Cripes, just realised I've had my Mini 3 for over a month now, where did that time go?

I have the Mini 3 with the DJI RC bundle, and recently managed to get the Fly More Kit which are even shorter supply here in the UK than the drone.  I'm sure its the same situation everywhere else in the world.

So, what do I think?

The Good
It takes stunning video footage out of the box.
4k60fps, 150Mbps.
It handles wind very well for such a small aircraft.
Doesn't suffer gimbal wobbles as much as the Mini 2, even in strong winds.
Gimbal can look a long way up from vertical, which increases some shooting options.
Sub 250g (just), with all the advanatages that offers in many territories.
Doesn't appear to suffer the purple tinge that the Mini 2 suffered in certain conditions.
Although I'm unlikely to make much use of them, it does have some gimmicks like tracking, OA, vertical mode. Nice to know you have them, even if unlikely to use them.


The Bad
The gimbal cover does seem more of a faff - it either goes straight on without thinking about it, or you spend 30s trying to get it lined up.  I had hoped that I'd get used to it, but haven't as of yet.
No charger is included, and most phone USB chargers will only slow charge it.  So many might have to invest extra in a new charger.
No spare RC sticks are included, and the threads are smaller and more fiddly than my previous DJI controllers, so there is a good chance of dropping one and loosing it.
The Fly More bag is a bit cheap and nasty, looks to be identical in size to the Mini 2 one, but made with lower quality material, and poorly stitched.  Also lacks the side carry handle of the Mini 2 bag.  Getting the drone, the DJI RC and the charging hub with batteries is definately a tight squeeze, possibly too tight.
At launch, it felt like it wasn't quite ready, though this is quite normal for many recent DJI releases.
No (digital) zoom capability in high frame rate recordings.
Only just under 250g, so adding devices to see it when further away aren't possible in many places, as would take over the 250g threshold.


The Ugly
Signal integrity/strength/range on mine isn't anywhere close to my Mini 2 in urban areas.
Doesn't feel as if it offers the same value for money as the Mini 2.
If you are not going to use the bag from the Fly More Kit, it would be cheaper to get the batteries and hub seperately (if they were available), so the Fly More Kit also feels poor value.



The Annoying
I managed to end up with 2 of them, due to supply uncertainties, and I was on the way back from picking mine up from a national retailer a fair distance away when I got notification that one I'd ordered elsewhere, but wasn't estimated to be in stock for weeks, had been delivered.  Hardly DJI's fault though.  And a mate of mine was glad to get a brand new, freebie drone from me, LOL.

I think you know, mine arrived today. No problems setting up, at all. Only one 30m flight around the garden so far to familiarise myself with it.

Blériot53 Posted at 6-21 09:48
I think you know, mine arrived today. No problems setting up, at all. Only one 30m flight around the garden so far to familiarise myself with it.

I hope you have it on charge ready for a longer flight

Enjoy!

TheBoy Posted at 6-21 10:04
I hope you have it on charge ready for a longer flight

Enjoy!

Ready for a dawn patrol in the morning if weather holds

Blériot53 Posted at 6-21 10:19
Ready for a dawn patrol in the morning if weather holds

Excellent, glad to hear it.

I've just got back from a walk in the countryside with my Mini 2 (its 7:30pm currently in the UK, and the weather is perfect for flying)

TheBoy Posted at 6-21 10:26
Excellent, glad to hear it.

I've just got back from a walk in the countryside with my Mini 2 (its 7:30pm currently in the UK, and the weather is perfect for flying)

Hah!  I was out myself at exactly the same time. COuldn't wait until morning for the maiden flight
20h20 in Derbyshire and I've just got back

Blériot53 Posted at 6-21 11:24
Hah!  I was out myself at exactly the same time. COuldn't wait until morning for the maiden flight
20h20 in Derbyshire and I've just got back

Just like a kid at Christmas.  

Can't say as I blame you one bit.  

Very detailed review for the first month of ownership.   No doubt about that gimbal cover not being the easiest to get back on.  I bought a hard case and threw the cheaply made bag in the trash.  

Makes a nice little brother for my Air 2S.  

DowntownRDB Posted at 6-21 12:42
Just like a kid at Christmas.  

Can't say as I blame you one bit.

All the fun of Xmas morning without the snow and cold

Freebie drone, wasn’t that a very kind gift.

Blériot53 Posted at 6-21 11:24
Hah!  I was out myself at exactly the same time. COuldn't wait until morning for the maiden flight
20h20 in Derbyshire and I've just got back

Lovely area to live in, did many a hike there as a kid...

Hello there TheBoy. Good day and thank you for sharing these interesting information and your one month experience in using and flying your DJI Mini 3 Pro. Again, thank you for your support and keep flying.

