The Best SD card for DJI Mini 3 Pro [Calculated for you]

Choosing the best SD card for your Mini 3 Pro means you can record high-definition and high frame-rate video without hassle. Spending a little bit more on your SD card means you will have plenty of space for recording your drone flights.

According to DJI, the DJI Mini 3 Pro supports using a microSD card with a UHS-I Speed Grade 3 rating or above. A fast read and write speed are required for high-resolution video data.

The cheapest currently available SD card per gigabyte of storage is the Lexar 633x 256GB V30 A1 microSDXC. This SD memory card is recommended by DJI and is currently available for a bargain price giving you plenty of storage at a low cost per gigabyte.

Even though there are higher capacity cards available (such as 512 gb) you should not just go for the biggest microsd memory cards because bigger is not always better (or cheaper).

Here are all the specifications and important facts you need to know about choosing the best SD card for your DJI Mini 3 Pro.

Related Mini 3 Articles:

• Does the DJI Mini 3 Pro shoot raw? [SOLVED]
• The DJI Mini 3 Pro Max Altitude
• DJI Mini 3 Pro Wind Resistance [Surprising stats]

Recommended by DJI: SD Cards for the DJI Mini 3 Pro – use one of these microsd memory cards. 

In the specification for the Mini 3 Pro drone, there are certain requirements for the SD card. These include a speed class of three or more for recording high-definition photos and videos at high frame rates and photos with a high dynamic range (hdr).

If you are confused about all the different types of cards that can be found and which ones are best suited for drone usage, check out my user guide below. Alternatively, you can learn more about the best SD cards for a drone by checking out this article.

These SD cards are what DJI recommends for your Mini 3 pro drone:

The long list of different cards can be confusing. However, when choosing an SD card for my drone, I am looking for a fast write speed and a very low cost in terms of dollars per gigabyte.

Price per GB calculations

To make it easier to compare the list above, I have calculated the dollars it costs per gigabyte of most of the SD cards above.

Here are the results of my investigation organised from the lowest cost to the highest cost per gigabyte for each recommended SD card from the DJI official website for this drone.

You will notice that the higher capacity SD cards may be more expensive but offer better value for your money.

There is also an internal storage of approximately 7 GB, making it perfect for trying out your drone and recording high-definition footage without having to rely on purchasing an external memory card. However, the space isn’t enough for recording high-definition videos of considerable length.

Even though the drone has internal storage, using a microSD card is recommended for large data storage purposes.

Here are all the tips and tricks for getting the most out of your SD card and ensuring that it does not end up accidentally being wiped or corrupted while operating the drone.

DJI Mini 3 pro sd card  – maximum size

The maximum card size recommended by DJI is 512 GB.

Any more than that does not function well with the software running the drone and cause errors when trying to record photos and videos. 

There are also very important aspects of microsd cards for the DJI Mini 3 Pro such as speed class and read speeds for hd video. Cards need to be fast enough to be able to access the photos and videos stored quickly. 

I get my photos and videos off the micro sd card by using a sd adapter rather than plugging directly into the rc vehicle. So I value a fast read and write speed.

I also always stick with the officially recommended SD cards and choose the one that best matches my budget. 

Using a memory card with your Mini 3 Pro 

Even though the DJI Mini 3 Pro is a very advanced drone, you need to ensure that the microSD card is not wiped or corrupted while in use.

Here is everything you need to do to avoid disappointment at the end of your flight mission:

Do not remove when on

Do not remove the microSD card from the aircraft while powered on. Having a current supplied to the microSD card can cause it to short if the card is removed and inadvertently touches other metallic contacts.

This action is one of the most damaging things you can do for the microSD card, so always completely power down your drone before removing the microSD card from the rear card slot.

Recordings are limited to 30 minutes

The camera system’s stability means that each single video recording is limited to 30 minutes. If you have a DSLR or other camera, you will realise that this is a common practice for many cameras and video capture equipment.

Recording for longer than 30 minutes requires pushing the record button again at the end of the 30 minutes.

A drone must be kept on

The drone must be powered on when you are transferring data from the microSD card into the DJI fly app.

