Yes, the DJI Air 3S has vertical shooting. Both the 1-inch wide and the 70 mm medium tele cameras record 9:16 vertical video at 2.7K (1512×2688) at 24 to 60 fps. It works by recording a vertical crop of the sensor; the gimbal doesn't rotate 90 degrees the way it does on the Mini 4 Pro.
How to shoot vertical on the Air 3S
- In DJI Fly, switch to Video mode.
- Tap the resolution and frame rate setting in the camera view.
- Choose the 2.7K vertical (9:16) option. The live view shows the tall recording area.
- Frame and record as usual.
If you don't see the option, update DJI Fly and the aircraft firmware. Menu layouts change between app versions.
What crop-based vertical means
- 2.7K, not 4K. Vertical tops out at 1512×2688. That's still higher than the 1080×1920 that Reels, TikTok and Shorts display.
- Narrower view. You're using part of the sensor, so the frame is tighter than the horizontal view. Climb or back away to fit tall subjects.
- No 4K/120 slow motion in vertical. Shoot vertical at 60 fps if you want to slow clips down in your edit.
- Tele vertical works well for isolating a single person, a lighthouse or a building against the sky.
Option 2: shoot horizontal 4K and crop later
Record 4K (3840×2160) horizontal and crop a 9:16 frame in your editor. The crop is 1215×2160, which fills a 1080×1920 timeline. This gets you both a horizontal and a vertical version from one flight, at the cost of framing freedom. Keep your subject near the center.
Does the Air 3S have vertical mode for photos?
DJI lists vertical shooting as a video format. For vertical photos, shoot a 50 MP image on the wide camera and crop it. A full-height 9:16 crop from the 8192×6144 file is about 3456×6144 pixels, roughly 21 MP. That's more than enough for Instagram, prints and listings. You can also use the Vertical Pano mode for tall subjects; see Air 3S panoramas.
Tips for vertical drone video
- Move vertically. Rising reveals and top-down pull-aways suit the tall frame better than sideways passes.
- Slow down. Fast lateral moves feel jumpy in a narrow frame.
- Keep key details centered. App buttons and captions cover the top and bottom of vertical posts.
- Grade consistently. If you shoot D-Log M elsewhere in the project, use the same Air 3S LUT workflow.
Air 3S vs Mini 4 Pro for vertical
If vertical content is your main output, the Mini 4 Pro rotates its camera for full-sensor vertical shots. The Air 3S trades that for a larger 1-inch sensor, a 70 mm tele and longer flights. Compare them in Mini 4 Pro vs Air 3S, or shop the DJI Air 3S.
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