Camera
Fujifilm creates GFX 100S II, $5000 compact medium format camera
Photo: Fujifilm |
Fujifilm has announced the GFX 100S II, a faster version of its $5000 GFX model with a nicer viewfinder, subject recognition AF, pixel shift high-res mode, enhanced video capture tools and uprated image stabilization.
Fujifilm says the sensor isn’t the higher-speed chip included in the more expensive GFX 100II, but it’s still been able to squeeze up to 7fps shooting out of the S II, compared with 5fps from its predecessor. Image stabilization is now rated as giving 8.0EV of correction, rather than the 6.0 of the original 100S.
And, while it doesn’t have the removable, 9.44M dot viewfinder of the GFX 100II, it gains a 5.76M dot viewfinder, a major improvement from the 3.69M dot panel of the 100S. The viewfinder is also larger, with 0.84x magnification, rather than 0.77x in the previous version. It also refreshes faster and can operate at up to 120hz.
Photo: Fujifilm |
Like the existing GFX 100S, the 100S II can shoot 4K video (UHS or DCI) at up to 30p, but its 10-bit 4:2:2 options now extend the maximum quality up to 720mbps. It can also output Apple ProRes 422 footage over its USB-C port to an external SSD.
Beyond this the camera’s video support tools are significantly enhanced, with tap-to-track autofocus in video mode, waveform and vectorscope displays and the newer F-Log2 profile. It’s also compatible with Atomos’ AirGlu BT Bluetooth timecode syncing system and can output a data stream over its HDMI socket that can be encoded as ProRes RAW or Blackmagic Raw with the appropriate Atomos or Blackmagic external recorder.
As well as subject recognition AF, the GFX 100S II gains the Reala ACE Film Simulation and camera-to-cloud function that allows direct upload of stills and video to Adobe’s Frame.io collaboration and sharing platform.
Vs GFX 100II
Compared with the more expensive GFX 100II, it lacks the nicer viewfinder and the ability to remove it and mount it on an articulating cradle. It also uses a smaller battery and SD cards, lacks an Ethernet port and full-sized HDMI socket, can’t be paired with a battery grip or fan unit and tops-out one frame per second slower. In return, the GFX 100S II is around $2500 less expensive.
The GFX 100S II inherits the grippier ‘bishamon tex’ pattern on its rubber surfaces, bringing it into line with the 100II. At 883g (oz), it’s a fraction lighter than the GFX 100S.
The GFX 100S II will be available from June at a price of $4999.95.
Lightweight, High Speed: Fujifilm Introduces FUJIFILM GFX100S II Mirrorless Digital Camera
All the Power of the GFX System in a Small, Light Body Designed for Image Makers
VALHALLA, N.Y., May 16, 2024 – FUJIFILM North America Corporation, Electronic Imaging Division, today announces the latest addition to its GFX System mirrorless digital camera lineup, FUJIFILM GFX100S II (GFX100S II). This new camera harnesses the image quality and key functionality from the larger GFX100 II mirrorless digital camera, in a smaller, lighter GFX System body designed for image makers who want to expand their system and/or are seeking an entry point into large format photography.
“Our GFX System continues to revolutionize ultra-high-resolution, large format image making by taking it out of specialist studio environments and putting into the hands of passionate creatives across all genres, styles and applications,” said Victor Ha, vice president, Electronic Imaging Division and Optical Devices Division, FUJIFILM North America Corporation. “GFX100S II is the natural next step in the evolution of the product line that specifically caters to the needs of photographers who have wanted additional autofocus performance and responsiveness from their GFX100S cameras. We feel we’ve really delivered in that regard and done so in a way that allows it to keep its compact form factor, which means it can make an appearance in almost any creative setting.”
GFX100S II is equipped with a new, high-performance GFX 102MP CMOS II large format sensor1 approximately 1.7 times larger than a 35mm full-frame sensor, and paired with Fujifilm’s latest high- speed image processing engine, X-Processor 5, all housed within a compact body and weighing approximately 883 grams (31 ounces)2, making it the lightest digital camera in the GFX System.
