Ok, that's it. As a Pro I have unfortunately now totally eliminated the Cine as an option.

JBSonic's post in the thread "Who All Has Returned Their M3 Due to Issues?" outlines a MAJOR problem for Pros with having a single, non-removable SSD drive:


"...my Cine version doesn't connect to my PC, can't get any footage from it. Dji support couldn't solve it either. So guess it's gonna go back for a refund"

It brings to mind the old saying "Don't put all your eggs in one basket", which DJI has, and which no Pro can ever afford to do.


  Kinda glad in a way.... I just saved myself some serious money and I don't have to stress over the pros and cons of each version any more! A faulty SSD as an integral part of the aircraft makes the Cine version totally and utterly unacceptable for Pros. I have NEVER had an  issue with the 20 or so SSDs (mainly Samsung) I own and use in other  cameras. On a commercial job the contents of that drive could well be  worth many thousands of dollars (or tens of thousands!) and Pros can't afford to lose the  data OR have a delay in accessing it, as often jobs are time-critical  for the client.

At least that option is now off the table, now I am just left  with the decision on whether to buy a standard M3 at all.

Back to the outback with my M2P I guess now.

You're not alone in your feeling Chris,  theres quite a few YouTubers who are not happy about the SSD not being removal.

I think its the hardware that the users are using thats the problem. Dji have obviously set up and sold cine the way it is, so its very easy to figure out how this will effect your workload and what extra you will need run the cine option and the user needs to know this before he forks out 5k for it. Some pros will be much better prepared than others if and when buying cine model. Its already known storage is non removal also it has no back up disk, it needs downloading if shooting more than 40 minutes or so. It takes time and battery to download and you need lots of storage to cope with big files.

I mean think about it if any of above has not been thought out by a professional spending 5k on equipment, WHOS fault is that really , and its most likely those pros needing and using prores can easily spot this.
But the fact is many pros use M2 professionally they use simple SD card no back up and manage fine so upgrade is just battery time and camera etc and this costs approx 400 more than M2 so simple to weigh this one up.

I think those who spent 5k on cine model without knowing or figuring out how to use prores in this model and knowing the workflow are not really professional or at the very least not acting professionally , this is their own fault. And from what i see and read its not professionals having problems having problems its amateurs who are budding professionals learning an expensive lesson.

Simple question for a professional “ my client needs prores footage, he needs a certain amount of footage in a certain timeframe, can this be done using M3 cine “ and then work backwards. Really how difficult is that to get right.

The standard model is easy to work out its just an upgrade for those using M2 or a brand new flying camera for new users.

I know it's not the most ideal resolution, but I'm glad to hear you've come to a conclusion. Philip Bloom makes exactly the same point in his appraisal of the Mavic 3. The "all eggs in one basket" workflow is a major problem. The only way you might work around it is buy buying a fleet of units... Ouch!  Even then, the offload workflow is a bit mad, requiring battery power and taking a significant chunk of time.

It strikes me that DJI have tried to chase too many use cases with one product in the Cine. Namely trying to give pros the huge bandwidth of ProRes HQ, but still hit the C1 classification MTOM in EU/UK, while delivering a next level flight time. Those three constraints basically solder the SSD down onto the motherboard by themselves, as having a removable SSD in the style of the Inspire 2 would murder the MTOM. Dropping the battery capacity to make up for it would murder the flight time.

As a product, the standard Mavic 3 makes much more sense, because it only has to satisfy the C1 and flight time desires. For anyone happy to use 200Mbps H265, its workflow is uncompromised. In your position, I'd be doing the same thing, revert to M2P while DJI sort their firmware and app out, then make the decision once the standard product is completed.

hallmark007 Posted at 12-1 01:25
I think its the hardware that the users are using thats the problem. Dji have obviously set up and sold cine the way it is, so its very easy to figure out how this will effect your workload and what extra you will need run the cine option and the user needs to know this before he forks out 5k for it. Some pros will be much better prepared than others if and when buying cine model. Its already known storage is non removal also it has no back up disk, it needs downloading if shooting more than 40 minutes or so. It takes time and battery to download and you need lots of storage to cope with big files.

