DJI Mavic 3 Pro Malaysia hands-on: Can this drone beginner fly the world’s first triple-camera drone?

Let me make one thing very clear: I am the absolute opposite of a drone pilot. I do not possess the skills to fly one and I haven’t done so in years, despite owning a DJI Phantom 3. In fact, I am well-known among my friends for crashing it so badly that I cut up my left arm in the process (I can already hear them sniggering).

So to say that I felt intimidated when I was asked to fly the new DJI Mavic 3 Pro would’ve been an understatement. This is the world’s first triple-camera drone, aimed not at enthusiasts but at professional videographers, something that’s borne out of its RM9,799 base price tag (and you can spend a lot more than that—up to RM21,999 if your pockets allow). What chance does this complete idiot have at piloting this piece of expensive machinery without crashing it in front of DJI personnel?

Before that, let me give you a rundown of the specs of this awe-inspiring drone. The Pro suffix adds a 48MP 70mm medium telephoto camera to the Mavic 3‘s already impressive dual camera setup, which consists of a 20MP 24mm Hasselblad main camera with a 4/3-inch sensor, plus a 12MP 166mm full telephoto shooter.

All three cameras can shoot 4K video at up to 60fps, with the main camera bumping the resolution up to 5.1K at 50fps; the Pro also supports slow-mo videos at up to 120fps at 4K. A 5,000mAh provides a maximum flight time of 43 minutes, while the O3+ video transmission system enables the drone to fly up to 15km away. To save you from wrapping your RM10,000 purchase around a tree, the Mavic 3 Pro comes with omnidirectional obstacle sensing, enabling DJI’s Automated Pilot Assist System (APAS) 5.0.

So, how did I fare when it comes to flying this pro drone? Well, watch the video below to find out.