DJI Air 3S - Does it beat the Mavic 3?

Summary

In this video, the presenter compares the DJI A3S drone with the A3 and Mavic 3 Pro, focusing on the A3S's new 1-inch sensor and enhanced camera capabilities. The analysis includes blind testing of wide-angle footage, revealing significant improvements in image detail, dynamic range, and noise performance. While the Mavic 3 Pro has a larger sensor, the A3S excels in overall footage quality and transmission reliability. The video highlights areas for improvement, such as the lack of a variable aperture and true LOG profile, concluding that the A3S is currently the best option for high-quality drone footage.

Takeaways

• 😀 The DJI A3S features a 1-inch sensor that promises significantly better low-light performance compared to previous models.
• 🎥 A blind test compares the footage quality of the A3S, A3, and Mavic 3, highlighting the upgrades in the A3S.
• 📸 The A3S has improved image detail over the A3, making the upgrade worthwhile, especially for the wide-angle camera.
• 🌅 Dynamic range performance shows the A3S excels in midtones and deep shadows compared to the A3, while the Mavic 3 slightly edges it out overall.
• 🪂 The A3S includes enhanced obstacle avoidance capabilities in low-light conditions, contributing to safer flights.
• 🔋 A3S batteries come with Bluetooth wakeup functionality and are backwards compatible with A3 batteries.
• 🌈 The A3S supports 10-bit color profiles for better flexibility in post-production color grading.
• 🖼️ Improvements in photo quality and an 8K photo mode are significant advancements in the A3S.
• 🛩️ The A3S features a reliable O4 transmission system, offering better signal strength than the Mavic 3's O3+ system.
• ⚙️ The A3S is recommended for those seeking high-quality footage, though it lacks a variable aperture and true D-Log color profile.

Q & A

What is the main upgrade featured in the DJI A3S compared to the A3?

The main upgrade in the DJI A3S is the introduction of a new 1-inch sensor for the wide-angle camera, which enhances low-light performance and overall image quality.

How does the footage quality of the A3S compare to the Mavic 3?

While the A3S's 1-inch sensor offers significant improvements in image detail over the A3, the footage quality difference between the A3S and Mavic 3 is minimal, with both drones delivering high-quality results.

What kind of color profiles are used in the footage comparisons?

The A3 and A3S use the DLog M color profile, while the Mavic 3 Pro uses the D-Log color profile, which is a real log profile providing better flexibility for color grading.

What features were added to the A3S regarding battery functionality?

The A3S batteries now come with Bluetooth wakeup functionality and are backwards compatible with A3 batteries, allowing users to use their old batteries.

In terms of transmission strength, how does the A3S perform compared to the Mavic 3?

The A3S offers significantly better transmission strength with its O4 transmission system, making it more reliable than the Mavic 3, which operates on the older O3 Plus system.

What is the advantage of the A3S’s 3x zoom camera?

The A3S’s 3x zoom camera delivers cleaner images with better detail in high dynamic range situations compared to both the A3 and Mavic 3, which shows higher noise levels.

What were the results of the dynamic range comparison among the drones?

The A3S exhibited a significant improvement in detail and noise performance in shadows compared to the A3, while the Mavic 3 marginally outperformed the A3S in detail across dynamic range.

What is one feature that the reviewer felt was missing from the A3S?

The reviewer noted the absence of a variable aperture in the A3S, which would have enhanced creative control over exposure.

What did the reviewer conclude about the overall footage quality of the A3S?

The reviewer concluded that the A3S is currently the best choice for footage quality due to its superior wide-angle camera and better performance of the 3x zoom camera compared to the Mavic 3.

How were the footage clips prepared for comparison in the video?

All clips were recorded in the highest resolution with noise reduction and sharpening set to the lowest levels, using the flattest available color profiles to facilitate fair comparison.