Why You Can Trust CNET Get Flying With $90 Off This Foldable DJI Mini 3 Drone
Get up to 38 minutes of flight time with this drone that shoots 4K video day or night.
Drones have increased in popularity as innovation has brought better video quality and competition has made these nifty gadgets more affordable than ever. DJI continually impresses us with quality drones, which is why the brand has six models that earned a place on our best drones for 2023 roundup. You can snag the DJI Mini 3 for just $469 right now -- that's a $90 savings on the usual price.
This drone lives up to the name -- it's small, coming in at just under 249g, and it's foldable, too. Not only does that make it easy to throw it in your bag when you're traveling, but it means you can avoid the hassle of registering your drone in most areas. (However, you should check the laws of whatever area you plan to fly your drone in before you do, just in case.)
It shoots 4K HDR video at 30 frames per second with a 12-megapixel 1/1.3-inch sensor and dual native ISO technology. It also has f/1.7 aperture for better performance in low lighting conditions, so you can shoot both day and night. And it can perform true vertical shooting, large-angle camera tilt and other dynamic angles with QuickShots, which can make it easy to record and post what you capture to social media.
The Mini 3 also transmits up to 10 kilometers and can get up to 38 minutes of battery life per charge, but keep in mind that flight conditions like wind may drain the battery faster. However, it does have 38kph wind resistance (level 5), which means your drone should be able to fly and shoot in winds up to 24 miles per hour. And if you really want a long battery life, you can buy the Intelligent Flight Battery Plus (sold separately) that can extend that flight time to up to 51 minutes.
Professional content creators may want to opt for the DJI Mini 3 Pro, which does offer a higher megapixel camera and more frames per second (as well as a few other bonus features), but those additions bring the cost to $759, which is a $290 difference. This regular Mini 3 model should be more than enough for the average user.