DJI Mavic 2 Pro vs. Mavic 3: 7 Key Differences and Which Is the Better Buy?

Over the past few years, drones and drone technology have remarkably improved their capabilities. These advancements have enabled capturing astonishing footage from the sky without too many requirements. However, as a professional or content creator, finding the most suitable drone is still crucial in getting impeccable footage. 

DJI has remained at the forefront with its ever-evolving Mavic drones throughout the drone technology race. The company continues to provide its customers with affordable drone products with different capabilities. Indeed, two of the best drones currently in the market, Mavic 2 Pro and Mavic 3, come from DJI.  

The DJI Mavic 2 Pro and Mavic 3 are the best drones for creating both amateur and professional content. However, despite their considerable similarities, they are significantly different in terms of capabilities. This article will compare the key features and specs of each drone to establish which is the better buy. 

DJI Mavic 2 Pro vs. Mavic 3: Side-By-Side Comparison

Great Imaging Technology

DJI Mavic 3, Drone with 4/3 CMOS Hasselblad Camera, 5.1K Video, Omnidirectional Obstacle Sensing, 46 Mins Flight, Advanced Auto Return, 15km Video Transmission, with DJI RC-N1 Remote Controller, Gray

$2,398.00

• With a 4/3 CMOS Hasselblad Camera, the sensor provides a 12.8-stop dynamic range that retains more details in highlights and shadows
• 46 Minutes of flight time
• Equipped with advanced Omnidirectional Obstacle Sensing, letting you fly confidently and safely wherever you are
• 15-kilometer max transmission range, which means you can fly farther to explore and capture more
• O3 Plus Transmission system for smooth and stable live feeds are smooth and stable.
• Smart Return to Home with a new Advanced RTH system whether activated by low battery or the pilot

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09/28/2023 10:02 am GMT

DJI Mavic 2 Pro vs. Mavic 3: A Quick Overview

As mentioned before, DJI Mavic 2 Pro and Mavic 3 are among the top drones in the market today. These drones are popular with professional content creators and hobbyists. With abilities like cinematic footage and obstacle avoidance, it’s clear why these drones rank so high.

The DJI Mavic 2 Pro is a formidable quadcopter drone and the predecessor to the Mavic 3. It was released in 2018 and took the market by storm. At the time, features such as its 1-inch CMOS sensor and 77 degrees field of view made it a great camera drone for content creators. Furthermore, it provided 4K resolution videos at 30fps which was quite a leap from previous models.

On the other hand, the Mavic 3 is the latest camera drone in the Mavic series from DJI. Released in 2021, it is a significant upgrade from the Mavic 2 Pro in various aspects. For instance, it comes with two cameras compared to the only one in its predecessor. It also provides a larger field of view at 84 degrees and a 4/3-inch CMOS sensor larger than its predecessors. Regarding videography, the Mavic 3 can capture 5.1K videos at 50fps, making it the ideal drone for a professional filmmaker. Below are more elaborated differences between the two drone models.

DJI Mavic 2 Pro vs. Mavic 3: What Are The Differences?

Price

The Mavic 2 Pro comes right out of the gate as the more affordable option when you compare the price ranges. Even at its retail price during its initial release ($1,599), it was more affordable than the Mavic 3. This aspect makes the Mavic 2 Pro ideal for working on a tight budget.

On the other hand, the Mavic 3 comes in three versions with price ranges. Its standard version, which only includes the features required for flying, comes at $2,199. Although affordable, this version cannot perform any other function apart from taking off.

The Mavic 3 Fly More combo version is a better option with three batteries, a carrying bag, and a battery charging hub. It also comes with four neutral-density filters and spare propellers. This version costs about $2,999.

The third version and pro’s choice is the Mavic 3 Cine Premium. This version supports Apple ProRes 422 HQ and has an in-built 1TB SSD. It provides all the extra features in the Fly More, plus a 10Gbps data cable, a searing 1000-nit display, and DJI’s new Pro controller. The Mavic 3 Cine Premium version will cost you about $4,999.

Design Differences

In its latest model, DJI has put a lot of effort into revising the design element of the Mavic series. First, you will notice that the Mavic 3 is slightly smaller when folded than its counterpart. However, it becomes significantly larger when unfolded — with the propellers detached in both cases.

Regarding dimension, the Mavic 3 measures 212×96.3×90.3mm, while the Mavic 2 Pro measures 212.86×99.83×93.04 mm when folded. When unfolded, the Mavic 3 spreads 347.5x283x107.7mm, while the Mavic 2 Pro measures 319.55×256.46×90.5mm. Despite the size alteration, the Mavic 3 is lighter than its predecessor. 

