DJI Inspire 3 Drone

Improving upon many aspects of the Inspire 2, the DJI Inspire 3 Drone keeps up with the advancements and needs of film and television producers, allowing filmmakers to capture creative and stunning results. It begins with the X9-8K Air, an 8K, full-frame, 3-axis, gimbal camera custom-built for the Inspire 3. It joins a new 1/1.8″ FPV camera with double the DFOV of the Inspire 2. Together, they help capture professional footage and complex shots thanks to a customizable obstacle avoidance system, built-in centimeter-level RTK accuracy, and tracking solutions that allow accurate and repeatable shots.

The heart of the Inspire 3 is the custom-built X9-8K Air gimbal that uses CineCore 3.0, DJI’s latest image processing system to internally record up to 8K25 CinemaDNG video or 8K75 Apple ProRes RAW video, both meeting the needs of professional film and television productions. The footage retains a lifelike texture that’s close to what the human eye can see, allowing for enough space for adding visual effects and color grading. Complex lighting sources are supported with 14+ stops of dynamic range and the use of the DJI cinema Color System authenticity in recording everything from urban landscapes to a variety of skin tones. Additional features include:

• 8K75 Apple ProRes RAW video
• S&Q Mode: Up to full-frame 4K120 ProRes RAW without cropping
• Dual Native ISO at full-frame 30 fps and below
• EI 800/4000 at 24 fps for film production
• EI 320/1600 above 30 fps for commercial and TV production
• 14+ stops of dynamic range for capturing rich highlights and shadow in complex lighting scenarios and allowing for more possibilities during editing
• DJI Cinema Color System (DCCS): An improved DCCS retains authentic colors across natural and urban settings and skin tones in various lighting, and it helps make color matching the X9-8K Air with ground-based cameras easier to achieve.

Doubling the DFOV of the Inspire 2 to 161°, the new 1/1.8″ FPV camera lets pilots take in an ultra-wide first-person view of what the drone sees in flight. The camera supports the transmission of live feeds at 1080p60 and provides a large 3 μm pixel size. The larger pixels offer better light-sensing for improved night vision and safer low-light FPV flying.

With RTK antennas built into the Inspire 3’s airframe, pilots can take advantage of centimeter-level accuracy normally utilized in architecture and surveying to use DJI Waypoint Pro to confidently fly complex routes over and over. The RTK antennas work in conjunction with three types of GNSS (GPS, BeiDou, and Galileo) and dual-frequency positioning. Pilots can choose to activate an RTK Network, using the internet connection of the RC Plus to connect to an NTRIP server or set up an optional D-RTK 2 Mobile Station without needing to install additional modules.

This feature encompasses a wide range of settings, including Repeatable Routes and 3D Dolly, allowing filmmakers to take advantage of RTK positioning to more easily replicate and capture highly-complex scenes.

• Repeatable Routes: Have the Inspire 2 automatically fly the same route over and over while keeping all preset parameters, such as altitude, speed, gimbal angle, and camera settings. This helps perform difficult one-take shots and fly identical routes at different times of the day for transition shots.
• 3D Dolly: Simulate a crane, cable cam, or dolly shot with the added flexibility that aerial cinematography can provide. You can plan the dolly route and then move the Inspire 3 drone back and forth along it while adjusting speed, gimbal angle, and other parameters as needed.

With improved machine-learning algorithms, the Inspire 3 can use Spotlight Pro to automate subject recognition and locking for both people and vehicles with increased accuracy. Choose from Follow or Free modes to capture the scene.

• Follow Mode: In this mode, the drone and gimbal lock onto a subject and orient toward it in the same direction, allowing for easier circling shots
• Free Mode: Taking advantage of the gimbal’s 360° pan ability, the gimbal can stay locked onto a subject while the pilot uses the FPV camera to check the surroundings and control the flight route.

To help keep the Inspire 3 and bystanders safe during filming, DJI incorporates nine visual sensors to detect obstacles in all directions. This includes 360° horizontal, upward, and downward coverage, in addition to a depth-sensing downward ToF sensor. A fisheye camera is attached to each of the four landing arms. When they are raised, obstruction from the airframe can be avoided, and when lowered, you gain horizontal obstacle sensing.

