There’s a wide selection of superb video and photo options available. While the Air 3S can’t shoot 5.7K footage (something offered by the DJI Mavic 3 Pro), it can shoot regular 4K videos at up to 60 fps, 4K slow-motion clips at 120 fps and Full HD slow-motion clips at 240 fps. It can also shoot 9:16 portrait-format videos, ideal for quick posting to social media channels, at a more than acceptable 2.7K resolution and 60 fps.
I wouldn’t call the cameras perfect, of course. The lack of adjustable apertures makes a set of neutral density (ND) filters almost a compulsory purchase for anyone shooting video during the day, and even then, changing the filters is a fiddly process. Hopefully that’s one upgrade we’ll see DJI introduce with the Air 4, whenever it arrives.
Photograph: Sam Kielsden
Flight-wise, the Air 3S keeps things beautifully simple. Like most DJI drones, there’s automatic takeoff and landing and return-to-home functions, while omnidirectional object detection makes it very hard to crash into something, even when wind resistance is strong. I used the touchscreen-equipped twin-stick RC 2 controller, which links in seconds and offers brilliantly robust transmission for responsive controls and a clear, stable, live video feed; it reacts quickly and reliably to your inputs and is a pleasure to fly. A fully charged battery provides over 40 minutes of flight time, which gave me plenty of time to get the shots I was looking for, without the need to rush things.
If you already own a DJI Air 3, the new Air 3S’s improvements probably aren’t transformative enough to warrant an immediate upgrade. However, anyone used to single-camera drones will appreciate the creativity-enhancing bump up to two offered here. With its all-round flight performance, long battery life, and camera quality, the Air 3S is every bit the modern enthusiast-ready, user-friendly consumer drone. I just caution users to be aware that its weight does mean they will have to be very careful where they fly it, at least compared to a sub-250-gram alternative.