The Mavic 3 has some new and improved features with some updated video specs. While this new Mavic 3 you get 8GB of built-in memory you’ll still likely want to have a larger external micro sd memory card to give you quick access to the files.
This guide will help you find the best memory cards for the DJI Mavic 3.
DJI Mavic 3 – Amazon / Adorama / B&H
Recommended Memory Cards DJI Mavic 3
The DJI Mavic 3 will take a single micro-SD memory card up to 2TB in size. While it has 8 Gigabytes of internal memory I would only consider that as a backup or if you’re looking to only grab a few photos, otherwise it can be a little tedious pulling shot from the drone itself.
For Videographers – Mavic 3 outputs 5.1k and 4k video at 200Mbps, this translates to a data rate of 25MB/s. To guarantee these speeds to a memory card you will have to get a micro SD card that has a rating of U3. Any U3 micro SD card is fine as long as it’s under 2TB.
A2 or A1 rated cards are ok to use, but those ratings have to do with how apps are caching data on smartphones and tablets.
The size you’ll need will likely depend on if you’re shooting video or stills. With a 200Mbps bitrate, I would consider 128GB as a starting point for video – this will give you 85 minutes of record time which is about two batteries worth of flight time.
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Sandisk Extreme Pro U3 64GB
The Sandisk Extreme Pro is one of the best UHS-I micro SD memory cards. It usually performs the best on most devices with some of the fastest speeds. This is great not only because it ensures enough speed for recording too, but also for transferring files off the card. Sandisk now makes this card with the A2 rating. |
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Angel Bird V60 U3 UHS-II 128GB
Angel Bird is a relatively new brand and its memory cards have been performing very well in benchmarks. The Angel Bird V60 UHS-II micro SD cards are a great option for photographers or videographers looking for quicker transfer speeds to an external drive. These can also be used in other SD-compatible cameras with an adapter. I recommend only the V60 cards if you’re looking for quick transfer speeds. The more expensive V90 cards mostly only provide faster write speeds which are not necessary for the Mavic 3 since it’s only a UHS-I device. |
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Sandisk Extreme U3 64GB, 128GB or 256GB
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Lexar 1066xx 64GB V30 A2
These are great, and Lexar is back on track as one of the best memory card brands. |
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Samsung EVO Plus 128GB, or 256GB
Samsung also has some new cards upgraded with the improved cache for the A2 rating. Currently one of their best cards for the DJI Mavic 3 is the EVO Plus. These are fast, and affordable and work great in DJI drones. Samsung has always been one of the best options for micro SD memory cards. |
The Sandisk Extreme is the most popular microSD card and pretty much works flawlessly in any device. These cards work great on all DJI action cams, drones, and even any GoPro.
Lexar has revamped its micro SD memory card line with some new offerings, the best being the 1066x. Previously Lexar’s best card was only the UHS-II option which almost no device is fully compatible with, now they’ve switched to making high-quality UHS-I micro SD cards.
DJI Mavic 3 Specs
| Sensor: 20MP 5.1k Micro Four Thirds Flight Time: 46 Minutes Max Speed: 47 mph Memory Card Compatibility: Single UHS-I, U3 Max Memory Card Capacity: 2TB 5.1k Datarate: 200Mbps 4k Datarate: 200 Mbps Video Codecs: H.264 / H.265 LOG Support: D-Log, HLG |
Memory Card Compatibility
| UHS-I or greater, U3 or greater SDXC – 64GB or larger Memory Card Max Capacity: 2TB Max Size. |
Micro SD Memory Cards Benchmarks
There are a lot of new cards that I’ll benchmark soon. Here are all the latest relevant cards and their speeds.
| Card Name | Speed Class | Write | Read |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sandisk Extreme Pro U3 64GB UHS-II | UHS-II | 112 MB/s | 271 MB/s |
| Sandisk Extreme Pro U3 A2 128GB | UHS-I | 96 MB/s | 173 MB/s |
| Sandisk Extreme Plus U3 A2 128GB | UHS-I | 107 MB/s | 174 MB/s |
| Sandisk Extreme U3 A2 128GB | UHS-I | 55 MB/s | 78 MB/s |
| Sandisk Ultra U1 A1 128 GB | UHS-I | 50 MB/s | 93 MB/s |
| Sandisk Ultra U3 64GB | UHS-I | 32 MB/s | 92 MB/s |
| Sandisk Nintendo 128GB | UHS-I | 95 MB/s | 158 MB/s |
