Thanks for studying this text on which drone is healthier: the Autel Evo Lite Plus or the DJI Mavic 3 Professional.

Whereas DJI has been releasing prosumer and advanced-level drones at a blazing velocity this previous yr to yr and a half, Autel has taken a slower strategy to drone releases, with a good bit of time between main releases.
I primarily fly drones for enterprise functions. So my predominant focus oftentimes is “what drones work greatest for my shopper’s wants.” With this view in thoughts, I’ve used the Autel Evo Lite+ for somewhat over a yr and the Mavic 3 Professional for a couple of months.
On this article, I’ll look at the important thing variations between the Autel Evo Lite Plus and the Mavic 3 Professional, the upgrades within the all-new Mavic 3 Professional, my total expertise with every, and why I contemplate the Mavic 3 Professional to be the higher industrial drone.
In case you are seeking to develop your skilled fleet, this text will make it easier to resolve which drone is greatest for you and your purchasers.
Transient Overview
Autel Evo Lite Plus
Because the senior on this comparability article, the Autel Evo Lite Plus was launched in January 2022 and is seen because the direct competitor to the 2021 DJI Air 2S.

Except for competing in opposition to the Air 2S, the Evo Lite Plus is a smaller (i.e. lite) and equally highly effective model of the Autel Evo II skilled drone, dubbed the Evo II Professional. Even shut to 2 years later, the Evo Lite Plus affords a couple of trade requirements.
Whereas the Evo Lite Plus is smaller and considerably cheaper than the Mavic 3 Professional, it has fairly a bit to supply:
- 40-minute flight occasions, excellent for lengthy shoots, initially extraordinary in a drone of this measurement in early 2022
- Three-way impediment avoidance sensing which might assist in safer flight maneuvers
- 1-inch digital camera sensor for 20 MP high-resolution skilled high quality images
- Absence of Geofencing to make sure you can fly the place and when wanted, with correct authorization
Mavic 3 Professional
Launched in Might of 2023, the newer Mavic 3 Professional is an improve to the unique Mavic 3 and Mavic 3 Basic, including a tri-camera system that enables for 3 totally different focal lengths.

When searching for the perfect digital camera system in a prosumer drone, the Mavic 3 Professional, or particularly the dearer Mavic 3 Professional Cine, is the drone to buy when you’ve got the finances for it, as this high quality comes at a value.
- Tri-camera system for bringing cinematic imaginative and prescient to life from various views
- A number of 10-bit Coloration Profiles for added colour grading flexibility
- Waypoint Missions included within the DJI Fly app to simply plan repeatable and sophisticated routes
- Apple ProRes Video Encoding, included within the Cine model, for skilled tv and film productions
Fast Verdict
As talked about, in an effort to develop my fleet for industrial work, I’ve used each the Autel Evo Lite Plus and the Mavic 3 Professional on shopper initiatives, in varied capacities.
Strictly from a feature-set viewpoint, the Mavic 3 Professional is the clear selection for the work I do for purchasers.

