Drone maker DJI has released the DJI Air 3S, a small drone the company says was designed with travel photography in mind.

Coming at less that a kilogram for a price that ranges between $1,100 and $1,600, the drone was released today and is immediately available for the worldwide market (for now, it can be purchased from DJI’s online stores only, with resellers to stock at a time to come.

Below is the full statement from the manufacturer about what the new arrival is about.

DJI, the global leader in civilian drones and creative camera technology, today announces the DJI Air 3S, an advanced dual-camera drone designed for travel photography.

Featuring a one-inch-CMOS primary camera and a 70mm medium tele camera, each with up to fourteen stops of dynamic range that both support the new Free panorama feature, the Air 3S allows for flexible shooting-range selections to capture landscapes, architecture, and more in stunning detail.

The drone’s new nightscape obstacle sensing and precise next-gen Smart RTH (Return-to-Home) features ensure effortless peace of mind to safely capture perfect cinematic photography at night.

“The DJI Air 3S takes our Air Series to new heights by offering professional features like dual primary cameras and omnidirectional obstacle sensing while retaining its light weight of just 724g for boundless freedom and flexibility,” said Ferdinand Wolf, Product Experience Director at DJI.

“The Air 3S is the perfect all-rounder for travel photography – capturing all your special moments during vacation while also providing safety and security if operating at night.”

Take Unmatched Imagery with Enhanced Dual-Camera

The Air 3S’s dual cameras improve on the 10-bit and ISO image quality, capturing photos and videos with even more breath-taking details than the current DJI Mavic 3 Pro.

Even in normal colour mode, Air 3S dual cameras can record 10-bit video using H.265 encoding, delivering refined colour performance and greater flexibility in post, with the maximum ISO raised to 12,800. In D-Log M and HLG colour modes, the maximum ISO is raised to 3,200, allowing for greater brightness and more details in urban night scenes.

Compared with the previous-generation DJI Air 3, DJI Air 3S employs a more advanced video encoding compression algorithm that reduces video file sizes by over 30 percent without compromising image quality, saving valuable storage space for creators.

Free panorama mode in both cameras enables the seamless creation of panoramic shots by stitching together multiple images with a manually selected subject or area. The wide-angle camera offers a broader Field of Vision (FOV), greatly improving efficiency when capturing panorama photos.

The medium tele camera significantly reduces image distortion, crafting expansive shots with a wide perspective from multiple photos and rich details captured by its superior focal length. Both cameras are capable of shooting video with a maximum dynamic range of 14 stops, capturing cinematic footage in high-contrast scenes.

Air 3S Dual Cameras Include:

• Primary 50MP, 1-inch-CMOS camera and 24mm lens supports 4K/60fps HDR and 4K/120fps video recording as well as 10-bit D-Log M colour mode. This large sensor, enhanced by advanced image-processing technology and intelligent algorithms, preserves even minuscule details in low-light conditions such as sunsets and nightscapes.
• Secondary 70mm medium tele camera with a 3x optical zoom excels at portrait and vehicle shots, offering compressed depth of field to highlight any subject with a bolder, more cinematic look. With its 48MP 1/1.3-inch CMOS sensor, this camera supports the same video specs and colour modes as the primary camera. This ensures visually consistent footage for streamlined post-processing.

Expand Creativity with Safer Nighttime Flying

Offering unrivaled environmental awareness, the Air 3S is the first DJI drone to feature forward-facing LiDAR, while also featuring downward infrared time-of-flight (TOF) sensors and six vision sensors (two at the front, rear, and bottom) to achieve nightscape omnidirectional obstacle sensing.

This advanced technology enables the Air 3S to automatically identify and circumvent obstacles during its flight and return paths, ensuring trouble-free safety during nighttime photography.

The Air 3S is designed to be the perfect easy to use all-rounder drone. Powered by real-time vision positioning and map construction technologies, the DJI Air 3S memorizes flight paths when adequate lighting is available. This ensures a safe return when taking off from locations without a satellite signal¹.

Stay in Focus with ActiveTrack 360°

The DJI Air 3S features ActiveTrack 360° to keep any subject in the frame. Based on the surrounding flight environment, the optimized tracking performance automatically plans a flight path. It adjusts the framing to guarantee more dynamic shots that keep the subject the centre of attention even if the lower half of their body is partially obscured such as standing behind bushes or on a bridge.

Air 3S also introduces a new Subject Focusing feature that keeps the subject in sharp focus, even during manual flight or when the subject moves off-centre. This feature allows the pilot to fully concentrate on the more creative aspects of perfecting a shot like composition and camera movement.

Other Standout Features

• 45-Min Max Flight Time: With up to 45 minutes of flight time, the Air 3S offers adequate time to scout locations, compose, capture cinematic shots, and repeat.
• 10-bit O4 Video Transmission: Powered by DJI O4 HD video transmission technology, the Air 3S delivers 10-bit video transmission at 1080p/60fps over distances of up to 20 kilometers.
• 42-GB Built-in Storage: Setting a new standard, the Air 3S allows creators to film without needing to deal with microSD cards.
• Off-State QuickTransfer: Files can be sent from the Air 3S to a smartphone even when the drone is powered off¹. Transfers to a computer can also be done with the drone powered off by simply connecting Air 3S via a compatible USB cable.
• Charging Hub with Power Accumulation: The Charging Hub supports PD fast charging and a power accumulation function, allowing users to transfer the remaining power of multiple low-power batteries into the battery with the highest remaining power.
• Data Protection: Local Data Mode acts like “airplane mode” on the phone by completely disconnecting the DJI Air 3S from the internet, ensuring all data stays only in the drone.