DJI has announced the hotly anticipated DJI Mini 4 Pro (buy here). Leaks earlier in the month told us it was on the way and would have all-around obstacle avoidance, 4K 100fps video and waypoint control.
Well, it’s got all that and more, including 4K 60fps HDR video as well as 10-bit D-Log M, 48-megapixel raw stills, 4K 60fps vertical shooting, and a 20km range – but that’s way beyond visual line of sight rules!
A Featherlight Marvel: DJI Mini 4 Pro
Drones at the <250g level aren’t new. But with this level of capability, yeah, kinda. Obstacle avoidance of any kind in drones of this size wasn’t even a thing until a couple of years ago, and now the DJI Mini 4 has full 360-degree obstacle detection.
It also shoots 4K video at up to 100 frames per second in 10-bit, with 4K 60p HDR as well as 4K 60fps vertical video. And it does it with a new 1/1.3-inch 48-megapixel CMOS sensor and a bright 24mm equivalent f/1.7 lens.
The DJI Mini 4 Pro has a 20-mile transmission range, too. And while that sounds not much use to those of us in locations with visual line-of-sight limitations, it does offer some benefits. It means it should be less prone to interference at shorter distances, too.
And DJI still manages to pack it all into a <250g drone with the familiar folding shape Mini owners will be used to.
DJI Mini 4 Pro’s Snap-Happy Capabilities
The DJI Mini 4 Pro features a new “cutting edge” 1/1.3-inch 48-megapixel CMOS Sensor. It boasts a new image processing platform that allows it to offer “dual native ISO fusion” for maximum dynamic range and new slow motion shooting modes.
The sensor inside the DJI Mini 4 Pro offers 10-bit 4:2:0 4K video at up to 100 frames per second for some silky smooth slow motion. This is very impressive in such a small and relatively inexpensive drone. It is limited to 150Mbps, though, so I’d be curious to see how the final footage looks with that level of compression.
Flying without Fear: DJI Mini 4 Pro’s Shield in the Sky
Probably the biggest news in the DJI Mini 4 Pro is its all-around obstacle avoidance system. The omnidirectional obstacle sensing system is powered by a pair of wide-angle vision sensors on each side and two more pointing down.
The six vision sensors are used in combination with the Advanced Pilot Assistance System (APAS). This allows the drone to automatically brake and avoid any obstacles it finds in any direction around the drone.
Of course, it features all of the usual flight modes, too. So, you get MasterShots, QuickShots, Hyperlapse, Panorama, Waypoint Flight (woot!), Cruise Control, Spotlight, Point of Interest, ActiveTrack 360° and all the rest of it.
A Glimpse into the Future with DJI Mini 4 Pro
This is an unprecedented level of collision avoidance in a drone of this class. And it’s very nice to see. It will make it even more difficult for the competition to knock DJI off its pedestal, but I think it’s a step in the right direction for drones in this market.
Looking at the DJI Mini 4 Pro overall, it’s probably the first <250g drone in a while that’s really tempted me. I don’t need to use obstacle avoidance all that often when I fly, but when I do, I need it to be really good.
Price and Availability
The DJI Mini 4 Pro is available to pre-order now for $759 with the RC-N2 Controller. If you want it with the RC 2 controller instead, that package is available to pre-order now for $959. There’s also the Fly More Combo with the RC 2 controller to pre-order for $1,099 and the Fly More Combo Plus with the RC 2 controller to pre-order for $1,159.
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