DJI Mavic 3 Classic Announced – Minus Telephoto Camera, Plus Tripod Mode

Drone News

by Jakub HanNovember 2^nd, 2022

The newly announced DJI Mavic 3 Classic brings a more affordable alternative of the Mavic 3 drone. It features the same body and specs as the Mavic 3 with up to 5.1K 50fps or 4K 120fps 10-bit video, but it lacks the telephoto camera. The good news is that the Classic now has adjustable speed in Cine mode to fly really slow. The new drone is available now starting at $1,499.

Today is a happy day for drone enthusiasts – the Chinese tech giant DJI just announced another new flying camera. After the Sub-250g DJI Mini 3 Pro (announced in May 2022) and the new FPV drone Avata (announced in August 2022), this time, it is a rather larger (and not entirely new) foldable drone. Say hello to the new DJI Mavic 3 Classic.

If you are familiar with DJI’s foldable cine flagship – the Mavic 3 (and Mavic 3 Cine), which were announced almost precisely one year ago, then the article title actually says it all for you. Well, except for the price. There is really not that much that has changed compared to the Mavic 3. Anyway, let’s take a closer look at the new Mavic 3 Classic.

DJI Mavic 3 Classic: déjà vu drone

As I mentioned, the newly announced DJI Mavic 3 Classic is basically the Mavic 3 with a simplified camera module. For the Classic, DJI took away the second 162mm telephoto camera of the Mavic 3 and only left the main 20MP Micro Four Thirds CMOS Hasselblad camera that features a 24mm equivalent focal length lens with an adjustable aperture between f/2.8 and f/11. We are sure this is a reaction to some critical voices about the original Mavic 3’s pricing, which was considerably higher than the price of its predecessor, the Mavic 2 Pro (which only had one camera).

Aside from 20MP 12-bit RAW photos, the Mavic 3 Classic can shoot up to 5.1K 50fps or 4K 120fps 10-bit video in H.264 or H.265 with 200Mbps bitrate. DJI claims the camera has 12.8 stops of dynamic range with the D-Log flat color profile.

Just like the Mavic 3, the Classic also offers a flight time of up to 46 minutes. The drone body is identical including the battery pack type, of course. The takeoff weight is also the same at 895g. It flies using DJI’s O3+ transmission system for up to 9.3 miles range in FCC or up to 8km in CE mode. DJI does not forget to mention that the transmission distance is a proxy for signal strength, and Mavic 3 Classic should always be flown within the pilot’s line of sight.

Another good thing is that the new Mavic 3 Classic is compatible with any of the three controllers from DJI – the basic DJI RC-N1, the DJI RC with a built-in display, or the most advanced DJI RC Pro. Same as the Mavic 3, the variety of the drone’s smart features include ActiveTrack 5.0, MasterShots, automated QuickShots, and more. An interesting new feature is Cruise Control which allows pilots to set a constant flight speed for their drone to minimize any unwanted movements from manual speed changes.

Tripod mode is finally back – as Cine Mode

Talking about flight speed, there is actually one more great new addition included in the Mavic 3 Classic – the adjustable speed in the Cine flight mode, which is a better alternative to the legacy Tripod mode.

Back when the original Mavic Pro was released, there was a certain flight mode called “Tripod mode” which allowed for very slow movements of the drone, which made certain types of shots possible and more cinematic. Later, DJI, unfortunately, took the “Tripod mode” away and replaced it with the Cine mode.

The new Cine mode, however, did not offer speeds nearly as slow as the legacy Tripod mode. That made many drone operators disappointed. In fact, Philip Bloom even started an online petition to bring the Tripod mode back or at least offer the ability to adjust maximum speed in the Cine mode (which got over 3,300 signatures). Well, DJI finally listened – with the Mavic 3 Classic, the maximum speed in the Cine mode can now be adjusted and allow for really slow movements.

We’re still hoping this feature will make it back into all their other current drones by firmware update, since it shouldn’t be too hard to implement this, nor should there be any hardware aspects preventing them from doing that. Yet, DJI has not announced whether it will be put back into their other existing drones.

QuickTransfer, safety features, and accessories

For offloading media, aside from cable connection or memory card reader, there is a QuickTransfer option for quick image and video downloads direct from the drone to a mobile phone over Wi-Fi 6 at speeds up to 80 MBps (according to DJI) without connecting to the remote controller.

Furthermore, DJI includes all flight safety and data privacy features of the Mavic 3 in the Classic as well. The good news is that the entire Mavic 3 series has been issued the world’s first C1 certificate under the new European Drone Regulation, allowing users to fly in the new A1 Open Category. According to DJI, this then also applies to the new Mavic 3 Classic.

The good news is that the wide-angle lens adapter that converts the main camera of a Mavic 3 to a 15.5mm equivalent lens, has been redesigned for the single-camera module of the Mavic 3 Classic so there is a version for each drone.

Price and availability

This is when it gets interesting again. The new Mavic 3 Classic is available now and, as always, DJI prepared different buying options:

• Mavic 3 Classic (drone only) does not include a remote controller or charger and is suitable for owners of existing DJI drones. The drone is compatible with any existing DJI RC-N1, DJI RC, or DJI RC Pro controller. The drone-only option is available for $1,469 (from €1,499 including VAT in Europe).
• Mavic 3 Classic with RC-N1 includes a charger and the DJI RC-N1 remote controller. It is available for $1,599 (from €1,599 including VAT in Europe).
• Mavic 3 Classic with RC includes a charger and the DJI RC remote controller. It is available for $1,749 (from €1,749 including VAT in Europe).
• Mavic 3 Fly More Kit includes two intelligent flight batteries, a battery charging hub (100W), 65W car charger, three pairs of low-noise propellers, and a DJI convertible carrying bag. It is available for $649 (from €599 including VAT in Europe).

Do you use any of the DJI Mavic 3 drones for your work? Do you think the second telephoto camera of the Mavic 3 is important and useful? What do you think about the Mavic 3 Classic? Let us know in the comments section underneath the article.