I have condensation inside drone camera. I never had any problems with this on Mini 2 or Mini 3 Pro.You take off for 40-50 meters and that's it! The lens sweats and it is impossible to shoot.
Could it be because of the storage in the fly more kit bag? Just before buying it, I carried Mini 3 and RC in my small backpack, after I transferred everything to the "Fly more kit" bag, this problem appeared.

condensation

condensation

Found this thread https://forum.dji.com/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=204542 Many users with same problem. DJI should pay attention to this problem, request a description from their engineers and give users possible solutions to the situation.

Can you take out the lens protector (just like when you put a ND filter) and wipe out the condensation ?

I am photographer and I usually go to Arctic regions. Condensation has nothing to be with DJI, it has to be with the way you store your equipment when change from low temperatures to warmer rooms or viceverse. You must make transient and gradual aclimatation from one scenario to the other.

juan55 Posted at 7-18 01:01
Can you take out the lens protector (just like when you put a ND filter) and wipe out the condensation ?

I am photographer and I usually go to Arctic regions. Condensation has nothing to be with DJI, it has to be with the way you store your equipment when change from low temperatures to warmer rooms or viceverse. You must make transient and gradual aclimatation from one scenario to the other.

The lens protector has no glass or similar like a ND filter. The condensation is within the cam itself.
Let it acclimatize.

There are threads suggesting the condensation is due to either the air inside the camera becoming warm when the camera is powered or the glass being cooled by the air flow from the props. I think some people have returned the drone because of this problem and received a replacement.

Hello there sgfat. I am sorry for the trouble this has caused and thank you for reaching out. Since we are having this issue with your DJI Mini 3 Pro. I would recommend you to contact our DJI support team at https://www.dji.com/support?site=brandsite&from=nav for further assistance.  We will do our best to help and will give out the best resolution for this issue. Again, I am sorry and thank you.

Always try to keep silica dry packets in the bottom of all my camera equipment bags including the drone but this is an oring gasket seal issue in the camera unit its been covered on YT videos ready.

1. The optics and sensor must be airtight closed in order to prevent dust and water from entering.
2. All assembly must be made in a complete controlled atmosphere with extremely low humidity.
3. Any mist you see INSIDE lens is proof that you have an improper optics, as must be no moisture inside the optics block.

You need to send it back to DJI for replacement, in winter you will have ice inside (that vapors trapped inside and condensing now will freeze and you are screwed).

Thanks to all!
I contacted support and they told me to return the drone to the store. I had to explain the situation in the store, said that I had already contacted DJI myself, in the end I even had to launch the drone so that they could see the problem themselves
The biggest problem is that I can wait two weeks or even more I needed a drone next week.
I hope that I'm lucky and I'll get it faster.

I picked up my drone from the store after service. I have a suspicion that service did not replace the camera. I see the scratches that left from the protective cover of the camera after some time of use, if there was a new camera, these scratches could not be. In flight with the second battery, I again got a foggy picture on the video, I immediately sent dron back and make photo of lens. I took a 20 minutes break and put on the third battery, flying higher on purpose, but this time there was no fog on lens.I think that the service somehow just dried out the drone, maybe in silica gel and send it back... They gave me a recommendation to always put silica gel in the camera's protective cover. This all things looks little strange... In the coming days I will go to other locations for filming and make another shooting tests.
Here you can see screenshot from video with fog on lens and before fog:

foggy

     

Here the fog on lens:

fog on lens

And this is the scratches from cover on camera:

scratches

I am very disappointed and angry! All because of the disgusting DJI service! And the most disgusting thing is that I need a drone for shooting on next week!
Today, after 3 minutes of flight, my lens fogged up!!! They really didn’t change the camera for me, they probably held the drone in silica gel and sent it back ...
I paid $1,000 for the drone and $200 for "fly more kit", now what I can do with it? NOTHING! Why did you waste my time? Why, when I contacted support, they told me that the problem would be solved? For what I sent a drone and waited 10 days, for what? To get the same advice as here on the forum:"Keep a silica gel in your bag."?It's not the solution! It didn't help me at all! I actually made two flights and that's it, now impossible to shoot something. This is a defect! Instead of replacing this defective camera, DJI simply told me: "We put silica gel in the protective case of the camera, maybe that will help, now leave us alone with your problems." Great service! Keep it up!