The Mavic 3 weighs 895g while the Mavic 2 Pro comes at about 907g, marking a 12g weight difference. The difference in weight is of great significance, as it has resulted in 35% less drag according to DJI. With less drag, the Mavic 3 can reach higher speeds and use the battery more efficiently. 

Camera Differences

Being the go-to drones for content creation, comparing their camera technology is crucial. Indeed, the main difference between the two models is the technological improvements in the camera hardware.  When the Mavic 2 Pro came out in 2018, it included a 20MP 1-inch sensor, which was hugely impressive back then. However, the Mavic 3 has made giant leaps in its camera hardware since then. DJI upgraded the size of the sensor to four thirds, which is more potent than its predecessor. 

Due to this improvement in sensor size, the Mavic 3 drone guarantees a high dynamic range and better low-light performance. DJI has even released statistics that establish a 12.8 stops negative dynamic range. This statement is noteworthy since DJI never released such a report for the Mavic 2 Pro. Besides sensor size, the lens has also changed. The Mavic 3 has increased the field of view to 84 degrees from the 77 degrees available on the Mavic 2 Pro. This change is similar to switching to a 24mm lens from a 28mm lens.

Moreover, the Mavic 3 also comes with a second ½-inch 12 MP sensor camera. Its lens has a focal length similar to a 162mm lens, equivalent to a 6.75x zoom. However, being a prime lens, it does not provide true optical zoom. Instead, it focuses on a different subject than what you might focus on with the 24mm. You can, however, zoom in further if you use digital zoom. A 4x magnification using a digital zoom will provide you with a 28x total zoom range. 

Adding the second full optical view is a massive boost for the Mavic 3 in terms of versatility. It is also a testament to the effectiveness of the drone’s gimbal system. That is considering it will shoot at 28x zoom while stuck in mid-air and battling the wind. However, like the Mavic 2 Pro, you will compromise your results the more you use digital zoom. 

Video Modes

Besides having a second zoom camera and a better sensor, The Mavic 3 has upgraded slow motion and capture modes. Using a Mavic 2 Pro, the highest resolution achievable is 4K at 30 frames per second.

In contrast, the Mavic 3 can shoot a 120fps video in DCI or 4K resolution. This range means the Mavic 3 can reach further than its predecessor in both frame rate and resolution. For instance, you can shoot 5.1K at a frame rate of up to 50fps using the Marvic 3.

Moreover, it is possible to achieve 200 fps recording at 1080p. The Mavic 3 also provides a max bitrate of 140Mbps (H.265) and 200Mbps (H.264), consistent with its upgraded video modes. You can also get a much higher bitrate (Apple ProRes 422 HQ) on the Mavic 3 Cine Version. This version will also provide a 1TB SSD to handle these high bitrates. However, to get the Cine edition, you must part ways with a substantial amount.

Performance

The Mavic 2 Pro and Mavic 3 are slightly similar in performance. However, there are still some areas where the Mavic 3 comes ahead of its counterpart. For instance, the Mavic 3 is marginally faster than the Mavic 2 Pro with speeds of 2m/s and 20m/s. Although the difference in speed is insignificant, the Mavic three is a lot more nimble. The main difference in performance occurs in their descent and ascent rates. The Mavic 3 has a typical sporty mode (S) and flight mode (P). In its flight mode, it can ascend at speeds up to 8 m/s and descend at up to 6m/s. That is significantly faster than the Mavic 2 Pro’s 5m/s ascent and 3m/s descent. Although the Mavic 3 is faster, such speeds are irrelevant when shooting classic, smooth pans from up high. 

The two drone models are also different in their battery capacity. For instance, the Mavic 3 has a heavier and higher-capacity battery than its counterpart. It has a 77Wh (5,000mAh) cell battery, while the Mavic 2 Pro has a 59Wh (3,850mAh) cell. The difference in battery weight is also significant, with the new one weighing 335g compared to the old one’s 297g.

Due to the increased battery capacity in the Mavic 3, flight times have also increased dramatically. On a calm day, the Mavic 3 can fly for up to 46 minutes. That is 15 minutes more than its predecessor’s 31 minutes. Moreover, it can hover in one place for up to 40 minutes instead of its predecessor’s 29 minutes. 

Transmission Distance

With increased flying time, the Mavic 3 has expanded its transmission distance. The Mavic 3 has a maximum transmission range of 15km compared to the 10km range of the Mavic 2 Pro. However, this depends on the country where you are flying your drone.

