DJI will bring another drone to its growing product lineup with On 3San improvement over its predecessor led by a larger image sensor. This isn’t an overhaul of the previous design as DJI largely used the same body but made some changes underneath to improve image quality.

This means there’s still a dual camera setup with a wide and telephoto lens, although DJI claims the Air 3S can take better photos and videos than the Mavic 3 Pro. The company clearly has content creators and travelers in mind based on key specifications. Especially when you also consider the improved obstacle avoidance.

What do you get with DJI Air 3S

The biggest change lies in the 1-inch 50-megapixel CMOS sensor in the main wide camera. A larger sensor can collect more light, and it can capture up to 14 stops of dynamic range. This will produce more detailed photos in more varied conditions. You can record video in 4K at 60fps or 120fps, including in 10-bit D-Log M color mode.

DJI says the new sensor can also capture better images in low-light settings (such as sunsets and night scenes) due to better image processing. The company also improved its video coding compression algorithm to reduce video file size by more than 30% without sacrificing image quality. With 42GB of available storage space, there could be more space to store content.

All that applies to the 48-megapixel telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom, too. This is the same image sensor previously installed in the DJI Air 3 but benefits from the same video specifications and color modes as the main camera.

Both cameras also use a newer Free Panorama mode that combines panoramic shots when you manually select a subject or area. This is done by combining the field of view (FOV) from the main camera with the details captured by the telephoto camera. This is where the 14 stop dynamic range can make a difference in output. This also applies to still images and video recordings.

New obstacle sensing

The DJI Air 3S will be the company’s first drone to offer forward-facing LiDAR to enhance its ability to recognize obstacles more quickly and from a distance to avoid them. It will work in tandem with an infrared time-of-flight (TOF) sensor and vision sensors on the front, rear and bottom (six in total) to help the drone detect obstacles in low-light and nighttime conditions.

This drone also has ActiveTrack 360 to stick to subjects and keep them in frame. This time, it includes a new Subject Focusing feature that keeps the subject in focus when it moves out of the center of the frame. The idea is to be more creative in framing shots that don’t require the subject to be right in the middle. Also interesting is how the Air 3S remembers the flight path to help it return safely when you let it go in an area without a satellite signal. Other tracking modes like Rocket, Dronie, Circle, Helix, and Boomerang are also available, along with standard modes like Selfie, Orbit, and Auto-Follow.

What do you get with the standard kit

That standard equipment gives you the DJI Air 3S drone, along with an RC-N3 Controller, one battery, one gimbal guard, and a set of replacement propellers. You can always buy other drone-compatible accessories later if you don’t want to use a larger device.

More DJI Air 3S Flying Combo

That Fly More Combo 1 includes everything you get with the standard kit along with additional accessories. It includes two extra batteries for a total of three batteries, includes a charger pack for them all, plus an ND Filter Set and a bag to carry it all. For Fly More Combo 2You get the RC 2 Controller and a built-in 5.5-inch display, as well as one less battery.

The DJI Air 3S is available today at Best Buy

The DJI Air 3S maintains the same 45-minute maximum flight time. If you want air, it’s available today at Best Buy as a stand-alone drone or that Fly More Combo 1 or Combo 2. For more information about DJI and other drones, see the latest is available now.