Next up in our “Ask Drone Girl” series is a question about mapping, DroneDeploy and whether the DJI Air 3S can grow into an enterprise-style workflow. If you have a question for Drone Girl, contact her here.
I took your advice and bought the Air 3S, which is an amazing little craft. I’m a professional photographer and originally planned to focus on photography, but my university drone classes opened my eyes to thermography, mapping and LiDAR. We’re using DroneDeploy with a Matrice in class, and I’m blown away by what it can do.
I know DroneDeploy doesn’t allow autonomous flight with the Air 3S and RC2. I’ve read mixed things about the RC2 vs the RC Pro 2 for waypoint missions. Would upgrading controllers help? Any way to use the Air 3S for automated mapping flights? Or should I be thinking about a different drone entirely?
The DJI Air 3S is fantastic for photography — but it’s not robust enough for serious mapping work. That doesn’t mean you made a bad purchase. It just means you’re now seeing where the ceiling is.
Why the Air 3S shines for photography but struggles with mapping
You’re spot on that the Air 3S is an excellent creative tool. For photography, inspection-style visuals and general Part 107 work, it’s a joy to fly.
But mapping introduces very different requirements, including:
- Fully autonomous grid flights
- Consistent overlap and flight speed
- Repeatable missions
- SDK-level access for third-party apps
And this is where the Air 3S hits its limits. According to DroneDeploy’s own supported and recommended gear list, the DJI Air 3S is not supported for autonomous flight. DroneDeploy supports the DJI Air 3S for processing only. Additionally, it does not provide mobile support for the Air 3S.
In other words, you can upload imagery from the Air 3S into DroneDeploy and process it — but DroneDeploy cannot fly the mission for you on that aircraft. That limitation is due to DJI’s SDK access and hardware positioning.
What DroneDeploy actually recommends for mapping
DroneDeploy is very explicit about which drones are truly built for end-to-end mapping workflows. Its recommended drones for flight and processing include:
These platforms offer features including:
- Mechanical shutters (huge for mapping accuracy)
- RTK options
- Full SDK support
- Reliable autonomous flight planning
Now if you really are on a budget, here’s something odd: you might want to go for the old model of your DJI Air 3S. That’s because the DJI Air 2S (yes, you read that right) does support autonomous flight (on iOS). Clearly, DJI has intentionally been segmenting its lineup, even more so lately.
Here’s a little bit more about each of these two drones:
Mavic 3 Enterprise: the “small drone, serious maps” workhorse
The Mavic 3 Enterprise stands out for its mechanical shutter, which helps reduce rolling-shutter distortion during flight (translation: cleaner photogrammetry, less headache).
Why I like it as a pick: it’s the sweet spot for people who want enterprise-grade mapping features without going full “truck case, hard hat, and payload management.” It’s also a very logical step up from a photography-first drone when you want to start winning mapping jobs.
Matrice 4 Enterprise or Thermal: when you want smarter capture
The Matrice 4 series is where DJI leans hard into “intelligent capture,” and you see it immediately in the sensor suite and the built-in measurement tools. The Matrice 4 Enterprise/Thermal is a compact, intelligent drone with a 4/3-inch CMOS 20MP wide camera (on the 4E) plus additional tele cameras and a laser rangefinding module integrated for more precise data capture.
If you’re trying to build skills in thermography, the Matrice 4 Thermal is designed for that lane — and DroneDeploy’s support notes that processing supports thermal and radiometric outputs for the Matrice 4 Thermal (beta), which is the kind of wording that matters when you’re doing real thermography work.
Why I like it as a pick: it’s the kind of platform you graduate into when you’ve moved beyond “mapping is neat” and into “mapping is part of my service line.” It’s built for serious fieldwork and repeatability, and it’s aligned with what mapping software providers are actually supporting end-to-end.
Would upgrading from RC2 to RC Pro 2 help?
This is a really common (and logical) question. Unfortunately, no — upgrading the controller won’t unlock DroneDeploy flight support on the Air 3S.
The limitation isn’t the RC2 vs RC Pro 2. It’s the aircraft itself and how DJI exposes (or doesn’t expose) SDK access for third-party flight apps.
Even with a more powerful controller, DroneDeploy still can’t fly automated missions on the Air 3S. The waypoint limitations remain, thus you won’t suddenly get true mapping-grade autonomy.
Can you still experiment with mapping on the Air 3S?
You can still experiment with mapping on the Air 3S, with caveats. Some ways you can use the DJI Air3S on a basic level include:
- Flying manual or semi-manual grid patterns
- Uploading imagery into DroneDeploy for processing
- Learning photogrammetry concepts, overlap and ground control
This is great for education and experimentation, and testing the waters to see if you’d even want to pursue a career in mapping. Use the DJI Air 3S for now, and — since it sounds like you’re still a student — consider where you want your career to go before actually making an investment in a drone that will cost you many more thousands of dollars.
If, after some thought (and more time in classes) you realize that your future focus includes mapping, thermography or LiDAR-adjacent workflows, then consider investing in a second (more robust) drone that’s purpose-built for mapping work.
Maybe this isn’t what you don’t want to hear (because it means lots more money) but the next step isn’t a new controller — it’s a second drone, purpose-built for that work.
The Air 3S remains a fantastic photography platform, and it’s not a complete wash. Many mapping professionals carry multiple drones (the DJI Air 3S still works as a great backup, and you may still use it should you keep up the photography career too!!).
Happy flying — and studying!
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