DJI Air 3 and Mavic 3 Classic: are they the same?
Yesterday DJI launched its new foldable drone, part of the Air series: the DJI Air 3 !
· 3 min read
Archive article. Article from 2021: some of the models mentioned are no longer in production. Today the equivalent model is DJI Mavic 4 Pro. Discover DJI Mavic 4 Pro
Starting from the night of November 5, DJI has made available one of the most awaited drones for professionals and enthusiasts in the drone world.
The Mavic line welcomes the brand-new DJI Mavic 3, currently available in three versions:
The DJI Mavic 3 is a complete and compact aircraft, ideal for professional, very high-quality aerial shooting, with a nod to the world of cinema. Among its other features, the QuickTransfer Wi-Fi 6, ActiveTrack 5.0, the transmission range of up to 15 km and the OcuSync 2.0 transmission system of the DJI RC-N1 remote controller also make a difference. The main features, instead, will be discussed in the following lines, which compare the two drones with a Hasselblad camera, namely the DJI Mavic 3 and the DJI Mavic 2 Pro, together with the latest DJI drone that preceded the Mavic 3, namely the DJI Air 2S.
|
DJI Mavic 3 |
DJI Mavic 2 Pro |
DJI Air 2S |
|
|
Unfolded dimensions |
347.5×283×107.7 mm |
322×242×84 mm |
183×253×77 mm |
|
Weight |
895/899 grams |
907 grams |
595 |
|
Flight time |
46 minutes |
31 minutes |
31 minutes |
|
Camera sensor |
CMOS 4/3 |
CMOS 1” |
CMOS 1” |
|
Video quality |
5.1K at 50fps |
4K at 30fps |
5.4K at 30fps |
|
Photo quality |
20 MP |
20 MP |
20 MP |
|
Sensors |
Front |
Front |
Front |
|
Wind resistance |
43 km/h |
29-38 km/h |
38.5 km/h |
At first glance, in terms of size, the DJI Air 2S is the quintessential compact Mavic: small in size and the lightest of the line. As for performance, however, the DJI Mavic 3 is clearly superior to both the Mavic 2 Pro and the DJI Air 2S. Even though the latter holds up well in the comparison, on paper it has no features better than those of the Mavic 3, apart from the price, which we will discuss later.
The DJI Mavic 3, in fact, can fly a full 15 minutes longer than the other two Mavics, a quarter of an hour that makes a real difference in the field. Moreover, what makes the biggest difference is the camera sensor: both the DJI Mavic 3 and the DJI Mavic 2 Pro are equipped with a Hasselblad, but the Mavic 3 sensor is clearly larger than that of the Mavic 2 Pro (a 4/3 sensor versus the 1-inch sensor of the 2 Pro). The Mavic 3 sensor delivers better 5K resolution, which is much smoother than that of the Air 2S (50fps versus 30fps).
While photo quality is the same across all three drones in the Mavic series, wind resistance differs, and is once again superior in the DJI Mavic 3, which can withstand up to 43 km/h. The sensor comparison between the DJI Mavic 3 and DJI Mavic 2 Pro, on the other hand, is a tie: both are more effective than those of the DJI Air 2S, since the latter has no side sensors.

The DJI Mavic 3, therefore, wins the comparison on every front, proving to be not just an “upgrade” of the previous versions, but a completely renewed drone that can also be used in filmmaking, especially its Cine version, whose package includes ND64/128/256/512 filters, the DJI 10 Gbit/s Lightspeed data cable and the ability to capture MOV video with Apple ProRes 422 HQ in 5.1K.
The higher the quality of the drone, the higher its cost. Here are the prices of all three versions of the Mavic line:
DJI MAVIC 3
- DJI Mavic 3 - 2.119€
- DJI Mavic 3 + Fly More Combo - 2.829€
- DJI Mavic 3 + Cine Combo - 4.839€
DJI MAVIC 2 PRO
- DJI Mavic 2 Pro – 1499€
- DJI Mavic 2 Pro + Smart Controller – 1999€
DJI AIR 2S
- DJI Air 2S – 999€
- DJI Air 2S + Combo Pack – 1309€
- DJI Air 2S + Smart Controller - 1759€
The Mavic 3, in fact, is the most expensive of the Mavic series, but considering its value for money, it is right in line with expectations.
What do you think of this new DJI drone and its features? Tell us in the comments section.

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Yesterday DJI launched its new foldable drone, part of the Air series: the DJI Air 3 !
· 3 min read
On 2 November, DJI unveiled a new drone in the Mavic series: the Mavic 3 Classic.
· 4 min read
WELCOME DJI AIR 2S: what are the differences from the Mavic 2 Pro? The DJI Air 2S is here and packs a lot into its small frame!
· 7 min read
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