http://store.dji.com/product/zenmuse-z3
English

The Zenmuse Z3 gimbal and camera features an optical zoom lens. It provides a 3.5 optical zoom and 2x digital zoom. The Type 1/2.3 CMOS sensor supports 4K video recording and 12MP still photos. As with other DJI 3-axis gimbal systems, the Zenmuse Z3 can be mounted onto a DJI aircraft* and stream live HD video to the DJI GO app.
* Currently supports the Inspire 1 series, Inspire 1 v2.0, Matrice 100 and Matrice 600.

agree it's a bit pricey.
But for me the biggest setback is the fact that there's no increase in Megapixels from the X3.....
I'll wait for test results before jumping into conclusions.

The big question is.... does it zoom smoothly ??

Bit rate is conveniently missing from the spec page... Anyone know if this gets a bump from the X3?

Ordered...

It will surely be smooth but x7 is not much, my mobile has x8 and it's not much. The advantage is you won't have to go extremely close which is dangerous so they fixed that part.

leanlinao Posted at 2016-7-14 17:01
It will surely be smooth but x7 is not much, my mobile has x8 and it's not much. The advantage is yo ...

ist x3.5 the digital zoom is basically useless with this image quality

At that price point I do not think it is worth it. For me it should of taken the current price point of the x3 and DJI dropped the x3 price tag down to reflect the difference between the two. X3 is good but not $900 dollars good. Exact same sensor is in both...

Looks like we have seen some of the  new innovation's for the Inspire 2.  Look at the gimbal mount on the Z3 camera, it is supported on both sides just like the P4 camera.

The Zoom feature is nice but not $900 bucks nice


Rich

They should just retire the X3, sell it at cost, let users with damaged one, and who want a backup buy it like that and reprice the zoom version at the old price, god knows they have made enough profit off the Inspire already. In anycase the hardware change from fixed to zoom is only a few dollars. - If if this is a cheep lens http://www.surveilzone.com/m12-2 ... board-camera-cl1186  it demonstrates the tiny extra hardware cost, and the huge insult they are making on owners of their birds by asking an outrageous price.

Digital zoom sucks and so does the price, I'm going to pass on this one.

datincan Posted at 2016-7-14 18:43
They should just retire the X3, sell it at cost, let users with damaged one, and who want a backup b ...

Don't buy it, if everyone passed on this outrageously priced camera maybe DJI will get the hint.

Can someone from DJI confirm my below queries?

The Specifications listed in DJI product page do not mention about whether the Z3 is a fixed focus zoom lens or a focus-adjustable zoom lens.

From the FAQ in the official DJI product page:-

5. What is the difference between the Zenmuse Z3 and Zenmuse X3?
The Zenmuse Z3 features a real-time 3.5x optical zoom and a 2x digital zoom for a focal range of 22mm to 77mm, an adjustable field of view and an adjustable focus point. The Zenmuse X3 is a 22mm prime lens.

7. Can I adjust focus point during shooting? If yes, how?
Yes. Auto-focus can be used to focus on any area on the display. In auto-focus mode, tap the display to select the area of focus.

Do these imply the Zenmuse Z3 is a focus-adjustable lens? And if the answer is affirmative, can the focus be adjusted manually like those m4/3 lenses mounted on X5?

However, from my experience with Olympus M.Zuiko 45mm f/1.8 m4/3 lens on X5 (90mm equivalent focal length) at wide open aperture, I rarely need to adjust focus when shooting from the sky. If the Z3 is indeed focus-adjustable, I wonder the necessity of adjusting focus when shooting from the sky, given the limited max aperture of f/5.2 at the 14mm (77mm equivalent) tele end on a 1/2.3" sensor. The hyper-focus of such a focal length with a small aperture on a relatively tiny sensor should be able to cover a great range of distance from close to infinity with acceptable circle of confusion. If the Z3 is indeed focus-adjustable, is the focusing just for pleasing the pixel-peepers? Am I wrong in analysing it this way, i.e. one can definitely tell a difference when looking at a out-of-focus shoot from the Z3 at the tele end?

I like the ability of zooming in & out for aerial photography, in particular having a lighter setup hence giving a longer flight-time than an X5 with Olympus M.Zuiko ED 12-42mm f/3.5-5.6. The gimbal stability performance of +/-0.02 degree is also a big improvement against that of the X3 of +/-0.03 degree, matching that of the X5 of +/-0.02 degree. Aerial photography with the Z3 at tele end should not have issue from gimbal. But if cumbersome autofocus through DJI Go App is necessary when taking each the aerial photo with a Z3, it may offset the advantage against the setup with an X5 with Olympus M.Zuiko ED 12-42mm f/3.5-5.6 in terms of flight-time. The limited dynamic range of the Sony 1/2.3" sensor when comparing with the 9 times larger m4/3 adds in another factor against choosing the Z3.

Grateful if DJI can provide clarification on the above.

Henry

Interesting thread on the z3
http://www.inspirepilots.com/thr ... ra-announced.12161/

I sure hope that the zoom feature on the Z3 is smooth as well. Because the digital zoom feature on the dji go app now is a bit choppy.