The best microSD card for the DJI Mavic 3 Pro is one from DJI's recommended list: Lexar 1066x V30 A2, SanDisk High Endurance V30, or Kingston Canvas Go! Plus V30 A2, in 64 GB to 512 GB. A 128 GB or 256 GB card suits most pilots. The drone also has 8 GB of internal storage (the Mavic 3 Pro Cine has a 1 TB SSD), which is a backup, not a replacement for a card.
DJI's recommended cards
From the Mavic 3 Pro spec page:
| Card | Sizes DJI lists |
|---|---|
| Lexar 1066x V30 A2 microSDXC | 64, 128, 256, 512 GB |
| SanDisk High Endurance V30 microSDXC | 64, 128, 256 GB |
| Kingston Canvas Go! Plus V30 A2 microSDXC | 64, 128, 256, 512 GB |
DJI's manual says the card must be SDXC or UHS-I because high-resolution video needs fast write speeds. Buy from a trusted seller; fake cards are common and are the top cause of corrupted files.
How big a card do you need?
The Mavic 3 Pro's H.264 and H.265 video tops out at 200 Mbps from the Hasselblad camera. At that rate, one minute is about 1.5 GB, so:
- 64 GB: about 40 minutes of top-bitrate video
- 128 GB: about 1 hour 25 minutes
- 256 GB: about 2 hours 50 minutes, roughly four full batteries
Lower settings use less. DJI's manual limits a single recording to 30 minutes, so start a new clip for longer takes.
Internal storage
The standard Mavic 3 Pro has 8 GB built in, about 7.9 GB usable. If you forget a card, footage saves there. Copy it off with QuickTransfer or a USB-C cable. See Mavic 3 Pro transfer.
The Mavic 3 Pro Cine has a 1 TB SSD for Apple ProRes, which a microSD card can't handle. See Mavic 3 Pro combos.
Mavic 3 Pro not recognizing the SD card?
Work through these in order:
- Power off and reseat the card. Push it fully into the slot. Never insert or remove it while recording.
- Check the card. Is it microSDXC, V30, and ideally on DJI's list? Older or slow cards can fail.
- Check the storage setting. In DJI Fly's camera settings under Storage, choose the microSD card rather than internal storage.
- Format it in the drone. Use DJI Fly's format option. This erases everything, so copy files first. The drone uses exFAT.
- Try it in a computer. If a computer can't read it either, the card is likely bad.
- Try another card. If a known-good card works, replace the old one.
- Update firmware. See Mavic 3 Pro firmware update.
- Clean the slot. Blow out dust gently. Don't poke anything into the slot.
If no card works, the slot may be damaged. Contact our repair desk.
Card habits that prevent lost footage
- Format in the drone, not on a computer, before each shoot.
- Use several smaller cards instead of one huge one.
- Copy and back up footage the same day.
- Let recording stop before powering off, or the last clip may corrupt.
Getting set up? See the DJI Mavic 3 Pro, or our Mavic 3 Pro best settings for bitrate and codec choices.
Related guides
- Best SD card for the DJI Mavic 4 Pro (and internal storage)
- Best SD card for the DJI Mavic 3 Classic (and internal storage)
- Best SD card for the DJI Mini 4 Pro (and internal storage)
- Best SD card for the DJI Mini 5 Pro (and internal storage)
- Best SD card for the DJI Air 3S (and internal storage)
- Best SD card for the DJI Avata 2 (and internal storage)
Not sure which to pick?
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