The new system was so impressive that I first set the app to use the most conservative settings and actually tried running it into a tree. I can still crash into trees, but the amount of warnings I get would put any normal person on hold long before the collision happens. That said, no collision avoidance system is perfect — use caution when flying around obstacles. On the opposite end of the spectrum, there’s a Sport mode, which has no dodge protection at all and can currently hit speeds around 42 mph.
The Mavic 3 will eventually get access to ActiveTrack 5, which DJI claims will have better subject tracking in autopilot. With this feature, the drone moves with the subject instead of just tracking the subject with the camera. Consider the cliché footage of a car driving down a windy mountain road — with ActiveTrack 5, you can automatically track the vehicle’s movements. More interestingly, DJI claims the vision sensors will help track movement and can even locate a subject if it disappears from the frame (again, think of the vehicle on the road, in momentarily lost in the tree; ActiveTrack 5 should be able to find it when it shows up).
Unfortunately, DJI today has followed the lead of too many tech companies in announcing good features before they ship. We used to call this steam software, but it has become on par with camera and device manufacturers. It’s a trend we’d like to see an end to, but for now suffice it to say that if these features are a potential selling point for you, don’t buy the Mavic 3. DJI says the new features will available through an update in early 2022.
Application crash
Surprisingly, the Mavic 3 uses DJI’s Fly app. I’d say it’s surprising because this is clearly a drone geared toward professionals, and the company’s Go 4 app has a ton of settings that pros would love — white balance control and Aperture Priority mode, to name a few — is not available in the Fly app. Not a bad Fly app, it’s just geared towards the average user much more than the Mavic 3 might appeal to. However, the variable aperture controls are easy to use, and you can customize the settings to suit your workflow. Maybe advanced features are among the things coming soon.
Even so, the Mavic 3 is an impressive drone. Especially the Cine model, with its ProRes video recording capabilities, will be good news for professionals who need high-quality images. Cine starts at $5,000, far beyond what many average users would spend.
The base model isn’t exactly cheap at $2,200, but it’s more accessible and it still produces the best quality footage I’ve seen from a consumer drone. Long flight times, impressive obstacle avoidance features and (in theory) ActiveTrack 5 puts the Mavic 3 above anything else on the market.
