Since its launch, the DJI Mini 3 has been one of my favorite camera drones for beginners, and it is now available at its lowest price ever. The recent launch of the DJI Mini 4K means that the Mini 3 is not the only 4K budget model in the DJI range, but that doesn't mean it has been superseded. And we have now spotted it at its lowest price - just £409 at Wex - as a Combo kit that includes three batteries.
The DJI Mini 3 not only boasts a 4K camera – at the touch of a button – the camera can be rotated 90 degrees to take pictures or video in portrait format. That means there is an even higher effective increase in resolution against the cheaper drone which needs to be cropped for TikTok and the like.
All the DJI drones have 3-axis gimbals on their cameras, so the stabilization is a given; no worries about video vibrating with the drone as on cheaper brands. The Mini 3 and Mini 4 (and their Pro siblings) have a bonus – the ability to rotate the camera, as I've mentioned. Even if, like me, you're most inclined to shoot horizontally the bigger 1/1.3-inch image sensor and better resolution is worth it (the Mini 4K has a smaller
1/2.3-inch sensor).
Dual-native ISO on the chip and a longer tilt range aren't to be sniffed at either. The major loss of the Mini 3 compared to the 'Pro' variant (which actually came first – and I personally own) is collision sensors and most drone pilots users don't need them – clever tech though they undoubtedly are.
The drone still has the most useful sensors – the downward landing sensors so landing and returning to the point of launch can happen at the touch of a button.
Seriously, if you're in the market for a budget drone, it's a good time to snap this up plus in the UK the low weight means you won't need to do the flyer ID test (though you'll still need to register as an operator – see the CAA site).
Check our guide to the best DJI drones.
