DJI Mini 3 Is the Perfect First Drone and It’s On Sale

If you are new to drones, welcome to the sky. It is windy up here, sometimes confusing, often addictive, and occasionally full of warnings written in very small text.

The DJI Mini 3 is the kind of drone that gently takes your hand, points at the horizon, and says relax, I got this. Also, I want to state that exactly this drone was my main work drone for two years. So, I know what I’m talking about… and the pics and vids, yes, they are mine.

This weekend the DJI Mini 3 Fly More Combo is about 20 percent off on Amazon, dropping to around $575 from its usual $719.

That discount alone makes it tempting. What makes it special is how friendly it is to new pilots while still being good enough that you will not outgrow it in six months. I know this because it was my main drone for two full years, and I never felt limited by it.

DJI Mini 3 Fly More Combo

• No Registration Needed – Under 249 g, FAA Registration, and Remote ID are not required if you fly for recreational purposes.
• 4K UHD Stunning Imagery- Film in 4K HDR Video for crystal clear aerial shots. With Dual Native ISO Fusion, Mini 3 enables the capture of details in highlights and shadows, both day and night. [3]
• Striking Vertical Videos are Ready to Share – With True Vertical Shooting, you can easily capture tall landmarks like skyscrapers and waterfalls.
• Extended Battery Life – Its flight time can be extended up to 51 minutes with the Intelligent Flight Battery Plus (sold separately), but the aircraft will weigh more than 249 g. Fly More combo offers up to 114 minutes of total flight time.[2]

$575

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Small Drone, Big Confidence

The Mini 3 weighs 248 grams, which is just under the FAA’s 250 gram registration threshold for recreational pilots in the United States.

That means no FAA registration and no Remote ID requirements for hobby use, which removes a big mental speed bump for first time flyers. You can focus on flying and filming instead of paperwork.

Once it is in the air, the Mini 3 feels calm. That is the best word for it. Calm. It handles wind better than it has any right to for such a small drone, and the three axis gimbal keeps footage smooth even when your hands are still learning the language of the sticks.

You do not need pilot instincts or muscle memory. You need a charged battery and a little curiosity.

The camera shoots sharp 4K video with pleasing colors and solid dynamic range for its class. Shadows hold detail, highlights behave themselves, and the footage looks good straight out of the drone. This matters when you are new, because you probably want to spend more time flying than color grading.

Vertical Video Without the Cropping Headache

One of my favorite things about the Mini 3 is something DJI did very right and very quietly. The gimbal rotates. Physically. That means you can shoot true vertical 4K video without cropping, without losing field of view, and without doing editing gymnastics later.

If you post to TikTok, Instagram Reels, or YouTube Shorts, this is huge. Most drones fake vertical video by chopping a horizontal image in half. The Mini 3 simply turns its head and records the scene properly. The result looks cleaner, wider, and more intentional. It feels like the drone understands how the internet works.

For new droners, this is a confidence booster. You fly, you hit record, you post. No extra steps. No second guessing. Just vertical footage that looks like it was meant to be vertical.

Flight Time That Actually Lets You Relax

The Fly More Combo is the smart buy here. You get multiple batteries, a charging hub, and the freedom to fly without watching the battery percentage like a nervous stock trader. Each battery gives you roughly 35 to 38 minutes in ideal conditions, which is generous for a drone this size.

More importantly, having several batteries changes how you fly. You experiment more. You try that shot again. You fly a little farther. The Mini 3 can transmit HD video up to about 10 kilometers in perfect conditions, though you should always stay within visual line of sight and follow local rules.

The point is not how far it can go, but how stable and clear the connection feels while you are learning.

The motors are rated to handle high altitude environments up to around 4,000 meters above sea level, which makes it a solid option for mountain trips, travel, and places where the air is thinner and drones usually complain.

DroneXL’s Take

The DJI Mini 3 is one of those rare drones that does exactly what it promises and nothing annoying on the side. It is light, capable, forgiving, and genuinely fun. For new pilots, it removes friction. For experienced pilots, it remains useful long after the learning phase is over.

The rotating gimbal alone makes it stand out in a world obsessed with vertical video, and the Fly More Combo turns it into a stress free flying experience instead of a battery juggling act. I trusted this drone for two years as my main flyer, and it never felt like a compromise.

If you are thinking about getting your first drone, or a travel drone that does not feel like a toy, the Mini 3 is still one of DJI’s smartest designs. On sale, it is even harder to ignore.

Photo credit: Rafael Suarez, DJI.

Last update on 2026-02-09 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API