I mean think about it if any of above has not been thought out by a professional spending 5k on equipment, WHOS fault is that really , and its most likely those pros needing and using prores can easily spot this.

Not sure of your point I'm afraid.

christangey Posted at 12-1 01:43
Not sure of your point I'm afraid.

My point is very simple. If its a professional buying this cine version, he will know have done his due diligence and come to the conclusion that its worth it or not for what he does.

If an amateur buys it and realizes his own hardware is insufficent to handle its files then thats his fault and the fact that he can return it because he didn’t do his due diligence  firmly down to him , well that says is dji are willing to allow him his mistake by allowing him to return. Drone is not the problem here.

TBH, the difference in image quality between the M2P and M3 is not that big of a jump that you absolutely 'need' to update immediately.
If you get good footage out of the M2P (which you obviously do), I see little reason to upgrade.

However :
I would not worry too much about some users having some problems and start screaming for attention about it.
After 4 years on the forum I have learned that no product (DJI or other tech company)  is ever perfect, BUT quite often a lot of the things they scream about being big issues turn out to be things you will get used to after a while and find perfectly workable new workflows for.
Of course there are hard limits that are simply not acceptable (like the magenta cast or misaligned lenses) but from my experience DJI will fix real bugs and new products means adapting to new ways of working.
And that is not always a bad thing.  

So my personal path to upgrading is usually : wait at least 1 year before the dust is settled and the complainers have either moved on or adapted to a new workflow.
After that, I will ask some owners I trust here to share their opinion and ask specific questions that I'm not sure about to be able to make my decision based on people that work with my new product
(this I do for all complex tech products, not just DJI)
Just my 2 cents.

hallmark007 Posted at 12-1 01:53
My point is very simple. If its a professional buying this cine version, he will know have done his due diligence and come to the conclusion that its worth it or not for what he does.

If an amateur buys it and realizes his own hardware is insufficent to handle its files then thats his fault and the fact that he can return it because he didn’t do his due diligence  firmly down to him , well that says is dji are willing to allow him his mistake by allowing him to return. Drone is not the problem here.

My point is very simple. If its a professional buying this cine version, he will know have done his due diligence and come to the conclusion that its worth it or not for what he does.
For every complex technical problem, there's a simple solution ... and it's usually going to be wrong.
Your simple point is completely invalid, maybe because you don't really understand the issue and how much of a project stopper it really is.
It's not something for which there is a simple solution.

Despite your unjustified confidence, there is no simple solution for actual pros who might need to shoot in ProRes with this drone.

Watch this for 5 minutes from where I've saved the video, to see one of those real pros explain the issue rather the simple solution you have in your mind.


Drone is not the problem here.
The mishmash design of this drone is the problem.

It could have been a fabulous tool for advanced amateur users and pros if the concept was properly thought out.
But as it is it's perfect for uninformed recreational flyers that put a high priority on having the latest, most expensive drone.And they will be the major market for the M3.

Thanks Labroides, I was going to say all that but I thought I would just leave it. He has no understanding of working on a professional set with data wranglers etc. and how that workflow operates. He misses all the nuances we instinctively know (but he understandably doesn't) yet still confidently says his piece based on....nothing really

Labroides Posted at 12-1 02:24
My point is very simple. If its a professional buying this cine version, he will know have done his due diligence and come to the conclusion that its worth it or not for what he does.
For every complex technical problem, there's a simple solution ... and it's usually going to be wrong.
Your simple point is completely invalid, maybe because you don't really understand the issue and how much of a project stopper it really is.

It could have been a fabulous tool for advanced amateur users and pros if the concept was properly thought out.

That’s you ranting once again, thats something you should get on to dji about, it has nothing to do what I was talking about above.

The fact that you went to the bother of digging up half a video shows you were researching just as I mention above.

Again have a look at what I wrote. I’ll simplify for you. Someone paid 5k for a drone and didn’t have the hardware to download its contents to get the desired results he was looking for.

