Yes, the DJI Mini 3 can shoot vertical. Tap the Landscape/Portrait switch in the DJI Fly camera view and the gimbal rotates the camera 90 degrees for portrait photos and video. DJI calls this True Vertical Shooting: the full sensor is used, so there's no crop or loss of resolution. Tap the switch again to return to landscape.
How True Vertical Shooting works
Many drones make vertical video by cropping the middle of a wide frame, which throws away pixels. The Mini 3's gimbal rolls the whole camera to portrait instead. DJI's controllable roll range is exactly two positions, 0° (landscape) and -90° (portrait). The live view switches to a tall frame so you can compose naturally.
How to switch to portrait
- Power on and connect in DJI Fly.
- In the camera view, tap the Landscape/Portrait switch icon.
- Wait for the gimbal to rotate. The view becomes vertical.
- Choose Photo or Video and shoot as normal.
- Tap the icon again to rotate back.
Best settings for vertical
- Video: 4K at 24 to 30 fps for the best quality with HDR, or 2.7K at up to 60 fps for smoother motion.
- Photos: 12 MP for most posts; 48 MP when you want room to crop.
- Exposure: Pro mode, ISO 100, shutter about double the frame rate, with ND filters in bright sun.
- Flight mode: Cine for slow, smooth moves.
Export at 1080×1920 for Reels, TikTok and Shorts. A 4K vertical clip gives plenty of room to reframe.
Vertical shot ideas
- Rising reveal: start low behind a tree line or rooftop and climb to show the view.
- Top-down pull-back: gimbal straight down, rise slowly over a person, pool or patterned field.
- Slow push-in: fly forward toward a tall subject like a lighthouse or waterfall.
- QuickShots: Dronie, Rocket, Circle, Helix and Boomerang can make quick social clips. Rocket, which climbs with the camera pointing down, suits the tall frame.
Tips
- Keep the subject centered. Social apps cover the top and bottom of the frame with text and buttons.
- Move vertically, not sideways. Fast lateral moves feel jumpy in a narrow frame.
- Watch the wind. At 248 g, the Mini 3 holds steady in moderate wind, but gusts show more in tight framing.
- Plan both versions. If you need horizontal and vertical from the same location, fly the route twice rather than cropping.
Vertical panoramas
The Mini 3's Pano presets are Sphere, 180° and Wide Angle, with no Vertical type. For a tall panorama, take overlapping portrait photos at different gimbal tilts and merge them. See Mini 3 panoramas.
Mini 3 vs other drones for vertical
The Mini 3 and Mini 4 Pro both rotate the camera for full-sensor vertical. Larger drones like the Air 3S and Mavic 3 crop or don't offer vertical at all. More ideas in how to shoot vertical drone video.
For all other settings, see best Mini 3 settings, or shop the DJI Mini 3.
Related guides
- How to shoot vertical video with the DJI Mini 4 Pro (portrait mode)
- How to shoot vertical video with the DJI Mini 5 Pro
- Best DJI Mini 3 camera settings for photo and video
- DJI Mini 3 night mode and low-light video: what to expect
- DJI Mini 3 photo and video quality: what to expect
- How to shoot a hyperlapse with the DJI Mini 3
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