\n<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve been itching to get my hands on an easy-to-use hobbyist drone that I won\u2019t hate myself for eventually breaking. The DJI Mini 3<\/strong><\/a> has been at the top of my list: it hits the mark as a compact drone that you can pilot without having to attend aviation school, and I\u2019ll probably go ahead and bite the bullet now that it\u2019s back down to its record-low price \u2014 especially considering I may eventually lose my chance to get one at all<\/a>. You can get the smallish aircraft right now for $329 ($90 off) at DJI\u2019s online store<\/a> for Black Friday<\/a>. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n The package featured here includes a battery (extras cost $65 each) and DJI\u2019s RC-N1 remote. The latter doesn\u2019t have an integrated display, but you can add one that does for another $100. If you\u2019re just looking for the cheapest drone you can buy from the brand, the $199 DJI Neo<\/a> exists, but doesn\u2019t quite match the Mini 3\u2019s image capabilities, though a recent update added vertical video<\/a>. The Neo also ships without a remote, but can fly on its own using various subject tracking modes, which the Mini 3 lacks.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The DJI Mini 3 weighs just 8.8 ounces (249 grams), and it\u2019s small enough to grip in one hand or toss in any bag. That\u2019s why it doesn\u2019t require FAA registration to fly in the US, making it an attractive option for casual users. It sports a pretty good camera system with horizontal and vertical 4K HDR video at up to 30 frames per second, or up to 60 frames per second at lower resolutions. You can also use it to take 48MP stills. The resulting footage and photos look great from the many samples I\u2019ve viewed, even if it\u2019s not quite as flexible for advanced color grading as some of DJI\u2019s costlier drones. But you\u2019re not really looking for a beginner drone if that\u2019s what\u2019s on your mind.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Another area it\u2019s lacking compared to the DJI Air 3<\/a> or even the DJI Mini 4 Pro<\/a> is object avoidance, as there are no front, rear, or side sensors. You\u2019d have to pay hundreds more for that privilege, so unless you\u2019re interested in dramatically expanding your budget, just get the Mini 3 and take care when flying it low or in crowded airspaces.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n