STC Optics Filters for DJI Mavic 3 / Mavic 3 Cine Drones Released

Lens Filters

by Jeff LochJuly 10^th, 2023

STC Optics recently released a couple of ND, CPL, UV, and NDPL filters specifically designed for DJI Mavic 3 and Mavic 3 Cine drones. These filters cover both of the drones’ cameras and are fast and easy to clip in front of the cameras. So let’s take a closer look at all the features of these filters!

STC Optics is a Taiwanese company specializing in manufacturing high-quality camera filters since 2010. We first reported about their in-camera body clip-on filters in 2019, which are camera-specific filters that are inserted between your lens and camera sensor.

The DJI Mavic 3 series was launched in November 2021 with impressive features: a camera module with two lenses – a 20mm and 162mm telephoto – capable of capturing footage in 5.1K resolution at up to 50 frames per second in Apple ProRes 422HQ, an impressive 46 minute flight time, an upgraded ActiveTrack 5.0 algorithm, and many more. Thanks to the massive 4/3″ CMOS sensor and adjustable F/2.8 – F/11 aperture, this drone needs filtration if you shoot in bright sunlight. To help you with that, STC Optics recently released a lineup of filters for the DJI Mavic 3 series. Notably, these filters are NOT compatible with the newer DJI Mavic 3 Pro and Mavic 3 Pro Cine, which feature three lenses per drone, not two.

STC Optics filters for DJI Mavic 3 Series drones

The casings of the STC Optics filter for the DJI Mavic 3 series are all made from aluminum and weigh only 2.8g/0.1oz, which is close to the original Mavic 3 protective filter. According to the company, the filters use Japanese AGC optical glass and have a high light transmittance of up to 95%.

The filters cover both of the DJI Mavic 3 cameras and are easy to clip on and off the camera module. Also, multiple coatings are applied to the filters, including anti-smudge and anti-reflection coatings. STC Optics states these coatings ensure “waterproofing, oil-proofing, anti-fouling, anti-scratch, anti-fog, anti-reflection, anti-static and simple cleaning” performances.

The main filter kit consists of six filters that come inside a compact storage box, including:

• One CPL filter.
• One UV filter.
• Four ND filters: ND8, ND16, ND32, and ND64.

Also, STC Optics makes an ND8PL filter that you can get as a standalone or as part of the kit. This ND8PL combines an ND filter and a polarizing filter, which can be helpful when shooting outside and for high-contrast/reflective scenes.

Concerns – no stepped ND filters

Now it seems like the STC Optics filters for the DJI Mavic 3 and Mavic 3 Cine series drones (not the newer Mavic 3 Pro and Mavic 3 Pro Cine) don’t seem to be stepped in different strenghts for the two different cameras, meaning that each individual filter has the same strength for both cameras. That’s a problem because the telephoto lens on the Mavic 3 and Mavic 3 Cine is several steps slower than the wide angle lens. In practice this means that if you pick an ND filter for your main wider camera, fly it up in the air, and then decide to switch to the 7x telephoto camera, you will have to considerably ramp up ISO in order to get exposure. Or land and change to a lighter filter. In any case, not great, STC Optics should have thought about this (DJI themselves finally did in their latest ND filters for the newer Mavic 3 Pro and Mavic 3 Pro Cine).

Pricing and availability

The STC Optics filters for the DJI Mavic 3 series drones are available now, starting at $24.80 for the ND8PL filter, $134.80 for the six filters set, and $149.80 if you want the complete bundle.

For more information, please visit STC Optics’ website here.

What do you think about these STC Optics filters? Do you often use filters when capturing drone footage? Don’t hesitate to let us know in the comments down below!