In a giant product launch that’s stunning to nobody (particularly in case you learn my weblog publish with DJI Encourage 3 predictions that ran final week), DJI’s flagship cinematography drone is lastly, formally right here.
DJI at present introduced its Encourage 3, a long-awaited follow-up to the unique Encourage and Encourage 2 drones that focused filmmakers. However it’s hardly honest to even group the Encourage 3 along with the Encourage 1 and a couple of, given these felt like high-end client drones. The Encourage 3 marks DJI’s solely cinema-grade drone.
It earns that moniker as a result of the Encourage 3 is extra highly effective and dependable than these earlier than it — and its digital camera is far-higher high quality too. Amongst its key options:
- A full-frame 8K cinema digital camera
- As much as 28 minutes of flight time
- 161° ultra-wide FOV night-vision FPV
- O3 Professional transmission and management
- Helps omnidirectional sensing
- Helps RTK- powered Waypoint Professional
- Helps inside recording of as much as 8K/25fps CinemaDNG video in addition to 8K/75fps Apple ProRes RAW video
However in case you’re extra of an informal photographer then — until you’re additionally a lottery winner — this drone most likely isn’t for you. It’s priced at $16,499, and that’s earlier than you add on all the extra equipment, which you would possibly as nicely spring for in case you’re already going this far on what is well DJI’s highest-end digital camera drone.
Maybe unsurprisingly (although nonetheless unlucky), you’ll should buy the license key for Apple ProRes RAW video individually. You’ll additionally want a separate license key for CinemaDNG video.
Right here’s a deep dive into all the pieces this drone is about:
DJI Encourage 3 digital camera: a full-frame Zenmuse X9-8K Air Gimbal Digital camera
The function everybody desires most — a full-frame 8K Zenmuse X9 gimbal digital camera — is in truth part of the DJI Encourage 3 drone.
Severely, we requested Drone Lady readers to vote on their most-wanted function of the upcoming Encourage 3 drone final week, and also you overwhelmingly mentioned the full-frame, 8K digital camera. 22.2% of you requested for foldable propellers and 11.1% requested for O3+ video transmission as a prime precedence).
Listed below are some key particulars of the digital camera:
- Options DJI’s newest picture processing system, CineCore 3.0
- Helps inside recording of as much as 8K/25fps CinemaDNG video
- Helps 8K/75fps Apple ProRes RAW video
- In S&Q mode, X9-8K Air helps inside recording of as much as full-frame 4K/120fps ProRes RAW video with out cropping.
- Twin native ISO
- At full-frame 30fps and under: Gives EI 800/4000 (this helps the 24fps generally seen in movie productions and the 25fps utilized in industrial and tv productions).
- At above 30fps: Gives EI 320/1600 (that is good particularly for nonetheless getting particulars in low-light scenes)
- 14+ tops of dynamic vary
- Makes use of DJI’s proprietary DL mount
That proprietary DL mount permits for appropriate with a variety of lenses, which embrace:
- An extra 18 mm F2.8 full-frame ultra-wide lens
- A brand new telephoto lens specifically made for 8K aerial cinematography (although it hasn’t been launched but and there’s no agency date when it’ll arrive)
- Full-frame 24mm, 35mm, and 50mm lenses
The digital camera additionally makes use of DJI’s in-house shade science tech, known as the DJI Cinema Colour System (DCCS), which is designed to “retain genuine colours that redefine the look of aerial cinematography…and in addition precisely captures pores and skin tones in several environments and lighting situations.”
DCCS can be designed to pair with the corporate’s ground-based cinema cameras, just like the DJI Ronin 4D. A filmmaker in idea would movie the majority of the footage on the bottom with this digital camera, however these aerial pictures would seamlessly mix given the identical DCCS.
One other good function is the included DJI PROSSD 1TB, presents as much as 1100MBps write velocity and as much as 900MBps learn velocity. The footage could be learn on a pc straight by way of the supplied USB-C to USB-C cable with out the necessity for a card reader, handy for DITs.
The Encourage 3 drone itself
Regardless of being a lot bigger than drones just like the Mavic 3 Cine, it’s nonetheless a light-weight, moveable drone. The FPV digital camera, visible sensors, positioning antennas, and storage card slot are built-in into the airframe, which cuts down on free-dangling elements and streamlines the airframe.
Flight time is as much as 28 minutes utilizing hot-swappable TB51 clever twin batteries. Sizzling swapping implies that — when changing the battery — the plane doesn’t have to energy off.
If that you must fly quick, use the propulsion system which brings a flight velocity of as much as 94km/h, 8m/s ascent and descent velocity and even dive velocity as much as 10m/s.