GFX100S II offers rich tonal expression and three-dimensional rendering capabilities, made possible by the unique characteristics of the large format sensor, with AI-based subject detection. It features fast and highly precise autofocus (AF) and continuous shooting speed of up to 7.0 frames per second3. The in-body image stabilization (IBIS) function achieves a maximum of eight-stop4 five-axis performance, the best in the GFX System. In terms of video performance, users can create vibrant and smooth 4K/30P videos, allowing for high-quality video production as well.
Main Features
Large format sensor with 102MP
- Improvement to the pixel structure in GFX100S II’s newly developed 102MP large format sensor has boosted the new sensor’s saturated electrons, enabling the use of ISO 80 as a standard sensitivity. At this setting and when shooting in 16-bit RAW, the camera can create images at greater dynamic range and with lower noise than with the previous GFX model.
- The new sensor’s micro lenses provide light use efficiency at the sensor’s edges. GFX100S II is equipped with a total of 20 Film Simulation modes, including REALA ACE mode, which combines faithful color reproduction and well-defined tonal expression.
- GFX100S II also includes the “Pixel Shift Multi-Shot” feature, which controls the in-body image stabilization function to shift the image sensor while creating photos. By creating a 16-shot RAW file, shifting the image sensor by 0.5 pixels for each shot, and using the dedicated software, “Pixel Shift Combiner”, to combine the 16 RAW files, it is possible to generate an image with approximately 400 million pixels. Additionally, the “Real Color” mode, which captures 4 RAW files with a one-pixel shift for each image, can generate images with a resolution of 102 million pixels while suppressing false colors, in only one-fourth of the imaging time and data volume compared to the previous GFX model.
Powerful IBIS mechanism in a compact body
- The IBIS unit combined with gyro and acceleration sensors are designed to accurately depict even the slightest movement, along with the use of image information to detect shake and improve correction precision when creating an image. The camera’s IBIS mechanism also includes up to 8-stops of 5-axis stabilization performance, allowing creators who are working handheld to reliably, confidently, and comfortably create images even in low-light scenes without a tripod.
- The camera has a height of approximately 104mm (4 inches) and a depth of approximately 87mm (3.4 inches), similar to previous GFX System models.
- The body of GFX100S II incorporates Fujifilm’s BISHAMON-TEX textured exterior, designed to provide comfort and grip when holding the camera.
Evolved high-speed, high precision autofocus (AF) and continuous shooting performance
- In addition to the evolved face and eye AF achieved through algorithm advancements, GFX100S II is equipped with AI based subject detection AF, developed with deep learning technology. It can detect animals, birds, cars, motorcycles, bicycles, airplanes, trains, insects, and drones5, and it features an improved AF predictive algorithm compared to previous GFX System models, enabling it to handle high-speed motion tracking situations effectively.
- With the new development of the 102 MP high-speed sensor and an exceptionally high readout speed along with a newly developed shutter drive, it achieves a continuous shooting performance of 7.0 frames per second.
- GFX100S II is equipped with a high-magnification, high-resolution electronic viewfinder (EVF) with a magnification of 0.84x and 5.76 million dots that is designed to suppress image distortion and flow caused by shifts in the position of the eye.
4K/30P video recording capability
- With the new sensor in GFX100S II, the standard ISO100 is available in video mode to deliver even higher image quality in video footage than on previous GFX System models.
- GFX100S II is equipped with a tracking AF function during video recording. When using AF-C + Wide/Tracking AF, the user can easily track the intended subject, even in situations where multiple subjects are present.
