DJI has launched their newest Mini – a powerful flying camera in a tiny form factor. Reviewers around the world published their thoughts today: and they’re overwhelmingly glowing. “Near-flawless,” says Digital Camera World. “Aerial perfection,” says Pocket-Lint. “DJI’s Mini 4 Pro sets a benchmark for small drones,” says Engadget. “…the best sub-250g drone currently available,” says TechRadar.
What’s leading to the rave reviews of the DJI Mini 4?
New Features: Great Imagery, Plus Obstacle Avoidance and More
“The Mini 4 Pro perfectly marries professional-grade capabilities while keeping its hallmark lightweight design, offering unmatched freedom and adaptability,” said Ferdinand Wolf, Creative Director at DJI. “This drone emerges as the ultimate all-rounder, designed to elevate your creative toolkit.”
The newest drone in the Mini series still weighs under 250 grams, to be regulation friendly. (Remember that in the U.S., all drones used professionally must be registered, regardless of weight.) Packaged in that small form factor is a high quality imaging package, complete with “True Vertical Shooting” capability designed for social media and smartphone playback. Reviewers universally appreciated the image quality: “gorgeous,” was the adjective used more than once.
Slow motion action scenes? DJI’s new Mini 4 Pro can shoot at higher framerates in 4K, and supports up to 100fps recording (an improvement over the 60fps on the DJI Mini 3 Pro.) HDR video has also been upgraded to 4K 60fps, compared to 4K 30fps on the Mini 3.
The Mini 4 Pro also adds omnidirectional obstacle sensing, making it even easier to fly the drone safely. “Complemented by an Advanced Pilot Assistance Systems (APAS), the drone features automatic braking and obstacle bypass, elevating in-flight security,” says the announcement. The new sensors also improve the ActiveTrack feature, say pilots: the DJI Mini 4’s ActiveTrack 360 matches the functionality found on some of DJI’s larger drones.
The Mini 4 has an impressive flight endurance, offering up to 34 minutes of flight time or 45 minutes using the Intelligent Flight Battery Plus. While many reviewers commented that wind is generally a problem for smaller drones, they found that the Mini 4 did better than anticipated – and was able to deliver stable images even in moderately windy conditions. “Confidence-inspiring,” said the Digital Camera World reviewer.
Enhanced Transmission
From the DJI Announcement:
Additionally, thanks to DJI’s flagship O4 video transmission enjoy ultra-responsive control and smooth 1080p/60fps FHD video transmission capability from distances of up to 20 km5. Enhance your shooting efficiency with Waypoint Flight’s automatic route function while minimizing operation fatigue with Cruise Control for long-distance, steady-state flights. The Mini 4 Pro’s Advanced Return-to-Home system automatically navigates a safe flight route back, facilitated by the AR RTH feature for more control during return flights.
There are other improvements offered in the Mini 4: even the addition of landing feet helping the drone can take off on an uneven surface. “An excellent change,” says Pocket Lint.
The Upshot: A Great Upgrade
Almost all reviewers agree that the DJI Mini 4 Pro adds some significant functionality and features – and is well worth it for professional photographers or pilots passionate about content creation. The entire Mini series are favorites, however – so pilots just starting out to hone their skills may be able to get a great deal on a Mini 2 or Mini 3, which are still great drones.