New options that aren’t in DJI’s different drones embrace Tilt Enhance and 360° Pan constructions. With that, the gimbal helps obstruction-free 80° upward-angle taking pictures when the touchdown gear is lowered.
An FPV lens
Whereas this isn’t what you’d movie with, there’s additionally a 161° FOV extremely wide-angle FPV lens with a 1/1.8-inch night-vision sensor. It’s acquired 3μm pixel dimension and presents as much as 1080p/60fps reside feed.
Pilots can use that for a stabilized, extremely low latency view that provides them situational consciousness even in low-light.
The controller
The Encourage 3 comes with the DJI RC Plus controller, which entails a 7-inch 1,200-nit high-brightness display to function even in sturdy daylight.
The controller’s inside battery offers as much as 3.3 hours operation time, and extends to six hours with an exterior hot-swappable WB37 battery.
Different options embrace an HDMI out port, customizable buttons and dials and an-installed DJI Pilot 2 app.
DJI’s smartest omnidirectional sensing system to this point
If the drone is zipping round filming all types of difficult pictures, then it higher not hit any objects in its route. That’s doable due to DJI’s most-advanced omnidirectional sensing system to this point, which places 9 visible sensors on the drone.
DJI guarantees that the Encourage can detect obstacles in all instructions.
However you don’t have to make use of all 9 sensors in case you don’t wish to. There’s a brand new customizable operate the place you’ll be able to select to independently enabled or disable the horizontal, upward, and downward impediment sensors. You may as well preset an impediment alert vary manually. That’s useful if you wish to fly near an object and nonetheless have impediment avoidance on — however that you must fly nearer than what the outdated presets allowed.
You may as well select to show off lively avoidance. Even in case you do, there are security options together with the power to view the gap from an impediment on the navigation show in real-time, and/or obtain an audio alert when an impediment is inside a set vary — even with out the plane performing an computerized avoidance motion.
O3 Professional Transmission
One other function that pilots desperately needed was an improved transmission system.
DJI’s latest drone up till this new Encourage 3, the DJI Avata, presents DJI’s O3+ video transmission, permitting for a max transmission vary of 15 km and a extra secure sign.
The Encourage 3 presents a fair higher model known as O3 Professional Transmission. Like O3+, the O3 Professional Transmission permits a transmission vary of as much as 15 km. However that’s assuming only one controller.
Now, you’ve got the choice for dual-control mode, which presents transmission vary as much as 12 km. With the improved dual-control mode, two distant controllers can now obtain transmission and management hyperlinks from the drone independently, so the pilot and gimbal operator could be at completely different positions on set.
There’s the choice to show a reside feed of as much as 1080p/60fps, with an ultra-low latency of 90 ms. However with this new Professional model, the 4K/30fps reside feeds are additionally supported with a lowered 5km transmission vary, which unlocks the power for ultra-HD output and livestreaming on set.
RTK- powered Waypoint Professional
An enormous leg-up on the Encourage 3 is the high-precision RTK positioning expertise, which permits the drone to fly routes with centimeter-level accuracy. This can be a must-have spec in additional industrial purposes equivalent to inspections, precision mapping and surveying, the place a drone can’t afford to be off by a centimeter if a mannequin or map must be made.
Whereas this hasn’t sometimes been essential spec within the cinematography world, it very nicely might be because the Encourage 3 units this sturdy precedent. RTK not solely makes flying extra secure, but additionally flight-route planning extra correct, thus permitting filmmakers to get repeatable routes which might be actually correct, even in difficult environments.
Waypoint Professional
This operate permits custom-made flight-route and shot planning, permitting for the drone to seize video in highly-complex scenes — whether or not solo taking pictures or in an expert crew.
Right here’s what Waypoint Professional can do:
- Fly repeatable routes: Pilots can enter preset parameters equivalent to altitude, velocity, gimbal angle, and digital camera settings — and repeat that very same flight mission again and again. That’s essential in enhancing the power to movie in any other case troublesome one-takes. It’s additionally a helpful operate in case you’re flying at completely different instances in the identical place, like in case you’re taking long-duration timelapses (e.g. day to nighttime or season to season).
- Simulate a crane, cable cam or dolly: The Waypoint Professional has a operate known as 3D Dolly, which principally permits the drone to simulate a crane, cable cam, or a dolly — with out really needing to purchase and setup one.
- Highlight Professional: This makes use of machine-learning algorithms to supply pilots single-object recognition and monitoring. In flip, that enables the pilot to thoroughly deal with the flight whereas the gimbal digital camera stays robotically targeted on the topic — even when it’s a sophisticated flight they usually’re a single pilot.