- The camera offers 4K video recording at 30 frames per second and is capable of recording in 4K/30P 4:2:2 10-bit on a compatible SD Memory Card (sold separately). GFX100S II is offers compatible recording using Apple ProResTM by connecting an external SSD via a USB Type C cable.6
- GFX100S II is equipped with “F-Log2,” which offers a wide dynamic range of 13+ stops for recording, allowing for increased optimal flexibility in post-production, and it has the capability to record and output different video formats using different recording media and HDMI output. For example, users can record using “F-log2” onto any compatible recording media, while also simultaneously monitoring video via HDMI with any Film Simulation mode applied. This makes it easy to apply creative looks on set, but still retain flexibility for almost any post-production color workflow.
- GFX100S II offers an accessory-free, native Camera to Cloud integration for Adobe’s Frame.io, which allows users to wirelessly connect any GFX100S III to an active internet connection, authenticate it to Frame.io, and automatically upload photos and videos just moments after they are created. This can drastically reduce the amount of time needed to reach the end of any post- production workflow. GFX100S II is the latest GFX System camera to integrate Frame.io’s Camera to Cloud technology, joining GFX100 II in offering the capability.
Optional accessories
Hand grip (MHG-GFX S)
This metal hand grip is designed to enhance grip and stability when image making with larger telephoto lenses and offers optimal convenience when using a tripod.
Pricing and Availability
FUJIFILM GFX100S II is expected to be available in June 2024 at a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price of $4,995.95 USD ($6,749.99 CAD). The MHG-GFX S hand grip is available at a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price of $149.99 USD ($195 CAD).
For more information, please visit https://fujifilm-x.com/en-us/products/cameras/gfx100s-ii/.
Additional News:
Membership in C2PA7 and CAI8 and efforts to develop a system to provide context and history for digital media In recent years, it has become an important global objective to work to rebuild trust online by proving the authenticity of photographs, videos and other online content. To further this effort and enable creative and business activities to continue to flourish, Fujifilm has joined two organizations, the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA) and the Content Authenticity Initiative (CAI). Fujifilm is collaborating with these organizations in their efforts to ensure that the originator of digital content can be verified online through Content Credentials.9 Through its association with C2PA and CAI, Fujifilm will assist efforts to develop a system to provide context and history of digital content by providing valuable information, such as the origin and record of content, to the digital file. Fujifilm is committed to ultimately applying this verification solution to its GFX and X series line-up10.
1 The new sensor has a diagonal length of 55mm (43.8mm in width x 32.9mm in height) which has approximately 1.7 times the area of a 35mm format sensor.
2 Including the battery and the user’s memory card.
3 When using the mechanical shutter
4 At CIPA standard compliant in pitch/yaw directions, with the FUJINON GF63mmF2.8 R WR lens mounted.
5 The ”Bird” Subject Detection setting is used to detect insects and the “Airplane” setting is used to detect drones.
6 Certain recording modes of the GFX100S II may not be fully compatible with certain types of SSDs. Consult https://fujifilm- x.com/en-us/support/compatibility/cameras/list-of-supported-memory-cards/ for a list of confirmed compatible SSDs.
7 An open, technical standards body addressing the prevalence of misleading information online through the development of technical standards for certifying the source and history (or provenance) of digital content. C2PA is a Joint Development Foundation project that publishes Content Credentials, the digital content verification system and standard.
8 A global community of media and tech companies, NGOs, academics, and others working to promote adoption of an open industry standard for content authenticity and provenance – called Content Credentials.
9 Content Credentials is essentially an “ingredient statement” for digital content that is designed to attach secure tamper-evident metadata to digital content, which can include important information such as the creator’s name, the date an image was created, what tools were used to create an image and any edits that were made along the way.