This is what I see today 3 minutes of flight

Geo_Drone Posted at 7-19 01:13
1. The optics and sensor must be airtight closed in order to prevent dust and water from entering.
2. All assembly must be made in a complete controlled atmosphere with extremely low humidity.
3. Any mist you see INSIDE lens is proof that you have an improper optics, as must be no moisture inside the optics block.

Hello! Do you know if this problem is common?
As you can see, my problem was not solved, they just sent the drone back to me with the advice to put silica gel next to the camera. Now I talked with support, they asked me to return the drone to the service. I tried to get an answer on how DJI solves this problem and this is what they told me: "I believe our engineers will have to open your camera and remove the fog or they might need to put some liquid on the lens so that the oil won't stick to it."
To me this looks like a very strange decision. I know that there are many owners of this drone and they do not experience this problem. It seems to me that DJI should consider such a problem as a defect in the camera and replace it so as not to waste the owners' time.

Nowhere in the manual does it say to keep the silica gel in the cover.
DJI might have overlooked this issue during the design.

wait wait wait, they sent you back the drone without replacing camera?
You have to contact support again, im sure they will replace the unit for you now

fateofangel Posted at 8-2 09:00
wait wait wait, they sent you back the drone without replacing camera?
You have to contact support again, im sure they will replace the unit for you now

I'm already contact them and they sorry about situation and asking to give drone to service again. But asking to contact with service personally before give them drone.

sgfat Posted at 8-2 08:15
Hello! Do you know if this problem is common?
As you can see, my problem was not solved, they just sent the drone back to me with the advice to put silica gel next to the camera. Now I talked with support, they asked me to return the drone to the service. I tried to get an answer on how DJI solves this problem and this is what they told me: "I believe our engineers will have to open your camera and remove the fog or they might need to put some liquid on the lens so that the oil won't stick to it."
To me this looks like a very strange decision. I know that there are many owners of this drone and they do not experience this problem. It seems to me that DJI should consider such a problem as a defect in the camera and replace it so as not to waste the owners' time.

Yes, is common for a series of Mini 3, Hunter from DJI already confirmed it on FB page.
Also there is no way to treat this with rice, silica or God know what stupid thing....Is a matter of wrong assembly and should be changed and also apologies from DJI for selling a complete crap assembled camera.

I had 2 replacements sent to me from DJI and they still had the fogging issue!  3 drones I had from them and they were all faulty, one also had gimbal issues and wouldn’t fly out of the box. Shocking quality control.

I finally returned it to the store for a full refund. Sad but you expect a working product when you spend your money.

Geo_Drone Posted at 8-2 23:05
Yes, is common for a series of Mini 3, Hunter from DJI already confirmed it on FB page.
Also there is no way to treat this with rice, silica or God know what stupid thing....Is a matter of wrong assembly and should be changed and also apologies from DJI for selling a complete crap assembled camera.

Thanks for the answer. I don't understand what DJI hope with a service like this? I'm not interested in regularly give drone to the service. By the way, the last time I put two packets of gel to the camera. And when I made the flight, I got fog not after 3 minutes, but after 6! ))) The weather was hot, probably due to the slight temperature difference, it took longer for the fog to form. Also, in hot weather, it disappears faster, but after landing, during the flight there is no escape from fog...
On this photo the fog disappear a little while I turned off the drone and took out my phone.


But even with a small spot of fog, you will get disgusting quality when shooting. Look at this comparison from my shoot yesterday...

Wiganer Posted at 8-3 14:43
I had 2 replacements sent to me from DJI and they still had the fogging issue!  3 drones I had from them and they were all faulty, one also had gimbal issues and wouldn’t fly out of the box. Shocking quality control.

I finally returned it to the store for a full refund. Sad but you expect a working product when you spend your money.

This is very bad information for me... I really like this drone. I love its capabilities and most importantly its compactness. I can buy a more expensive drone, but this is my hobby, I don’t want to always carry a big bag with me.
If after second return from the service there is the same problem, I will ask for a refund. I'm not ready to regularly carry it to the service.

I think the service did a similar operation like on this video, so that's why I see my old scratches on camera. Honestly, I'm surprised how easy it is to clean the lens. But I don't want to do this cleaning myself as I could void my warranty. It looks like the problem is with the o-ring.