A new feature offered by the Inspire 3 is the ability to customize obstacle avoidance. So, filmmakers can enable or disable horizontal, upward, or downward sensing independently. This allows pilots to fly closer to objects, performing complex and creative maneuvers without automated avoidance ruining the shot. You still get the ability to manually set a range, where the Inspire 3 will give you an audible alert sound if you get too close, and you’ll always be able to see an object’s distances on the controller’s display.

O3 Pro is a generational leap in distance, video latency, and stability compared to the Inspire 2. Using the DJI O3 Pro video transmission and control system, pilots of the Inspire 3 can enjoy a maximum control distance of 9.3 miles in single-control mode or up to 7.5 miles in dual-control mode. Both the 8K gimbal and FPV can provide live feeds of 1080p90 at a low 90 ms latency, and for the first time, filmmakers can have live feeds at 4K30 or 1080p60 at up to 3.1 miles.

In addition to classic piloting controls with integrated buttons and dials, the RC Plus’s 7″ display works with the DJI Pilot 2 app to add a live video feed and telemetry, such as camera exposure, video specs, focal length, and gimbal angle. The display provides 1200 nits of brightness, making it suitable for outdoor viewing.

To share the live video feed with others on set, you can use the built-in HDMI output to connect the controller to an optional monitor. It can run for up to 3.3 hours per battery charge and supports hot swapping to extend battery life. If you do fly for long periods, the included strap and waist support help to make piloting more comfortable.

Unlike Inspire 2, primary and secondary control links are not bound. This means that two remotes can operate independently, giving each operator live feeds and the ability to be at different physical positions. Also, if the pilot loses the signal, the gimbal operator can take over to land the drone safely. Please note that a second remote is optional and not included.

Even with the DJI Inspire 3’s impressive cinematic capabilities, pilots and gimbal operators can expand the drone’s performance even more with optional DL Mount lenses and DJI PRO Ecosystem accessories and features.

• DJI High-Bright Remote Monitor can be used as a second controller to receive live feeds or control the gimbal and focus
• DJI Three-Channel Follow Focus uses the O3 Pro system with the High-Bright Remote Monitor to transmit control signals to the Inspire 3. This allows the focus puller to accurately achieve remote focus and stepless aperture adjustments
• DJI Master Wheels works with a High-Bright Remote Monitor to allow for gimbal control
• DJI Transmission supports unlimited remote monitors with the connection of the RC Plus to a DJI Video Transmitter with Broadcast mode

Six TB51 batteries are included with a charging hub to maximize flight time. Each pair of the small and lightweight TB51 batteries delivers 28 minutes of flight time and supports hot swapping to get fresh batteries into the Inspire 3, reducing downtime. The intelligent flight batteries also offer an automatic heating function to maintain flight performance under 64°F. Use the included folding charging hub to make sure all batteries are ready to go. It can accommodate up to eight batteries, charging two to 90% in just 35 minutes in Fast Mode, and all eight to 100% in just 160 minutes.

Capture footage on the included 1TB PROSSD drive and easily offload it to a PC with just the included USB-C data cable. Preview your footage fast, thanks to a maximum read speed of 900 Mb/s.

Get the Inspire 3 and accessories safely to the set with the included trolly case. An extendable handle, two side handles, and four 360° wheels make transportation easy. Two numbered locks are included to safely secure the case’s contents. The case is designed to hold the following:

• Inspire 3
• X9-8K gimbal camera
• Two RC Plus remotes (one included)
• Four (optional) lenses
• 12 flight batteries (six included)
• Two battery charging hubs (one included)
• Three sets of propellers and more

Through the 3.5mm port, you can sync timecodes between equipment in the air and on the ground. Helping filmmakers simplify the editing process.

Front and rear built-in stacked ceramic antennas have an anti-magnetic-interference capability to improve flight accuracy and safety.

DJI Inspire 3 Drone