DJI, the leading drone manufacturer, has released its latest model, the DJI Inspire 3, targeting commercial-level cinematography. The Inspire 3 is a successor to the Inspire 2, boasting a more aerodynamic design and a longer flight time of up to 28 minutes. With a price tag of $16,499, the drone is targeted at the professional filmmaker market and comes bundled with a range of accessories.

One of the main selling points of the Inspire 3 is the new Zenmuse X9-8K Air camera, DJI’s lightest-ever full-frame system that uses the latest image processing system, CineCore 3.0. The camera records 8K CinemaDNG video at 25fps and can record in Apple ProRes RAW format at 8K at 75fps. The camera is also capable of recording 4K at 120fps in ProRes RAW, without requiring any cropping, providing more than 14 stops of dynamic range to fine-tune shots in any lighting situation.

The Inspire 3 also boasts a dual-control mode, allowing one person to control the cinema camera, while other pilots the drone using the front first-person view (FPV) camera. The RC Plus remote control hardware comes with the Inspire 3 and has a 7-inch 1,200 nits screen with only a 90 ms delay, making it suitable for live streamers.

The drone uses DJI’s latest proprietary Occusync tech, the O3 Pro, to transmit the video stream. The technology enables streaming 1080p at 60fps up to 15km away, and the Inspire 3 is also capable of streaming 4K at 30fps at a 5km range.

One of the professional features of the Inspire 3 is DJI’s Waypoint Pro. It uses DJI’s real-time kinematic (RTK) positioning technology to accurately locate and repeat movements within centimeters of accuracy. This feature allows filmmakers to film multiple takes of the same scene and ensure the shot will look the same every time.

The Inspire 3 is compatible with DJI’s DL-mount lenses and supports interchangeable lenses, including new telephotos and full-frames that come in 18mm F2.8, 24mm, 35mm, and 50mm options. The drone will also have the option to support Sony E-mount lenses.

DJI has packaged the Inspire 3 with a range of accessories, including the RC Plus remote with strap, Air Gimbal Camera, six batteries, charging hub, 1TB SSD, trolley case, three quick-release propellers, lens carrying box, and more. The drone will be available “by the end of June.”

While the DJI Inspire 3 is priced for commercial-level production houses, the Inspire 2 is still available for purchase, with some outlets offering a $7,099 Advanced bundle that comes with everything needed to film cinematic 5.2K video in CinemaDNG and Apple ProRes. The Inspire 2 also supports microSD cards, which the Inspire 3 is dropping in favor of their own SSD cartridges, costing $799 for a 1TB one.