Bashy Posted at 6-21 18:48
Lovely area to live in, did many a hike there as a kid...

Kinder Scout and Mam Tor are still on my "To Do" list.
Good job I got the maiden flight in last evening.  The dawn patrol was fogged in

Blériot53 Posted at 6-21 21:48
Kinder Scout and Mam Tor are still on my "To Do" list.
Good job I got the maiden flight in last evening.  The dawn patrol was fogged in

Deffo did those as a kid, well, early teens.  Also, one year we stopped at snake pass for packed lunch, as ya do and it not long stopped raining, so as kids what did we all do, yep, slid down the damn hill s many times as we could on our kagools lol Dovedale will also be a fav for me though...

Bashy Posted at 6-21 21:52
Deffo did those as a kid, well, early teens.  Also, one year we stopped at snake pass for packed lunch, as ya do and it not long stopped raining, so as kids what did we all do, yep, slid down the damn hill s many times as we could on our kagools lol Dovedale will also be a fav for me though...

Yep. Lovely. I was down Winnat's Pass and up Castledale behind Peveril Castle last weekend. Did you see my posts?

Blériot53 Posted at 6-21 21:58
Yep. Lovely. I was down Winnat's Pass and up Castledale behind Peveril Castle last weekend. Did you see my posts?

Very nice, poss missed them, will have a look shortly, thanks...

Bashy Posted at 6-21 22:05
Very nice, poss missed them, will have a look shortly, thanks...

I was particularly pleased with this one - taken with the Mini One

Blériot53 Posted at 6-21 11:24
Hah!  I was out myself at exactly the same time. COuldn't wait until morning for the maiden flight
20h20 in Derbyshire and I've just got back

Great news, first impressions of the little drone?

Once your mist clears there, looks like being another perfect flying day, hope you charged it back up overnight?

DowntownRDB Posted at 6-21 12:45
Very detailed review for the first month of ownership.   No doubt about that gimbal cover not being the easiest to get back on.  I bought a hard case and threw the cheaply made bag in the trash.  

Makes a nice little brother for my Air 2S.

I'm sure the gimbal cover is just a knack, and sometimes it just goes on without thinking.  Its certainly the most fiddly one I've had so far.

I have always skipped the Air series, as I've had Mavic 2's and Mavic 3's for areas where I can fly heavier drones.  But I know people who have both flavours of Mavic 2, yet still prefer their Air 2S as their go-to drone.  Maybe I need to try one

TheBoy Posted at 6-21 23:03
Great news, first impressions of the little drone?

Once your mist clears there, looks like being another perfect flying day, hope you charged it back up overnight?

Yes it was fully charged and I tried to see over the fog
Some commitments today but will review footage this evening.
First impressions - what's not to like?  

Blériot53 Posted at 6-21 22:18
I was particularly pleased with this one - taken with the Mini One

https://www.skypixel.com/photo360s/360-degree-panorama-view-from-peveril-castle

Thats quite impressive for the Mini 1, which has clear limitations on video.  I love the way its captured the shadows.

I think you'll be quite impressed with the Mini 3's effort if you return to the same spot on a similar day.

Lovely part of the world that I must revisit - must be over 20 years since I was in Castleton, doing what tourists do there, climbing up to the castle and going into the various mines around there.

Blériot53 Posted at 6-21 23:10
Yes it was fully charged and I tried to see over the fog
Some commitments today but will review footage this evening.
First impressions - what's not to like?

Glad you like it .  Its quite an expensive investment, so reassuring that you love it

TheBoy Posted at 6-21 23:10
Thats quite impressive for the Mini 1, which has clear limitations on video.  I love the way its captured the shadows.

I think you'll be quite impressed with the Mini 3's effort if you return to the same spot on a similar day.

We're recently back  living in the area after 15 years abroad.

TheBoy Posted at 6-21 23:13
Glad you like it .  Its quite an expensive investment, so reassuring that you love it

Compared to the Mini One, yes, quite a chunk of change. But the dedicated controller is a decided advantage.

Blériot53 Posted at 6-21 23:16
We're recently back  living in the area after 15 years abroad.

Certainly worse places to settle back down to, its a stunning area with dramatic countryside, and then more rolling hills slightly further afield.

Blériot53 Posted at 6-21 23:21
Compared to the Mini One, yes, quite a chunk of change. But the dedicated controller is a decided advantage.

Yes, using that controller promptly made me get off the fence about getting the RC Pro for the Mavic 3, that I'd been deliberating over for months.

Its less hassle to set up, and as an iPhone user, doesn't suffer the screen problems that plagues iPhones running CPU intensive software in the sun.

TheBoy Posted at 6-21 23:23
Certainly worse places to settle back down to, its a stunning area with dramatic countryside, and then more rolling hills slightly further afield.