My firm takes care of all kinds of inventive wants for our purchasers, and the digital camera on the Mavic 3 Professional is ideal for delivering theirs and even my imaginative and prescient.
The Evo Lite Plus does have a superb digital camera. Nonetheless, the Mavic 3 Professionals tri-camera system takes this up a notch, providing extra versatility within the photographs captured, making it excellent for a wider vary of industries.
Having two further focal lengths on the Mavic 3 Professional permits for getting tighter photographs on topics, whether or not this be for actual property, roofing, and even high-altitude mobile and electrical-related tools.
Not solely does the Mavic 3 Professional have varied log-like colour profiles for the three cameras, however these are additionally in 10-bit, which may be important for shopper video work.
The Autel Evo Lite Plus, although, does a formidable job over a variety of business initiatives, particularly with its one-inch digital camera sensor and a number of taking pictures modes.
The Mavic 3 Professional, however, is a whole, well-rounded industrial workhorse, dealing with all content material calls for with flexibility and the best high quality.
What are the Essential Variations?
Contemplating the year-plus launch hole between the Autel Evo Lite Plus and the Mavic 3 Professional, there are fairly a couple of technical upgrades the Mavic 3 Professional advantages from over the Autel Evo Lite Plus.
I take pleasure in utilizing each the Evo Lite Plus and the Mavic 3 Professional. Nonetheless, with the upgraded specs and total flexibility, the Mavic 3 Professional is my selection for my industrial enterprise wants.
When taking varied sorts of images and movies for my purchasers, the Mavic 3 Professional persistently does a superb job.
The number of media taken with the Mavic 3 Professional coated varied industries, equivalent to Actual Property, Metropolis commissioned initiatives, Development, and Lake Administration.
The Mavic 3 Professional excels over the Evo Lite Plus in fairly a couple of areas, primarily camera-related, in addition to an extra space or two:
- Tri-Digicam System: The Mavic 3 Professional not solely has a 24 mm equal lens (over the Evo Lite Plus’ 29 mm) however provides a 70 mm medium-tele lens and 166 mm tele lens for extra dimensions of creativity when filming video and capturing nonetheless photographs.
- Digicam high quality: That is the place the Mavic 3 Professional actually units itself aside from the Evo Lite Plus (and most drone cameras). The principle 24 mm digital camera is a 4/3 20 MP Hasselblad digital camera with wonderful colour science. For professionals, having a bigger predominant digital camera than the Evo Lite Plus permits for extra dynamic vary and suppleness. Moreover, not like the Evo Lite Plus, the three cameras can file 10-bit footage, which is necessary relating to flexibility when colour grading. Additionally, if choosing the dearer Cine model of the Mavic 3 Professional, Apple ProRes video encoding is out there for all three cameras.
- Omnidirectional impediment avoidance: Whereas that is virtually commonplace with DJI’s latest strains of drones, it’s lacking from the Evo Lite Plus and affords added 360-degree safety when performing troublesome maneuvers in obstacle-ridden environments. The brand new impediment avoidance system can also be instrumental for superior subject-tracking capabilities.
- Weight: This may not be as necessary for some as it’s for others. Nonetheless, the Mavic 3 Professional, being heavier than the Evo Lite Plus by near 120 g, means it’s barely extra steady within the air. This makes it much more superb when filming in windier situations.
Autel Evo Lite Plus
The Evo Lite Plus is a part of a collection of smaller however succesful Autel drones modeled after the bigger Evo II and Evo II Plus.

Whereas having Lite within the title would possibly point out to some that the Evo Lite Plus is a lesser drone, that is removed from the reality. The Evo Lite Plus has most of the advantages of the Evo II Plus, solely in a smaller package deal.
Autel pioneered longer battery life in client and prosumer drones with the discharge of the Evo II and II Professional, which boasted 40-minute flight occasions again in 2020.
That longer battery life made its solution to the smaller Evo Lite Plus, and I need to say I used to be initially impressed with the battery life when straight evaluating it to my then workhorse, the Air 2S.
Additionally making its manner into the smaller Evo Lite Plus is a 20 MP one-inch digital camera sensor. This was truly an enchancment over the bigger Evo II (non-Professional model), as that digital camera was half the scale, utilizing a 1/2-inch sensor.
With this bigger digital camera sensor got here the flexibility to shoot wonderful low-light footage. Working example: one in every of their modes is dubbed “Night time shot.”
Moreover, following the custom of the Autel drones earlier than it, the Autel Evo Lite Plus isn’t Geofenced. Though Autel has oftentimes spoken of maybe including geofencing to the bigger Evo II line, they did specify that the Lite and Lite Plus wouldn’t be receiving any sort of geofencing limitations.
Key options of the Evo Lite Plus:
- 20 MP 1-inch digital camera sensor
- Adjustable aperture from f/2.8 – f/11
- 6k 30 fps; 4k 60fps Log and regular colour profiles
- 3-way impediment avoidance system
- 40-minute battery life
Autel Robotics Evo Lite+ Premium Bundle
1” CMOS Sensor with 6K HDR Digicam, No Geo-Fencing, 3-Axis Gimbal, 3-Manner Impediment Avoidance, 40Min Flight Time, 7.4 Miles Transmission, Lite Plus Extra Combo.
We earn a fee should you make a purchase order, at no further price to you.
10/25/2023 06:56 pm GMT
Mavic 3 Professional
The Mavic 3 Professional is the following iteration within the Mavic 3 line.
Initially launched in 2021, it’s the successor to the Mavic 3 and Mavic 3 Basic and is particularly supposed for pictures and videography professionals seeking to ship the best high quality content material to their purchasers.

