DJI Releases 8K Cinematic Drone Designed to Replace Traditional Movie-Making Gear

DJI, a Chinese technology company, has announced the release of the latest addition to their line of drones, the Inspire 3, which is aimed at professional filmmakers and well-funded content creators. The new model comes almost seven years after the debut of the original DJI drone in late 2014, and it promises to offer some significant upgrades compared to its predecessors.

One of the most notable improvements is the 8K video capture capability of the Inspire 3 through its gimballed camera with a full-frame sensor. This feature is a significant upgrade from the previous version, the Inspire 2, which had two micro four-thirds cameras and the ability to capture footage at 5.2K resolutions. With the new Inspire 3, filmmakers can now capture full-frame 8K video at up to 75fps when recording to the Apple ProRes RAW format. Additionally, the camera can record at up to 120fps for full-frame 4K videos, which is a significant advantage for post-production work.

The Inspire 3’s full-frame Zenmuse X9-8K Air Gimbal Camera can capture footage at 8K/25fps to the CinemaDNG format, which is ideal for high-quality color grading, or at a higher frame rate of 8K/75fps when capturing to the Apple ProRes RAW format. The camera can also be upgraded with several lenses, including an ultra-wide 18mm F2.8 lens, a 24 or 35mm F2.8 lens, a 50mm F2.8 lens, and an upcoming new telephoto lens made explicitly for 8K aerial cinematography, although DJI hasn’t announced pricing for this lens yet.

Another notable feature of the Inspire 3 is the “all-new 161° FOV ultra wide-angle FPV lens with a 1/1.8-inch night-vision sensor” that provides a 1080p/60fps live video stream to either a pair of FPV goggles or the included DJI RC Plus remote, which has an integrated seven-inch LCD screen. The drone can also be controlled remotely, with the O3 Pro Transmission system offering a wireless transmission range of up to 15km for a single operator. An optional dual-control mode allows for a pilot to control the drone while a camera technician operates the camera gimbal from another nearby location, reducing the range to up to 12km.

The Inspire 3 has a top speed of 58mph, which is slower than the Inspire 2’s top speed of 67mph. However, the Inspire 3 can capture dynamic soaring footage, whether a pilot is at the controls or the aircraft is following a pre-programmed route, allowing for easily recording multiple takes on set. The drone can also mimic the movements of a camera attached to a crane, a cable system, or even a dolly on the ground, without the need for the bulky equipment setup, as long as the scene doesn’t need sound captured.

The Inspire 3 uses a 1TB DJI PROSSD with integrated heatsinks that allow for write and read speeds of up to 1,100 MBps and 900 MBps, respectively, which is an upgrade from the microSD cards that other drones, such as the DJI Avata, use to capture footage. The SSD slots into a bay on the back of the drone and can be directly connected to a computer using a standard USB-C cable.

The new Inspire 3 is an expensive drone, with a price tag of $16,499. However, this price includes six rechargeable batteries, a 1TB SSD, the DJI RC Plus remote controller, and a rolling carrying case to transport