How does RTK work on the Encourage 3?
The built-in 3 GNSS System (GPS + Galileo + BeiDou) is powered by built-in dual-layered ceramic RTK antennas. Activate the RTK community or arrange a D-RTK 2 Cellular Station (which requires a separate buy) to realize extremely correct positioning — all with out the necessity to mount any extra modules.
As a result of this tech offers the Encourage 3 with inside orientation, compass calibration isn’t wanted in most eventualities.
When RTK is disabled, DJI Encourage 3 makes use of GNSS positioning by default.
Different DJI Encourage 3 equipment, add-ons and ecosystem integrations
DJI doesn’t simply need you to purchase its Encourage 3. It desires you to purchase into its full ecosystem of merchandise designed for skilled filmmaking — a discipline DJI is more and more leaning into. Simply final month, DJI introduced the Ronin 4D Flex, a product designed for cinematographers that added the primary cinema zoom lens add-on to DJI’s digital camera platform in addition to launched a manner for operators to separate the Zenmuse X9 gimbal digital camera from the primary physique. Final month, DJI additionally lastly enabled clients to have the ability to purchase an activation license key for the Apple ProRes RAW codec on Ronin 4D on the DJI Retailer.
And that spirit of constant to be a superpower on movie units lives on with the Encourage 3. One instance of that’s that the Encourage 3 options Timesync Assist by way of a 3.5mm jack. That’s helpful for groups coping with tons of footage from a number of cameras, as timecode sync makes the modifying course of considerably extra simplified and environment friendly.
The drone may also pair with one RC Plus and one Excessive-Brilliant Distant Monitor. The monitor is in flip in a position to hyperlink your entire system to the DJI Professional Ecosystem, which brings in compatibility with different DJI merchandise such because the DJI 4D Hand Grips and DJI Grasp Wheels.
DJI additionally at present launched a couple of equipment together with:
- New foldable quick-release propellers: With the brand new mannequin 1671 propellers, you now probably gained’t should reinstall propellers earlier than every flight and — must you take them off — are far simpler to retailer. There’s additionally a model designed for high-altitudes of three,000 meters or extra that’s barely dearer (that’s mannequin DJI 1676). Spare fast launch propellers run for $69 per pair, whereas the high-altitude model runs for $89.
- Foldable battery charging hub: Make your charging extra environment friendly with out demanding an excessive amount of storage dimension. This hub can accommodate eight batteries and might cost two batteries to 90% concurrently in simply 35 minutes in quick cost mode, and to 100% in solely 160 minutes . The included 65W USB-C port will also be used to cost an RC Plus. Although, it’ll price you massive: the hub is available in at $899.
- A brand new trolley case: This model has an extendable deal with, two aspect handles, and 4 360-degree-movement wheels.
- Strap and waist assist for the RC Plus distant controller: This could merely make shoots extra snug. The DJI RC Plus Strap and Waist Assist Package prices a further $99.
Additionally anticipate to pay a further worth to get the license keys for CinemaDNG video and/or Apple ProRes RAW video.
Right here’s a full breakdown of all of the add-on equipment and their prices:
- DJI DL 18 mm F2.8 ASPH Lens: $1,299
- DJI DL 24/35 mm F2.8 LS ASPH Lens: $1,299
- DJI DL 50 mm F2.8 LS ASPH Lens: $1,199
- DJI DL Lens ND Filters Set: $349
- CinemaDNG & Apple ProRes RAW License Key: $979 (solely out there for buy straight from DJI)
- DJI RC Plus Distant Controller: $1,600
- DJI RC Plus Strap and Waist Assist Package: $99
- DJI RC Plus Peak Adjustable Management Sticks: $19
- DJI Encourage 3 Foldable Fast-Launch Propellers (Pair): $69
- DJI Encourage 3 Foldable Fast-Launch Propellers for Excessive Altitude (Pair): $89
- DJI Encourage 3 Propeller Guard: $349
- DJI TB51 Clever Battery: $349
- DJI TB51 Clever Battery Charging Hub: $899
- DJI TB51 Clever Battery Charging Hub AC Cable: $19
- DJI PROSSD 1TB: $799
- D-RTK 2 Cellular Station: $3,600
- D-RTK 2 Excessive Precision GNSS Cellular Station – Tripod: $250
- D-RTK 2 Cellular Station Energy Adapter Cable: $57
- D-RTK 2 Cellular Station LAN Cable: $38
Who’s the DJI Encourage 3 finest for?
