DJI is consistently releasing completely different drone fashions yearly, every changing a earlier mannequin or offering a brand new solution to view the world from a hen’s eye view.
Two fashions have come up in discussions of individuals searching for their first drone or upgrading from an older model: the DJI Air 3 and the DJI Avata.
They signify two completely different worlds of drones: one of many slow-paced cinematic drone movies and one other of fast-paced aerial photographs in tight areas and having the ability to do maneuvers that aren’t doable with a daily digicam drone.
Nevertheless, whereas it does look like evaluating apples and oranges, it’s doable to be torn between the 2 relying on the kind of footage you need to create.
Hold studying to study extra about these two drones and why I desire the DJI Air 3.
DJI Air 3 Overview
The DJi Air 3 is likely one of the newest releases from DJI and the newest addition to the Air sequence, a really dependable shopper drone sequence, primarily for aerial images and videography.
It improves on varied facets in comparison with its predecessors and in addition introduces new options:
- Two cameras, every with a distinct aperture, permitting extra room for creativity.
- Secure and prolonged flight time, sufficient for a variety of actions.
- Security options that make it accessible to newcomers and extra skilled customers alike.
- New OcuSync 4 transmission know-how gives a extra prolonged vary and improved transmission between the drone and the controller.
- D-Log M and HLG give extra room for post-processing.
» MORE: DJI Air 3 Assessment – Is This the Drone for You?
DJI Avata Overview
The DJI Avata is DJI’s model of a Cinewhoop, a sort of FPV drone that’s smaller, barely slower, and extra interesting to newcomers than the extra superior FPV drones.
Beneath are some options that set it aside from different Cinewhoops available in the market.
- Longer flight time, providing you with sufficient time for filming in comparison with customary Cinewhoops.
- DJI O3 system for steady reside transmission.
- Two strategies of management, making it accessible to even starting customers.
- Simpler to make use of than most FPV drones.
- Ok footage high quality for skilled use.
- Potential so as to add a third-party digicam for higher footage.
- Picture stabilization capabilities for smoother footage regardless of the vibrations that include a quick drone.
» MORE: DJI Avata – Arms-on Assessment (From an FPV Newbie)
Fast Verdict
Having used drones for aerial images and videography for some time, I discover that in case you are searching for the right mixture for versatility, the DJI Air 3 takes a decisive lead.
Boasting a dual-camera setup, distinctive impediment avoidance capabilities, and an prolonged battery life, it’s a stable funding for seasoned fans and aspiring creators.
The DJI Avata means that you can take particular photographs and isn’t perfect for nonetheless images, so if you wish to choose one drone that may do extra, the DJI Air 3 could be the higher selection.
Nevertheless, in case you have the finances, you will get each the DJI Air 3 and the DJI Avata.
Combining photographs from a digicam drone and an FPV drone has confirmed to supply some wonderful footage and will set you aside from anybody utilizing just one sort of footage.
» MORE: DJI Avata vs. Cinebot 30 (Right here’s My Alternative)
What are the variations?
The primary distinction between these drones stems from the needs they’re made for. The DJI Air 3 is superior in most facets because of the next options:
- A twin digicam system that means that you can movie from completely different views.
- A bigger sensor means that you can take better-looking footage and performs higher in low-light circumstances.
- Security options like FlySafe and AirSense guarantee a steady and secure flight.
- Extremely lengthy flight time, longer than most shopper drones we’ve seen from DJI.
- Extra coloration profiles, permitting you extra room for coloration grading.
- It’s heavier and sturdier in sturdy winds.
- A big selection of clever flight modes similar to Mastershots, Quickshots, ActiveTrack, Cruise Management, and extra make creating cinematic footage simpler.
- A vertical taking pictures mode that makes it simpler to shoot social media content material.
» MORE: DJI Air 3 vs. Mini 3 Professional (Right here’s My Alternative)
DJI Air 3
As talked about, the DJI Air 3 is a brand new addition to the Air sequence.
It’s an enchancment to the DJI Air 2S, which I’ve used extensively, bettering on a few of the options missing in earlier drones, although they did restrict some options in comparison with the Air 2S.
As an illustration, they included a smaller sensor however made it a dual-camera system. In addition they eradicated the power to shoot in 5.4K.
Some notable enhancements embody flight time, impediment avoidance, improved sensor design, zooming capabilities, and extra taking pictures modes.
DJI Avata
The DJI Avata is DJI’s second FPV drone. It was launched after the DJI FPV drone, which is nice for some individuals however fairly sophisticated to fly, particularly for newcomers.
It’s additionally bigger and customarily not secure to fly near individuals or property because of the propeller design.