The Mavic 3 Professional provides a medium-tele digital camera at 70 mm and improves the tele digital camera of the Mavic 3, rising the focal size from 162 mm to 166 mm, whereas concurrently bumping up the picture high quality.
Whereas the bodily efficiency of the Mavic 3 Professional is just about an identical to the Mavic 3 and Mavic 3 Basic (relating to velocity and stability), the principle enhancements are discovered within the technically improved and expanded digital camera system.
The Mavic 3 Professional continues the custom of getting 360-degree impediment avoidance safety as a result of omnidirectional impediment avoidance sensors all through.
For a lot of professionals, that is important, particularly when filming difficult sequences in troublesome locales.
Key options of the Mavic 3 Professional:
- Triple-camera system
- Professional-level Distant Controller choice
- Hasselblad 24 mm Essential digital camera with adjustable aperture (f/2.8 – f/11)
- 5.1k 50 fps; 4k 120fps 10-bit D-Log, D-Log M colour profiles
- Apple ProRes (Cine Model)
- DJI Goggles and DJI Movement 2 compatibility
- Omnidirectional impediment avoidance
- Waypoints
Our Decide
DJI Mavic 3 Professional (Fly Extra Combo)
Flagship Triple-Digicam Drone with 4/3 CMOS Hasselblad Digicam, 15km Video Transmission, three Batteries, Charging Hub, and extra.
We earn a fee should you make a purchase order, at no further price to you.
10/26/2023 04:51 pm GMT
Head-to-Head Comparability
Digicam

Winner: DJI Mavic 3 Professional
Concerning drone pictures and videography, having extra focal size choices is all the time greatest. This may definitely be agreed upon by skilled photographers utilizing DSLR and Mirrorless cameras.
When filming, and even when taking images, having three focal size choices provides you the pliability to get actually inventive and inform tales in a way more dynamic manner.
For example, utilizing the 166 mm digital camera brings the topic of selection into focus.
Switching over to the 70 mm digital camera in the identical scene will then convey focus to mentioned topic whereas additionally establishing the surroundings across the topic.
Lastly, leaping to the 24 mm vast angle provides cohesiveness to the story, placing into perspective the topic in relation to your complete scene.
This is only one solution to creatively inform a narrative utilizing the Mavic 3 Professional’s tri-camera system.
To higher current visible content material, and to the delight of videographers worldwide, the Mavic 3 Professional can shoot video in varied 10-bit colour profiles in 10-bit:
When taking pictures 10-bit, there’s higher flexibility for colour adjustment and grading when enhancing video in software program equivalent to DaVinci Resolve, Remaining Lower Professional, and Adobe Premier (to call a couple of).
This is because of their being somewhat over a billion colours and variations to work with, versus the 16 million colours current in 8-bit.
Whereas the Mavic 3 Professional doesn’t shoot 6k video just like the Evo Lite Plus, it might probably shoot at a most of 5.1k 50 fps, all in 10-bit colour.
Moreover, the Mavic 3 Professional can shoot 4k 120 fps over the Evo Lite Plus 4k 60 fps. With the addition of FHD 200 fps, the Mavic 3 Professional can obtain clean, ultra-slow-motion photographs.
As talked about briefly earlier, there’s assist for Apple ProRes 422 video encoding, which is crucial for these taking pictures for tv and film productions. To this point, there isn’t a different prosumer or client drone that shoots in Apple ProRes. You’d have to maneuver as much as the absolutely skilled stage of DJI drones for this.
The Mavic 3 Professional wouldn’t be a pro-level drone if it didn’t have an adjustable aperture. The principle 24 mm Hasselblad digital camera has an aperture that may be adjusted between f/2.8 to f/11.
Whereas adjusting the aperture may not make a noticeable distinction when taking pictures photos, it might probably make a really massive distinction when taking pictures video and making an attempt to remain inside the 180-degree rule with out using ND filters.
Flight Efficiency

