DJI announces the Inspire 3 with a 45MP full-frame camera

DJI has announced the latest offering in its professional drone series, the Inspire 3. The lighter, more aerodynamic design features nine visual sensors for omnidirectional obstacle detection, a 161º ultra-wide FOV night vision FPV camera, a lightweight full-frame gimbal camera, and an O3 Pro transmission system.

DJI says the Inspire 3 is its only cinema-grade drone that offers sophisticated Real-Time Kinematic powered intelligent positioning, along with customizable obstacle avoidance, for safer and more precise missions on television or movie sets. It features some notable improvements compared to its predecessor, the Inspire 2, which was released in November 2016.

Its included high-spec full-frame camera and 1TB SSD make the Inspire 3 a compelling turnkey option for stills and video-minded flyers alike. Unlike a competing pro-grade drone like Sony’s Airpeak, the camera and gimbal in the DJI are fully integrated. Although its $16K starting price is expensive, the Inspire 3 could be a godsend for those not savvy enough to outfit their own cinema drone.

Let’s take a look at how the new Inspire model compares to its predecessor:

Camera Specs

Besides the small-sensor FOV FPV camera, which offers up to a 1080p/60p live feed, the Inspire 3 comes equipped with the lightest full-frame camera produced to date, called the X9-8K Air Gimbal Camera. The X9-8K Air is capable of recording video at 8K (up to 8192 x 4320, giving a 2:1 aspect ratio) and capturing photos at up to 44.7 megapixels (8192 x 5456); it’s tied to DJI’s latest image processing system, CineCore 3.0. Naturally, this camera is designed for DJI’s lightweight DL-Mount lenses.

In terms of video recording, it supports internal recording of up to 8K/25p in CinemaDNG, along with 8K/75p using Apple’s ProRes RAW format. In Slow and Quick mode, the X9-8K Air camera supports up to 4K/120p uncropped in ProRes RAW for fluid slow-motion or fast-motion sequences.

The FPV camera was built for better visibility at night and in low-light environments.

One of the standout features of the X9-8K Air is its dual native ISO capability, which offers different ISO settings depending on the frame rate. Using the full sensor at 30p and below, it provides ISO 800/4000 with a quoted dynamic range of more than 14 stops. This is ideal for film productions that often utilize the standard 24p frame rate or the 25p used in commercial and television productions. For frame rates above 30p, ISO 320/1600 with 13+ stops of dynamic range is available.

The X9-8K Air is compatible with the new 18mm F2.8 ultra-wide lens announced today alongside the Inspire 3. The full-frame DL-Mount 24mm, 35mm and 50mm lenses are also compatible.

A variety of compatible DL-mount lenses, from 18mm to 55mm, can be purchased separately.

For storage, Inspire 3 pilots can use the included DJI PROSSD 1TB solid state drive, which offers up to 1100MBps write speed and up to 900 MBps read speed. For convenience, it can be removed from the drone and connected directly to a computer with a USB-C cable.

Updated design

The Inspire 3’s body has been redesigned and DJI claims it is 20% more aerodynamic. It supports a newly added Tilt Boost as well as 360° Pan structures. The gimbal can support up to 80º of unobstructed upward-angle shooting for an uncommon cinematic perspective. The drone can hit a top speed of 94 km/h (54 mph), making it capable of tracking fast action. Dual batteries offer up to 28 minutes of flight time and are hot-swappable – meaning they can be changed out without powering down the drone or remote.

RTK and Intelligent Modes

The Inspire 3 is outfitted with Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) positioning technology, which allows the Inspire 3 to achieve centimeter-level accuracy, useful in industries such as architecture and surveying. When enabled, flight is more stable and route planning should be more precise than on the Inspire 2. RTK can be disabled, whereupon the drone will automatically default to GNSS positioning.

An integrated 3-GNSS system (which uses GPS, Galileo, and BeiDou systems) is powered by built-in RTK antennas. By activating the RTK 8 network or setting up a D-RTK 2 Mobile Station, users can achieve highly accurate positioning without mounting additional modules. It also eliminates the need for compass calibration in most scenarios, according to DJI.

The DJI RC Plus remote has a 7-inch, 1,200-nit high-brightness screen.