DJI, maybe you will give some official answer?
Or you will just continue to offer everyone to carry drones to the service, without explaining anything?

sgfat Posted at 8-3 23:41
I think the service did a similar operation like on this video, so that's why I see my old scratches on camera. Honestly, I'm surprised how easy it is to clean the lens. But I don't want to do this cleaning myself as I could void my warranty. It looks like the problem is with the o-ring.

https://youtu.be/UDQeTG-ayB0

Probably....but at the moment you put back the cover you should get a very dry air, as humidity will condense. This kind of assembly usually is made in so called "clean rooms" with controlled environment, as humidity should be under 20%RH. You can be close to this if you get a dehumidifier and put it to blow to this region, as it is sending air under 25%RH in that region...but need to be commercial dry air, not residential small, as that ones are a joke.
I have in my working room an AlecoAir D55 DOLOMIT that can go in a few minutes from 55%RH to <25%RH with carbon filter and pure HEPA, designed for 150sq.m. (I use it in a 15 sq.m. room), as we need to disassemble sometimes the optic lenses from photo cameras. Still, would not try to fix the Mini 3 because is in warranty and is their problem to fix it, not mine, as long as is in warranty.
But if you want to ever try, make sure you get 2 things:
1. A good air dryer with HEPA 99.99% filter that should make at least 5 complete exchanges of total volume of air in room in order to be sure is very good filtered. (calculate the volume of air in room as cubic meters/feet reported to volume of air from dryer).
2. Lubricant gel for rubber in order to put on o-ring and increase the air-tightness.

Cheers.

Geo_Drone Posted at 8-4 23:45
Probably....but at the moment you put back the cover you should get a very dry air, as humidity will condense. This kind of assembly usually is made in so called "clean rooms" with controlled environment, as humidity should be under 20%RH. You can be close to this if you get a dehumidifier and put it to blow to this region, as it is sending air under 25%RH in that region...but need to be commercial dry air, not residential small, as that ones are a joke.
I have in my working room an AlecoAir D55 DOLOMIT that can go in a few minutes from 55%RH to

Yes, I understand that under normal conditions such repairs are not very reliable. Thank you for your advice!Tomorrow I will go for the second time to give the drone for service.

By the way, someone in the comments to the video wrote that he removed the O-ring and the fog problem completely disappeared, but he is aware that there is a greater risk to the camera itself.

sgfat Posted at 8-5 00:00
Yes, I understand that under normal conditions such repairs are not very reliable. Thank you for your advice!Tomorrow I will go for the second time to give the drone for service.

By the way, someone in the comments to the video wrote that he removed the O-ring and the fog problem completely disappeared, but he is aware that there is a greater risk to the camera itself.

Yes.
The sensor is highly sensitive to dust, imagine that you have microns there...any particle of dust makes a HUGE impact if is on sensor itself.
Also you will see this people that "invent the wheel" that will have huge problems in winter, as O-Ring is not sealing it, the humidity will enter inside and when you go from house to outside at -10degrees, you will get ice inside...and that is not funny, as ice will transform again in water when you get inside house...and where will this happen? Exactly ! INSIDE the camera ))))

DJI had a camera replaced for about a month. After the third or fourth flight, I saw the fog again... I am extremely disappointed with this situation! I really like this drone, everything about it suits me, but shooting with such fog is impossible! The staff at the store where I bought the drone, said they would try to help arrange a full drone replacement because they had a lot of sales but never had a problem like mine.
I don't know what was last repaired, the camera module was like new, it had a sticker with a serial number on it, but I'm honestly not sure if it's new, because it seemed to me that a fingerprint was visible on the fog. I'll attach a photo, but it doesn't show it that well. I mean, the fog usually looked like a flat gradient spot, but here it is different. It seems that I just had the front cover of the camera replaced, which had scratches on it, so that I would not realize that the camera was old. And the cleaning was done this time inaccurately, and somebody touched the lens with finger before assembly.

Sorry for second post, but I don't understand how to delete message. This forum engine is just awful!

what about the damage at the lens? (red arrow)

UweE Posted at 9-26 00:00
[view_image]

what about the damage at the lens? (red arrow)

With lens all ok, no damages.