10 Scheduled to be deployed as needed through firmware updates. (Deployment schedule to be determined).
Fujifilm GFX 100S II specifications
Price | |
---|---|
MSRP | $4999 |
Body type | |
Body type | SLR-style mirrorless |
Body material | Magnesium alloy |
Sensor | |
Max resolution | 11648 x 8736 |
Image ratio w:h | 1:1, 5:4, 4:3, 3:2, 16:9 |
Effective pixels | 102 megapixels |
Sensor size | Medium format (44 x 33 mm) |
Sensor type | BSI-CMOS |
Processor | X-Processor 5 |
Color space | sRGB, Adobe RGB |
Color filter array | Primary color filter |
Image | |
ISO | Auto, 100-12800 (expands to 50-102400) |
Boosted ISO (minimum) | 40 |
Boosted ISO (maximum) | 102400 |
White balance presets | 7 |
Custom white balance | Yes (3 slots) |
Image stabilization | Sensor-shift |
CIPA image stabilization rating | 8 stop(s) |
Uncompressed format | RAW + TIFF |
JPEG quality levels | Super fine, fine, normal |
File format |
|
Optics & Focus | |
Autofocus |
|
Autofocus assist lamp | Yes |
Manual focus | Yes |
Number of focus points | 425 |
Lens mount | Fujifilm G |
Focal length multiplier | 0.79× |
Screen / viewfinder | |
Articulated LCD | Tilting |
Screen size | 3.2″ |
Screen dots | 2,360,000 |
Touch screen | Yes |
Screen type | TFT LCD |
Live view | Yes |
Viewfinder type | Electronic |
Viewfinder coverage | 100% |
Viewfinder magnification | 0.84× (1.06× 35mm equiv.) |
Viewfinder resolution | 5,760,000 |
Photography features | |
Minimum shutter speed | 30 sec |
Maximum shutter speed | 1/4000 sec |
Maximum shutter speed (electronic) | 1/32000 sec |
Exposure modes |
|
Built-in flash | No |
External flash | Yes (via hot shoe or flash sync port) |
Flash X sync speed | 1/250 sec |
Continuous drive | 7.0 fps |
Self-timer | Yes |
Metering modes |
|
Exposure compensation | ±5 (at 1/3 EV steps) |
AE Bracketing | ±5 (2, 3, 5, 7 frames at 1/3 EV, 2/3 EV, 1 EV, 2 EV steps) |
WB Bracketing | Yes |
Videography features | |
Format | MPEG-4, H.264, H.265 |
Microphone | Stereo |
Speaker | Mono |
Storage | |
Storage types | 2x SD UHS-II |
Connectivity | |
USB |
USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 GBit/sec) |
USB charging | Yes |
HDMI | Yes (Micro (Type D)) |
Microphone port | Yes |
Headphone port | Yes |
Wireless | Built-In |
Wireless notes | 802.11 b/g/n + Bluetooth |
Remote control | Yes |
Physical | |
Environmentally sealed | Yes |
Battery | Battery Pack |
Battery description | NP-W235 lithium-ion battery & charger |
Battery Life (CIPA) | 530 |
Weight (inc. batteries) | 883 g (1.95 lb / 31.15 oz) |
Dimensions | 150 x 104 x 87 mm (5.91 x 4.09 x 3.43″) |
Other features | |
Orientation sensor | Yes |
Timelapse recording | Yes |
GPS | None |
Camera
Adobe Max Roundup: the demos
Photo: Mitchell Clark |
This year we attended Adobe Max in person, where we got to demo several of the new features in Photoshop, Lightroom, and Adobe Camera Raw. If you missed the announcement, you can read our coverage of it here, though we’ll be covering the hits here.
We documented the demos on our Instagram, but in case you missed it, we’re rounding them up here. We were also able to interview some folks at Adobe while at the show, so stay tuned for more on the future of Photoshop, Lightroom, and other Adobe projects like Content Credentials.
Adobe Camera Raw Adaptive profile
Adobe has added a new profile to Adobe Camera Raw, called Adaptive. It uses AI to analyze what’s in the scene, and adjust exposure, tones, saturation, and other parameters automatically, potentially giving you a better starting point for your own edits. It’s also designed to work with HDR images and produces both HDR and SDR profiles, making it even more useful for those who aren’t used to editing for HDR displays yet.
Since it’s substantially more opinionated than other profiles like Adobe Color or Adobe Landscape, there’s also an amount slider that lets you tone down or turn up the results.
