DJI - Mavic 3 Classic

I'd go Air 3S or if you can find one, Mavic 3 Classic but make sure you get the RC Pro with it. The zooms on the 3 Pro are *ok* but going from a 4/3 to a much smaller sensor is kinda jarring. The 3S is at least pretty darn close but man that 4/3 sensor is phenomenal.

Do you want control of the aperture? If so, the most affordable DJI drone with variable aperture is the Mavic 3 Classic.

✅ **Mavic 3 series** (Mavic 3, Mavic 3 Cine, Mavic 3 Classic, Mavic 3 Pro) → D-Log & D-Log M ✅ **Air 3** → D-Log M ✅ **Mini 4 Pro** → D-Log M ✅ **Avata 2** → D-Log M ✅ **Inspire 2** (with X5S or X7 camera) → D-Log ✅ **Inspire 3** → D-Log ✅ **Phantom 4 Pro / Pro V2.0** → D-Log ✅ **Phantom 4 RTK** → D-Log ✅ **Matrice 30 series** → D-Log ✅ **Matrice 300 RTK** (with Zenmuse H20N, P1, or L1 payloads) → D-Log ✅ **Matrice 350 RTK** → D-Log ✅ **Zenmuse X7, X5S** cameras → D-Log Thank God for Chatgpt and here you go!

It really depends on your **rates** and **specialties**, since cinematic FPV fly-throughs and aerial videography/photography give very different looks. Either way, it’s going to be a bit pricey, especially in the U.S. now with the new tariffs in effect (as of May 1st). The **Avata 2** is solid but honestly a bit too big for tight fly-throughs. The **Avata 1** is a better size, but if you’re serious about fly-throughs, I’d suggest looking into a **Cinewhoop** — something like a 2", 3.5", micro, or tiny whoop with an O3 or O4 unit. You can pull off cool, unique shots that ground cameras just can’t match. Just a heads-up though: it’s an expensive hobby. You’ll need the right gear, and I really recommend practicing acro mode on a simulator before flying a real Cinewhoop. Crashes happen, and repairs can add up fast. For aerial photography, the **Mini series** is a good place to start — I started with the first-gen Mini myself and later moved up to the **Mavic 3** when my work picked up. And of course, make sure you’re following the local rules and regs if you’re planning to do any commercial projects!

US RPIC here waiting patiently... I’ve secured all the equipment I need for my business, but upgrading my analog FPV setup to digital has been challenging due to recent tariff and customs increases, which have significantly driven up retail prices. Because of that, I opted for an alternative FPV route and ordered both the DJI Neo and Avata 2 Fly More Combos received them within four days. I also have a Mavic 3 Classic, which gets the job done for now. Once prices stabilize, I definitely plan to upgrade to the Mavic 4!

I picked up a Mavic 3 Classic a few months ago. The files are fairly flexible. Theres not much room to crop, and there’s a bit of chromatic aberration if you’re shooting an object into the light. Iirc the widest lens on the Mavic 3 pro and 4 pro are the only ones that use the 4/3’ed sensor (correct me if I’m wrong). I love it. It opens up a lot of new possibilities. If I need a massive print I’ll just use AI upscaling.

My Mini 2 was really struggling with 25mph wind. Mavic 3 is probably the only one I'd go for if you were really needing stability at 40mph gusts...but honestly that's risking a lot. Wind shear is a drone killer and its unpredictable.

I'd check out the Mavic 3 Classic or 3 Pro. Adjustable aperture is really nice to have the larger 4/3rd sensor is great. Really comes down to your budget.

I’ve been using a DJI Mavic 3 classic for the past 2 seasons and have been happy with it. I will, however, be upgrading to the mavic 3 or 4 for the flexibility of having multiple focal lengths

I live in the USA and already sold my Avata 2 on eBay after having it less than a year. Between congress messing around and the general stupidity I see on a regular basis where people are flying in places they shouldn't be I figured it is just a matter of time before recreational drones are effectively banned. I still have my Mavic 3 Classic, but even that I think I might just sell and move on to a different hobby.

Honestly, if you go Mavic 3 Pro, I dunno. Mavic 3 classic or Air 3s should be your internal debate IMO, on budget. A year of flying the classic a lot, and I've wished I had a pro less than five times. Either way, both are phenomenal drones, while the Mavic-3 Pro is AMAZING, it's probably overkill and overspend. FWIW - from a selling footage standpoint, my lowly Mini-3 is the only one that has made money - clearly not as good quality as every other drone I have.

Mini 4k Pro is my recommendation for beginners - I started with a Mini-3 and because of feature gaps, I went to to a Mavic 3 and haven't looked back. I probably wouldn't have a Mavic 3 at all if I got the Mini 4k Pro in the first place. FPV - I love my Avata 2. Neither Mavic-3 (or Mini-4k pro) or Avata-2 suffer from any quality including videography. If your budget is 2.5k, I think you'd be pretty close to a fly-more package for BOTH if memory serves me - if not pretty darn close.

it's not even up for discussion. Without a doubt DJI. For a specific one I'd suggest [DJI mini 3](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BL3T49JF/). It's not too expensive but if you want something better there's always the mini 4 pro. Even more professional is mavic 3 classic or even better than that is the Mavic 3 pro.

I use mavic 3 classic, but i think i will buy the 4 pro that can shoot vertical. I’m not so happy about the quality of the mini series.