called the Scholars Program, and it’s designed to financially support people within the drone industry who might not otherwise have the means to fork over $299 for a day-long workshop.
Applying for the scholarship is also relatively straightforward — no massive set of recommendation letters and pledges of your first-born child required.
Anyone interested in a scholarship to the 2023 Law-Tech Connect workshop should contact the workshop organizer, Dawn Zoldi via email at dawn@p3techconsulting.com.
And don’t delay. Scholarships are generally doled out on a first-come, first served basis, with a final scholarship registration deadline of Sunday, April 30, 2023. Though as of mid-April, there are more than a dozen scholarship spots still available.
If selected for the Scholars Program, you’ll receive a 3-day XPO pass to access most of the rest of what AUVSI has to offer. And if you’ve never attended AUVSI before you must — the show floor is massive.
You’ll also receive a free copy of a drone law textbook, which was written by event organizer and P3 Tech CEO, Dawn Zoldi for the Unmanned Safety Institute. The textbook, titled “Unmanned Aircraft Systems: Legal and Business Considerations Textbook,” typically costs $99.
The Scholars Program is sponsored by companies, organizations and universities including Carahsoft, DroneUp, Titan Aviation, MatrixSpace and Green Traurig LLP, UND, Easy Aerial and Oklahoma State University. And it could open the door for folks to get into drones who don’t otherwise have the financial need. Students should certainly apply, but it might also be a good avenue for someone just launching their own company, or maybe a woman seeking support in the industry. After all, women make up just 7.9% of all certified remote pilots, according to the FAA’s U.S. Civil Airmen Statistics report.
2022 Scholars Program participants. Photo courtesy of P3 Tech Consulting.
What is the 2023 Law-Tech Connect Workshop?
Consider this one-day event to be the most comprehensive overview and updates on multi-domain uncrewed and autonomous systems law, regulations and policy of the year. It also qualifies as continuing legal education (CLE) for attorneys.
The speaker line up includes folks government, commercial industry and academia, and its agenda covers a broad range of topics ranging from drone and AAM law/regulation updates, public-private partnership funding opportunities, the law of the air and sea, intellectual property, commercial drones on the battlefield, counter-UAS to privacy law.
Speakers include:
Federal Aviation Administration’s “Drone Guy” Kevin Morris
Vic Moss, of the Drone Service Provider’s Alliance
Maj Gen (USAF Ret.) James Poss
Cameron Chell, CEO of Draganfly
Lori DeMatteis, CRO of MatrixSpace
Besides the learning on Monday, perhaps the most highly-anticipated part is a networking event on Sunday, May 7 from 7-9 p.m. at the Urban Putt on Denver’s 18th Street. Urban Putt is an upscale, indoor mini-golf course featuring a full-service bar with hand-crafted cocktails.
From there, you might opt to stay in Denver all week, as the official AUVSI conference run May 9-11. The conference draws thousands of drone industry experts from around the world.
So far, more than 100 folks are set to attend this year’s 2023 Law-Tech Connect workshop. The Early-Bird registration deadline closes tomorrow — that’s Saturday, April 15.
