Which drone to switch to in 2024?
Full European legislation on drone flying took effect on 1 January this year. This brought an end to the transitional regime after three years. Many drones will only be allowed to fly in the A3 subcategory from 2024, with the corresponding restrictions.
Switching to a Cx-label drone offers you more flying freedom. In this blog, find out which drones are the best choice for 2024.
Why switch to a Cx-labelled drone?
During the transition regime, the weight of your drone was used to determine where you could fly your drone. This is a thing of the past. From 2024, new drone rules will apply and the drone's Cx label will determine which subcategory the drone ends up in.
Does the drone not have a Cx label and is heavier than 249 grams? Then from 2024 you must fly in subcategory A3 and maintain a minimum distance of 150 metres from buildings, industry and recreational areas.
Please note if your drone does have a Cx label, then the distance criteria below apply:
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C0/C1 |
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C2 |
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From 1 January 2024, newly released aircraft must have a Cx label.
Which drone should I choose in 2024?
Looking for a drone that gives you all the flying freedom you need? Here are the best drones listed.
DJI Air 3
Released in 2023 | C1 label
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Specifications DJI Air 3 Weight: 720 grams Cx-label: C1 |
Equipped with both a wide-angle and telephoto lens, the DJI Air 3 allows the drone to record vertical videos by cropping the image vertically. The wide-angle lens can capture images in 48 Mega Pixels RAW and record videos in 4K at 100 fps.
With obstacle sensors in all flight directions and support for the APAS 5.0 system, flying around obstacles becomes effortless. The DJI Air 3 offers additional features, including Focus Track (Spotlight 2.0, ActiveTrack 5.0, Point of Interest 3.0) and QuickShots (Rocket, Drone, Circle, Helix, Boomerang and Asteroid). In addition, it is possible to perform waypoint missions.
With an impressive flight time of up to 46 minutes per battery, the DJI Air 3 is controlled via the new RC-N2 controller, which connects to a smartphone and is controlled via the DJI Fly app.
Advantages DJI Air 3 in 2024
These are the main advantages in terms of rules:
- Holds the C1 label
- Flying in subcategory A1
- Flying over uninvolved persons is allowed
- Flying over built-up areas is permitted
- Having Remote ID
DJI Mavic 3 Classic
Released in 2022 | C1 label
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Specifications DJI Mavic 3 Classic Weight: 895 grams Cx-label: C1 Pricing:from €1,499 |
The DJI Mavic 3 Classic is known for its impressive flight features and excellent camera, making it the ideal choice for capturing professional footage in high quality.
Featuring a Hasselblad main camera with a 4/3-inch CMOS sensor, the DJI Mavic 3 Classic offers the ability to shoot video in 5.1K at 50 fps and 4K at 120 fps, allowing you to capture sharp videos at all times, even in low light. The adjustable aperture value from f/2.8 to f/11 and the ability to shoot in 20-megapixel RAW add to this camera's versatility.
With six obstacle sensors, the drone can automatically avoid obstacles in both normal flight mode and sport mode. The DJI Mavic 3 Classic offers a wide range of flight features, including Mastershot and ActiveTrack 5.0. Mastershot automatically calculates the optimal route for a specific camera movement, while the enhanced version of ActiveTrack continues to track objects even if they temporarily disappear from view.
Thanks to its upgraded batteries, this drone has an extended flight time of up to 46 minutes, making the problem of dead batteries a thing of the past.
Advantages DJI Mavic 3 Classic in 2024
These are the main advantages in terms of rules:
- Holds the C1 label
- Flying in subcategory A1
- Flying over uninvolved persons is allowed
- Flying over built-up areas is permitted
- Having Remote ID
DJI Mavic 3 Pro
Released in 2023 | C2 label
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Specifications DJI Mavic 3 Pro Weight:958 grams
Price: from €2,099 |
The DJI Mavic 3 Pro stands out for its combination of three cameras. Equipped with a Hasselblad main camera and two telephoto lenses, the DJI Mavic 3 Pro offers limitless possibilities, making it the ultimate drone for both photography and videography, from every conceivable perspective.
The cameras of the DJI Mavic 3 Pro:
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Camera |
Hasselblad camera |
Medium telephoto lens |
Telephoto lens |
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Sensor |
4/3 CMOS |
1/1.3 CMOS |
1/2 CMOS |
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Aperture |
f/2.8-f/11 |
f/2.8 |
f/3.4 |
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Resolution |
5.1/50fps | 20MP |
4l/60fps | 48 MP |
4k/60fps | 12MP |
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Zoom |
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3x Optical Zoom |
7x Optical zoom |
The DJI Mavic 3 Pro features a Hasselblad camera with a 4/3-inch CMOS sensor. This drone can shoot video in impressive resolutions such as 5.1K at 50fps and 4K at 120fps. The aperture of the Hasselblad camera is adjustable between f/2.8 and f/11, while photography is possible in 20-megapixel RAW.
The medium telephoto lens, equipped with a 1/1.3-inch CMOS sensor and an aperture of f/3.4, captures more detail, creating sharp images without noise or loss of detail. The telephoto lens offers a zoom range of 7x optical zoom and 28x hybrid zoom, which can bring out every detail from afar.
The DJI Mavic 3 Pro is equipped with six obstacle sensors, allowing the drone to automatically avoid obstacles in both normal flight mode and sports mode.
Functionalities like Mastershot and ActiveTrack 5.0 make the DJI Mavic 3 Pro versatile. Mastershot itself calculates the best route to perform a particular camera move, while the updated ActiveTrack version allows the drone to continue tracking objects even when they momentarily disappear from view.
For professionals, the Cine version of the DJI Mavic 3 Pro is also available. This uses the Apple ProRes 422 HQ Codec, an industry standard for high-quality recording. The drone is equipped with 1 TB of memory, but also offers the option of adding a microSD card for additional storage capacity.
Advantages DJI Mavic 3 Pro in 2024
These are the main advantages in terms of rules:
- Holds the C2 label
- Flying in subcategory A2
- Minimum distance from uninvolved persons 5 metres, in low speed mode
- Flying over buildings is allowed
- Holds Remote ID
Drone advice for 2024
Looking for a new drone for 2024? We'd love to help you out.
How we are training you to be a better pilot
Your journey begins with the EU Drone License. In the open category. In addition, we offer practical training and training in the specific category.
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Unlimited free resits
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100% success guarantee
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Avoid high fines
