It’s safe to argue that aerial video is a shot style that viewers are used to seeing on TV and is therefore omnipresent. Because they make it easy and affordable to record dramatic and fluid aerial video that can be seamlessly combined with traditional camera shots, drones have consequently become a necessary tool for filmmakers and revolutionized the film and television industries. Drones from DJI Inspire have been utilized effectively in this role for a long time.

Thanks to its incredibly portable folding consumer/prosumer drones, DJI is well-known to most people. However, the business also has a strong presence in the professional market with its Inspire and Matrice models, and DJI now offers the DJI Inspire 3, a new model that can meet the artistic and technical requirements of Hollywood’s most exacting directors of photography.

Key Takeaways

• Travel Mode semi-folding design
• Can be operated with two controllers
• FPV camera for pilot view

DJI Inspire 3 OVERVIEW

Launched back in 2016, the DJI Inspire 3 improves upon and beyond the offering of its predecessor, the Inspire 2. In many ways, the new model is easier to use than previous DJI consumer models. It has more sophisticated flight performance and image capturing capabilities for use in professional aerial photography and video production.

The new full-frame Zenmuse X9-8K Air Gimbal Camera that comes with the kit is one of its most amazing features. This gives you the choice to take full-frame photos.

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Description

Professional filmmakers are the target market for the DJI Inspire 3, a potent drone with fine control that also has applications in business surveying and inspection. The full-frame sensor and interchangeable lenses produce amazing image quality that far outperforms smaller drone versions. Large and bulky, this drone package offers professional functionality much beyond what a hobbyist might possibly require.

Positives

• Excellent image quality
• Smooth and precise flight
• Interchangeable lenses

Negatives

• Expensive
• Large and heavy
• More complicated than consumer models

Review Breakdown

• Rating on Amazon 1.0/5

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35mm or Super 35 in 8K up to 75 fps in ProRes Raw, or 8K up to 25 fps in CinemaDNG; also, 4K at up to 120 fps in all codecs except CinemaDNG, which max out at 100 fps in 4K projection. Additionally, you can capture images in both raw and JPEG formats and utilize a dynamic range of up to 14 stops for both still and motion pictures.

SPECS

Despite coming with a very helpful trolley case, the Inspire 3 is a big, hefty drone that is difficult to handle across rough terrain. This is not a model for casual users who need portability and ease because it requires more setup time than a consumer-level drone and that’s before we even include in the drone’s price. But for a variety of reasons, it will surely be a very alluring choice for experienced drone operators.

DESIGN & CONTROLLER

Since DJI’s Mavic 3 series is lighter and more practical than the DJI Inspire 3, which is about as tiny and lightweight as they come, true professional drones are big and hefty. In testing, I was usually able to achieve about 18 minutes until Return to Home was automatically launched at 20% battery capacity. The flight lengths are also lower, with a claimed duration of up to 28 minutes. Naturally, wind and flight patterns had an impact on this; fewer strenuous flights will result in a longer battery life.

Except in cases where you disable it for riskier ultra-low-level flight, the Inspire 3’s landing gear automatically raises when it takes off and lowers when it gets close to the ground for landing. Two other helpful shooting features are made possible by this landing gear raising and lowering: the ability to tilt the camera 80 degrees upward when the landing gear is depressed, and to pan the camera 360 degrees when the landing gear is raised.

When the drone is in Travel Mode, it flattens out using a motorized mechanism to measure 27.9 x 6.9 x 19.7 inches / 709.8 x 176 x 500.5mm. When in Flight Mode, it narrows somewhat but grows higher. Although set-up time is still much longer than for consumer models, one helpful new feature is that the folding propellers can be left attached during transit in the trolley case.

The Inspire 3 weights 140.91oz / 3,995g, which isn’t too awful considering how strong the drone is and the image quality the camera can create. This weight includes the gimbal camera and lens, two batteries, a PROSSD, and rotors. But when you include extra batteries, a controller, and other accessories in the trolley case, it becomes a heavy kit that is difficult to move across uneven ground. An add-on set of off-road wheels for the trolley case would be really useful.

Because the DJI Inspire 3 is a professional drone, it may be operated by two controllers: a pilot and a camera operator. With this configuration, the drone’s pilot uses a 161-degree ultra-wide-angle FPV lens, a 1/1.8-inch night-vision sensor with 3μm pixel size, and a live stream that can record at up to 1080p/60 frames per second. The camera operator can then take over control of the drone in the event that the link between the drone and the master controller is lost, in addition to controlling the main camera for recording. Naturally, one operator may also operate it by using the primary camera for both shooting and flight control.

Easily modify camera settings and other choices with ease thanks to the huge 7-inch 1,200-nit touchscreen of the DJI RC Plus controller, which also features simple direct-access controls. Additionally, the FPV camera and the gimbal camera can be switched as the camera view. Just over three hours of battery life is claimed, but you may enhance it with hot swapping batteries or by using an extra battery with a bigger capacity. Although the controller is big, it has a strap and a rear frame to make it more comfortable to use for extended periods of time. Additionally, the enhanced DJI Pilot 2 app for Inspire offers a cinema-quality UI, allowing you to connect an external monitor and synchronize timecode between the drone and ground cameras.