DJI please answer me! How much times I need send drone to repair service with this fog problem???!?!?!? It was in service two times, and I still have problem with fog! I'm very angry about quality of your service!!!
Today I wrote to the store where I bought it and said that I want to get refund! I can’t constantly take it in for repair and wait a month each time! They answer me this:
"Hello, sir. Sorry to hear that. We can't refund the money, if the problem still same, you can only service the drone, that's why the warranty function does have a complaint, you can take it to service, it doesn't mean you can refund the funds to us, how long the service takes depends on the policy of the DJI service center"


Why do I have such a pleasure to carry it every time after two flights? I am ready to take it for the last time to the service, but on the condition that if you cannot fix the problem, I demand a refund!!! I'm waiting here for a public response from the administrator, moderator or other official representative of the company!

AFAIK, this "fog problem" is mostly related to the environments in which the drone is operated... When a lens is brought from a cold environment to a hot environment with high humidity, then it sometimes gets this kind of condensation phenomena when the conditions are right. A zoom lens needs to move, and even fixed focal length lenses need to move some lens elements to adjust focus, and thus air gets sucked in from the outside. I think the Mini 2 does not suffer as badly as its sensor is much smaller, and thus there is not as much need to adjust focus by moving the lens elements.

This kind of issues are pretty much not covered by the warranty. For example, people get this kind of condensation phenomena with their iPhones, DSLR lenses, and all they can do is to ship their equipment for service.

(You may want to google how the DSLR people handle/workaround this kind issue.)

Rayson Posted at 10-19 15:13
AFAIK, this "fog problem" is mostly related to the environments in which the drone is operated... When a lens is brought from a cold environment to a hot environment with high humidity, then it sometimes gets this kind of condensation phenomena when the conditions are right. A zoom lens needs to move, and even fixed focal length lenses need to move some lens elements to adjust focus, and thus air gets sucked in from the outside. I think the Mini 2 does not suffer as badly as its sensor is much smaller, and thus there is not as much need to adjust focus by moving the lens elements.

This kind of issues are pretty much not covered by the warranty. For example, people get this kind of condensation phenomena with their iPhones, DSLR lenses, and all they can do is to ship their equipment for service.

Wrong.
Sensor is mounted in a closed environment, no air should enter at it. This is the purpose of the O-Rings, to seal it.
Also this matter from Mini 3 Pro is already giving my impression that is an issue related to how it was all projected, and I strongly believe that is an issue that will persist as is wrong made project.

The situation is not very happy and at 3rd change I would ask money back and try to buy a new one, not craps sent by DJI as "replacement" that are not new....

Rayson Posted at 10-19 15:13
AFAIK, this "fog problem" is mostly related to the environments in which the drone is operated... When a lens is brought from a cold environment to a hot environment with high humidity, then it sometimes gets this kind of condensation phenomena when the conditions are right. A zoom lens needs to move, and even fixed focal length lenses need to move some lens elements to adjust focus, and thus air gets sucked in from the outside. I think the Mini 2 does not suffer as badly as its sensor is much smaller, and thus there is not as much need to adjust focus by moving the lens elements.

This kind of issues are pretty much not covered by the warranty. For example, people get this kind of condensation phenomena with their iPhones, DSLR lenses, and all they can do is to ship their equipment for service.

I am a professional photographer, I have several lenses that I used while living in Siberia. I did some shooting in the winter on my Nikon D610 and D810. The temperature at home or in the car was approxiametely +20 Celsius, the temperature outside below -20 Celsius, and then the condensate is justified, and I used the equipment carefully. But not a single lens got wet inside it!!! This is not normal! I still using one of them Sgima 35mm and no problem!
Now I live in Bali, and I use the drone here. The temperature alllways is approxiametely +30 degrees Celsius, at my room +25 maybe. there is not even enough difference for condensation to fog! I agree that the humidity is high, but it is acceptable for a drone. Before that, I had a "Mini 2" and I even flew next to the waterfalls and did not experience any problems. And then I buy "Mini 3 Pro" and maybe after 10 flights, lens began to sweat from the inside! I gave it to the service first time, waited two weeks, they just wiped the lens, without changing anything. On second flight I again saw fog inside the lens. I demanded to replace my drone, but they told me that they could only replace the camera. I waited 5 weeks! And what do you think happened? On third flight the fog was again in lens! I now demand to replace my entire drone, I don’t know what could be the reason, maybe it heats up somewhere more than necessary, maybe something else, but I can’t use it!
I will now wait another month for service to change it for me, and I will not be surprised if they just replace the camera again, because official DJI support cannot affect the decisions of the service in Indonesia. Excellent service!
The most interesting thing is that in the store where I bought the drone, the employees are surprised at my problem, they say that they sold a lot of drones, but they didn’t come to them with such a problem, that is, people use "Mini 3 Pro" here in Bali, but they saw my problem, I with them it took off and showed the result of lens fogging.

