DJI Air 3S
The sensible one. Dual cameras, LiDAR, 45 minutes, and DJI sells it in the US.
The Air 3S sits in the gap most pilots actually want: a 1-inch wide sensor and a 70mm telephoto, front-facing LiDAR for low-light obstacle sensing, and around 45 minutes of flight time — at roughly half the price of a flagship. It is also, unlike most of DJI’s current line-up, officially sold in the United States.
| Released | October 2024 |
| Controllers | RC-N3, RC 2, RC Pro 2 |
| Sold officially in the US | Yes |
- Dual camera — 1-inch wide plus 70mm medium telephoto
- Forward LiDAR for obstacle sensing in low light
- Around 45 minutes of flight time
- Works with three controllers: RC-N3, RC 2 and RC Pro 2
Officially sold by DJI in the US, which makes it the easiest model to actually buy accessories for without importing.
No RotorCards guide for the Air 3S yet
We would rather say that plainly than sell you something that does not exist. Our guides are built one aircraft at a time because every setting, button and menu path is checked against that specific airframe — a generic drone guide is worth nothing in the field.
The Air 3S is next in line. In the meantime, the gear below is what we would actually buy for it, and the blog covers a lot of ground that applies to any DJI aircraft — flight modes, compass errors, ND filters, storage.
Gear for the Air 3S
Model-specific where it matters — filters and cases have to fit — and shared where it does not. A memory card does not care which drone it is in.
ND filters
Freewell Split ND 4-Pack for Air 3S
Split densities in a single element, so a bright sky and darker ground land closer together. The sensible first filter purchase for an Air 3S doing landscape work.
Check current price on Amazon →Freewell Bright Day Split ND/PL for Air 3S
Polarised throughout. Worth it over water, glass and wet roads — but the polarisation shifts as you yaw, so check your sky mid-orbit before committing to a take.
Check current price on Amazon →K&F Concept ND/PL 4-Pack for Air 3S
The budget option. Optically fine for most work; coatings are less consistent than Freewell or PolarPro, which shows up as a colour cast you correct in the grade rather than as softness.
Check current price on Amazon →Batteries & power
Tenergy Fire-Retardant LiPo Bags (2-pack)
Cheap insurance. Drone batteries are lithium polymer and they do occasionally vent; storing and charging them inside a fire-retardant bag costs about as much as a couple of coffees.
Check current price on Amazon →DJI Air 3S Intelligent Flight Battery
The genuine cell. Third-party packs will not report health and cycle data to the aircraft correctly, which on a battery that is also a structural part of a flying object is the wrong place to economise.
Check current price on Amazon →Memory cards
SanDisk Extreme 256GB microSDXC (V30)
V30 is the speed class you actually need — anything slower will drop frames on high-bitrate recording. 256GB is the sweet spot for a day of shooting.
Check current price on Amazon →SanDisk Extreme PRO 512GB microSDXC (V30)
For anyone recording in D-Log M or at the highest bitrates, where 256GB disappears faster than you expect. Buy this instead of two smaller cards you have to swap in the field.
Check current price on Amazon →Cases & carry
Lykus Titan MA310 Hard Case for Air 3S
Moulded for the Air 3S and the RC 2 or RC-N3, with room for a Fly More Combo and up to four batteries. The choice if the drone travels in a car boot or gets checked as luggage.
Check current price on Amazon →Lekufee Waterproof Hard Case for Air 3S
The lighter, cheaper alternative to the Lykus. Takes the RC 2, RC-N3 or RC-N2 — check which controller you own before ordering, because the foam layouts differ.
Check current price on Amazon →In the field
Hoodman Weighted Trifold Landing Pad
Weighted, so it does not need stakes and will not fold itself up in prop wash — the failure mode that makes cheap landing pads useless. Keeps grit out of the gimbal and dust off the lens.
Check current price on Amazon →DJI RC 2 Tempered Glass Screen Protector
The RC 2 has a built-in screen and no replacement path if you scratch it. Comes with an alignment frame, which matters more than it sounds when you are applying glass to a controller.
Check current price on Amazon →VIFLY Drone Strobe Light
If you fly at night under Part 107, FAA rules require an anti-collision light visible for three statute miles. This is the one most US pilots end up with.
Check current price on Amazon →Mapping & survey
Ground Control Point Markers, 24in (6-pack)
High-contrast aerial targets with a center eyelet, for mapping and survey work. Placing and surveying GCPs is what turns a photogrammetry model from a nice picture into something with real-world accuracy you can defend to a client.
Check current price on Amazon →Ground Control Point Markers, numbered (10-pack)
The numbered version, which matters more than it sounds — identifying which target is which across a few hundred images is tedious enough without having to work it out from position alone.
Check current price on Amazon →FROM THE SAME TEAM
Planning to make money with the drone? You need Part 107.
The moment a flight furthers a business purpose — a paid shoot, a listing photo, footage on a company account — the FAA requires a Remote Pilot certificate. Roughly one in six people fail the exam on their first attempt, usually because it tests judgement rather than memorisation.
Flycensed is our Part 107 prep app — 485 flashcards, 201 practice questions, METAR decoding tools and scenario training. Pro is free right now under their early-access offer.
Get Flycensed Pro free →flycensed.com — also from StormHaven Enterprises. Not an affiliate link; we make it, so we would obviously say it is good. Free either way.