FEATURES & FLIGHT

Like any DJI consumer drone, the DJI Inspire 3 is simple to use and intuitive to operate at first, but as you explore all of its features, its professional capabilities and controls can get more complex. Its powerful output, which includes 31 mph wind resistance, is provided by two 4280mAh batteries. Despite its size and weight, it is remarkably nimble, having the capacity to turn quickly and smoothly as well as ascend and descend rapidly. As long as you replace the batteries one at a time, you can swap them out without shutting down the drone thanks to its hot-swappability. Also, in the event that you inadvertently swap out a used battery, the Inspire 3 will notify you.

We’ve all grown accustomed to the extra features that DJI consumer drones usually provide, such Pano, AEB (automatic exposure bracketing), Mastershots, and Quickshots. However, the Inspire 3 lacks these features and instead controls all aspects of photography directly through the camera in Manual (PASM), Program, Aperture Priority, and Shutter Priority modes. In addition, you would think that anyone planning to buy this drone would be an experienced camera operator who could use the camera controls to manually capture a range of photos and videos instead than depending on automatic features.

In terms of autonomous flight and subject tracking, the DJI Inspire 3 does have some tricks up its sleeve, even without Quickshots, which are almost unnecessary in a drone meant for professional use. With Waypoint Pro, you can plan your shots and routes precisely. It also comes with fully programmed and manual camera and gimbal control. Furthermore, the drone can do identical flights and replicate conventional camera movements in an aerial setting thanks to its Repeatable Routes and 3D Dolly modes. This is perfect for filming, where it might be necessary to do multiple takes and produce smooth transitions.

RTK Positioning, which necessitates an optional D-RTK 2 Mobile Station, is another alternative for improving flight accuracy. This uses the GPS, Galileo, and BeiDou satellite positioning systems on the Inspire to offer flight accuracy to within 10 mm, which is helpful for surveying purposes as well as in extremely complicated situations like movie sets. Not everyone needs it because it’s a pricey and extremely specialized optional equipment.

For improved flight accuracy and safety, front and rear stacked ceramic antennas with anti-magnetic interference capabilities support these functionalities. Obstacles can be detected by the Omnidirectional Sensing System in any direction, and the distances can be adjusted based on the circumstances and/or location of the flight as well as the pilot’s desire.

Six fisheye sensors, two wide-angle sensors, and one omnidirectional ToF sensing system are used for obstacle sensing. These are quite efficient and give confidence while using Waypoint Pro and flying manually, but caution and care are still necessary as with any drone flight. The ability to disable obstacle avoidance is also available, however in the event that it is, the pilot will still be able to view obstacles’ (customizable) distance on the controller screen and hear an auditory alert.

IMAGE & VIDEO QUALITY

The new full-frame Zenmuse X9-8K Air Gimbal Camera, when combined with any of the four DJI DL lenses, produces outstanding image quality for both still and motion pictures. Aside from the new DJI DL 18mm F2.8 ASPH, which has a focal length ideal for aerial photography and video, other excellent lenses for professional videography include the DJI DL 24mm F2.8 LS ASPH, DJI DL 35mm F2.8 LS ASPH, and DJI DL 50mm F2.8 LS ASPH.

A somewhat small depth of focus can be captured using a full-frame camera and lenses that have a maximum f/2.8 aperture; this is especially noticeable when using a 50mm lens. And while photographers who primarily utilize drones to shoot cityscapes and landscapes won’t be as concerned about this, there are some scenarios where being able to defocus the background is crucial for capturing video.

Every video is recorded in flat/raw profiles, and users have the option to apply LUTs and utilize a different controller profile from the one that the camera is capturing. Video in a Standard profile cannot be recorded by the camera; therefore, all footage requires color grading. This is not shocking because, instead of using “standard” color profiles, which are just JPEGs for video professional videographers and filmmakers always color-grade their material.

The camera sensor is comparable to ordinary cameras in this regard, offering up to 14 stops of dynamic range for both images and videos. Still images have a 44.7MP resolution and may be taken in both JPEG and raw formats. Depending on the needs, footage can be shot in full-frame or Super 35 format. ProRes Raw allows for up to 75 frames per second in 8K resolution, while CinemaDNG allows for up to 25 frames per second. With a maximum frame rate of 120 frames per second in all codecs but CinemaDNG, which has a little lower frame rate of 100 frames per second in 4K, 4K offers the greatest options for slow motion and frame rates. Additional recording codecs consist of H.264 and ProRes 422HQ.

To put it briefly, the Inspire 3 lacks the sophisticated shooting tools of a dedicated camera but offers the same degree of control and image quality as a full-frame mirrorless camera. However, by approaching shooting more manually, you can still accomplish all of your artistic goals. So, it’s not a big deal.

VERDICT

The DJI Inspire 3 is specifically engineered for the kind of work you create as a professional drone operator in terms of both video and flight features if you work in film and television. This professional drone is incredibly flexible, including dual-operator control and nimble, smooth, and precise flying.

The Inspire 3 is especially useful for surveying and flying in extremely complicated situations, such movie sets, because it can achieve flight accuracy of 10mm when combined with the D-RTK 2 Mobile Station.

With four prime lenses available, the full-frame CMOS sensor produces superb image quality for both images and films. This is the highest quality image you can obtain without using a larger drone fitted with a Red (cinema) or medium-format camera.

Why Trust Factic

Berry Alex has been evaluating, testing, and reviewing tech, Household and travel items for several decades. He compiled all of the testers’ input, conducted extra research to assess each phone mount’s essential features and overall functioning, and reviewed professional profiles and verified customer reviews for each product.