Who’s the DJI Encourage 3 finest for? This can be a drone for filmmakers and different content material creators who don’t thoughts a critical, cumbersome rig within the identify of the highest-quality digital camera.
However earlier than we dive into why this drone is so supreme for filmmakers, let’s focus on the Encourage 3’s two closest opponents — and why (on some key ranges) they aren’t actually opponents in any respect.
What concerning the DJI Mavic 3?
Vacationers, bloggers and folks preferring a lighter-weight system and nonetheless need top quality video (say for YouTube) however don’t essentially want cinema-quality footage would nonetheless be higher served by the DJI Mavic 3. That drone is foldable and compact, and data in 5.1K and DCI 4K/120fps with Apple ProRes 422 HQ encoding — in case you go for the DJI Mavic 3 Cine. There are a couple of fashions of the DJI Mavic 3, beginning at simply $1,599 for the Mavic 3 Traditional and previous $5,000 for all of the bells and whistles with the DJI Mavic 3 Cine Premium Combo.
It’s rather a lot cheaper than the Encourage 3, but additionally lacks rather a lot the actually top-of-the-line options.
What about non-DJI opponents?
Given its excessive emphasis on cinematography, the DJI Encourage 3’s closest competitor is one other extremely critical digital camera drone: the Sony Airpeak. The Airpeak is one of the best ways to fly the Sony Alpha full body cameras, as that line of mirrorless cameras coupled with a GBL-T3 from Gremsy combine seamlessly into the drone.
This drone has one especially-major downfalls versus the Encourage 3, although: battery life. The battery life on this drone is abysmal. Whereas it’s technically 22 minutes, that assumes no payload (and thus no gimbal or digital camera). When you add on weight, just like the digital camera, it drops too nearer to 12 minutes, which may hardly be enough time to get the shot you want earlier than that you must land the drone once more.
With the hot-swappable TB51 clever twin batteries, the Encourage 3 offers flight time of as much as 28 minutes — measured when the drone is flying a relentless velocity of 36 km/h in a windless atmosphere at sea stage with the gimbal digital camera and lens connected to the plane (although with out different equipment).
On the fee entrance, the Airpeak and the Encourage 3 are a bit extra aligned. The Airpeak drone itself prices $9,000, however that’s earlier than the digital camera and gimbal. Anticipate to pay a further $2,000+ for the gimbal, between $1,800 and $6,500 for the digital camera physique, and we’ll say a minimum of $1,000 for the lens. A $17,000 finances for the Airpeak rig is way extra cheap, which is roughly the identical because the Encourage price.
A giant motive why the Airpeak could be higher is that you should use your Alpha digital camera for extra than simply drone flying. You can’t use the Zenmuse X9-8K Air independently from the DJI Encourage 3. To get the same-level picture high quality on a ground-based platform, you’d wish to purchase a separate DJI Ronin 4D – which is a further price.
A historical past of the DJI Encourage line
The DJI Encourage 3 is a very long time coming. The final time the Encourage acquired a major improve was in November 2016, when DJI launched the Encourage 2 drone. The Encourage 2 was notable for options together with 5.2K video and restricted sense and keep away from. At its launch, it price $2,999 for the standalone drone, or simply over $6,000 for a package that features the plane, Zenmuse X5S digital camera, CinemaDNG and Apple ProRes License Key.
When the Zenmuse X7 got here out, the Encourage 2 additionally supported that digital camera — however the brand new Zenmuse X9-8K Air has much more options, serving up a full-frame picture sensor that may file video at as much as 8K RAW. When it comes to lens mounting, the X9 provides a lens locking lever.
The Encourage 2 adopted the DJI Encourage 1, which launched in November 2014 with a built-in Encourage 1 digital camera that might shoot as much as 4K video and seize 12 megapixel pictures.
get your palms on an Encourage 3
In case you’re able to spring $16,499 for the Encourage 3 (and certain extra, contemplating you’ll need the add-on equipment) maintain tight. It’s not out there for buy till the finish of June.
At the moment, you’ll be capable of purchase the drone, most equipment and in addition DJI Care Professional, an additional insurance coverage plan for unintentional injury that provides an infinite variety of free repairs for lined causes, which incorporates water injury, drop injury, improper use, and different accidents. Protection additionally will get you two free replacements for brand new batteries annually and Flyaway protection. Protection is $2,099 for one yr or $3,899 for 2 years of protection.
Although within the occasion that is the most well liked merchandise available on the market, right here’s a transfer you would possibly wish to make: reserving. You may reserve a place to have the ability to purchase a drone on DJI’s web site.
Not less than you’ve got a pair months to save lots of up your cash.
