A Versatile Travel Drone with Impressive Capabilities

The DJI Air 3S is a highly refined travel drone, offering impressive upgrades over its predecessor, the DJI Air 3, while maintaining a compact form factor. It combines powerful cameras, improved obstacle avoidance, and advanced tracking features, making it an excellent choice for both amateur drone enthusiasts and more experienced content creators. In this review, I’ll break down the key features, performance, and whether it’s worth upgrading if you already own the Air 3.

Design and Build Quality

At first glance, the DJI Air 3S looks quite similar to its predecessor, the Air 3. It maintains a nearly identical form factor, with the same compact size and weight, making it a great travel companion. The drone weighs about 800g, and its foldable design makes it easy to carry in your backpack. The built-in storage has been upgraded to 42GB, which is a significant increase from the Air 3’s 8GB, saving the day when you forget to bring an SD card. The batteries are also compatible with the Air 3, which is convenient if you’re upgrading and already have spare batteries.

DJI Air 3S Camera System

One of the biggest improvements in the DJI Air 3S is the upgraded camera system. The drone retains the dual-camera setup but enhances the main wide-angle camera with a 1-inch 50MP sensor (compared to the Air 3’s 1/1.3-inch 48MP sensor). This larger sensor offers better resolution and dynamic range, making a noticeable difference in image quality, especially in low-light conditions. When shooting HDR footage, the dynamic range has been increased to 14 stops, up from the Air 3’s 12 stops, helping to capture more detail in both highlights and shadows.

The second camera, the 3x telephoto lens, remains the same as the Air 3 with a 1/1.3-inch 48MP sensor and a 70mm equivalent focal length. However, thanks to improved processing, the footage from this camera looks even better than before, offering rich colors and enhanced clarity. I particularly enjoy using the telephoto camera for its ability to create stunning background compression, which brings the subject closer to the viewer, ideal for dynamic and cinematic shots.

Both cameras can record in 4K at 60fps, with HDR support providing beautiful footage that requires minimal post-processing. The ISO limit has also been increased, allowing you to shoot in low light more effectively, up to ISO 12,800 when using the standard color mode.

Performance in Low Light and Night Mode

The DJI Air 3S is particularly impressive when shooting in low light. The larger sensor and higher ISO capabilities allow for much cleaner footage in challenging conditions like sunsets or nighttime. DJI has integrated the Night Mode into the standard video mode, so when shooting at up to 30fps, the drone will automatically activate this feature, reducing noise and enhancing detail without any extra effort on your part. This is a big improvement from the previous model, where night mode was a separate setting.

Obstacle Avoidance and Lidar Technology

One of the standout features of the DJI Air 3S is its Lidar-assisted obstacle avoidance. While the Air 3 featured omnidirectional obstacle detection, the new Air 3S takes this a step further with a forward-facing Lidar sensor that enhances the drone’s ability to detect obstacles in low-light conditions. The vision system can now work in environments as dim as 1 lux, which is about the equivalent of a single candle at 1 meter. This makes flying at night or in dark environments much safer.

The ActiveTrack 360 system has also seen upgrades. The drone can now track subjects even when part of the subject’s body is obscured. For instance, if you’re walking through a dense forest, the drone will continue tracking you even if only your head is visible. Additionally, vehicle tracking has been enhanced with increased recognition of road signs and obstacles, ensuring smoother and safer tracking in more complex environments.

Flight Time and Battery Life

The DJI Air 3S offers a flight time of up to 45 minutes, similar to the Air 3. In real-world testing, I was able to achieve around 39 minutes of flight time, which is impressive considering that I pushed the drone in sports mode and flew in less-than-ideal conditions. This endurance makes the Air 3S a reliable choice for longer shoots without having to frequently recharge or swap out batteries.

New Features for Photographers

For photographers, this new DJI Air 3S drone includes several key upgrades. The drone can capture 50MP photos, up from the 48MP in the Air 3, and also offers new processing algorithms to reduce noise and enhance detail, particularly in low-light shots. A new Free Panorama mode allows users to create custom panoramas directly in the drone, offering more creative freedom in capturing sweeping landscape shots.

ActiveTrack and Automated Modes

DJI has also improved the ActiveTrack 360 functionality, which now allows for even smoother and more dynamic tracking shots. Whether you’re shooting with the wide-angle or telephoto lens, ActiveTrack performs reliably. I found it particularly useful when filming vehicles or fast-moving subjects, as the drone remained locked onto the subject even when obstacles like trees or bushes briefly blocked the view.

The drone also includes several automated modes such as QuickShots, MasterShots, and Waypoints, making it easier to capture complex, cinematic shots with minimal effort. The new Auto ActiveTrack mode automatically adjusts the drone’s position to create the most visually appealing composition, saving time in post-production.

Conclusion: Is the DJI Air 3S Worth It?

The DJI Air 3S is a remarkable upgrade for those looking to invest in a high-quality travel drone. Its 1-inch sensor, improved Lidar obstacle avoidance, and long flight time make it a top contender in the market. If you already own the Air 3, the upgrade may not be essential unless you’re looking for better low-light performance and more advanced obstacle avoidance. However, for those upgrading from an older or entry-level drone, the Air 3S offers excellent value for its price and features.

If you still feel the DJI Air 3S is not the right fit for you and would like to consider a different alternative, why not check out other drone reviews and find out if there is a more suitable option for you?