The DJI Avata gives a safer entry into FPV whereas providing individuals a greater solution to take FPV photographs.
It might not be as quick because the DJI FPV drone, however it makes its mark as a Cinewhoop drone that takes you thru the journey from a newbie to an skilled pilot.
If you wish to be part of the world of FPV however are uncomfortable constructing your individual quad, the DJI Avata presents an excellent possibility.
DJI Avata Professional-View Combo
DJI Avata + Clever Flight Battery, DJI Goggles 2 + Battery, DJI Movement Controller.
We earn a fee should you make a purchase order, at no further price to you.
12/16/2023 01:51 pm GMT
Head-to-Head Comparability
Picture and Video Recording
Winner: DJI Air 3
The DJI Air wins in a number of facets concerning recording photographs and movies. Beneath are extra particulars of why.
Sensor dimension
Whereas sensor design retains bettering, I nonetheless consider the bigger the sensor you will get, the higher footage you will get out of your digicam.
The DJI Air 3 has a 1/1.3 sensor, whereas the DJI Avata contains a 1/1.7-inch CMOS sensor.
As highlighted a couple of occasions, a bigger sensor offers extra dynamic vary, performs higher in low gentle, and offers you higher footage general.
Whereas the DJI Air 3 and the DJI Avata can shoot at 4K at 60 fps and take 12MP nonetheless photographs, you possibly can count on high-quality footage with the DJI Air 3.
The DJI Air 3 can also take 48MP photographs, however these aren’t true 48MP photographs. As an alternative, it’s a 12MP picture enhanced to 48MP by QuadBayer know-how.
The standard of the 48MP picture varies, however it’s an important choice to have.
» MORE: Digicam Expertise in Drones (Defined)
Coloration profiles
The DJI Avata comes with Regular and D-Cinelike taking pictures choices. D-Cinelike gives a broader vary of colours in comparison with Regular, however not as huge as you get from D-Log M and HLG, each of that are constructed into the DJI Air 3.
There’s a flatter profile often known as D-Log, discovered in additional superior drones, which supplies you much more room for post-processing, however it’s way more sophisticated to make use of.
D-Log M strikes an excellent stability by providing extra room than D-Cinelike whereas being accessible to newcomers.
Two cameras
DJI stunned us with the twin digicam system, and it was a pleasing shock because it brings you nearer to what you’d expertise with a extra superior drone just like the DJI Mavic 3 Professional.
These cameras embody a 24MM F1.7 wide-angle sensor and a 70MM F2.8 tele digicam.
This enables customers to effortlessly swap between capturing expansive landscapes with the wide-angle lens and zooming in for detailed photographs with the telephoto lens.
Having two cameras allows smoother transitions between completely different photographs and views throughout filming.
This dynamic functionality is especially precious for cinematographers and content material creators, because it provides a cinematic contact to aerial movies.
Nevertheless, the DJI Avata just isn’t that far off concerning cameras. Whereas it comes with one digicam, it’s doable to mount an motion digicam of your selection, elevating the footage you will get from it, such as you would with another Cinewhoop drone.
A GoPro could be my favourite selection, however a DJI Motion digicam or an Insta360 works too. Whenever you add a GoPro digicam just like the Hero 11, the panorama modifications.
You get an choice to take 5.3K movies, 27 MP nonetheless photographs, a bigger sensor, and even higher footage stabilization than the one on the DJI Avata, and whenever you’re not utilizing it in your drone, you need to use it as a handheld digicam.
The one problem with this setup is that you would be able to’t entry the digicam settings remotely such as you would with the DJI Air 3. This might actually restrict you when taking pictures in areas with completely different lighting circumstances.
Getting an additional digicam additionally provides to the associated fee, and this may not be a great possibility.
» MORE: Finest Digicam Settings for DJI Air 3 (Picture & Video)
Taking pictures Modes
Winner: DJI Air 3
One profit the DJI Air 3 and different digicam drones have is automated flight. And since DJI has been bettering its modes for some time, the DJI Air 3 presently options the newest variations.
Beneath are extra particulars on the assorted flight modes and the way they work.
- ActiveTrack 5.0 – This current model of ActiveTrack permits the person to trace the topic from completely different instructions and swap between these instructions when flying. It really works nice when creating Observe Me footage of individuals taking part in varied actions, boats, and autos. You need to use this function to comply with your self or to hurry up filming a topic in varied eventualities.
- Cruise Management – This function permits the drone to maintain flying autonomously at a steady velocity. You need to use it to fly to a selected level or to take care of a selected velocity when filming. This function was beforehand solely out there in drones just like the Mavic 3 sequence.
