DJI Mini 3 Pro

considering buying this for video and images sales, if anyone has one feedback would be great, my main concern is the fixed f1.7 aperture which general is a weak part of any lens when it comes to quality as f8 is usually optimum , this drone appeals as its less than 250g and i can fly it in Britain with few restrictions and in Europe as well, if anyone can drop a link of their images and or video it would b great ... thanks

Check out my aerial shots on my account, all taken with the Mini 3 Pro.

F8 isn't always optimum, it just depends on the lens. As the M3P is a fixed aperture then it'll be built to be high quality at the fixed value. You only get lower quality wide open on normal lenses because they're built to be at their optimum for as much of the range as possible, which won't be at the extreme on either end.

For stock work the M3P is perfectly good enough, and in good light actually very impressive. Besides, for most stuff in the UK, it's the only option we have due to the rules. I'd also suggest only the Pro, not the newer Mini 3. Also shoot with 10-bit Cinelike profile, as Normal usually over-saturates and gives too much contrast, and then you're stuck with that with little room for adjustment in post. !0-bit Cinelike is impressive. I've even sold several night shots using that drone, as long as you're careful with adjustments and know how to best deal with noise.

Hi GS thanks for your reply, I have not colour graded video before which software do you use, and is it a case of saturation and contrast to improve the video from literally a raw video ?? , and which nd filter would you recommend to get the shutter speed down ?? Thanks David will look at your footage

You're welcome David.

I use DaVinci Resolve, the studio (paid) version. The free version is still excellent and will allow you to do most colour grading up to 4K resolution. However, you won't be able to do any noise reduction with the free version. You may be able to get away with that, depending how much of a perfectionist you are. There is an option I THINK on the drone to increase the level of noise reduction baked into the video, but you'll have to check (I maybe confusing it with my action camera) Is there is such an option you could use that instead. I don't know anything about other video editors I'm afraid so can't give a comparison. Maybe someone else with more experience can give their thoughts. You could get away with using the drone in Normal mode though, I'm sure a lot of people do. I found it too saturated and contrasty and it leaves me with blown out highlights, but you may not mind that. I'm just a bit of a fuss pot with these things.

As for ND filters, most people seem to go for the Freeview pack of 6 daylight filters. That's what I have, but to be honest I barely use any but the ND8 or ND16. The benefit of having an ND filter, natural looking motion blur, isn't usually an issue with a drone as the ground movement is very slow anyway. If you were planning on doing low flights, like I have some over the sea, then an ND filter would be worthwhile to get a nicer sense of movement. If I was buying new now, I'd go for an ND8 and ND16 and leave it at that. The most you'll ever likely want is ND32 in UK weather.

Mostly when it's daylight I stick with the ND8, set the ISO to 100 and leave the shutter speed on auto. Seem to work out well for me.

Thanks for your reply GS your video work is very impressive, will try the free version of davinci first I think, I guess i need the full range of filters as i will be operating in turkey as well as the uk, lastly I am confused by licences, lots of different opinions, will i need a flyer id and or an operators licence ? , and as for insurance do you think it's worthwhile and which is the best option? Thanks David

Thanks for the compliment David. :)

I have no idea about Turkey, but in the UK you only need an Operator ID. You have to get it printed on a label and attach it to your drone. You don't need a Flyer ID for a sub-250g drone but personally I have it as it's just a simple test.

Insurance - I suggest you get liability insurance (as I posted on another thread of yours, joining FPVUK maybe the cheapest and best option for that). I also have damage insurance, which costs quite a bit, but as a new drone user I'd recommend it. I've had my drone since November 2022 and have had several near misses with trees and the ground! So I think it's worth paying for (Coverdrone is often said to be the best and that's who I found to be the cheapest). What I have understood from others and I think this is probably accurate, you do not need commercial insurance unless you're taking money up front and flying to fulfil a contract. Taking footage then using it as stock is PROBABLY not considered commercial, but don't take that as legal advice.

Ok Thanks very much for the info much appreciated, flying in turkey is ok unless you are near any military stuff I am in Bodrum so no problem there Cheers David

I spoke to Coverdrone. They definitely consider shooting for stock as commercial - and monetised YouTube channels - no problem though - just take out their commercial public liability - it's cheap enough.

@Videostock50: They would say that as it's more money for them. When I checked, If I remember correctly, commercial insurance was several hundred pounds, which is a lot to me. Some drone "experts" disagree, as do I. Commercial means taking money and doing a job because you've been paid to do so. That is not what you're doing for stock, and even less so for a monetised Youtube channel.

According to a Youtuber who's a drone expert, the CAA used to mention this on their website and it clarified where they stood on this, and Youtube/stock was not considered commercial. They no longer make that clear though on their updated information.

If I was asked to take drone video for someone and they either paid me up front or we had a contract that included later payment, that would clearly be commercial and I'd be forced to take commercial insurance then. Otherwise I won't fork out that money for no reason.

So I think the best thing is to make your own decision on this, whatever you're comfortable with, as different people are giving conflicting advice.