DJI Air 3S review: The new gold standard for drones

Tech giant DJI has had a busy year, having released the entry-level DJI Neo drone and the DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro action camera before we even entered fall. And now the Air 3S has joined the roster.

There are way too many things to love about the Air 3S. It succeeds the one-year-old Air 3 and brings a significant internal storage upgrade — you get 42GB of internal memory alongside a microSD slot. As we’ve come to expect from DJI, rest assured that you’ll be getting stable 4K/60fps footage and the ability to record 10-bit D-Log M video, crystal clear stills thanks to its dual camera system, and next-gen smart obstacle avoidance. This drone is an all-rounder fit for content creators, travel vloggers and photographers, and even hobbyists who just want to have fun — as long as you have $1,099 to spare.

Is it one of the best drones? Absolutely, it’s the best drone money can buy right now. So should you buy it? Read my full DJI Air 3S review to find out.

DJI Air 3S review: Specs

DJI Air 3S review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? DJI’s latest drone which succeeds the one-year-old Air 3
• Who is it for? For pros and hobbyists who want endless creative possibilities while pushing their drone to the limit
• How much does it cost? The DJI Air 3S starts at $1,099 / £959 and goes all the way up to $1,599 / £1,439
• What do we like? The ease of use, stellar 4K/60fps stable footage, crystal clear images thanks to the dual camera system, great low-light performance, vertical shooting capabilities, and long flight time
• What don’t we like? It isn’t very different from its predecessor, and it requires FAA/CAA registration

DJI Air 3S review: Price & availability

The DJI Air 3S succeeds the Air 3, and it launched in October 2024 with a retail price of $1,099 at DJI U.S. / £959 at Amazon U.K. for just the drone and the RC-N3 controller. You can also get one of two Fly More combos: with either the RC-N3 ($1,399 / £1,239) or the RC-2 controller ($1,599 / £1,439). Both combos come with an ND filter set, two additional batteries, a battery charging hub, a shoulder bag, and replacement parts.

If you don’t want to spend $2,199 on the Mavic 3 Pro, the Air 3S is much more affordable while offering equally impressive features — but the former has some features that the latter doesn’t and vice versa.

DJI Air 3S review: Design & controls

The DJI Air 3S weighs 1.59 pounds — a negligible increase over the Air 3’s 1.58-pound weight. Its heavy weight means it won’t get knocked about by strong gusts of wind, and it has a maximum wind speed resistance of 12 m/s.

The Air 3S measures 12.81 x 10.47 x 4.17 inches when it’s unfolded (without propellers), which is nearly identical to its predecessor. Folding it reduces the size down to 8.43 x 3.96 x 3.51 inches, making it easier to travel with. I carried the shoulder bag around for hours and never felt uncomfortable or weighed down.

The four propellers fold easily and click into place, ensuring they stay secure. The Fly More combo includes spare propellers in case the stock ones get damaged. Available in a dark gray colorway, the Air 3S’ body is made of high-quality plastic and doesn’t look or feel cheap. You can rest assured you’re getting bang for your buck.

A notable upgrade introduced in the Air 3S is the generous 42GB internal storage (versus the Air 3’s 8GB). Naturally, there’s also a microSD card for even more storage.

I tested the Fly More combo with the RC-2 controller, which features a 5.5-inch 1080P 700-nit bright touchscreen.

The detachable joysticks are comfortable to use for long hours, and they’re highly responsive. With four antennas, the RC-2 transmits clear, low-latency footage within a 12.42-mile range. The Air 3S’ in-flight noise level is rated at 80dB, similar to the Air 3 and other DJI drones.

DJI Air 3S review: Features

If you’re looking for a fantastic 4K drone that cuts no corners, then the DJI Air 3S should be right up your alley. It’s chock full of pro-level specs, from its dual camera system to its stabilization technology. This three-axis gimbal drone allows you to pan, roll and tilt the Air 3S as needed. This also means that footage is more stable, even in windy conditions up to 12 m/s.

Featuring ActiveTrack 360º, the Air 3S allows you to basically drag a box around a subject on the RC-2’s touchscreen and perform movements around it while keeping it centered in the shot. To perform these actions, the Air 3S uses its omnidirectional obstacle sensors to avoid crashing into objects.

Like its siblings, it features return-to-home technology to safely return to its takeoff point. This works even in areas without satellite signals, and also triggers automatically when the battery is low.

DJI Air 3S review: Image quality

(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Future)

(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Future)

(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Future)

(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Future)

The DJI Air 3S has a 12MP/50MP wide-angle camera and a 48MP medium telephoto camera, making this drone perfect for any kind of shot you desire. Both are able to shoot RAW photos for more creative freedom in post-production, but even JPEGs are detailed and crystal clear. You can see a few sample shots in the gallery above.

