DJI's New Air 3S: Is it a Good Choice for Landscape Photographers?

The new DJI Air 3S has made quite a splash in the photo and drone world, with a reasonable price, dual cameras, and robust obstacle avoidance with the addition of LIDAR.

We've just shared a video comparing the Air 3S with the older but very popular Mavic 3 Pro. I'm not a video guy, so I won't talk about video performance here, and there are plenty of reviews about this drone's video prowess. I do think it is worth talking about this new drone in the context of landscape photography, and if you are already a drone pilot, if it's worth trading up to it. 

Specs for the Still Camera System

• Wide-Angle Camera
  1-inch CMOS, 50MP Effective Pixels

  Medium Tele Camera
  1/1.3-inch CMOS, 48MP Effective Pixels
   

• Wide-Angle Camera
  FOV: 84°
  Format Equivalent: 24 mm
  Aperture: f/1.8
  Focus: 0.5 m to ∞

  Medium Tele Camera
  FOV: 35°
  Format Equivalent: 70 mm
  Aperture: f/2.8
  Focus: 3 m to ∞
   

• Shutter Speed

  Wide-Angle Camera
  12MP Photo: 1/8000-2 s (2.5-8 s for simulated long exposure)
  50MP Photo: 1/8000-2 s

  Medium Tele Camera
  12MP Photo: 1/16000-2 s (2.5-8 s for simulated long exposure)
  48MP Photo: 1/8000-2 s
   

• Still Camera Image Size

  Wide-Angle Camera
  8192×6144

  Medium Tele Camera
  8064×6048
   

• Still Photography Modes 

  Wide-Angle Camera
  Single Shot: 12 MP and 50 MP
  Burst Shooting: 12 MP, 3/5/7 frames; 50 MP, 3/5 frames
  Automatic Exposure Bracketing (AEB): 12 MP, 3/5/7 frames; 50 MP, 3/5 frames at 0.7 EV step
  Timed: 12 MP, 2/3/5/7/10/15/20/30/60 s; 50 MP, 5/7/10/15/20/30/60 s

  Medium Tele Camera
  Single Shot: 12 MP and 48 MP
  Burst Shooting: 12 MP, 3/5/7 frames; 48 MP, 3/5 frames
  Automatic Exposure Bracketing (AEB): 12 MP, 3/5/7 frames; 48 MP, 3/5 frames at 0.7 EV step
  Timed: 12 MP, 2/3/5/7/10/15/20/30/60 s; 48 MP, 5/7/10/15/20/30/60 s

The Air 3S shoots in JPEG and DNG (raw).

To a degree, the Air 3S is an evolution from the DJI Air 3. Here are some of the differences:

• Internal storage on the Air 3S is 42 GB vs. 8 GB. The new S, like the Air 3, also still has an SD slot so you can add a card.
• Flight time and flight speeds are similar, about 45 minutes and 21 m/s respectively
• Maximum flight distances are similar, roughly 20 km - 32 km. Distance will depend on conditions.
• The Air 3S like the older Air 3 have omnidirectional sensing, but the 3S has LIDAR. According to DJI, this feature enables the drone to automatically identify and circumvent obstacles, such as buildings, during its flight and return paths, providing robust safety for nighttime photography.
• The new Air 3S offers a new type of panorama mode called Free Panorama. The wide-angle camera offers a broader FOV, boosting efficiency when capturing panorama photos. The medium tele camera significantly reduces image distortion, crafting your images into expansive shots with a wide perspective from multiple photos and rich details captured through its focal length advantages. You can select where the panorama starts and ends while you are in the air. You're not stuck with a DJI preset.

Using the Air 3S

I've had three previous drones before buying the Air 3S. My last drone was a Mavic 3 Classic. I made the move to the Air 3S largely because of the dual camera system. When I bought the Classic, I thought the zoom was unimportant, I would just fly closer to my subject; That was naive. Having the secondary zoom lens completely changes how useful the camera is for landscape photography. 

Here's an example. The Air 3S wide camera offers a 24mm view.

The secondary camera is 70mm.

The flexibility is really great. And for even wider views, DJI offers an optional wide-angle lens with a 114-degree field of view.

Although theoretically the Mavic 3 Classic Camera is a bit better spec-wise, I can't see much difference between the two drones when I look at the images, and the Air 3S seems to have an edge in low light situations. Taking the drone up in some of the stunning Arizona canyons was a happy experience, and I thought the images were first-rate.

Here's a recent pic shot late in the day with the Air 3S. We've reduced the resolution to make it web-friendly, but there's a lot of detail and dynamic range here. DJI claims up to 14 stops of dynamic range.

