Invitations have hit social media for DJI’s next major drone announcement event. The “Explore Vivid” event will take place on November 2, 2022, at 9:00 am and is believed to be when the company will announce the much rumored next model Mavic … the Mavic 3 Classic.
Talk of the eventual release of the Mavic 3 Classic is based on filings with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for what drone watch site DroneDJ calls a “Class II permissive change,” indicating a degradation in the design performance and specs to accommodate a new model.
Image Credit – DJI
The rumor was additionally bolstered by a Twitter post by Drone Watcher OsitaLV on Twitter:
M3Classic, a brand new model for old Mavic 2 Pro users. pic.twitter.com/Ks8VgqucLG
— OsitaLV (@OsitaLV) October 26, 2022
In the application, DJI declares that the overall design of the drone itself will remain the same as the standard Mavic 3 with a few notable exceptions.
Chiefly, a single camera on the multi-axis gimbal will take center stage with DJI rumored to be dropping the telephoto camera option in favor of a stock Hasselblad 20MP Micro four-thirds CMOS sensor and 24mm F/2.8 lens.
While focusing on a single camera option, the Classic will be able to capture 10-bit D-Log HDR video at 5.1K in H.264 or H.265 HEVC with a bit rate of 200 Mbps. The camera will also be able to capture RAW and JPEG stills.
Other speculated features include a few tweaks to the internal components which include the removal of unused circuits and interfaces, and the redesign of the motor speed control components on the circuit board to streamline the overall system performance.
The changes also include some refinements to the software-defined radio (SDR) communication system that will keep the Mavic models in compliance with EU regulations for GPS satellite navigation and communications using the 5170-5250 MHz broadcast band.
The DJI Mavic 3 with a second telephoto camera. Image Credit – DJI
Moreover, since the Mavic 3 was introduced, DJI has continued to develop the design to improve the motor and propeller performance and reduce weight.
Further adjustments to the arms, body and gimbal are believed to make the drone more “pocket friendly,” while improving the drone’s aerodynamic flight envelope.
With the main change of a single-camera design, users are hopeful that DJI will reduce the price of the Mavic 3 Classic.
The dual-camera Mavic 3 model currently retails for $2,049, while the Mavic 3 Cine Premium Combo adds Apple ProRes support for around $5,000. Both models have the second telephoto camera option.
By contrast, the previous generation Mavic 2 with a similar 20MP camera design sold for $1750, but OsitaLV is hopeful that this new Mavic 3 Classic could lure Mavic 2 Pro users with an aggressive price of $1299.
In addition to the rumored Mavic 3 Classic, there’s also talk that DJI may not be done for 2022, with plans to release a lower-cost, non-pro variant of the Mini 3 with no obstacle avoidance system and the same pro model camera.
We’re only days away from finding out just how accurate the rumors are. See you on November 2nd.
[source: DPReview]
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