Air 3S... Just Ordered It!

Drone News Forum
21

@Nye
True, depth of field matters less for distant subjects, but I get your point. Stopping down definitely improves edge sharpness.

22

@Tory
Good discussion, aperture control would be nice to have on more drones.

23

So the Air 3S has forward-facing LIDAR. Is that a first for DJI? Will it improve Follow and Return to Home? I’m kinda hoping a Neo 2 comes out with these features.

24

Jaden said:
So the Air 3S has forward-facing LIDAR. Is that a first for DJI? Will it improve Follow and Return to Home? I’m kinda hoping a Neo 2 comes out with these features.

Yes, it’s their first time adding LIDAR to a drone. I believe it works with obstacle avoidance, but I’m not 100% sure on all the details. Adding this tech to the Neo would definitely raise the cost, so the first updates will probably be software improvements.

25

@Sawyer
Yeah, LIDAR tech does increase the price a lot. Still, I’m curious to see what it can do!

26

Jaden said:
@Sawyer
Yeah, LIDAR tech does increase the price a lot. Still, I’m curious to see what it can do!

I think LIDAR could eventually be used for full 360° obstacle detection. It’s exciting to see how it develops.

27

@Sawyer
I’m interested to see how this LIDAR feature works out in real-world scenarios.

28

Jaden said:
So the Air 3S has forward-facing LIDAR. Is that a first for DJI? Will it improve Follow and Return to Home? I’m kinda hoping a Neo 2 comes out with these features.

I think this is the first time they’ve used LIDAR. It was optical before. I’m curious to see if it allows for things like night tracking. Even if it’s not quite there yet, it’s a step in the right direction. For the price, you’re getting a lot compared to the Mini 4 Pro.

29

@Ellis
It’ll be interesting to see how LIDAR evolves in future DJI models, especially the Mavic series.

30

Jaden said:
So the Air 3S has forward-facing LIDAR. Is that a first for DJI? Will it improve Follow and Return to Home? I’m kinda hoping a Neo 2 comes out with these features.

Probably not anytime soon. The Neo is a new model, and it’ll be a while before we see a major update. Camera improvements tend to trickle down the most between models.

31

Jaden said:
So the Air 3S has forward-facing LIDAR. Is that a first for DJI? Will it improve Follow and Return to Home? I’m kinda hoping a Neo 2 comes out with these features.

The Neo is DJI’s entry-level model. You’re unlikely to see advanced features like LIDAR on it. The Mini Pro series, maybe, but not the Neo.

32

Jaden said:
So the Air 3S has forward-facing LIDAR. Is that a first for DJI? Will it improve Follow and Return to Home? I’m kinda hoping a Neo 2 comes out with these features.

Neo might not get these features for a while, but it’s always possible down the road.

33

Is it still worth buying the Mavic 3 Classic?

34

Freddie said:
Is it still worth buying the Mavic 3 Classic?

The camera on the Mavic 3 is better, but wait until the Mavic 4 comes out. There should be some price drops next month.

35

Sawyer said:

Freddie said:
Is it still worth buying the Mavic 3 Classic?

The camera on the Mavic 3 is better, but wait until the Mavic 4 comes out. There should be some price drops next month.

I’m new to drones. I bought a Mini 4 Pro as my first one, but I’m a photographer and keep finding myself pixel-peeping. Would the Mavic 3 Classic be a good step up for better picture quality?

36

@Dallas
I had both the Mini 3 Pro and the Mavic 3 Classic. The Classic is a big step up in quality, though you’ll still notice a difference compared to a mirrorless camera. For social media, most people wouldn’t see much difference, but the dynamic range of the Classic is really impressive for a drone.

37

@Quincy
Agreed. The Mavic 3 is a solid choice if you want to step up your game.

38

@Dallas
Honestly, the Mavic 4 might be worth the wait if you’re serious about photography. But for casual use and social media, the Air 3S will still wow your audience.

39

Sawyer said:

Freddie said:
Is it still worth buying the Mavic 3 Classic?

The camera on the Mavic 3 is better, but wait until the Mavic 4 comes out. There should be some price drops next month.

If you’re not in a rush, it’s probably worth waiting for the Mavic 4’s launch.

40

Freddie said:
Is it still worth buying the Mavic 3 Classic?

This might be a dumb question, but when you say ‘Classic,’ which drone are you talking about?