DJI Mavic 3 – How to Download Video (Step-by-Step Guide)

The DJI Mavic 3 is arguably one of the most powerful camera drones on the prosumer market today. Boasting a micro-four-thirds sensor and a video bitrate of 200 Mbps, it can capture stunning 5.1K video.

On top of a premier camera for its class, the Mavic 3 is built upon flexibility in post-shoot operations with a variety of options available for transferring, processing, and sorting your files.

There are three methods for downloading video files from the Mavic 3 to your editing computer.

These include transferring directly from the drone via USB-C cable, removing the micro-SD card from the drone and inserting it into your editing computer, and downloading the files directly to your mobile device via the DJI Fly application.

No matter your preference, this article will break down these methods, step-by-step, to help you establish a consistent and efficient file download process.

Drone (Internal Storage or Micro-SD) to editing computer #

The first method of downloading video from your Mavic 3 drone is to go directly from the drone to your editing computer via USB-C.

Whether you have the Mavic 3 Cine with the internal SSD or the standard edition of the Mavic 3, this method will work on both accounts.

To begin this process, first you will need a USB-C cable capable of data transfer.

All USB cables are created differently. Some are created for use in charging electronic devices, while others are made for the transfer of data to and from devices.

Make sure you have the right kind before proceeding with this process.

After securing a data transfer capable USB-C cable, insert one end of the cable into the port found at the rear of your Mavic 3. Insert the other end of the cable into your editing computer via whatever port is compatible with the remaining end of the cable.

Then turn on your Mavic 3 and wait for your editing computer to detect it as a storage drive.

Once the device has been detected, you can then open the drive on your editing computer and access the files on both the internal storage of your Mavic 3 as well as the micro-SD card inserted in your Mavic 3.

Simply drag and drop the video files from the storage drive onto a storage drive native to your editing computer and wait for the files to download.

Once the download is complete, simply power down your Mavic 3 and remove the USB-C cable from it and your editing computer.

Micro-SD Card to editing computer #

If you aren’t a fan of cables or cable management, using a micro-SD card to transfer video from your Mavic 3 to your editing computer may be more practical for you.

To transfer video files from your DJI Mavic 3 to your editing computer via micro-SD, first open the back charging and storage compartment of your Mavic 3.

After the compartment is opened and the USB-C port and micro-SD slot are exposed, press down on the micro-SD card to release it from the slot.

Pull the card out once it has been released from the slot.

After removing your micro-SD card from the Mavic 3, it’s time to put it in an adapter card or card reader device that will interface with your editing computer directly.

The card reader shown in these photos is Insignia NS-MCR17TYPC USB Type-C Memory Card Reader and is capable of reading both standard SD memory cards as well as micro-SD memory cards.

After inserting your micro-SD card into your card reader of choice, plug the reader into your editing computer and wait for it to detect your card reader.

Once it has detected your card reader, access the storage drive that shows up in your file explorer to begin the download and transfer of the video files from your Mavic 3’s micro-SD card to your editing computer.

DJI Fly App to Mobile Device #

The third and final way to download videos from your Mavic 3 is via the DJI Fly App direct to your mobile device.

Be aware when downloading your video files that the DJI Fly App keeps cache files from previous flights that are NOT full-quality samples.

In this example, the images you see are cache files, but actual files on the Mavic 3’s internal storage and/or micro-SD card will appear in the DJI Fly drone album as well.

1. After flying, land your Mavic 3 and leave the drone powered on to begin the video download process.

2. Go back to the home screen of the DJI Fly App and select “Album” in the lower left-hand corner of the screen.

3. Here you will be taken to a menu that allows you to access your mobile device’s album as well as the aircraft’s internal album.

4. Make sure you have the “Aircraft Album” selected before proceeding with the next steps.

5. After selecting your aircraft’s album, you will see all of the photo and video files available for download from the drone directly to your mobile device.

6. Select the video you would like to download by tapping on it within the album.

7. After tapping on it, you will have the ability to preview the video file as well as “share” the video file.

8. Tap the “share” icon in the top-right corner of the screen. Depending on your device’s operating system, your options may vary.

9. Select the option to save or download your video to your mobile device.

10. At that point, your video file will begin downloading and eventually will be available to watch and share via the internal storage of your device.

In conclusion… #

No matter how you find it most convenient to download your video files from your Mavic 3, there are a variety of options and methods available to you.

To recap, the methods for transferring video (or photo) files from your DJI Mavic 3 to your editing computer include:

1. Drone (Internal Storage or Micro-SD) to Editing Computer
2. Micro-SD Card to Editing Computer
3. DJI Fly App to Mobile Device

Depending upon the resolution you shoot at as well as your frame rates and color profiles, your video file download times may vary.

It’s essential to ensure that you have ample time to sit and wait for the downloads to complete. Interrupting a download in the middle of the process may result in file corruption or total loss.

Remember to always back up files if possible and to check all storage devices before formatting them for future flights.

Once you format your storage devices, the files that might still be on them will be gone forever!

It is good practice to keep all multimedia files on your editing computer’s internal drive as well as a backup of each file on an external hard drive.

Image Credit: Chris Fravel