DJI Mavic 3 Classic Vs. Mavic 3: How Do These Drones Compare?

If you're looking for a high-quality drone for aerial photography, you're likely looking at a DJI Mavic. The DJI Mavic 3 is one of the coolest drones that money can buy, but if you look at DJI's catalog, you will find four different drones under the Mavic 3 line. There's the DJI Mavic 3, the DJI Mavic 3 Classic, the DJI Mavic 3 Pro, and the DJI Mavic 3 Pro Cine.

Professionals will likely choose either the DJI Mavic 3 Pro or the Pro Cine, but if you're just a hobbyist looking for a drone that could shoot great photos or videos, then you could stick to the non-Pro version of the DJI Mavic 3. However, that still leaves you with two options: the Mavic 3 and Mavic 3 Classic. So, to help you pick which is the right drone for you, we'll compare these two drones and explore the differences between them.

The biggest difference between these two drones is the number of cameras they have on board. The DJI Mavic 3 Classic only features a single 4/3 CMOS Hasselblad camera with a 20-megapixel resolution. It has a fixed focal length with a full-frame equivalent of 24 millimeters, meaning it does not offer any kind of optical zoom. So, if you want to get closer to your subject, your only option is to move the drone.

The DJI Mavic 3 also features the same Hasselblad camera as its main shooter. However, it also has a telephoto camera positioned above the 24-millimeter camera, allowing you to fill the frame with your subject without needing to change your drone's position. This telephoto camera features a 162-millimeter-equivalent lens, which is around six to seven times more zoomed in than the main camera. This allows you to use the vanilla Mavic 3 to take pictures without approaching what you want to photograph — a helpful feature if you don't want to disturb the subject you're capturing with the loud sound of your drone.

Aside from that, the telephoto camera also changes the feel of the image. That's because its higher or longer focal length compresses the image, letting your subject pop out from the background with the shallower depth of field that this lens delivers. Because of this, you get a more intimate feeling with the image that you capture.

Another thing that the Mavic 3 delivers is more video resolution options. The Mavic 3 Classic only lets you shoot in 5.1K, DCI 4K, 4K, and FHD resolutions. These should be more than enough for most videographers, giving them the flexibility to pick the best resolution that will fit their workflow. Furthermore, this drone lets you pick many different frame rates: 24, 25, 30, 48, 50, and 60 fps. You could even shoot slow-motion videos at 120 fps in DCI 4K resolution or 200 fps in FHD.

You also have these options with the DJI Mavic, but it also gives you three other resolutions: Apple ProRes 422 HQ, Apple ProRes 422, and Apple ProRes 422 LT. These are the different versions of the high-quality compression codec that Apple developed for Final Cut Pro. However, you could also use it with other video editing software like Adobe Premiere Pro, making it great for capturing high-quality video that does not use up too much storage space.

The iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max, as well as newer versions of these iPhone models, can also record using Apple ProRes. So, if you're using these devices to record videos, you don't have to worry about juggling different file types.

Given that the DJI Mavic 3 has more cameras than the DJI Mavic 3 Classic, you can expect the former to be more expensive. The DJI Mavic 3 Classic is priced at $1,399; this might seem steep, but it comes with everything you need to get flying. Aside from the drone itself, you also get a DJI RC, a single DJI Mavic 3 Intelligent Flight Battery with a 65-watt portable charger and a USB-C cable, three pairs of DJI Mavic 3 Low-Noise Propellers, a pair of spare DJI RC Control Sticks, and the DJI Mavic 3 Classic Storage cover.

This should be more than enough to get you started, although we'd recommend that you get at least one spare battery plus a high-capacity microSDXC card. That way, you can keep shooting in the field without having to worry about running out of power or storage space.

On the other hand, the DJI Mavic costs $2,049. You get almost the same accessories as the Classic, but note that the remote control that comes in the package does not have its own screen. That means you need to attach your phone to it so you can see your drone's video feed. If you want to upgrade to the remote control with a display, you need to spend an extra $309 — plus don't forget about the recommended accessories to ensure that you're not limited when you're shooting.

If you only want a drone to capture beautiful landscape shots, the DJI Mavic 3 Classic should be more than enough for your needs. It costs a bit more than some smaller or entry-level drones like the DJI Flip or the DJI Mini 4 Pro, but it compensates with its larger main camera sensor. However, if you want the flexibility of having more cameras, you should go with the DJI Mavic 3.

The DJI Mavic 3 has since been discontinued in favor of the DJI Mavic 3 Pro, though, so you'll have to go with this model instead if you want more cameras. It's a bit more expensive at $2,199, but you get an additional medium telephoto camera that delivers a 70-millimeter-equivalent focal length. This is a great feature for just an additional $50 more, as you now have a middle ground between the wide and telephoto cameras on the DJI Mavic 3.