There are a couple of common questions I get here at Photorec.tv. What drone should I buy? Is certainly near the top of this list. With the just announced DJI Mini 3 my Recommendations have changed - Here is my quick review of the new DJI Mini 3 and the others drone you might consider depending on your needs and budegt. and some accessories that are worth adding to your cart.

My Pick for most of you - the NEW DJI Mini 3 Pro!

Most of you are looking for a reasonably priced drone with features that you won’t outgrow soon. The new Mini 3 Pro from DJI offers 4k 60p video, 48mp stills in RAW and JPEG, obstacle avoidance and active tracking (the drone will follow you), with a 34-minute flight time and wind resistance the same as the Air2s. $759 for Drone, 1 battery and a standard remote(the kind that needs your smartphone). This is more expensive than previous mini drones but it is a much more capable drone and replaces the Air 2S as my recommendation for the best drone for you. Note that in earlier versions a big selling point was the sub 250g limit that required FAA registration. This drone with it’s standard battery also manages to come in at 249g which is quite amazing BUT that FAA registration is just $5 and doesn’t allow you to use this professionally- that still requires a test for certification.

Preorder the Mini 3 [B&H Photo] [Amazon]

Love it or hate it the new mini 3 pro can shoot vertical video for all your reel and tiktok needs….

Pros of the Mini 3 Pro - Small(easily packable) and Lightweight(doesn’t require registration), Obstacle avoidance, active track makes the drone more versatile especially if you are alone and need to be filmed in action. Occusync 3.0 for 7-mile+ connectivity range! High enough video and photo quality that most users will be happy.

Cons of the Mini 3 Pro - More expensive than previous versions of the DJI Mini, Limited obstacle avoidance (no side protection), larger battery available for purchase does put drone over 250g limit requiring registration.

The Mini 3 pro is currently sold in 3 packages
Drone only $669.00 [Buy at B&H Photo]
DJI Mini 3 Pro with RC-N1 Remote $759 [Buy at B&H Photo]
Drone with new DJI RC Remote $909 [Buy at B&H Photo]

About the Batteries
The standard Battery (2453 mAh) Provides 34 minute flight time
The Intelligent Flight Battery Plus (3850 mAh) Provides 47-minute flight time! It will only be sold in select countries and no pricing is available at this time. Both batteries will charge via USB-C.

The Mini 3 Pro will work with existing remotes you may own from the Mini 2, Air 2, or Air2s making the Drone-only bundle a smart way to upgrade for existing owners of one of the recently mentioned drones.

The new DJI RC remote is a more affordable version of their pro remote - My original review video of the pro remote.

Standard Mini 3 Pro remote on the left (you supply your phone) NEW DJI RC Remote on the right with 700 nits of brightness

My Drone Picks for 2022 (Updated May 10, 2022)

Top Pick

DJI Mini 3 - Powerful enough for most of us with features you won’t outgrow. [B&H Photo] [Amazon]

Looking for a more budget-friendly drone -

DJI Mini 2 Fly More Combo - The best budget drone with 4k and Raw photo capture. No obstacle avoidance or active tracking. Currently $449 at B&H Photo.

DJI Mavic Mini Fly More Combo - The original Mini only shoots at 2.7k mac resolution, doesn’t have obstacle avoidance or active tracking, and is missing Occusync which makes a real difference in the range(distance from you to drone) that you can get a clear video feed and have control over the drone. Most noticeable in denser areas but is still a decent value and a good beginner drone $399 at B&H Photo

Looking for a more professional level drone for work -

Mavic 3 Fly More - POWERFUL - more than most of us need but starting at $2,000 it’s the cheapest way to get such a large sensor for excellent quality photos and video. Correction to video - the firmware update is already out to provide the active track and additional modes.

Just looking for Fun -

DJI FPV - Pretend to be a jet fighter pilot! So much fun flying.

EZ MAX FPV Drone - a VERY affordable way to try FPV flying

DJI Tello - a VERY affordable way to experience the easy flying of DJI drones.

Accessories -

Landing Pad for Drones (29.5") Keeps your drone cleaner when take off and landing

Freewell Circular Polarizer CPL Filter for DJI Air 2S

Multi Charger - Charge multiple batteries simultaneous. DJI multi charger only charges 1 at a time.

USB Charger for Air2s - Charge more easily on the go

MavMount iPad holder - Upgrade your photo/video capture experience

Apps - B4UFly & AirData UAV

https://airdata.com/ SAVE 20% with code PHOTOREC20

PhotoRec

NEW DJI Mini 3 - Quick Review and My Drone Recs for 2022

My Drone Picks for 2022 (Updated May 10, 2022)

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