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Best Editing Software for the DJI Mini 3/ Mini 3 Pro
Table of Contents
Like many other DJI drones, the most recent mini drones, the DJI Mini 3 Pro and the DJI Mini 3, can produce high-quality footage that you can share or use without much editing.
Both can achieve at least 4K at 30fps and still images of up to 12 MP, with the DJI Mini 3 Pro being able to produce 48MP photos and shoot at 4K at 60 fps.
But there are times when you need to give them a better touch or edit them to match the footage you have taken with other cameras. In such a case, you will need good editing software.
Which is the best editing software for the DJI Mini 3 and Mini 3 Pro?
The best editing software for the DJI Mini 3 Pro includes Adobe Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, Final Cut Pro X, and InVideo.
Keep reading to learn more about why these software programs are the best and some tips on editing footage from the DJI Mini 3 or Mini 3 Pro.
Let’s look at each software and how you can use it to edit footage from these two drones.
Adobe Premiere Pro #
Adobe Premiere Pro is a popular video editing software in the film and television industry.
This software has several features that make it ideal for editing drone footage, including the DJI Mini 3 Pro.
Here are a few reasons why Adobe Premiere Pro is an excellent choice for editing drone footage.
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Supports high-resolution video formats: Adobe Premiere Pro supports a wide range of high-resolution video formats, including 4K and even 8K.This makes it easy to work with drone footage, which often comes in high-quality formats.With Adobe Premiere Pro, you can easily import, edit, and export your drone footage without losing resolution.
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Powerful editing tools: Adobe Premiere Pro offers a comprehensive set of editing tools that make it easy to edit drone footage.With features like multi-camera editing, audio editing, and color correction, you can quickly and easily adjust and fine-tune your drone footage to your exact specifications.
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Dynamic effects and transitions: Adobe Premiere Pro also offers a vast library of visual effects, transitions, and motion graphics that you can use to enhance your drone footage.Whether you want to add special effects, transitions, or graphics, Adobe Premiere Pro has everything you need to make your drone footage look professional and polished.
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Easy collaboration and sharing: Adobe Premiere Pro integrates seamlessly with the Adobe Creative Cloud, making it easy to collaborate with other editors, share your work, and access your projects from anywhere.This can be particularly useful when working with large, complex projects, like when combining footage from drones and other cameras into one video.
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Stabilization – While the DJI Mini 3 and Mini 3 Pro have gimbals, at times, the footage will appear shaky.Adobe Premiere Pro provides several ways to stabilize the footage, including Warp Stabilizer, Rolling Shutter Repair, Stabilize Motion, and the ability to add third-party software for stabilization, such as RealSteady.
The only issue with Adobe Premiere Pro is it has so many features and takes some time to learn. You need to be an experienced video editor to work with Adobe Premiere Pro.
InVideo #
InVideo is a user-friendly video editing software that provides a simple and effective solution for editing drone footage thanks to the following features.
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Intuitive interface: InVideo has a straightforward interface that makes it easy to use, even for beginners.The drag-and-drop interface makes it easy to import your drone footage and start editing immediately.
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It’s web-based: If you have used Adobe Premiere Pro or any other heavy editing software, you will realize that you need a very powerful PC to render the edited footage.But InVideo simplifies everything, including all the RAM and ROM you need, since everything is processed in the cloud.
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Wide range of templates: InVideo provides a vast library of templates and pre-made animations that you can use to enhance your drone footage.These professionally designed templates offer a quick and easy way to create engaging and visually appealing videos.
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Advanced editing features: Despite its user-friendly interface, InVideo still offers advanced editing features that make it an excellent choice for editing drone footage.With features like split-screen, text animations, and audio editing, you can take your drone footage to the next level and create stunning, professional-looking videos.
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Easy sharing: InVideo makes it easy to share your edited drone footage with others.You can export your videos in multiple formats and share them directly to social media platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram, or download them for use in other projects.
Since software like Adobe Premiere Pro has a steep learning curve, if you are starting out and want to effect some basic edits, InVideo would be a great place to start.
