New York, NY—The all-in-one DJI Inspire 3 drone will launch for cinematic-grade aerial filming. It is a more streamlined, precise, full-frame, 8K cinema drone.
The drone features an integrated design, a 161° ultrawide FoV night-vision FPV and the O3 Pro transmission and control system. It is also part of a pro ecosystem. Moreover, it is DJI’s only cinema-grade drone that supports both RTK-powered Waypoint Pro and omnidirectional sensing to perform flight missions more safely.
“The Inspire 3 is the professional-level aerial platform all filmmakers were waiting for,” said Ferdinand Wolf, creative director at DJI. “It empowers users to fully maximize the potential of any shot as they can record in cinematic-grade image quality previously only available with large and clunky camera systems.”
DJI Inspire 3 Drone Key Features
The drone was completely redesigned to offer a lightweight, integrated body with a portable form factor as well as a rigid, transformable frame. The FPV camera, visual sensors, positioning antennas and storage card slot are integrated into the airframe.
Its design also supports the newly added tilt boost and 360° pan structures. When the landing gear is lowered, the gimbal supports obstruction-free 80° upward-angle shooting.
Further, hot-swappable TB51 intelligent dual batteries provide a flight time of 28 minutes. Flight speed was also improved to 58 mph as well as 26 ft/s ascent and descent speeds.
Zenmuse X9-8K Air Camera
The Inspire 3 uses DJI’s lightest-ever full-frame Zenmuse X9-8K Air gimbal camera. It works with DJI’s latest image-processing system, CineCore 3.0. The processor supports internal recording up to 8K/25-fps CinemaDNG video as well as 8K/7-fps Apple ProRes RAW video.
What’s more, in S&Q mode, the X9-8K Air supports internal recording up to full-frame 4K/120-fps ProRes RAW video without cropping.
In addition, the camera features dual native ISO. At full-frame 30 fps and below, it offers EI 800/4000. Consequently, it supports the 24 fps commonly seen in film productions and the 25 fps used in commercial and television productions. At above 30 fps, EI 320/1600 is available for clear footage in low light.
The X9-8K Air also covers 14+ stops of dynamic range, which captures highlight and shadow details in complex lighting. High dynamic range also brings more possibilities for post-editing, retaining genuine colors even after significant exposure adjustments.
Moreover, inheriting DJI’s proprietary DL mount, the X9-8K Air is compatible with the 18mm f/2.8 full-frame ultrawide lens and a new telephoto lens specially made for 8K aerial cinematography. It also works with full-frame 24mm, 35mm and 50mm lenses designed with aerial filming in mind.
In addition, the DJI Cinema Color System (DCCS) allows the camera to retain authentic colors. This applies to natural settings and urban landscapes. It also accurately captures skin tones in different lighting conditions. Plus, DCCS ensures color matching between the X9-8K Air and ground-based cinema cameras, such as DJI Ronin 4D.
Intelligent Modes
Furthermore, the Inspire 3 integrates RTK positioning technology to make flying more stable and flight-route planning more accurate. The integrated 3 GNSS System (GPS + Galileo + BeiDou) is powered by built-in dual-layered ceramic RTK antennas. By activating the RTK network or setting up a D-RTK 2 mobile station, users can achieve accurate positioning without additional modules. The Inspire 3 also has internal orientation, eliminating the need for compass calibration.
Additionally, this feature enables the all-new Waypoint Pro function. It allows flight-route and shot planning with a range of customized settings. For instance, the repeatable routes Waypoint Pro option gives pilots the full control of repeatable flight routes. It also maintains all preset parameters, such as altitude, speed, gimbal angle, and camera settings.
Repeating the same flight mission permits cinematographers to perform difficult one-takes. It also allows them to fly at different times in the same place to create long-duration timelapses that capture transitions, such season to season.
Waypoint Pro’s 3D dolly option simulates a crane, cable cam or a dolly. Users can create an aerial motion path where the pilot can move back and forward along the path with adjustable speed and full gimbal control.
In addition, a new spotlight pro function is based on machine-learning algorithms. Pilots can benefit from single-object recognition and tracking. As a result, they can focus on the flight while the gimbal camera stays focused on the subject.
Omnidirectional Sensing System
The Inspire 3 employs nine visual sensors to provide an omnidirectional sensing system that detect obstacles in all directions. It also has a new customizable function to help ensure greater flight safety. Horizontal, upward and downward obstacle sensing is enabled or disabled independently. And users can set an obstacle alert range manually.
When active avoidance is turned off, users can still view the distance from an obstacle on the navigation display in real-time. They will also receive an audio alert when an obstacle is within a set range without the aircraft performing an automatic avoidance movement.
In addition, the drone has a new 161° FoV ultrawide-angle FPV lens with a 1/1.8-inch night-vision sensor with 3μm pixel size. It provides up to a 1080p/60-fps live feed for an ultralow latency view.
O3 Pro Transmission and Control
Moreover, a new O3 Pro transmission enables a range of 9.3 miles with one controller and 7.5 miles in dual-control mode. The live feed of up to 1080p/60 fps has ultralow latency of 90 ms. And for the first time, 4K/30-fps live feeds are also supported with a reduced 3.1-mile transmission range to satisfy the need for Ultra HD output and livestreaming on set.
With the enhanced dual-control mode, two remote controllers can now receive transmission as well as control links from the drone independently. Therefore, the pilot and gimbal operator can be at different positions on set.
The drone also comes with the DJI RC Plus with a 7-inch, 1,200-nit high-brightness screen. Its internal battery provides 3.3 hours operation time, which extends to 6 hours with an external hot-swappable WB37 battery.
It also features an HDMI out port, along with customizable buttons and dials on the front, back and top.
What’s more, to integrate into professional film sets, the drone provides timesync support through a 3.5mm jack for control on set.
New Accessories
DJI is also offering new accessories, including a trolley case with an extendable handle, two side handles and four 360º-movement wheels. There are also new foldable, quick-release propellers that easily store and don’t require reinstallation before each flight. 
Plus, the new foldable battery charging hub strikes a balance between charging efficiency and storage size. It accommodates eight batteries and can charge two batteries to 90% simultaneously in 35 minutes in fast charge mode. There’s also an included 65W USB-C port to charge an RC Plus.
The DJI Inspire 3 has a suggested retail price of $16,499. The company will release the new drone by the end of June.
