DJI has added a new member, the Mavic 3 Classic, to its drone portfolio. In that industry, the news of this leader is always interesting, even if it is not exactly a new model, but a variant of the current DJI Mavic 3.

The Mavic 3 Classic has followed the trend of many electronics companies, and reduced some features or hardware for a low price. A few days ago we saw the Huawei Pocket S foldable smartphone, a variant of the P50 Pocket from the same manufacturer. DJI's innovation is often the same in drones.

The Mavic 3 is the best consumer drone, and with that in mind, it's pretty easy to work on that basis and especially its cameras. The new "classic" version does not mount a second telephoto lens for close-ups, but repeats the Hasselblad L2D-20C main sensor specialized in aerial photography (4/3 24 mm CMOS, with 84 degree field of view, aperture f. / 2.8 and f / 11 ISO range of 100 - 6400 for video and still images) and ensures very good shots.

As for video, it offers multiple recording resolutions and frame rates, 5.1K video up to 50 frames per second and 4K resolution video up to 120 frames per second. Of course, it features DJI's ActiveTrack 5.0 technology to boost tracking capabilities, using GPS, GLONASS and BeiDou satellite signals to improve performance.

This quadcopter has a maximum flight time of 46 minutes (no wind) and a maximum hover time of 40 minutes (no wind). It has a maximum climb speed of 6m/s (P-mode) or 8m/s (high-performance “S” mode) and near sea level, without wind, this drone can achieve a truly impressive maximum flight speed of 21m /s.

The base model's remote controller is familiar from the previous model, but the higher-end version comes with a different and more advanced controller, the DJI RC PRO, which has its own 5.5-inch touchscreen, eliminating the need to use any smartphone for control. It works with an Android version customized by DJI. It has OcuSync 3.0 image transmission technology (1080p 60 fps) capable of operating at a truly impressive 15km length.

In short: very similar to the awesome Mavic 3, but more economical thanks to the "cuts". Budget doesn't mean cheap, and the Mavic 3 Classic is still a top-of-the-range drone at $1,469. And from there, if you buy additional kits with remote control, extra batteries, propeller, car charger or carrying bag.

If you're looking for something cheaper to start with, we recommend the Mini 3 Pro as a direct successor to the DJI Mini 2, which is well-reviewed and delivers a great experience.