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Photoshop automatic distraction removal
Perhaps one of the niftiest features Adobe added to Photoshop is the automatic distraction removal tool. It analyzes your photo for cables, wires, or people that may be in the way of your subject, then automatically fills in the areas they took up.
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Lightroom Quick Actions
Lightroom’s new Quick Actions, available on Mobile and Web, will automatically mask parts of your image like subjects, backgrounds, and skies, and let you make adjustments to them.
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Lightroom Frame.io integration
Frame.io is now built into Lightroom, letting you access images uploaded to the cloud service. Combine that with Frame.io’s Camera To Cloud feature, available on some Fujifilm, Panasonic, Nikon, Canon, and Leica cameras, and you can take pictures on your camera then watch them appear wirelessly in Lightroom.
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Content Credentials
Adobe’s Content Credentials system is part of a larger industry-wide initiative to help prove what content on the web is authentic, and to keep track of what edits have been made to it. While at Max, we got to take a look at the Chrome extension meant to surface the credentials attached to images on social media and other sites, as well as the closed beta site that lets you attach content credentials to your own images, and view what credentials are attached to existing images.
We got to sit down with one of the senior directors of the Content Authenticity Initiative at Adobe while at the conference, so expect a more thorough check-in of the technology to come.
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Generative Extend in Premiere Pro
Photoshop has had several generative AI features in beta for a while now, but now Adobe has introduced one for its Premiere video editing software. It lets you extend a clip by up to two seconds, helping you fill in gaps, transitions, or slightly flubbed takes with imagery generated by Adobe’s Firefly model.
According to Meagan Keane, Principal Product Marketing Manager for Adobe Pro Video, the idea came from asking customers what some of their biggest editing pain points were. The Pro Video team was then able to take that to the research team, and the result is Generative Extend.
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Camera
On this day in 2014: The Panasonic GH4, which brought 4K to the masses, reviewed
Photo: DPReview staff |
As part of DPReview’s 25th anniversary celebration, we’re looking back at some of the more significant cameras to come along over the past 25 years, and today, we’re highlighting the camera that led the 4K revolution in consumer cameras: the Panasonic GH4. Officially announced in early 2014, we published our GH4 review on October 16, 2014 – ten years ago today.
We’ve all become so used to 4K video that it no longer registers as unique. It’s found on virtually every mirrorless camera made today, smartphones, action cameras, miniature gimbal cameras, webcams, security cameras, and even those wacky $100 ‘pro’ video cameras you see on Amazon and wonder who buys them.
But, of course, it wasn’t always that way, and we have the GH4 – the first mirrorless camera to capture 4K video internally – to thank for opening the metaphorical floodgates and ushering in the 4K era.
I had a personal interest in the GH4: as someone who had adopted the GH line early on for video projects, I was as curious as anyone to know how it stacked up. Although I was on staff at DPReview, I wasn’t involved in writing the GH4 review and probably read it with as much anticipation as anyone else.
Photo: DPReview staff |
It’s worth remembering that the GH4 was a hybrid camera designed to appeal to both stills and video shooters, and it had features to appeal to those who wanted to do both. Like the GH3, the camera was built around a 16MP sensor, but it supported 12fps burst shooting (7.5fps with focus tracking), a 1/8000 shutter speed and 1/250th flash sync. It even had a rather lovely 2.36M-dot OLED viewfinder.
But realistically, nobody was buying a GH4 just to shoot stills. You bought it because you wanted a solid video camera that could shoot stills when needed.
“Realistically, nobody was buying a GH4 just to shoot stills.”
The GH4 could capture 4K video at up to UHD 4K/30p (3840×2160) or DCI 4K/24p (4096×2160) internally and supported both Long GOP and All-I codecs at bit rates up to 200Mbps. Although we take bit rates like this for granted today, this was very high at the time. The camera also produced pleasing 1080p video, though as we called out in our review, its HD video wasn’t as good as the perfectly oversampled 1080p video from the Sony a7s.