Waypoint Pro makes its debut with the Inspire 3, unlocking highly customizable route and shot planning. Altitude, speed and gimbal angle can all be pre-determined and repeated with a high degree of consistency. Its Repeatable Routes feature is handy for those who want to record the same scene at different times of day or, for example, document the changing of the seasons (winter, fall, summer) with an identical shot sequence.

The 3D Dolly feature can emulate the motion of a crane, cable cam or dolly, while Spotlight Pro offers single-object recognition and tracking. The latter allows the pilot to focus on flying the drone, while the gimbal camera stays focused on the designated subject at all times.

Obstacle Detection

The Inspire 3 is equipped with nine sensors, allowing for omnidirectional obstacle detection and avoidance. For the first time on any DJI drone, horizontal, upward and downward obstacle sensing can be enabled or disabled for each direction. If disabled, users can still see how far they are from an obstacle on the remote’s display.

O3 Transmission

The Inspire 3’s brand new O3 Pro Transmission gives users a range of up to 15 km (9.3 miles) while operating with one controller, and up to 12 km (7.5 miles) in dual-control mode. That’s about double the range the Inspire 2’s Lightbridge system could muster. With the new tech, pilots can receive a 1080p/60p live feed with a low latency of 90 ms or a higher resolution 4K/30p stream at a reduced range of 5 km.

Two batteries will power the Inspire 3 for up to 28 minutes. They are hot-swappable meaning they can be changed out without powering the drone down.

The DJI RC Plus remote, with a 7-inch 1200-nit screen, is included with the Inspire 3. An internal WB37 battery offers up to 3.3 hours of operating time but is also hot-swappable for a total of 6 hours. Customizable buttons on the back of the remote are available for customization and shortcuts. Enhanced dual-control functionality lets a pilot and a gimbal operator use separate controllers, simultaneously controlling a single Inspire 3 from different places on set.

Additional Features

The case which houses the Inspire 3 has an extendable handle, two side handles,
and four 360-degree-movement wheels. The propellers on the drone are foldable and don’t need to be removed before the drone is put back in its case. A new foldable battery charging hub is also being introduced. It holds up to eight batteries and can charge two batteries to 90% simultaneously in 35 minutes, using fast charge mode, and to 100% in 160 minutes. It can also charge the RC Plus remote.

DJI RC Care Pro

DJI is offering RC Care Pro coverage for the Inspire 3 at an additonal cost. It includes an unlimited number of free repairs for water damage, drop damage, improper use and other related accidents. It promises two free replacement batteries each year, and Flyaway coverage.

A basic combo comes with the following items, pictured above.

The 1-Year Plan is $2,099 and provides up to $12,000 in damages for that year. The DJI Care Pro 2-Year Plan is $3,899 and offers a coverage limit of $24,000 over a two-year period. Full details can be found on DJI’s RC Care Pro site.

Price and Availability

The DJI Inspire 3 package — which includes the aircraft, Zenmuse X9-8K Air Gimbal Camera, RC Plus remote controller, 6 TB51 Intelligent Batteries, Charging Hub, PROSSD 1TB, Trolley Case, 3 sets of Foldable Quick-Release Propellers (Pair), a Lens Carrying Box, RC Plus Strap, and more — will retail for $16,499, and will be available for purchase through DJI and authorized dealers by the end of June, 2023.

The following additional accessories will also be available for purchase:
● DJI DL 18 mm F2.8 ASPH Lens (new!) for $1299
● DJI DL 24/35 mm F2.8 LS ASPH Lens for $1299
● DJI DL 50 mm F2.8 LS ASPH Lens for $1199
● DJI DL Lens ND Filters Set for $349
● CinemaDNG and Apple ProRes RAW License Key for $979 – only available for purchase from DJI
● DJI RC Plus Remote Controller for $1600
● DJI Inspire 3 Foldable Quick-Release Propellers for High Altitude (Pair) for $89
● DJI Inspire 3 Propeller Guard for $349
● DJI TB51 Intelligent Battery for $349
● DJI TB51 Intelligent Battery Charging Hub for $899
● DJI PROSSD 1TB for $799
● D-RTK 2 Mobile Station for $3600
● D-RTK 2 High Precision GNSS Mobile Station – Tripod for $250

All information and specs for the Inspire 3 can be found on DJI’s main site.