| Sandisk High Endurance U3 128GB | UHS-I | 82 MB/s | 92 MB/s |
| Sandisk Max Endurance | UHS-I | 49 MB/s | 92 MB/s |
| Samsung Pro Plus V30 A2 128GB | UHS-I | 62 MB/s | 126 MB/s |
| Samsung Pro Endurance V30 128GB | UHS-I | 61 MB/s | 93 MB/s |
| Samsung EVO Plus V30 128GB | UHS-I | 83 MB/s | 92 MB/s |
| Kingston Canvas React V90 A1 128GB | UHS-II | -- | -- |
| Kingston Canvas Go! Plus V30 A2 128GB | UHS-I | 128 MB/s | 173 MB/s |
| Kingston Canvas Select Plus V30 256GB | UHS-I | 80 MB/s | 93 MB/s |
| Kingston Industrial V30 64GB | UHS-I | -- | -- |
| ProGrade V60 64GB | UHS-II | 137 MB/s | 198 MB/s |
| Lexar 1066x A2 128GB | UHS-I | 118 MB/s | 146 MB/s |
| Lexar 633x A2 V30 128GB | UHS-I | 82 MB/s | 93 MB/s |
| Lexar 633x U1 64GB | UHS-I | 24 MB/s | 91 MB/s |
| Lexar 300x U1 64GB | UHS-I | 24 MB/s | 45 MB/s |
| Lexar U3 A2 128GB | UHS-I | -- | -- |
| Lexar U1 A1 PLAY 128GB | UHS-I | -- | -- |
| Lexar U3 A1 128GB | UHS-I | -- | -- |
| Delkin Power V90 64GB UHS-II | UHS-II | 275 MB/s | 287 MB/s |
| Delkin Prime v60 64GB UHS-II | UHS-II | 112 MB/s | 285 MB/s |
| Delkin Advantage V30 128GB | UHS-I | 77 MB/s | 92 MB/s |
| Delkin Select 128GB V30 | UHS-I | 83 MB/s | 93 MB/s |
| Delkin V30 Black 128GB | UHS-I | 86 MB/s | 93 MB/s |
| Delkin Dashcard V30 128GB | UHS-I | -- | -- |
| Sony V30 128GB | UHS-I | 84 MB/s | 91 MB/s |
| Transcend A1 V30 128GB | UHS-I | 46 MB/s | 93 MB/s |
| Transcend Ultimate 633x U3 64GB | UHS-I | 80 MB/s | 90 MB/s |
| Transcend 400x U1 64GB | UHS-I | 25 MB/s | 91 MB/s |
| Transcend 300x U1 64GB | UHS-I | 25 MB/s | 91 MB/s |
| Transcend High Endurance U10 64GB | UHS-I | 21 MB/s | 23 MB/s |
| PNY Elite-X A1 V30 128GB | UHS-I | 47 MB/s | 92 MB/s |
| PNY Premier-X A1 V30 128GB | UHS-I | 84 MB/s | 93 MB/s |
| PNY PRO Elite U3 A2 256GB | UHS-I | 82 MB/s | 93 MB/s |
| PNY Elite U1 128GB | UHS-I | 29 MB/s | 89 MB/s |
| Angel Bird A1 V60 128GB | UHS-II | 142 MB/s | 267 MB/s |
| Amplim A1 V30 667X 128GB Gold | UHS-I | 86 MB/s | 92 MB/s |
| Netac Pro A1 U3 128GB | UHS-I | 50 MB/s | 92 MB/s |
| Netac Pro U3 64GB | UHS-I | 36 MB/s | 81 MB/s |
| Patriot EP PRO U3 128GB | UHS-I | -- | -- |
| Patriot EP A1 V30 128GB | UHS-I | -- | -- |
| Patriot High Endurance 128GB | UHS-I | -- | -- |
| Patriot U1 64GB | UHS-I | 21 MB/s | 80 MB/s |
| Silicon Power Superior A2 V30 128GB | UHS-I | 41 MB/s | 94 MB/s |
| Silicon Power Superior A1 V30 | UHS-I | 55 MB/s | 92 MB/s |
| Gigastone 4k Camera Pro A2 V30 128GB | UHS-I | -- | -- |
| Gigastone 4k Game Turbo A2 U3 128GB | UHS-I | -- | -- |
| Gigastone 4k Game Pro A2 V30 128GB | UHS-I | -- | -- |
| Gigastone Gaming Plus A1 V30 128GB | UHS-I | -- | -- |
| Gigastone V30 128GB | UHS-I | -- | -- |
| Gigastone Ultimate Storage A2 V30 | UHS-I | -- | -- |
What Size Memory Card Is Best For Mavic 3
The Memory card capacity for the DJI Mavic 3 is 2TB. For older drones like the Mavic 2 the max capacity was only 256GB. This is something to keep in mind if you have multiple drones.
When trying to decide what size memory card to buy for the Mavic 3, you’ll likely get about a max of 40 minutes per battery and with the three batteries included in the fly more combo, that’s 120 minutes of record time, which would require a 256GB card at the 200Mbps maximum video bitrate.
Record Times
Record times are taken from the Video Record Time Calculator.
When deciding what size card to be remember that the flight time of the Mavic 3 is about 40 minutes per battery.
| DJI Mavic 3 Record Times | 64GB | 128GB | 256GB |
| 200Mbps | 43min | 85min | 171min |
SDXC vs SDHC Memory Cards
SDXC memory cards can support 64bit
SDHC memory cards can only support 32bit.
UHS-I vs UHS-II
DJI recommends using memory cards that are of at least a U3 rating. Internally the drone only will use the UHS-I interface but UHS-II memory cards work fine, just at the slower UHS-I speeds.
UHS-II cards are nice when it comes to transferring speeds to an external drive. If you’re looking to speed up the time it takes to offload footage from your cards, consider investing in a UHS-II card and reader. There is no other advantage to using a UHS-II card unless you want to share it with another camera.
Best SD Memory Cards DJI Mavic 3 Conclusions
The DJI Mavic 3 has a new higher bitrate of 200Mbps, this will require a U3 memory card.
You can use UHS-II cards for faster transfer speeds from your footage to your computer but otherwise, you are only required to use UHS-I U3 memory cards with a max size of up to 2TB.
