The DJI Mavic 3 Classic takes most of what we liked about the DJI Mavic 3, including the 4/3 CMOS sensor, 46 minutes of flight time, and omnidirectional sensor, and adds a $500 price cut, making it It could be the best drone for videographers who can't afford to spend $2,000 on a flying camera platform.

What features will they give up? Most notable is the secondary 28x digital zoom lens. Also missing is the optional SSD and lack of ProRes video. Are these trade-offs worth the reduced price; read the rest of our DJI Mavic 3 Classic hands-on and decide for yourself.

Ed. note: Parts of this hands-on are taken from a previous DJI Mavic 3 review.

The DJI Mavic 3 Classic is available starting November 2, 2022. Several configurations are available:

If you already have the DJI controller and charger and wish to purchase only the drone itself, the Mavic 3 Classic costs $1,469.

The Mavic 3 Classic with charger and DJI RC-N1 remote controller (requires using a smartphone as a digital display) is $1,599 / AU$2,399. Mavic 3 Classic with charger and DJI RC remote controller (with built-in display) is $1,749 / AU$2,599.

$649 / AU$799 The Mavic 3 Classic Fly More Kit includes two intelligent flight batteries, battery charging hub (100W), 65W car charger, three pairs of low noise propellers, and DJI convertible carrying bag.

By comparison, the Mavic 3, released in fall 2021, costs $2,049 in the U.S. for the drone and RC-N1 controller; the $2,849 Fly More combo includes three batteries, charging hub, four neutral density filter sets, and spare propeller set, carrying bag included.

The DJI Mavic 3 Cine Premium Combo ($4,999) includes a variant of the Mavic 3 Classic with Apple ProRes 422 HQ video support and 1TB of onboard storage. This package includes everything in the Fly More combo, but also adds four ND filters and replaces the standard remote control with the DJI RC Pro, which is sold separately and costs $1,199.

The Mavic 3 Classic looks identical to the Mavic 3, with one exception: there is no secondary lens above the primary camera; the Mavic 3 Classic has four arms that fold away from the body, making the drone very easy to carry. The battery is stored in the rear of the drone, and just above the battery compartment is a USB-C port and microSD card slot.

Like all DJI drones, the Mavic 3 Classic is painted gray, a color or two darker than DJI's other drones, making the drone harder to see when in the air... DJI, why don't you use a little color?

Apart from the cameras, there are sensors on the front, back, top, bottom, and sides of the drone to prevent the drone from crashing into objects. (In comparison, the DJI Air 2S has no side view sensors.)

When folded, the Mavic 3 Classic weighs just under 2 pounds, a little more than an Italian hoagie with added salami and mozzarella. Not so tasty, though.

It is considerably larger and heavier than the DJI Air 2S.

The Mavic 3 Classic weighs well over 250 grams and must be registered with the FAA.

As mentioned, the Mavic 3 Classic has only one camera, a rather impressive 4/3 CMOS Hasselblad sensor with 20 MP resolution; the Mavic 3 has a secondary 1/2-inch CMOS (12 MP) sensor used as a digital zoom lens used as a digital zoom lens.

The Mavic 3 Classic's camera has a 4-degree field of view, a 24mm-equivalent lens, and an aperture range of f/2.8 to f/11. ISO ranges from 100 to 6400, but like many other cameras, graininess begins to be noticeable above ISO 3200.

It can shoot video in 4K (24/25/30/48/50fps) as well as up to 5.1K (24/25/30/48/50/60/120fps) resolution.

I took the drone out for a few days of clear fall flying and, as with the Mavic 3, the video and photos from the Classic were crisp and colorful. The reds, yellows, and browns of the fall foliage looked great against the bright blue sky. In addition, the video was so sharp that one could make out every single leaf.

Thanks to the 3-axis gimbal, the images were also incredibly smooth, almost as if the drone were mounted on a rock.

The 28x digital zoom seems more like a gimmick than a feature videographers covet in hindsight; the 4x digital zoom was enough for a close-up view of New York City from 15 miles away. [According to DJI, the Mavic 3 Classic can indeed stay aloft for 46 minutes (41 minutes while hovering). This is nearly 10 minutes longer than the Mavic Air 2. This longer flight time makes a big difference in flying longer and getting the shots you want. Nevertheless, it is recommended to buy a spare battery or two.

The Mavic 3 Classic lived up to its reputation, staying in the air for about 40 minutes, with a return warning when about 5 minutes of flight time remained.

Compared to the Mavic 2 Pro and Mavic Air 2, the Mavic 3 Classic has no new flight modes. Like its predecessor, the Mavic 3 Classic can lock on to a subject and fly in several pre-set patterns, keeping the subject in the center of the frame.

However, object tracking has been improved, and the Mavic 3 Classic is better at tracking subjects regardless of how they are moving, and according to DJI, its algorithms can also react faster to subject movement. It also has a really clever feature that allows the drone to continue tracking even if it is momentarily out of sight, such as if it is hidden behind a tree.

Object tracking continues to work well in Mavi 3 Classic. The drone faithfully followed me around the field and kept an eye on me even if I hid behind a tree for a moment. The drone's omnidirectional obstacle avoidance sensor was especially appreciated, preventing the Mavic 3 Classic from crashing into a branch as I walked through a wooded area. But there are limitations: the Mavic 3 Classic could not lock on to my daughter, who is about 1 meter tall. It may be just right.

The Mavic 3 Classic has three flight settings (Cinematic, Normal, and Sport), with a maximum speed of 43 mph in Sport mode and a slowdown to 11 mph in Cinematic mode.

The $1,499 DJI Mavic 3 Classic addresses a fairly large hole in DJI's drone lineup. Prior to launch, the company had a big gap between the $999 DJI Air 2S and the $2,049 Mavic 3. The biggest sacrifice is the 28x digital zoom, but in most cases this is not a huge loss, and videographers on a tight budget will also enjoy the 4/3 camera sensor and amazing flight times. This could be the new best drone for videographers.

I think the DJI Mavic 3 Classic is likely to be an overkill drone for those who just want a drone to fly around and have a little fun. For such aviators, the Air 2S, Air ($799), or Mini 2 ($449) would be better.

However, if you want the highest quality video and longest flight time for a drone under $2,000, the Mavic 3 Classic is the way to go.