I tested the new DJI Air 3S and it's one of the best drones for night flying

Drones have unlocked styles of photography and videography previously only available to those with helicopters. And since you can't take a helicopter along in your bag, drones are a lot more adaptable and versatile.

Still, there are a few realms from which drones have been excluded -- including the nighttime.

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The new DJI Air 3S aims to change that by adding a LiDAR (Light Detection and Detection) sensor to the platform. 

DJI Air 3S tech specs

Takeoff Weight: 724 g Max Horizontal Speed: 21 m/s (19 m/s in the EU region), at sea level, in windless conditions Max Flight Time: 45 minutes Max Flight Distance: 32 km Max Wind Speed Resistance: 12 m/s Internal Storage: 42 GB Image Sensors
Wide-Angle Camera: 1-inch CMOS, 50MP Effective Pixels, 24 mm Format Equivalent, f/1.8 Aperture
Medium Tele Camera: 1/1.3-inch CMOS, 48MP Effective Pixels, 70 mm Format Equivalent, f/2.8 Aperture Sensing: Omnidirectional binocular vision system, supplemented with forward-facing LiDAR and an infrared sensor at the bottom of the aircraft Max Transmission Distance: FCC: 20 km/CE: 10 km/SRRC: 10 km/MIC: 10 km (unobstructed, free of interference) Battery Capacity: 4,276 mAh Charging Time 
Approx. 80 minutes (with DJI 65W Portable Charger)
Approx. 60 minutes (with DJI 100W USB-C Power Adapter and Battery Charging Hub)

The Air 3S is the successor to the Air 3. Released in July 2023, the Air 3 brought twin cameras – wide angle and zoom -- and an advanced omnidirectional vision sensing system to a prosumer drone. The Air 3S expands on this willing platform, delivering several new and exciting upgrades.

First up, the cameras. The primary wide-angle camera features a 50-megapixel, 1-inch-CMOS sensor and 24mm lens. It supports 4K/60fps HDR, 4K/120fps video recording, and 10-bit D-Log M color mode. The larger sensor offers greater detail in low-light conditions, even at night.

The second camera is a 70mm medium telephoto with a 1/1.3-inch, 48-megapixel CMOS sensor and 3x optical zoom. This is designed for zooming into the action and offering compressed depth of field for a more cinematic look.

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Particularly welcome is the two cameras' support of a maximum dynamic range of 14 stops and the same video specs and color modes, which greatly improves capture in high-contrast situations and ensures visually consistent footage no matter which camera you use. This makes stitching footage from the different cameras easier.

Keeping subjects in the frame has also become much easier with ActiveTrack 360°. Using the surrounding flight environment, the drone creates an optimized flight path, adjusting the framing to get better, more visually appealing shots that keep the subject at the center of attention. 

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Air 3S also introduces a new Subject Focusing feature that keeps the subject in sharp focus, even during manual flight or when the subject moves off-center.

One tool that is useful to pilots both new and experienced is obstacle avoidance, and the Air 3S is the first DJI drone to feature forward-facing LiDAR, augmenting this with downward infrared time-of-flight (TOF) sensors and six vision sensors (two each at the front, rear, and bottom) to offer nightscape omnidirectional obstacle sensing. This allows the Air 3S to spot and avoid obstacles automatically during flight and when returning home, making flying – especially at night – a lot safer.

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET

The drone features 42GB of internal storage. For pros, the extra storage is great for those times when all the microSD cards are full, but I can see amateurs being pleased too, as this avoids the cost and hassle of storage cards.

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The Fly More Combo packages come with a charging hub that not only charges the batteries but also has a power accumulation function that allows the user to transfer the remaining power from multiple low-power batteries into the battery with the highest remaining power. This is handy for squeezing the last bit out of the batteries.

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But how does it fly?

I have to admit that my favorite class of drones are the ones in this 700-to-1,000-gram category. Sure, they come with a lot more regulatory considerations, particularly over here in the UK/EU, but in terms of stability, performance, and power, they can't be beaten.

And the Air 3S doesn't disappoint. Here is a drone that feels up to the job of capturing photos and video up to that 26.8 mile-per-hour wind speed resistance limit (and probably beyond, in my experience, as long as you know how to prevent the drone from being blown away and you can use the wind to your advantage). I've had it flying in 20-mile-per-hour winds and had no problem controlling the drone, carrying out quite complex and specific maneuvers with ease.

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The flight characteristics of the Air 3S are among the best that I've seen for a review drone. As always, firmware updates come quickly after a product is released, but this drone is a solid product right out of the gate.

So how about that nighttime flying? 

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET

I've done a fair bit of nighttime flying with drones over the years, and I have to admit that it still gets my heartbeat racing. The vision sensors are usually completely useless, and you're mostly flying blind. The LiDAR sensor on the Air 3S is a wonderful touch. I was impressed by its ability to detect not only larger objects such as humans and vehicles, but it also things like bushes, fences, and even tree branches. Is it perfect? I'm sure it isn't, and you still need to have your wits and your senses about you when flying at night. But what I can say is that just as with vision sensors, the LiDAR sensor brings an extra element of safety to drone flying.

Bottom line: This is a drone I'd trust when the going got tough.

Next up, cameras. While it's easy to think of DJI as a drone manufacturing company, the company also makes some amazing cameras and gimbal. As I've come to expect from DJI, the performance of the two cameras on the Air 3S is excellent. This is a platform that I'd be happy to use to capture professional-grade photos and videos.

ZDNET's buying advice

While drones such as the Mavic 3 are definitely prograde hardware that you could use for cinematic purposes, and the smaller drones such as the Mini 4 are perfect for enthusiasts, the Air 3S is at the upper end of what I would consider a mainstream drone. 

The Air 3S is as close to a professional-grade drone as you can get, considering that it is less than half the price of DJI's Mavic 3 lineup.

The DJI Air 3S is available to order starting today in three configurations:

The standard DJI Air 3S with RC-N3 for $1,099, which comes with the RC-N3 remote controller and a single battery. The DJI Air 3S Fly More Combo with DJI RC-N3 for $1,399, which not only comes with the DJI RC-N3 remote controller, but also the ND filter set, two additional batteries, a battery charging hub, a shoulder bag, and other bits and pieces. The DJI Air 3S Fly More Combo with DJI RC 2 for $1,599, which comes with the DJI RC 2 remote controller with a 5.5-inch 1080p 700-nit high-bright screen, an ND filter set, two additional batteries, a battery charging hub, a shoulder bag, and other bits and pieces.