DJI, one of the leading manufacturers of civil drones, has released its first drone with dual primary cameras, the Air Drone 3. Ferdinand Wolf, the Creative Director at DJI described it as “the perfect all-rounder for your outdoor adventures” that “offers you a more diverse camera language.”
The first dual-primary camera system of the Air Series boasts a 1/1.13-inch CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor) wide-angle camera along with a 1/1.13-inch CMOS 3x medium tele camera, fitted in a compact space. Despite having different focal lengths, the two cameras have the same sensor size, thus providing a more consistent quality of images. The wide-angle camera is designed with 2.4μm pixel size, 24mm format equivalent and a f/1.7 aperture, allowing the user to capture vast landscapes. The tele camera on the other hand provides 2.4μm pixel size, 70mm format equivalent and a f/2.8 aperture. It has a 3x optical zoom that can create a stronger sense of spatial compression, thus enabling the user to capture a person or being as the subject for their aerial photography. The ability to capture people in a scene has opened up the door to a myriad of possibilities in the field of aerial photography.
The duality of the two cameras allow the pilots to switch between shooting the landscape with a wider FOV (field of vision) or capturing the subject as a focal point with the landscape still accessible as a background. Both cameras capture photos in 48MP (megapixels), therefore delivering true to life details while still supporting post-cropping for easy secondary composition.
The two 1/1.3-inch CMOS sensors support dual native ISO, providing an output of 4K/60fps HDR video at high frame rates and up to 4K/100fps at maximum video specification even without cropping the FOV (field of vision). The videos can now record rich colour details and natural lighting transitions. Both cameras support the 10-bit D-Log M colour mode, which can retain more highlight and shadow details, allowing a more flexible post-production as well as the 10-bit HLG colour mode.
The Air 3 now has an upgraded max flight time of 46 minutes, 48% more than its predecessors. This provides the pilots with the time to seek desirable positions and adjust compositions in a leisurely manner. It has been equipped with a new battery charging hub that supports a power accumulation function. Users can now transfer the remaining power from multiple batteries to the batteries with the highest remaining power by pressing and holding down the function button. Pilots can now make the most out of their flight time without having to worry about the battery, especially in places where possibilities of charging are limited.
The DJI Air 3 drone introduces 360-degree obstacle sensing through specialised lenses, detecting obstacles in all directions including forward, backward, left, right, and upward. It utilises APAS 5.0 (Advanced Pilot Assistance System) for obstacle avoidance, ensuring smooth flight and uninterrupted shooting. ActiveTrack and Advanced RTH (Return to Home) provide easy automatic flight control. The O4 video transmission system offers an impressive 20 km transmission distance, enhancing safety with stable live feeds up to 1080p/60fps quality. These features empower beginners for confident and creative aerial photography.
In addition to its high quality cameras, The DJI Air 3 drone boasts an array of advanced features for creative aerial photography and filming. FocusTrack, including Spotlight 2.0, ActiveTrack 5.0, and Point of Interest 3.0, keeps subjects centred. QuickShots enable dynamic camera movements like Rocket and Boomerang. The drone also supports 2.7K shooting in the vertical, 9:16 format, apt for directly sharing on social media, without any post-production cropping. MasterShots automates diverse camera movements, edits, and adds music for cinematic footage. Night Mode captures clean low-light 4K/30fps video, while Hyperlapse provides versatile timelapse options. Slow-motion recording, SmartPhoto 3.0 for improved imaging, QuickTransfer for swift wireless downloads, and LightCut app integration for one-tap editing streamline the process. Waypoint Flight introduces planned routes and shooting actions, facilitating intricate camera movements and long-duration timelapses.
The DJI is available for $1099 via the DJI online store and other retail partners.
Source: Double Your Aerial Imaging Skills With DJI’s New Air 3 Drone