The 15km transmission range is the FCC standard applicable in Canada and the US. DJI achieved this increase in transmission distance by doubling antennas from two in the Mavic 2 Pro to four. The Mavic 3 uses WiFi 6, allowing for much faster and bulkier wireless data transmission. 

Faster wireless data transmission dramatically benefits the image preview quality. The Mavic 3 provides a 60fps preview compared to the Mavic 2 Pro’s 30fps. Moreover, Wi-Fi 6 enables faster wireless transfer of captured footage with speeds of up to 80MB/s. In contrast, Mavic 2 Pro OcuSync 2.0 only allows you to download captured footage at speeds of 5MB/s (40Mbps).

GPS and Obstacle Avoidance

Thanks to the extended gap between the release dates of the two models, the Mavic 3 comes equipped with more advanced safety systems. Due to this gap, Mavic 3 uses an obstacle avoidance system three generations ahead of the Mavic 2 Pro. After January’s 2022 firmware update, the Mavic 3 has an ActiveTrack 5.0, while its predecessor uses ActiveTrack 2.0. 

While both models have an omnidirectional object-sensing system, the Mavic 3 has a target detection range and broader coverage. For instance, Mavic 3 has a horizontal FOV of 90 degrees and 103 degrees of vertical detection. Furthermore, its forward vision system offers a detection range of 0.5 to 200 meters.

In contrast, the Mavic 2 Pro has a 40m forward detection range, a horizontal FOV of 40 degrees, and 70 degrees vertical. Besides advancing obstacle avoidance, the Mavic 3 also has an improved GPS. While the Mavic 2 Pro communicates with the standard GLONASS array and GPS, the Mavic 3 uses China’s Beidou and the EU’s Galileo. This improvement ensures that the drone is less key to get lost by increasing points of reference.

Full HD Drone with Accessories

DJI Mavic 2 PRO Drone Quadcopter with Fly More Kit Combo Bundle

$2,999.00

• Full HD 1080p resolution
• Up to 31 minutes of flight time with a maximum speed of 44 mph
• Omnidirectional obstacle sensing
• 20MP 1” CMOS sensor
• Fly More kit comes with 2 extra batteries, a car charger, a battery charging hub, battery to power bank adapter, 2 pairs of low-noise propellers, and a shoulder bag

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09/27/2023 07:59 pm GMT

DJI Mavic 2 Pro vs. Mavic 3: 6 Must-Know Facts

• The Mavic 2 Pro has a smaller sensor at 1-inch CMOS than Mavic 3’s 4/3-inch CMOS.
• The Mavic 3 provides a longer 46 minutes flight time compared to the Mavic 2 Pro’s 31 minutes. 
• The Mavic 3 offers higher video resolution (4K/120fps and 5.1K/50fps) than the Mavis 2 Pro’s 4k/30fps.
• The Mavic 3’s transmission distance is longer compared to the Mavic 2 Pro; 15km (FCC) or 12km to 10km (FCC) and 6km (CE)
• The Mavic 3 has faster ascending and descending speeds than the Mavic 2 Pro: 8m/s and 6m/s compared to 5m/s and 3m/s. 
• The Mavic 3 has an increased field of view of 84 degrees compared to the Mavic 2 Pro’s 77 degrees.

DJI Mavic 2 Pro vs. Mavic 3: Which is One is Better?

For Improved Performance

In nearly all parameters, the Mavic 3 is a significant step up from its predecessor, the Mavic 2 Pro. with a substantial jump from a 1-inch CMOS sensor to a 4/3-inch CMOS sensor, the Mavic 3 drone guarantees impeccable video footage. Moreover, its ability to shoot 4K videos at 120fps is what every content creator needs.

However, Mavic 3’s improved performance does not stop at that. The drone provides nearly 30 minutes longer flight time, meaning you can do most of your filming without recharging. You also get better transmission and longer transmission distance. That allows you to fly your drone further to get the desired image. 

For Affordability

While the Mavic 3 performs better than the Mavic 2 Pro, it is significantly expensive. For instance, you must pay up to 40% more than the Mavic 2 Pro to get full-range performance on the Cine version. While you can get cheaper versions of the Mavic 3, you can only do amateur filming with them.

This element makes the Mavic 3 drone undesirable when working on a budget. On the other hand, the Mavic 2 Pro is more affordable. Although it does not give you the kind of performance of the Mavic 3, you can still film and get excellent footage.

The image featured at the top of this post is ©VY Media/Shutterstock.com.