- Evening mode – This function is designed to robotically improve evening taking pictures to supply higher nighttime footage. Not solely do you get a bigger sensor, however evening filming is even simpler with this function. With the DJI Avata, you don’t have a lot wiggle room with its built-in digicam, however with a digicam just like the GoPro Hero 11, you possibly can entry a a lot bigger sensor and a few evening results. However this isn’t the identical as having these options constructed into the drone.
- Waypoints – Initially primarily present in high-end drones, DJI now consists of the Waypoints function in additional inexpensive drones. This function means that you can pre-program the drone’s flight, which might be useful when executing very complicated maneuvers, when you should movie your self or the topic extra autonomously as you deal with the digicam, or when constructing a time-lapse.
- QuickShots and Mastershots – QuickShots is a function that means that you can execute pre-programmed flight patterns similar to Dronie, Helix, Circle Orbit, and many others., whereas Mastershots combines them into one clip that you would be able to simply edit inside the DJI Fly App and put up on social media.
- Vertical taking pictures – First launched within the DJI Mini 3 Professional, this function means that you can create portrait footage from the drone. Nevertheless, this function doesn’t work like within the Mini 3 Professional, the place the digicam modifications its orientation. As an alternative, the drone’s digicam robotically crops into the footage to present you a decrease decision (2.7K as an alternative of 4K) portrait footage that you would be able to straight put up on social media. This shouldn’t be a deal breaker since you are able to do that with footage from another drone, however content material creators will discover this extraordinarily helpful, particularly when creating content material on the go.
Alternatively, the DJI Avata is extra of a hands-on drone.
Whereas it lacks automated flight modes, it’s fairly agile, permitting you to perform most of those maneuvers manually, and much more, similar to dive bombing and going by home windows and different tight areas like on this video, however this may rely in your flying abilities.
» MORE: Does DJI RC Professional Work with Air 3 (Answered)
Ease of Use
Winner: DJI Air 3
Now, if we have been evaluating two digicam drones, we wouldn’t have to speak about how straightforward or sophisticated it’s to regulate them since all of them fly the identical approach. However the DJI Avata and the DJI Air 3 are two completely different drones.
The DJI Air 3 is a digicam or GPS drone, so it comes with options like visible sensors, GPS stabilization, altitude maintain, and impediment avoidance that make it straightforward to fly.
Even in case you have by no means flown a drone earlier than, you possibly can shortly get the DJI Air 3 out of the field and fly it comfortably inside a couple of hours.
The DJI Avata, then again, is Cinewhoop, a sort of FPV drone. These drones don’t have the luxuries of self-stabilization, and the drone pilot typically has to maintain making use of tiny inputs to maintain the drone within the air. This makes it even tougher to fly.
You may’t simply choose up a Cinewhoop drone and begin flying. It’s important to spend a number of hours on a simulator to get the hold of it earlier than you possibly can attempt the true factor.
I’ve been enjoying round with the Velocidrone simulator with the Radiomaster Pocket controller, and it took me 20 hours to lastly get the hold of it and begin flying with out crashing. Some individuals take longer or shorter than that.
Now, DJI has made the DJI Avata comparatively straightforward to make use of by including sensors and permitting the DJI Avata to hover with out a lot enter from the person.
Nevertheless, to completely unleash its energy as a Cinewhoop, you must swap to Guide mode, which is far tougher to make use of and can want plenty of observe on a simulator and with an precise drone.
» MORE: The best way to Fly a Drone: Final Newbie Information (with Drawings)
Controllers
Winner: DJI Air 3
Since these are two completely different drones, their controllers have a distinct really feel respective to what they’re designed for.
The DJI Air 3 comes with two kinds of controllers: the DJI RC-N2, the place you should join your smartphone, and the DJI RC 2, which comes with an inbuilt display.
Each controllers are comfy to make use of, so all of it comes down as to if you might be okay with utilizing your smartphone or would love the comfort of getting a devoted system to regulate your drone.
The DJI Avata comes with the usual FPV controller, the FPV Distant Controller 2, an enchancment from the unique DJI FPV controller.
It’s small, gentle, and completely matches in your palms, permitting you to carry the sticks as you want when controlling the drone.
DJI additionally launched a Movement Controller, which lets you management the drone with wrist actions. This makes controlling the drone a lot simpler in comparison with the common controllers.
One attention-grabbing factor about flying an FPV drone is utilizing the goggles, which provide you with a view much like should you have been in a aircraft’s cockpit.
Coupled with the excessive speeds, flying utilizing goggles offers you an exhilarating expertise you couldn’t get with a daily digicam drone.
Nevertheless, DJI has been making digicam drones suitable with their goggles and movement controllers, and lately, they even made the DJI Air 3 suitable with their latest goggles, the Goggles 2 and Goggles Integra.
