DJI releases Air 3 drone with dual primary cameras

Dual primary cameras, up to 46 minutes flight time, and omnidirectional obstacle sensing make the DJI Air 3 a serious upgrade over its predecessor.

DJI’s latest entrant in its Air series of drones, the $1099 Air 3, features numerous improvements and tweaks over its predecessors, but without doubt the most eye catching is the addition of a second primary camera. It now takes to the air with both a 1/1.3-inch CMOS wide-angle camera and a 1/1.3-inch CMOS 3x medium tele camera, both delivering 48MP photos and 4K/60fps HDR videos. 

The wide-angle camera offers 2.4μm pixel size, 24mm format equivalent and a F1.7 aperture. The 3x Medium Tele Camera offers 2.4μm pixel size, 70mm format equivalent and a F2.8 aperture.

Both cameras support 10-bit D-Log M and 10-bit HLG colour modes (10-bit D-Log M mode can retain more highlight and shadow details for more flexible post workflows).

The DJI Air 3 is also the first drone of the Air Series to support 2.7K vertical video shooting (9:16), which can be shared immediately on social media.

NDI filters extend the creative possibilities

Compared with its predecessor in the Air Series, the DJI Air 3 has 48% more max flight time, staying aloft for up to 46 minutes. A new battery charging hub also supports a useful power accumulation function; users can press and hold the function button to transfer the remaining power from multiple batteries to the battery with the highest remaining power.

It is also the first drone in the Air Series to include omnidirectional obstacle sensing. In the front and at the back the drone is equipped with a pair of fisheye lenses to achieve forward, backward, left, right and upward sensing, while the bottom is equipped with binocular lenses and a 3D TOF. When an obstacle is detected, the DJI Air 3 can use APAS 5.0 to actively avoid and smoothly bypass obstacles, while the ActiveTrack function further frees the pilots’ hands and works with Advanced RTH to achieve fully automatic flight as well as worry-free return- to-home.

The next gen O4 video transmission system offers a transmission distance of up to 20km and also further improves transmission stability at up to 1080p/60fps.

The usual intelligent features and aids include FocusTrack for both cameras, numerous QuickShot pre-programmed moves and camera movements, night shooting mode, hyper lapse, slo-motion, and more. Waypoint Flight is also included on the Air Series for the first time. 

Accessories include the DJI Air 3 ND Filters Set, providing ND8/16/32/64 filters, allowing the user to create smoother footage at slower shutter speeds; a 100W USB-C Power Adapter for faster charging; and a 65W Car Charger.

The DJI Air 3 comes with the DJI RC-N2 remote controller for $1,099. The DJI Air 3 Fly More Combo (DJI RC-N2) is $1,349 and adds two additional batteries, the charging hub, and a shoulder bag. The DJI Air 3 Fly More Combo (DJI RC 2) is $1,549 and also adds the DJI RC 2 remote control. Availability is immediate from the usual outlets.

The all-singing all-dancing Air 3 Fly More Combo (DJI RC 2)