The DJI Air 3S drone stands out as versatile in low light conditions.
You will probably even find your way back home in the dark.
The new DJI Air 3S drone expands on the capabilities of the Air 3 in several notable aspects. One of the most remarkable improvements is the optimized image quality, especially in low-light conditions, including night obstacle avoidance to ensure a safe return home for the drone. This is encouraging as the Air 3 already provided outstanding performance in low-light situations.
Ferdinand Wolf, DJI's product experience director, mentioned that the Air 3S takes the Air series to new heights, offering professional features such as dual primary cameras and omnidirectional obstacle detection, all while maintaining a lightweight of just 724 grams. This combination grants it great versatility, making it ideal for travel photography and special events, as well as providing safety when flying at night.
The Air 3S includes an intelligent return-to-home (R2H) feature that is effective even in low-light conditions. The drone is equipped with a comprehensive set of sensors that enable obstacle detection in nighttime environments, including a front LiDAR sensor, infrared time-of-flight sensors on the bottom, and a total of six vision sensors spread across the front, rear, and bottom.
The main camera of the Air 3S features an improved 50-megapixel sensor and a 24mm lens, complemented by a second camera with a 48-megapixel sensor and a 70mm lens (3x zoom), both capable of up to 14 stops of dynamic range when using automatic mode. Additionally, video can be recorded in 10 bits in H.265 format with better ISO. The main camera allows for 4K recording at 60 fps HDR and 4K at 120 fps, with generated files being more than 30 percent smaller compared to those from the Air 3.
With 42 GB of internal storage and the option for expansion via microSD, the Air 3S ensures that users can capture material for a maximum flight time of 45 minutes. Files can be transferred wirelessly to a phone without needing to power on the drone or via a USB-C cable to a laptop.
The Air 3S also offers numerous intelligent recording options, such as ActiveTrack 360, which allows the drone to automatically follow subjects, ensuring they remain in focus even during manual flight or if they move towards the edge of the frame. Both cameras are compatible with DJI’s Free panorama mode, which allows for stitching multiple images centered on a manually selected subject or area.
This new drone is already available for purchase in various kits, starting at a price of $1099 / £959 / €1099, and includes a DJI RC-N3 controller for flying from a phone.