One thing I miss is the lack of variable aperture control on the Air 3S. As a photographer, I'm pretty dependent on my aperture setting; It is helpful for sharpness and depth of field. While I had it on the Mavic 3 Classic, it's not on the Air 3S. You can shoot in auto, or have control over shutter speed and ISO. While I agree that with a drone you're not likely to shoot ultra closeups and distant objects in one shot, variable aperture would still be nice. 

I especially like the ability to take 360-degree panoramas. They are made up of 33 images, and the camera will automatically put them together for you while it is in the air. Then you can upload them to social media that supports 360-degree images, and DJI also lets you post them on their SkyPixel site for free.

Here's one I took at Beckers Butte northeast of Phoenix. 

https://www.skypixel.com/photo360s/beckers-butte

You can manipulate the image with your mouse or with your finger if you are on a phone or tablet. You can look in any direction, even straight down. The quality is quite good. It's not a format I would use for commercial work, but I love taking these 360-degree photos and sharing them.

About That 50-Megapixel Sensor

DJI has completely redone the image processing software. They say still photos look at least as good as what the Mavic 3 Pro and Classic can shoot. Their image pipeline can significantly enhance overall image resolution, noise reduction, and dynamic range.

Still, the sensor is basically a 12 MP sensor and DJI, and many other camera manufacturers use a Quad Bayer array. Without getting too technical to get a higher MP count the Air 3S sensor breaks each pixel into 4 pixels. When you compare the same image shot at 12 and 50 megapixels, the 50 MP shot indeed looks better, but you'll pay a bit of a price in noise and low light capabilities. Drone makers know that buyers look at that megapixel spec with cameras, often without knowing all the fine print. DJI does specify (in the fine print) that the camera is really 12 MP, but it can look much better than 12 MP with these techniques. If you'd like to learn more here's a good article on the subject. Anyway, the images from the Air 3S look great in 50 MP mode, but they are still not as clean as if the camera had a true 50 MP camera. However, the cost of the drone would be far more. 

Other Photographer Friendly Features

It used to be a hassle getting images out of DJI drones. they use tiny Mini SD cards, and it's a bit fiddly getting to the card because they are behind a rubber flap that takes some doing to get open.

Now, with a USB port (it's still behind that damned flap) you can plug the Air 3S into any laptop or computer and the drone acts like a hard drive. Even better, the drone doesn't wake up and start the motors, it's a special DJI designed sleep mode that keeps the drone inert while you download your images.

Also, DJI has improved their Quick Transfer tech so you can bring your mobile phone or tablet near the drone and download your images and videos direct to that device wirelessly. This is a real time saver for photographers who want to share their images with a client, or if you're on a vacation and want to send your photos to friends and family. 

Return to Home and Obstacle Avoidance

These two items are greatly improved from all other DJI drones, including the less expensive Mavic 3 Pro series. In the past, using return to home would make the drone climb to a safe altitude and then make a straight course to its takeoff point. You can still do that with the Air 3S, but DJI has also added a feature that will let the drone retrace it's steps precisely. So if you flew out of a window and around some buildings to start your flight, the Air 3S will fly that course backwards. 

Obstacle avoidance is also improved, and it has not just 360-degree obstacle detection but the addition of LIDAR, which helps the drone in low light. You can see the LIDAR detector at the center top of the drone.

This LIDAR feature does not appear on any other DJI drone, but I would expect to see it in future drones. 

The Air 3S is available with a basic controller, and you can use your phone for the monitor, but the best deal from DJI is what they call their Fly More Package, which includes extra props, two extra batteries, a really nice carry case, and a set of neutral density filters. Most important, with that package, you get the DJI RC2 remote, with a built in screen. It also supports the DJI Occusync 4 system for a solid signal between the remote and the drone, even from miles away. The remote is light in weight, will run for hours, and has a bright screen even in direct sunlight.

Summing Up

The Air 3S is a great drone if you are just starting out, or a seasoned pro. Buying an entry-level drone is often a mistake, as many people quickly outgrow them. 

What I Like

• Photo quality is excellent, even in low light
• The drone is stable, even when it's windy
• The new panorama mode is very flexible
• Return to home and obstacle avoidance are best in class of all drones
• Zoom lens is not a gimmick, but a useful tool that returns high-quality stills

What Could Be Better

• The Air 3S is missing aperture control. The Mavic 3 series has it, the Air 3S should have it
• Access to the USB port is behind a hard-to-manipulate rubber flap

Buying an Air3S

There are a lot of options for buying this drone, depending on included accessories and which remote control you decide on. 

The Air 3S starts at $1,099 with a basic remote that requires a smartphone, up to the best package, which is the Fly More Combo mentioned above, which sells for $1,599.

You can get more details on the DJI site.