This lets you see what the DJI Air 3 sees and entry options like head monitoring, which lets you management the drone with head actions. If having that cockpit view is one thing you need, you don’t should commerce the DJI Air 3 for the Avata.
» MORE: The best way to Fly DJI Air 3 Drone (With DJI RC 2)
Flight time
Winner: DJI Air 3
The DJI Air 3 is presently on the peak of DJI’s know-how so far as drone batteries for shopper drones go.
With greater than 40 minutes of flight time, you’ve sufficient time to movie all of the photographs you want. And in case you have at the least three batteries, you’ll have greater than sufficient flight time even when flying in reasonably sturdy winds.
Alternatively, drones just like the DJI Avata are designed to be gentle to realize high speeds. Consequently, DJI needed to compromise on a couple of options, and one of many victims was the battery.
The DJI Avata comes with a 35.71 Wh battery that guarantees a flight time of as much as 18 minutes, however you’ll typically get 10 to fifteen minutes in precise flying.
This can be lengthy for a drone of its sort, however it’s fairly restricted in comparison with a drone just like the DJI Air 3. You’ll need a number of batteries in case you are concerned in an extended shoot, which provides to the general price of the drone.
» MORE: Flight Time of All DJI Drones (Defined)
Weight and Design
Winner: Relies upon
Once more, these drones are designed for several types of photographs, so whichever you select based mostly on weight has to align with the kind of footage you might be searching for.
The DJI Air 3 contains a foldable design that makes it straightforward to retailer and journey with. This design helps hold the propellers and arms secure when shifting round.
By comparability, as an alternative of a foldable design, the DJI Avata is available in a compact design, with the propellers enclosed in propeller guards.
This design additionally helps hold the propellers secure and helps forestall accidents or injury to property within the case of a crash.
Additionally, you will notice every little thing else is in a small compartment, with the battery seen and never enclosed. This easy design helps remove any further weight, contributing to the drone’s agility whereas minimizing affect in case of a crash.
In relation to weight, the DJI Air 3 is sort of heavy, weighing 720 grams, however this weight will be attributed to the assorted superior options it has.
The DJI Avata, then again, is far lighter, weighing 410 grams, which is excellent for the flying it’s constructed for.
Because of the burden, the DJI Air 3 will maintain up higher in sturdy winds than the DJI Avata. Drones just like the Avata are additionally recognized to wobble round within the wind, making them way more difficult to regulate
» MORE: Touring With a Drone (Is It Value It?)
Vary
Winner: DJI Air 3
The DJI Air 3 nonetheless wins on this side because of being a current launch because it options DJI’s newest OcuSync system, the OcuSync 4, which guarantees a variety of as much as 12 miles.
This new system comes with upgraded controllers, improved CPU efficiency, and higher efficiency in areas with a whole lot of interference.
The DJI Avata comes with the OcuSync 3+, the O4 system’s predecessor, and one that’s nonetheless fairly dependable. In optimum circumstances, you will get a variety of as much as 4 miles, however in areas with obstacles, you possibly can count on 1 to 2 miles.
When flying indoors, in deserted buildings, or monitoring a topic in areas with stones, mountains, and timber, count on the communication between the drone and the controller to interrupt up a couple of occasions.
For a Cinewhoop, the vary of the DJI Avata is spectacular in comparison with some fashions available on the market. Nevertheless, you possibly can’t lengthen it like in different Cinewhoop or FPV drones.
The nice factor is that DJI didn’t remove all security options. In case your Avata loses connection, you possibly can set it to return to dwelling, and you’ll not should lose your drone.
» MORE: Lengthy Vary Drones: Final Information
Conclusion
The DJI Air 3 is a pinnacle of versatility, outfitted with a dual-camera system, superior security options, and a powerful 46-minute flight time.
Whether or not you’re an fanatic or a content material creator, its complete capabilities make it a stable funding.
Alternatively, the DJI Avata caters to the FPV area of interest, excelling in dynamic cinematic maneuvers.
Boasting agility, picture stabilization, and the choice to combine third-party cameras, it gives a singular avenue for artistic exploration.
For an all-encompassing drone expertise appropriate for fans and creators, the DJI Air 3 takes the lead. Its dual-camera system and prolonged flight time make it a dependable selection.
Nevertheless, if delving into the thrilling world of FPV cinematography is in your agenda, think about the Avata as a complementary instrument to complement your artistic toolkit, providing a seamless mix of versatility and dynamic maneuverability.
» MORE: Autel EVO 2 Professional vs. DJI Air 3 (Which One Is Higher?)