Despite the impressive specs and beautiful video to match, we had some nitpicks. To start, 4K video captured internally only had 8-bit 4:2:0 color, providing less flexibility for color grading in post. (10-bit 4:2:2 color was supported, but only when recording externally.) Additionally, the GH4’s sensor was 4608 pixels wide, requiring the camera to use a smaller, native crop of the sensor when shooting 4K. This resulted in a 1.1x crop for DCI 4K and a 1.2x crop for UHD 4K.
Equally as crucial as its video specs, the GH4 illustrated Panasonic’s commitment to supporting a professional video workflow.
The camera included several now-common tools to improve the video shooting experience, including focus peaking, two zebra settings, control over Master Pedestal (black level) and luminance scale, and a ‘cinema-like’ gamma preset. It also allowed users to set the shutter speed and ISO as shutter angle and gain and could generate color bars for calibration. It was also possible to switch between capture frequencies, meaning the camera could support NTSC, PAL, and true 24fps cinema standards.
“Equally as crucial as its video specs, the GH4 illustrated Panasonic’s commitment to supporting a professional video workflow.”
Alongside the camera, Panasonic released the optional DMW-YAGH interface unit. This $1999 accessory unit added two XLR inputs for audio, an SDI input for timecode, four 3D-SDI connectors capable of outputting 4:2:2 10-bit video and a 12V DC power socket. The unit attached to the bottom of the GH4 and felt oversized relative to the camera. Beginning with the GH5, the interface unit was phased out in favor of the DMW-XLR1, a much more affordable option in the style of the hotshoe-mounted XLR adapter we’ve become accustomed to today.
The GH4 was also the camera Panasonic used to debut its newest autofocus technology: Depth-from-Defocus, or DFD. DFD attempted to build a depth map of a scene by making tiny focus adjustments and analyzing changes in the image. With an understanding of the out-of-focus characteristics of a particular lens, the camera could build a depth map of the scene.
The optional DMW-YAGH ‘Interface Unit’ provided a more extensive selection of video industry connectors for using the GH4 as part of a high-end video rig. |
However promising the technology may have been, DFD never quite met expectations. Panasonic really wanted to make it work, and it’s possible that, given fast enough sampling and processing, it might have continued to improve. Unfortunately for Panasonic, cameras using phase-detect autofocus consistently provided a better AF experience, particularly when shooting video, and the company eventually made the jump to phase-detection with the Lumix S5II in 2023, finally arriving in the GH series on the GH7 in 2024.
In our review of the GH4, we found a lot to like and a few frustrations. For example, despite having an autoexposure compensation dial, the camera didn’t allow you to use it when using Auto ISO in manual exposure mode, and there was no Auto ISO option when shooting video in M mode. Overall, though, we were mighty impressed and saved our biggest praise for the camera’s video capabilities:
“The GH4 was also the camera Panasonic used to debut its newest autofocus technology: Depth-from-Defocus, or DFD.”
“It’s in terms of video that the GH4 really stands out. It produces some of the best video we’ve yet seen – losing out only to the Sony a7S’s moiré-free 1080 output. The ability to capture good quality 4K, whether for use at full resolution, downsampling to 1080 or cropping to 1080, adds real flexibility to the camera. Low light performance is solid if not exceptional,” we concluded.
The GH4 landed in the retail market at a price of $1699, or about $2260 today adjusted for inflation, which isn’t far off the $2199 price of the GH7. It’s amazing to think about how expectations for video have changed over the years. However, the GH7 has its work cut out for it: rather than being an obvious standout in the crowd, it has to compete in a marketplace of cameras brimming with video features. Maybe in another ten years, we’ll look back to see how it held up.
Camera
DJI's new dual-camera Air 3S drone gets a larger sensor and LiDAR
Photo: DJI |
DJI has announced the Air 3S, an update to its existing dual-camera Air 3 model that upgrades the primary camera to a larger Type 1 sensor and adds features that promise to make the drone easier to operate at night. DJI is positioning the Air 3S as “perfect for travel photography.”