Its like shooting in raw without having a program to process your work.

Its not the drones fault, that is what it is, I knew cine was a problem and steered away from it, for those genuinely having problems with the drone thats a different matter, but if you buy something that cost you 5k and do not research it then don’t expect everything you wished for to come true.

The video above mentions everything thats wrong about the cine version, I’m not sure why you posted it unless your now trying to help others decide but it has no relevance on what I was saying above.
And yes there is a simple solution , “if it doesn’t work for you don’t buy it”

hallmark007 Posted at 12-1 04:23
It could have been a fabulous tool for advanced amateur users and pros if the concept was properly thought out.

That’s you ranting once again, thats something you should get on to dji about, it has nothing to do what I was talking about above.

That’s you ranting once again, thats something you should get on to dji about, it has nothing to do what I was talking about above.
That's you ranting again, without much reason.

Its not the drones fault, that is what it is,
It is DJI's fault .. they put together a machine that makes no sense to the people they aimed it at.

I knew cine was a problem and steered away from it, for those genuinely having problems with the drone thats a different matter, but if you buy something that cost you 5k and do not research it then don’t expect everything you wished for to come true.
I haven't bought it, most of the people you are railing at, haven't bought it.
It's in your mind that people are buying it and then finding out the issues.
Serious potential users, do their homework and have decided or are deciding not to buy it.

The video above mentions everything thats wrong about the cine version, I’m not sure why you posted it unless your now trying to help others decide but it has no relevance on what I was saying above.
I put it there becaues it's 100% relevant and shows how fatuous your argument was.

And yes there is a simple solution , “if it doesn’t work for you don’t buy it”
No kidding !!
You think you're the only person to work that out?

This thread was initiated by a flyer who did his homework and came to the decision that because of serious shortcomings the machine isn't for him.
And your response was to miss the point completely.
The M3 and M3 cine version are frustrating because for years DJI has been the go-to drone maker for innovative design and seriously good drones for many pro users as well as amateurs.
But after waiting years and anticipating another great new drone, the M3 is a big let down.
It should have been something special.
But instead it seems to have completely missed the features that would make it great for serious users.

NGC Posted at 12-1 04:31
Stop shilling. It’s just too obvious.

Yes I think the sad thing is Hallmark is accusing everyone else of going off subject and having "no relevance" when he has never come anywhere near the point of the thread himself.

Labroides Posted at 12-1 04:54
That’s you ranting once again, thats something you should get on to dji about, it has nothing to do what I was talking about above.
That's you ranting again, without much reason.

Serious potential users, do their homework and have decided or are deciding not to buy it.

That was exactly my point. The rest of you post is purely diatribe . Its obviously not what you wanted or anticipated, and the OP was well aware for many weeks that the ssd card is locked in, and as you say I wasn’t the first to work that one out, but it seems it’s took him long enough to work it out. Regards of how good the drone is, well I heard same old sh*t about M2 on it release except so many more complaints.

hallmark007 Posted at 12-1 05:16
Serious potential users, do their homework and have decided or are deciding not to buy it.

That was exactly my point. The rest of you post is purely diatribe . Its obviously not what you wanted or anticipated, and the OP was well aware for many weeks that the ssd card is locked in, and as you say I wasn’t the first to work that one out, but it seems it’s took him long enough to work it out. Regards of how good the drone is, well I heard same old sh*t about M2 on it release except so many more complaints.

Sorry Hallmark ... it's become painful trying to discuss anything with you these days.
You used to be reasonable, but lately, you are off on your own, not taking in what's being said and arguing about things that are in your head but aren't being discussed in a thread.
It would be less frustrating trying to explain something to my dog.
I'll try to avoid engaging with you in future.

Labroides Posted at 12-1 05:35
Sorry Hallmark ... it's become painful trying to discuss anything with you these days.
You used to be reasonable, but lately, you are off on your own, not taking in what's being said and arguing about things that are in your head but aren't being discussed in a thread.
It would be less frustrating trying to explain something to my dog.

I expect the dog knows how I feel so.