http://www.digitalcameraworld.com FEBRUARY 2022 DIGITAL CAMERA^109
selling a product with a set of features
promised as a firmware patch. For the
Mavic 3, we’re expecting ActiveTrack
5.0 as part of a January 2022 update.
This is also the point at which the
other intelligent flight modes will be
available, too, so we’ve not been able
to test them yet. Previous DJI drones
have produced excellent panoramas
and other smooth shots with
automatic subject tracking.
Build and handling
The Mavic 3 is around the same size
as the Mavic 2, but looks more like the
Air 2S; the legs are thinner, and the
vision sensors are placed diagonally
on the corners rather than staring
forward, like those on the Mavic 2.
The top and rear side vents offer a
slightly aggressive posture, although
the spindly legs offset that.
This drone has all the safety feature
trimmings: collision sensors in every
direction and obstacle avoidance,
which successfully avoided trees
when tested. What DJI calls O3+ –
the transmission range – is 15km
(9.3 miles). The legal limit is 500m, so
this may seem an unnecessary leap on
the Mavic 2’s 10km limit, but the newer
system is noticeably more reliable at
distance when it comes to video
dropouts, and the live view is a
gorgeous 60fps at 1080p.Performance
We were initially surprised that the
Explorer Mode reverted to JPEG only
(no raw) for stills, and to 30fps 4K for
video without offering anything except
EV intervention – no shutter, aperture
or ISO adjustments, or even frame
changes. Perhaps this will change
with software updates.
The Four Thirds camera, on the
other hand, offers full control over ISO,
shutter and aperture (f/2.8-11) when
the Pro mode is engaged. With twice
the sensor area, it is also predictably
better in low light (not that rules allow
many drone operators to make use
of this), and our results demonstrate
the 12.8 stops of dynamic range.
Frame rates are impressive: 5.1K
recording can reach 50fps, while
at 4K it can capture up to 120fps.
We found that orbiting saw the odd
struggle from the auto mode, but for
the most part the system does almost
too good a job, balancing the exposure
of the whole view in a way helpful
for flying rather than consistent
cinematography. Adam Juniper4
The controller carries
over from the Air 2S
and other recent DJI
drones. It can hold
the size (and weight)
of a large smartphone.5
The Mavic 3 folds
to a size of 96 x 221
x 91mm (without
its propellers).The 6.7-inch Super Retina
XDR OLED screen on the
iPhone 13 Pro Max sounds
great in principle, but it does
make this phone especially
big and heavy – and the
cameras on the regular
Pro model are the same.
While the regular iPhone 13
Pro might be just as good
as the Pro Max model for
capturing photos and videos,
the bigger screen on the
Pro Max makes it ideal as
a day-to-day companion
for consuming content.The new cameras are only
one aspect of the iPhone
13 Pro Max, of course.
It also offers 5G network
connectivity, IP68-standard
waterproofing (yes, really)
and a new super-responsive
touchscreen display.The Explorer mode is quite basic, shooting JPEGs
only and with limited control over settings.The dual camera setup means you get both Four
Thirds quality with the main camera, and a zoom.The ‘main’ camera has a 20-megapixel Four Thirds sensor, which is capable of capturing
5,280 x 3,956px stills and up to 5.1K video with a 24mm equivalent lens.
ExplorerOriginal ZoomPro4
5DJI Mavic 3 Camera drone
The DJI Mavic 3 is a spectacular piece of equipment,
seemingly blasting past the limits of battery length,
sensor size, safety and more. The lens is sharp across
nearly the entire imaging area, and Hasselblad’s
guiding hands have ensured imaging is excellent with
or without post-processing. Why not five stars, then?
It could earn those when the promised firmware
update brings subject tracking, and perhaps
addresses some of the quirks associated with the
secondary ‘zoom’ camera. Until then, it’s an aerial
photographer’s dream, worthy of the investment.4.5 Outstanding
4.5Features4.5Performance4.0Value5.0Build &
handlingVerdict