Final Cut Pro X #
Final Cut Pro X is a professional-grade video editing software for Mac users. It has many features that make it ideal for editing drone footage from the DJI Mini 3 Pro and other cameras, including:
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Advanced editing tools: Final Cut Pro X offers a comprehensive set of editing tools that make it easy to edit and refine your drone footage.With features like trimming, multi-camera footage editing, audio editing, color grading, and a wide range of effects, you can quickly and easily adjust your drone footage to your liking.
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Efficient workflow: Final Cut Pro X is designed with an efficient workflow in mind, making it easy to navigate and manage your projects.The software’s magnetic timeline and intuitive interface make it easy to arrange and rearrange your clips, add transitions, stabilize, and apply effects.
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Powerful performance: Final Cut Pro X is optimized for performance, making it fast and responsive even when working with large and complex projects.With support for 4K and even 8K resolution, Final Cut Pro X can easily handle even the most demanding projects.
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Integration with other Apple products: Final Cut Pro X is designed to easily integrate with other Apple products, including but not limited to Logic Pro and Compressor.This makes it easy to work with your drone footage on the same platform as your other creative tools, providing a seamless and streamlined workflow.
DaVinci Resolve #
DaVinci Resolve is a professional-grade video editing software widely used by filmmakers, video editors, and other drone cinematographers.
Thanks to its advanced features and powerful performance, it is an excellent choice for editing drone footage from the DJI Mini 3 drones and other cameras.
Below are some reasons why I recommend DaVinci Resolve:
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Advanced color correction tools: DaVinci Resolve is best used for color grading thanks to its top-notch correction tools, which make it easy to adjust and fine-tune the color and brightness of your drone footage.With DaVinci Resolve, you can create a consistent look and feel for your footage, even when you shot it in different lighting conditions.
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Wide range of editing features: DaVinci Resolve offers a comprehensive set of editing features, including motion graphics, audio editing, and visual effects.Whether you’re looking to trim and arrange your clips, add text, or apply special effects, DaVinci Resolve has everything you need to take your drone footage to the next level.
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Professional-grade performance: DaVinci Resolve is designed to handle even the most demanding projects easily, making it ideal for professional video editors.The software is optimized for performance and supports 4K and even 8K resolution, allowing you to work efficiently with large and complex projects.
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Integration with other tools: DaVinci Resolve integrates with many other tools, such as Fusion for visual effects and Fairlight for audio post-production.This makes it easy to work with your drone footage from start to finish, using the same software for editing, color correction, visual effects, and audio post-production.
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Various footage stabilization techniques: If your drone footage is shaky, DaVinci Resolve offers some of the best stabilization techniques, such as Smooth Cut, which will automatically stabilize the footage, Warp Stabilizer, and Fusion.
Tips for editing DJI Mini 3 and DJI Mini 3 Pro footage #
Below are some ways to get the most out of your drone footage, regardless of the software you choose.
Edit using a proxy #
Editing footage using a proxy involves creating a lower-resolution version of your original footage for editing.
The lower-resolution proxy files are smaller and easier to work with, so you can edit your footage faster and more efficiently.
Once you have finished editing your proxy footage, you can replace the proxy files with the original, high-resolution files to create the final video.
This comes in handy when you are in a hurry or your PC can’t handle editing high-resolution files.
Plan your shots #
Before you start editing, take some time to plan your shots and think about the story you want to tell.
This will help you determine which clips to use and how to arrange them to create the desired effect.
Import and organize your footage #
Once you have planned your shots, import your drone footage into your video editing software and organize it into separate clips or sequences.
This will make it easier to work with your footage and track what you’ve done.
Trim and arrange your clips #
Trim your clips to remove any unwanted footage and arrange them in a way that makes sense for your story.
This includes cutting out areas where you exhibited jerky movements as the drone flies.
You can also adjust the speed of your clips and add transitions to help create a smooth flow from one clip to the next.
Add music and sound effects #
Music and sound effects help enhance the mood and atmosphere of your drone footage.
Always choose music that fits the mood of your video and adjust the volume levels so that the music and sound effects don’t overpower your footage.
Color correction and grading #
Drone footage often needs some color correction and grading to look its best.
Experiment with different color grading techniques and adjust your footage’s brightness, saturation, and contrast to make it look the way you want.
Export and share #
Once you’re done editing your drone footage, export your final video in a suitable format for the platform on which you plan to share it.
You can then upload it to your preferred platform, such as YouTube, Vimeo, or social media, and share it with your friends and followers.