Today I’m going to try out the Mavic 3, one of DJI’s most advanced drones. I’ve never actually flown a drone before, so I’m pretty excited. Nervous? Maybe a little – after all, I’m about to send a lot of expensive kit sky high for the first time.
So, let’s get into it. Here’s an honest round-up of the time I spent with this little whizz-kid, from unboxing to take-off and landing.
Unboxing
You know what I like to see when I open a box with a gadget inside? Something that’s already fully assembled. So, I was a little overwhelmed by what came out of the Mavic 3 box.
On closer inspection though, it was all good. Most of these parts are either spares (props and batteries) or charging plugs and cables. The DJI drone itself is good to go, with props pre-installed and a battery inside.
Just a quick shout-out to the carrying bag that I got as part of the ‘Fly More Combo bundle’. It’s a beauty.
Plush, strong and durable with solid straps and clips. And loads of internal pockets and sections that everything fits into perfectly. Plus, it easily converts into a backpack. It’ll set you back a tidy sum if you buy it separately, so it was nice to see it in the box.
Setting up the drone
The first thing I did was download the DJI app and watch the DJI Mavic 3 | First Use video in the ‘Academy’ section. This explained the set-up pretty well, but misses out the part where you need to link the drone and remote controller. I learnt that from the separate DJI Mavic 3 | Linking video, also in the app.
Armed with all that info, setup was quick and easy. Simply charge the drone and remote control, attach your phone to the top of the remote, switch on the app and drone and link them up. When a live camera view appears on your smartphone screen, you’re ready for take off.
Safety first
There are government rules about flying drones safely and legally, so I checked them out pre-flight. Plus, there’s a handy DJI map online (or in the app itself), which lets you know if any restrictions apply. I’m lucky enough to have a local park with a huge amount of empty space, so that’s where I headed.
Because the park is underneath a flight path, a height of restriction of 60m applied. Fine by me as a first time drone-flyer. And if you’re the type to ‘forget’ flight restrictions, don’t worry. The drone uses pinpoint GPS to help you follow the rules. So, if you’re in a no-fly zone… you guessed it, the drone won’t take off.
First flight and return to home
I set myself five tasks for my first flying session: to learn how to fly (obviously), to use the ‘return to home’ setting, take a scenic video, snap an aerial still shot, and use the ‘autofollow’ feature. Here’s how I got on:
You can use the joysticks or ‘take off’ button (on the app and remote control) to get off the ground. I went for the joystick option. Pushing both joysticks down and inwards started the props. Then I pushed the left button up, and I was off!
With lots of free park in front of me, I quickly got the hang of it – but didn’t fly too far. My main focus was to make sure the RTH (return to home) button worked. If anything goes wrong or you lose your bearings, pressing RTH (on your phone screen or the remote) tells the drone to fly back to its take-off point.
And it worked to a tee. Inch perfect. As a complete beginner, I was very happy to see this.
Second flight and filming
Off again, and I flew higher and further. Here’s a cool video of northwest London in all its glory, shot a few seconds after take-off.
I then pointed the camera gimbal down and took one of those cool aerial shots I love seeing. They really must get that top tennis court cleaned up.
Then, as the drone returned to home, I took this epic shot:
Final flight and autofollow
The next flight hit a slight snag, with a message that it couldn’t take off because of an obstruction. I thought the grass was short enough for a clear take-off, but there were obviously some longer blades getting in the way.
So I launched from the top of something else instead. Thanks again, plush carrying bag! Slight panic over.
I then tried out the autofollow feature. With the drone camera pointing at me, I traced a square around myself on the phone screen. This turns into a green square, indicating you can start autofollow.
I walked around in a circle and the drone followed from a respectable distance, keeping me right in the centre of the video at all times. This would be a great feature for content creators visiting somewhere scenic, romantic couples strolling off into the sunset, or maybe a couple of mates wanting to take turns filming themselves on bikes.
Time flies
DJI says the battery gives you about 45 minutes of flight time, and that seems about right. After half an hour, which absolutely flew by (accidental pun), I was down to a single battery light. Those two spare batteries will come in handy for anyone planning on long flying sessions.
Enjoy the view
I couldn’t wait to see my videos, so I uploaded them straight to Google Photos from the app. This was a mistake, as the footage was really jerky. What you need to do is hang around in the DJI app - go into ‘creation’ > ‘pro’ mode and choose a video. You can then edit your footage with filters and cropping tools, and update it. Then you’re free to share this super-smooth option to your other apps.
The videos look cool on your phone, but you really need to watch them on a large screen TV for the full effect. They’re packed with incredible detail (especially if you shoot in 5.1K resolution), and they’re pin sharp. Everyone that watched them went “wow”, and I’m pretty sure they weren’t referring to my piloting skills.
In summary
The DJI Mavic 3 is a seriously top-of-the-range piece of kit, with a price to match. Would I buy it as a first drone? Tempting, because I’ve definitely caught the bug. But I’d probably go for one of DJI’s entry level drones instead, like the DJI Mini SE or DJI Mini 2.
On the other hand, if you’re a content creator, professional surveyor, or just someone looking to upgrade their existing drone, it could be for you. The Mavic 3 has loads of features I’ve barely scratched the surface of, including filters and advanced editing that give you complete control.
It’s a drone for pros, in other words. But I still had a great time with it.
Drone jargon buster
Thinking of droning on but don’t know the lingo? Here are a few drone-related terms I picked up along the way:
DJI - The world’s leading drone manufacturer.
Gimbal - It holds the camera, and can tilt and move.
GPS (Global Positioning System) - Tracks the movement of the drone and helps it keep its position.
Gyroscope - Tracks the drone's rotation and helps it keep its balance.
No-fly zone - Areas where fly is prohibited.
Pitch - The drone's movement up and down along a vertical axis.
Roll - The drone's movement forwards, backwards, left and right.
RTH (Return to Home) - The brilliant feature that tells the drone to return to its GPS home point.
UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) - Another popular name for a drone.
Yaw - The drone's clockwise and anticlockwise movement when you're looking down on it.
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