Winner: DJI Mavic 3 Professional
Merely put, the Mavic 3 Professional flies quicker than the Evo Lite Plus.
On the under chart, the ascent and descent speeds with the Evo Lite Plus had been all in Sport mode, whereas the ascent and descent speeds for the Mavic 3 Professional are the identical throughout all flight modes (Cine, Regular, and Sport). The horizontal speeds for each drones are whereas in Sport mode.
Autel Evo Lite Plus | DJI Mavic 3 Professional | |
Ascent | 11.18 mph | 17.89 mph |
Descent | 8.94 mph | 13.42 mph |
Horizontal | 40 mph | 46.97 mph |
Not solely does the Mavic 3 Professional fly quicker than the Evo Lite Plus, however for my part, it handles higher.
The Evo Lite Plus has a slight lumbering really feel to it in comparison with the Mavic 3 Professional. It does get to the place it must go, nevertheless it will get there with a heavy and sluggish management really feel, though it’s a lighter drone than the Mavic 3 Professional.
Altering the EXP settings within the Autel Sky app did little to appropriate this sense.
However, the Mavic 3 Professional handles rapidly and exactly. Might this be as a result of quicker motors? Presumably. Nonetheless, even when flying slowly, the Mavic 3 Professionals management simply felt extra “tuned in.”
When mixed with adjusting the EXP settings inside the DJI Fly app, the flight management received even higher, with the Mavic 3 Professional dealing with and performing like my different business-use DJI drones.
Distant Controller Compatability

Winner: DJI Mavic 3 Professional
The Mavic 3 Professional can also be a transparent winner on the subject of the distant controller choices obtainable for it. The Evo Lite Plus solely makes use of the one, top-heavy X-Field-like controller, whereas the Mavic 3 Professional may be operated utilizing the next three DJI distant controllers:
From knowledgeable viewpoint, the DJI RC Professional is probably the most strong resolution for controlling the Mavic 3 Professional, because it has a 5.5-inch display screen with 1000 nits of brightness, excellent for vivid days.
Moreover, third occasion apps may be put in on it, thus enabling it to be a real all-in-one controller resolution, separate from a cellphone.
Following intently behind the DJI RC Professional is the DJI RC, which is a extra reasonably priced choice. At 700 nits of brightness, the DJI RC can nonetheless be seen in very vivid situations.
Lastly, my go-to selection when doing jobs with out the DJI RC Professional is the RC-N1 controller. Whereas this takes somewhat longer to get arrange and deploy as a result of added gadget and cables, any sensible gadget can be utilized with it.
I take advantage of a Tripletek pill connected to the RC-N1 when taking pictures for our lakefront purchasers, as it’s waterproof, shockproof, and has 1500 nits. Excellent for fixed solar glare off the water and if I occur to unintentionally drop it within the surroundings.
Geofencing
Winner: Autel Evo Lite Plus
One among the massive issues Autel drones are identified for is their lack of geofencing. The Evo Lite Plus is not any exception.
Though the newer DJI drones operating DJI Fly are pretty simple to unlock in authorization zones, there are completely no unlocks wanted with the Evo Lite Plus. Merely purchase LAANC authorization, activate the Evo Lite Plus, and fly.
No geofencing is crucial the place it’s both onerous to unlock areas via the DJI Fly app or for areas the place unlocking the situation needs to be achieved from a desktop laptop beforehand. This has sadly confirmed to be problematic for some previously utilizing DJI drones.
Conclusion
Having used the Evo Lite Plus for nearly a yr and utilizing the Mavic 3 Professional for months commercially for repeat purchasers, I’ve to say that the Mavic 3 Professional fits my enterprise functions completely.
The Autel Evo Lite Plus is a wonderful drone for a lot of industrial purposes and industries, with its one-inch digital camera sensor and 40 minutes of flight time.
In case you are searching for a geofence-free drone with a professional-grade digital camera, able to 40-minute flight occasions, all for half the value of a Mavic 3 Professional, then the Autel Evo Lite Plus stands out as the drone for you.
The Mavic 3 Professional, however, supplies probably the most flexibility and picture and video high quality wanted to provide probably the most skilled finish outcomes to purchasers, together with these within the movie trade.
In case you are like me and have to ship the best high quality content material and media to purchasers, the Mavic 3 Professional is the higher selection, fingers down.