DJI Mavic 3 Classic Malaysia: A cheaper Mavic 3 drone without the telephoto camera

Exactly a year after the launch of the Mavic 3, DJI has introduced a Classic variant of its professional camera drone. This entry-level version has a bit less camera, but in return you get a significant price drop, which might make it more palatable for enthusiast-level pilots.

DJI Mavic 3 Classic Malaysia pricing and availability

The DJI Mavic 3 Classic will be offered in three variants, each including a different set of accessories. If you already have a DJI remote control and charger, you can just buy the drone (it’s compatible with RC-N1, RC and RC Pro controllers), but if you don’t, you can choose from either the RC-N1 or the RC remote, the latter offering more features. The prices of these packages are as follows:

• DJI Mavic 3 Classic (drone only) – RM6,459
• DJI Mavic 3 Classic (with RC-N1 remote control) – RM6,879
• DJI Mavic 3 Classic (with RC remote control) – RM7,579

By comparison, the regular Mavic 3 with the RC-N1 remote costs RM9,799, meaning that the Classic is RM2,920 less expensive. You can also purchase a Fly More Kit, which includes two batteries, a 100W battery charging hub, a 65W car charger, three pairs of low-noise propellers and a DJI convertible carrying bag. It’s available separately, priced at RM2,499.

Like all other DJI products, the Mavic 3 can be purchased at the official Shopee and Lazada stores, as well as authorised retail partners.

DJI Mavic 3 Classic specs and features

The main difference between the Classic and the original Mavic 3 are the cameras. I should say camera, because the Classic ditches the 162mm-equivalent telephoto shooter, retaining the L2D-20c main camera co-developed with Hasselblad. The latter continues to come with a 20MP 4/3 CMOS sensor, a 24mm-equivalent lens with an 84º FOV, an aperture of between f/2.8 to f/11, vision detect autofocus (VDAF) and Hasselblad’s colour science.

As before, this camera shoots 12-bit RAW photos, 5.1K videos at 50fps and 4K videos at 60fps, along with 4K/120fps and 1080p/200fps slow-mo videos. It also supports 10-bit D-Log and HLG for HDR and spits out H.264 and H.265 videos. Like the standard Mavic 3, the Classic does not shoot ProRes video, which is reserved for the absurdly expensive Cine model.

The rest of the spec sheet is identical to the other Mavic 3 models. The Classic is equipped with the same 8GB of internal storage as the standard model, expandable via a MicroSD card slot. It also uses the same 5,000mAh battery and has the same 46-minute flight time (40 minutes hover time) and the same 15km transmission range, feeding 1080p video at 60fps back to the user through the O3+ transmission system.

Other features an ActiveTrack 5.0 system for subject tracking, automated MasterShots and QuickShots shooting modes, a cruise control function and High Speed QuickTransfer image and video downloads over WiFi 6. As for flight safety, the Mavic 3 Classic is equipped with Advanced Pilot Assistance System (APAS) 5.0 obstacle avoidance—using data from eight cameras around the drone—as well as an Advanced Return to Home (RTH) function that can plot the most efficient flight path from 200m away.