TheBoy Posted at 6-21 23:25
Yes, using that controller promptly made me get off the fence about getting the RC Pro for the Mavic 3, that I'd been deliberating over for months.

Its less hassle to set up, and as an iPhone user, doesn't suffer the screen problems that plagues iPhones running CPU intensive software in the sun.

I've always gone the Android route - and the screens on those are no better in the sun, I can tell you.

Blériot53 Posted at 6-21 23:28
I've always gone the Android route - and the screens on those are no better in the sun, I can tell you.

The iPhones iOS dims the screen on iPhones to protect itself, so whilst iPhone screens are generally better than most Android ones, after a few minutes of using the Fly app in sunlight, the phone has dimmed its screen so much its no longer readable.

Not seen this on my Android phone (Galaxy)

TheBoy Posted at 6-21 23:30
The iPhones iOS dims the screen on iPhones to protect itself, so whilst iPhone screens are generally better than most Android ones, after a few minutes of using the Fly app in sunlight, the phone has dimmed its screen so much its no longer readable.

Not seen this on my Android phone (Galaxy)

The brightness is adjustable on the Galaxies I have 7 and 9 . But never bright enough.

Blériot53 Posted at 6-21 22:18
I was particularly pleased with this one - taken with the Mini One

https://www.skypixel.com/photo360s/360-degree-panorama-view-from-peveril-castle

Love it, well done...

Blériot53 Posted at 6-21 12:46
All the fun of Xmas morning without the snow and cold

Exactly.  

TheBoy Posted at 6-21 23:07
I'm sure the gimbal cover is just a knack, and sometimes it just goes on without thinking.  Its certainly the most fiddly one I've had so far.

I have always skipped the Air series, as I've had Mavic 2's and Mavic 3's for areas where I can fly heavier drones.  But I know people who have both flavours of Mavic 2, yet still prefer their Air 2S as their go-to drone.  Maybe I need to try one

I did have a Mavic 2 Pro for a very short period of time before somebody needed it worse than me and broke in and stole it and two other drones.  Police finally arrested the burglar and he admitted he had sent a ton of stuff to Mexico that he had stolen over the last 6 months.  At that point I was looking at the Mavic 3 but I just couldn't pull the trigger at that time due to the GPS latency issues and all the missing functions.  Seems that is all in the rear view mirror since the latest FW update.

I did buy a Skydio 2+ that I use exclusively for sports tracking.  Cameras are better on DJI drones but they can't come close to sport's tracking like Skydio does.  

Bashy Posted at 6-22 00:03
Love it, well done...

Thanks mate. If the Mini3 can improve on that I'll be highly delighted

DowntownRDB Posted at 6-22 05:57
I did have a Mavic 2 Pro for a very short period of time before somebody needed it worse than me and broke in and stole it and two other drones.  Police finally arrested the burglar and he admitted he had sent a ton of stuff to Mexico that he had stolen over the last 6 months.  At that point I was looking at the Mavic 3 but I just couldn't pull the trigger at that time due to the GPS latency issues and all the missing functions.  Seems that is all in the rear view mirror since the latest FW update.

I did buy a Skydio 2+ that I use exclusively for sports tracking.  Cameras are better on DJI drones but they can't come close to sport's tracking like Skydio does.

What scum

Mavic 3, or at least mine, is now pretty complete.  The only big thing it lacks from the Mavic 2 is (true) Waypoints, which DJI have always said they would never implement anyway, sadly.

So if still tempted, the Mavic 3 is an awesome bit of kit if you have somewhere to use it.

TheBoy Posted at 6-22 06:02
What scum

Mavic 3, or at least mine, is now pretty complete.  The only big thing it lacks from the Mavic 2 is (true) Waypoints, which DJI have always said they would never implement anyway, sadly.

No doubt the Mavic 3 is very appealing now with all the fixes done.  I'll have to mull it over and just might pull the trigger, even though I keep telling myself I don't need another drone.  

DowntownRDB Posted at 6-22 06:08
No doubt the Mavic 3 is very appealing now with all the fixes done.  I'll have to mull it over and just might pull the trigger, even though I keep telling myself I don't need another drone.

Plus there is the outrageously expensive RC Pro to go with it, because the Mavic 3 simply isn't expensive enough on its own, LOL.

TheBoy Posted at 6-22 06:14
Plus there is the outrageously expensive RC Pro to go with it, because the Mavic 3 simply isn't expensive enough on its own, LOL.

Fortunately, I got the RC Pro in a bundle with the Air 2S when DJI was out of Smart Controllers for a short while.  I bought it from DroneNerds and made sure before I purchased that it was the RC Pro.  Soon after DJI got the Smart Controller back in stock so it was a good deal for a short period.