The DJI Air 3 update improves safety, battery and camera features

Just in time for the holidays, DJI has released a major firmware update for the dual-camera Air 3 drone. The new software package contains a number of new features and practical improvements across the board.

It is now possible to update the Air 3 aircraft firmware to version v01.00.10.00, while the remote controller firmware can be upgraded to version v02.00.03.00 for DJI RC 2 and to version v01.00.06.00 for DJI RC- N2. The DJI Fly application, however, can be updated to version v1.12.4.

Here's what the new firmware offers:

• Adds automatic mode for 360-degree ActiveTrack.
• Adds Vision Assist
• Adds digital zoom for 12MP photo mode
• Adds switch for vision positioning and obstacle detection
• Adds Sphere Panorama for the medium camera
• Adds support for front arm LED settings in EASA Member States and the UK.
• Adds support to make camera parameter settings unaffected by firmware updates. Please note that this feature only works if the aircraft firmware is v01.00.06.00 or higher before the update.
• Optimize the battery self-discharge strategy
• Fixes some known issues

Deepening the improvements made to the camera and shooting modes, the new Auto mode for ActiveTrack 360 allows the DJI Air 3 drone to go beyond simply tracking a subject from a certain distance and altitude. Essentially, shooting will become much more cinematic because the drone will automatically perform a series of maneuvers such as tracking the subject from different directions, ascent and spiral rotation, as in the Helix shooting mode.

Additionally, you can now take advantage of digital zoom on the 24mm wide-angle lens, as long as the camera is set to 12MP photo mode. Further enriching the creative photo options is the ability to capture panoramic photos with the 3x camera.

Regarding the new safety elements of this firmware update, you should know that Vision Assist is a feature that helps anticipate obstacles in every direction during flight. There are several scenarios where this feature can be useful and you can read about them in a detailed post here.

Additionally, you can now disable the Air 3's downward-facing sensor. This can come in handy in situations where you're forced to look upwards. This can come in handy in situations where a quick landing is needed, such as when flying from a boat or moving vehicle. Good flight!