The main camera on the Air 3S gains a 50MP Type 1 (13.2 x 8.8mm) CMOS sensor and features a 24mm equiv. F1.8 lens. That’s an upgrade from its predecessor, which utilized a smaller Type 1/1.3 (4.8 x 3.6mm) CMOS sensor with a marginally faster F1.7 lens. The telephoto camera remains unchanged between the two models, using a 48MP Type 1/1.3 sensor and featuring a 70mm equiv. F2.8 lens.
In addition to stills, both cameras can capture up to 4K/120p or 4K/60p when shooting HDR. All video can be captured in 10-bit, even in regular color mode, and D-Log M and HLG modes are available. The maximum ISO has been raised to 12,800 (3200 when shooting D-Log M). However, DJI says the Air 3S includes a new, more advanced video encoding algorithm that reduces video file size by over 30% without compromising image quality.
DJI claims both cameras can capture up to 14 stops of dynamic range and says the new main camera should capture even more detail than the camera on its more expensive Mavic 3 Pro model.
The DJI Air 3S is similar to its predecessor, the Air 3, but it gains a larger Type 1 (13.2 x 8.8mm) CMOS sensor on its main camera.
Image: DJI |
Beyond the cameras, DJI has added several appealing features to the Air 3S:
A new Free Panorama mode enables users to create panoramic shots by stitching together images across a manually selected subject area. This works with either camera, but DJI suggests the best results will come from using the telephoto camera, which reduces distortion.
The Air 3S also includes features designed to make it easier and safer to fly at night, including Nightscape Obstacle Sensing, with the Air 3S becoming the first DJI drone to feature forward-facing LiDAR. Additionally, the drone includes downward-facing infrared sensors and six vision sensors (two each at the front, rear and bottom). According to DJI, this combination of sensors provides the Air 3S with “nightscape omnidirectional obstacle sensing,” which should allow the drone to automatically identify and navigate around obstacles for safer nighttime photography.
This technology also enables DJI’s next-gen Smart RTH (return-to-home) feature, intended to allow the drone to return safely to its takeoff location, even at night.
The Air 3S also includes real-time vision positioning and map construction technology, designed to allow the drone to memorize a flight path and to return safely when adequate light is available, even in areas without satellite coverage.
The new model also features DJI’s ActiveTrack 360 subject tracking but introduces a new subject focusing feature designed to keep a subject in sharp focus, even during manual flight or when a subject moves off-center. This should allow a pilot to focus on creative decisions like composition or camera movement while ActiveTrack keeps the subject in focus.
There are a few hardware specs worth noting as well. The Air 3S weighs 724g (1.6 lbs), just 4g more than its predecessor, and is rated for 45 minutes of flight time. It includes DJI’s O4 video transmission system that transmits 10-bit video at up to 1080/60p and 42GB of built-in storage. A new Off-state Quick Transfer feature allows files to be transferred from the drone to a smartphone or a computer even when powered off.
Finally, for the privacy-conscious, a new Local Data mode completely disconnects the drone from the internet, ensuring that all data stays only on the device. DJI likens this mode to airplane mode on a smartphone.
The charging hub that ships with the Air 3S supports PD fast charging and features a power accumulation function. It allows users to transfer the remaining power from several depleted batteries into the battery with the most remaining power – something anyone who has had to use drones in remote locations without a charging station is likely to appreciate.
Price and availability
The DJI Air 3S is available for purchase in several configurations: the drone with the RC-N3 controller, which requires a smartphone to monitor the camera feed and flight status, will retail for $1099. A Fly More combo with the RC-N3 controller, ND filter set, two additional batteries, a battery charging hub and shoulder back will retail for $1399. Finally, a Fly More combo with DJI’s RC 2 controller, which includes a built-in 700-nit 5.5″ 1080p screen, ND filter set, two additional batteries, charging hub and shoulder pack, will retail for $1599.
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