1x zoom.(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Future)

3x zoom.(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Future)

6x zoom.(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Future)

9x zoom.(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Future)

The wide-angle camera has 1-2.9x zoom range while the medium tele camera has a 3-9x zoom range. I put this to the test in a variety of scenarios but the herd of cows above proved to be the ideal subject. 6x zoom is where you start to lose detail and images/video start to appear slightly pixelated, and by the time you zoom in 9x, you’re probably not going to want to use the blurred result.

The Air 3S can also shoot panoramas by stitching 21 frames together. Once you’ve positioned the drone in the sky and hit the pano option on the RC-2 controller, the Air 3S will begin taking the photos and you can see the progress on the controller.

Photos taken in moderately lit environments turn out stunning too, as you can see above. Shot with the wide-angle camera, the image looks clean and noise-free, and one-ups the performance by smaller drones like the DJI Mini 4 Pro ($759).

1x zoom.(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Future)

6x zoom.(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Future)

9x zoom.(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Future)

However, as light drops, you’ll start to see significant noise as you’d expect from a 1-inch or 1/1.3-inch sensor. The Osmo Pocket 3 ($519) — albeit a handheld camera — has a 1-inch sensor too but captures clearer night time footage. If you want a drone to shoot with exclusively at night, the Mavic 3 ($2,049) has a dedicated Night Mode — but it’ll cost you a pretty penny.

DJI Air 3S review: Video quality

Its video specs win the Air 3S lots of brownie points. You can shoot 10-bit 4K video at 60fps (120fps in slow-motion) and you can also shoot slow-motion video in FullHD at 240fps.

You can choose to either edit shutter speed, ISO and exposure manually or you can let the Air 3S automatically handle these. 4K video shot at 60fps looks buttery smooth, as you can see in the video above, shot in Sport mode (top speed of 21 m/s). It’s important to note that obstacle avoidance is disabled when flying in this mode.

Capable of capturing up to 14-stops of dynamic range, the Air 3S can shoot in 10-bit D-Log M or HLG profiles to preserve a wide dynamic range. 10-bit video also means it’s capable of capturing 1.07 billion individual hues. I captured a range of shots in D-Log M and then color graded in Adobe Premiere Pro, and you can see how stunning the footage looks above.

I have been highly impressed by the Air 3S’ low-light performance while shooting video. Even while panning across the scene, lights never appear hazy. The Air 3S’ wide-angle f/1.8 lens has no issues keeping up with the scene. The footage appears slightly grainy but nothing too major.

The Air 3S captures incredible slow motion footage, perfect for getting shots of moving water, leaves and other subjects. In the video above, the two clips were shot in 4K/120fps. The gushing water in the first clip is almost mesmerizing, and it’s one of my favorite shots I’ve ever captured.

If you’re a content creator who likes to shoot footage exclusively in the 9x16 format, you’ll be happy to know that the Air 3S can shoot vertical footage in 2.7K at 60fps too. The RC-2’s screen draws a rectangular box around the scene it’s filming so you can see your footage in real-time. While not as impressive as 4K video, 2.7K should be suitable enough for shorts and reels.

DJI Air 3S review: App

The DJI Air 3S uses the DJI Fly app, which I loved when I reviewed the entry-level DJI Neo ($199). Free to download on iOS and Android, it’s your one-stop-shop for checking nearby fly spots and whether there are any restrictions, updating the drone and controller firmware, and quickly transferring footage to your phone. The last feature is very handy because the 42GB internal storage can fill up quickly, especially if you’re constantly shooting in 4K.

DJI Air 3S review: Battery life

On a single charge, the DJI Air 3S can navigate the skies for 45 minutes — that’s one minute down from the Air 3’s 46-minute flight time. This is also a minute less than the Mavic 3 Classic, but more than the Mavic Air 2 (34 minutes, $799) and the Air 2S (31 minutes, $1,000).

This is why I’d recommend getting the Fly More combo. With two additional batteries, you can get a total flight time of 135 minutes, so you’ll never have to worry about running back home to charge your drone.

As I mentioned earlier, the Air 3S utilizes a USB-C port for direct charging, and it takes just under two hours to go from zero to 100%. The RC-2 controller is fitted with a rechargeable Lithium-ion battery too, and after charging it for 90 minutes, it can last for up to four hours.

DJI Air 3S review: Verdict

What’s not to love about the DJI Air 3S? Yes, you need to register with the FAA/CAA given it weighs more than 249g, and it isn’t massively different from its predecessor. But it’s well-worth getting a drone license and spending $1,099 on the Air 3S because its photo and video capabilities are unmatched. The 4K footage I shot at 60fps was buttery smooth and crystal clear, as were the stills taken with the drone’s wide-angle and medium telephoto cameras.

The Air 3S’ low-light performance is impressive too, while obstacle avoidance and return-to-home tech means you don’t need to worry about losing it, even at night. If its 42GB internal storage isn’t enough, you can use a microSD or quickly offload footage via the DJI Fly app. And the RC-2 controller makes the Air 3S very easy to fly and control.

In the end, the photos and videos speak for themselves — the Air 3S is a drone worth saving up for.