Likewise, it must be kept on if you are physically connecting the drone to your computer to remove the data. You cannot transfer from the microSD card in the drone if the aircraft is powered off.

Power off the drone correctly

Make sure that the power of the drone is switched off correctly each time you use the drone.

If you do not power down the aircraft correctly and remove the battery without turning it off, the camera parameters may not be saved, and any recorded videos may also be affected.

Test your SD card and camera regularly

Before shooting important photos or videos, practice with a few test images to ensure that the camera operates correctly. Check the camera settings before each use to ensure they are configured to your liking.

Carry an extra battery so you can test the footage’s quality without running down battery power that could be used during your flight mission.

Purchasing guide: card for DJI Mini 3 Pro – choosing the best microsd card. 

Here is everything you need to know about choosing a microSD card for your mini three Pro – you may even have a suitable one laying about at home.

Card speed (class)

Whatever you do, don’t scrimp on the speed of your memory card when using a drone.

If you want to record in 4K, remember that you’ll need a write speed of 12.5MB/s. Only a few cards on the market can smoothly record 4K video.

You only need to check for a “U3” or “V30” symbol, which indicates a minimum sustained write speed of 30MB/s, which is plenty for most applications.

Speed class

The right speed of your microSD card can be classified from class 2 up to class 10. Here are the right speeds further the four most common classes:

• C2 (Class 2): minimum write speed of 2MB/s
• C4 (Class 4): minimum write speed of 4MB/s
• C6 (Class 6): minimum write speed of 6MB/s
• C10 (Class 10): minimum write speed of 10MB/s
• C2 is the slowest speed class, and for modern electronic devices, C10 is typically the minimum speed requirement.

Ultrahigh speed (UHS) class

The next step up of speed class is the ultrahigh-speed, denoted with a U symbol. There are two ratings in the ultrahigh speed class of microSD cards:

• U1 (UHS Speed Class 1): minimum write speed of 10MB/s
• U3 (UHS Speed Class 3): minimum write speed of 30MB/s

This is important for drones that can record at a 4K resolution. It would help if you aimed to buy a U3 classification microSD card with a minimum write speed of 30 Mb per second.

Lastly, we have the video speed class:

Video speed class

The video speed class was created to allow higher resolutions and different formats such as multiple video streams, 360° capture, virtual reality content, and 8K resolution videos. They are usually denoted with the V symbol:

• V6 (Video Speed Class 6): minimum write speed of 6MB/s
• V10 (Video Speed Class 10): minimum write speed of 10MB/s
• V30 (Video Speed Class 30): minimum write speed of 30MB/s
• V60 (Video Speed Class 60): minimum write speed of 60MB/s
• V90 (Video Speed Class 90): minimum write speed of 90MB/s

These speeds are perfect for ultrahigh-resolution videos and will work amazingly well in your drone if you use a V30 class and upwards.

Card size

As a rule of thumb, you can say that 4K footage taken at 30 frames per second uses up to 1 GB per minute of footage.

Here is a list of how many gigabytes per minute it takes at various high definition resolutions combined with common frame rates used by drone pilots.

• 0.761 GB/minute at 4K/30fps MP4
• 0.523 GB/minute at 1080/60fps MP4
• 0.265 GB/minute at 1080p/30fps MP4

Essentially, you should purchase the biggest card size you can afford as long as it is now bigger than the maximum card size allowed in the drone and it has a good right speed of greater than 12.5 Mb per second.

Manufacturer

I strongly advise you to stay with well-known manufacturers like Samsung, SanDisk, and Lexar. Sticking to well-known brand names ensures that the memory card is produced and manufactured to the highest standards.

Some of the less expensive Chinese-made memory cards may appear to be a great deal, but you will pay the price of irritation in the long run.

Summary – Best SD card for DJI Mini 3 Pro

In this article, we have covered everything you need to know about the best mini three Pro SD cards currently available on the market. Even though many SD cards are the same, I recommend sticking with a reputable manufacturer and one that DJI recommends.

We have calculated the affordability of each gigabyte of storage for most of the DJI-recommended SD cards and have found that the cheapest currently available SD card per gigabyte of storage is the Lexar 633x 256GB V30 A1 microSDXC.