DJI Announces Inspire 3 Cinema Drone

by DRONELIFE Staff Writer Ian M. Crosby

Today, drone and camera technology leader DJI announced the DJI Inspire 3, a full-frame 8K cinema drone designed for top-level movie productions. Its integrated design features a 161° ultra-wide FOV night-vision FPV and the O3 Pro transmission and control system. DJI’s first and only cinema-grade drone, the Inspire 3 supports both RTK-powered Waypoint Pro and omnidirectional sensing to conduct safer and more accurate flight missions.

“The Inspire 3 is the professional-level aerial platform all filmmakers have been waiting for,” said DJI Creative Director Ferdinand Wolf. “It empowers users to fully maximize the potential of any shot as they can record in cinematic-grade image quality previously only available with large and clunky camera systems. We are looking forward to seeing how the Inspire 3 will push aerial cinematography to a completely new level.”

The fully redesigned Inspire 3 features a compact, robust airframe integrated with an FPV camera, visual sensors, positioning antennas, and storage card slot. The model supports the newly added Tilt Boost and 360° Pan structures. Upon lowering the landing gear, the gimbal enables obstruction-free 80° upward-angle shooting. The new hot-swappable TB51 intelligent dual batteries grant up to 28 minutes of flight time. Its propulsion system provides a flight speed of up to 94km/h, 8m/s ascent and descent speed and dive speed up to 10m/s.

Inspire 3 Features

The Inspire 3 utilizes the lightest ever full-frame Zenmuse X9-8K Air Gimbal Camera, featuring DJI’s CineCore 3.0, supporting internal recording of up to 8K/25fps CinemaDNG video as well as 8K/75fps Apple ProRes RAW video. In S&Q mode, X9-8K Air supports internal recording of up to full-frame 4K/120fps ProRes RAW video without cropping, enabling greater creative editing options.

The X9-8K Air supports dual native ISO, offering EI 800/4000 at full-frame 30fps and below, and EI 320/1600 at above 30fps. It covers over 14 stops of dynamic range, with high dynamic range allowing greater possibilities for post-editing. The X9-8K Air is compatible with an additional 18 mm F2.8 full-frame ultra-wide lens and a new telephoto lens specially made for 8K aerial cinematography, as well as full-frame 24, 35 and 50mm lenses. With the DJI Cinema Color System (DCCS), the X9-8K Air is able to retain authentic colors and offer seamless color matching between X9-8K Air and ground-based cinema cameras like the DJI Ronin 4D.

The included DJI PROSSD 1TB offers up to 1100MBps write speed and up to 900MBps read speed and can be connected directly to a computer via USB-C cable for easy file sharing and seamless workflows.

Inspire 3 leverages high-precision RTK positioning technology for more stable flights and more precise flight-route planning. The integrated 3 GNSS System (GPS + Galileo + BeiDou) guarantees accurate flight maneuvers even in challenging environments. Activating the RTK network or setting up a D-RTK 2 Mobile Station provides users with precise positioning and internal orientation without the need for additional modules or compass calibration.

The Inspire 3 features nine visual sensors for advanced omnidirectional obstacle sensing. Horizontal, upward, and downward obstacle sensing can each be enabled or disabled independently, and an obstacle alert range can be set manually for different scenarios. With active avoidance off, users can still view the distance from an obstacle on the navigation display in real-time and receive an audio alert when an obstacle is within a set range without the aircraft performing an automatic maneuver.

 

The Inspire 3’s 161° FOV ultra wide-angle FPV lens features a 1/1.8-inch  night-vision sensor with 3μm pixel size and up to 1080p/60fps live feed for a stable, ultra-low latency view of 90 ms for situational awareness and improved flight safety. The model’s new O3 Pro Transmission supports a transmission range of up to 15 km with one controller and up to 12 km in dual-control mode. The 4K/30fps live feeds are also supported with a reduced 5km transmission range, meeting the demand for an ultra-HD output and livestreaming on set. The dual-control mode allows two remote controllers to receive transmission and control links from the drone independently, enabling the pilot and gimbal operator to remain at different locations.

The Inspire 3 comes with the DJI RC Plus with a 7-inch 1,200-nit high-brightness screen. The internal battery offers up to 3.3 hours operation time, extending to 6 hours with an external hot-swappable WB37 battery. The device also features an HDMI out port and customizable buttons and dials on the front, back, and top. The DJI Pilot 2 app grants users a fast startup time and intuitive user interface with easily accessible functions.

Inspire 3 also features Timesync Support through a 3.5mm jack for high-precision control on set. The device can be paired with one RC Plus and one High-Bright Remote Monitor. The monitor serves as a link to the DJI Pro Ecosystem, supporting products like the DJI 4D Hand Grips and DJI Master Wheels. The DJI Three-Channel Follow Focus can also be connected to the RC Plus, allowing for Remote Focus and Iris Control on the Zenmuse X9-Air camera.

DJI Care Pro is also available for DJI Inspire 3, offering total protection for accidental damage with unlimited free repairs within the coverage limit, as well as two free replacements for new batteries each year and Flyaway coverage.

Priced at $16,499, DJI Inspire 3 will be available for purchase from store.dji.com and from authorized retail partners by the end of June. The bundle comes with the DJI Inspire 3 Aircraft, Zenmuse X9-8K Air Gimbal Camera, RC Plus remote controller, 6x TB51 Intelligent Battery, Charging Hub, PROSSD 1TB, Trolley Case, 3x Foldable Quick-Release Propellers (Pair), Lens Carrying Box, RC Plus Strap, and more.

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Ian attended Dominican University of California, where he received a BA in English in 2019. With a lifelong passion for writing and storytelling and a keen interest in technology, he is now contributing to DroneLife as a staff writer.