Geo_Drone Posted at 10-20 01:40
Wrong.
Sensor is mounted in a closed environment, no air should enter at it. This is the purpose of the O-Rings, to seal it.
Also this matter from Mini 3 Pro is already giving my impression that is an issue related to how it was all projected, and I strongly believe that is an issue that will persist as is wrong made project.

Yes, I will demand a refund if the next time after the service I see that the problem still exists.
It's not normal that DJI force me to run around and hand over the drone for service. I spent $1000 to have it lying in the service most of the time?

sgfat Posted at 10-20 02:10
Yes, I will demand a refund if the next time after the service I see that the problem still exists.
It's not normal that DJI force me to run around and hand over the drone for service. I spent $1000 to have it lying in the service most of the time?

Absolutely true... That is what I tell to people also...A lens must not have mist inside, this is the purpose of O-Rings and seals...Outside yes, as is the difference in temp and is normal...never inside.

DJI was a pig because did not want to agree that have an issue until they started to see a lot of drones coming back...Normally a full recall of entire series would be OK, but they stay like ducks silent and hope that people will pass this issue or you are in areas where this will not happen....but the issue is there, and we still do not know if is because of a bad series of Mini 3 assembly line, or just the entire concept is wrong and is giving this problem.
Seems to me that the propellers push the air inside drone and that air is getting hot, smashing the gimbal from behind....in meantime, the cold air is getting from front, creating around camera a very nasty zone where 2 different air temps converge, creating a difference between front and back of camera and an air flow that becomes very wet...
So this is my believe....Will see how many drones I need to change to stop this, because I will buy each 2 pieces i find, instantly when is getting mist will send it back to seller for money back...and so on...Until no units will remain here...maybe in this way will force the seller to push DJI in a solving...a permanent one, not a fake one.

It looks like a mockery, but I have not received a response since Friday regarding a refund. Now I once again wrote to support, and in response they gave me the contacts of the Indonesian office ... It seems that they do not want to solve such issues, and I spent a lot of time traveling to the service, waiting for repairs and now I still have to spend time on conversations with the Indonesian office.
I doubt very much that I will ever buy a drone, this is a disgusting level of service!

I still can't get my money back!...
I wrote to online support, they created a request for a refund, I waited for several days, no one contacted me...
I wrote to support again, they gave me the contacts of the Indonesian office, they said that the problem could be solved faster, I wrote to them by mail and there was no answer for several days.
I wrote to support again! I demanded a decision, they asked me to wait, and they would definitely contact me, after two days I received a strange message saying that they were sorry, it seems like you can make a refund, but it doesn’t say how! That is, I don’t understand what to do next, so I answered the letter and asked for clarification on what to do, where to carry the drone? Quiet for a few days...
I wrote to support again, they promised me that the problem was given high priority and they would contact me on the first business day. And now it's Tuesday evening, and no one writes anything to me ... And again I'm standing in the online support chat queue

This is just annoying!!!! Do not buy this crappy model! If you have a similar defect on your Mini 3 Pro, you will lose time and money!

Workaround solution is stick a filter on it.
Any filter.

gnirtS Posted at 11-1 03:12
Workaround solution is stick a filter on it.
Any filter.

Do you suggest sticking the filter from the inside? moisture is not outside! She's inside!

sgfat Posted at 7-18 00:33
Found this thread https://forum.dji.com/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=204542 Many users with same problem. DJI should pay attention to this problem, request a description from their engineers and give users possible solutions to the situation.

They did offer a solution return your drone under warranty for repair/replacement. If they cannot fix it you're entitled to a refund.

hallmark007 Posted at 11-1 03:33
They did offer a solution return your drone under warranty for repair/replacement. If they cannot fix it you're entitled to a refund.

I asked for a replacement when I gave the drone for service the second time.  They refused to replace the drone.  They said that they would only change the camera.  As a result, the new camera turned out to have the same fog defect.