Small but Mighty: DJI Mavic Mini 4 Pro Punches Above Its Weight Class
Introduction
DJI is a global leader in drone and aerial imaging technology. They first made their mark on the consumer drone market in 2013 with the release of the Phantom, which became the top-selling consumer drone. Since then they have gone on to release several popular camera drone models like the Mavic Pro, Spark, and Mavic Air.
In 2019 DJI introduced the Mavic Mini line as a new series of affordable, lightweight drones aimed at beginners and hobbyists. The original Mavic Mini weighed just 249 grams, making it exempt from drone registration requirements in many countries. It featured a 12MP camera, 30 minute flight time, and a more basic feature set.
The new Mavic Mini 4 Pro represents DJI's latest update to the Mavic Mini line. It includes several key upgrades while retaining the light weight and compact foldable design. The biggest new feature is the 48MP 1/1.7" CMOS sensor camera that can shoot 4K/60fps video and 48MP photos. It also has tri-directional obstacle avoidance sensors for added safety. With 31 minutes of flight time and an extended 8km HD video transmission range, the Mavic Mini 4 Pro pushes the capabilities of DJI's smallest drone class. This review will take an in-depth look at the new features and performance of the Mavic Mini 4 Pro.
Design
The DJI Mavic Mini 4 Pro brings a refreshed, compact design while retaining the portability of the Mavic Mini series. At 249 grams, the Mavic Mini 4 Pro stays under the 250g threshold for drone registration in many regions. Despite its small size, the Mavic Mini 4 Pro incorporates a folding design similar to DJI's larger drones. The front arms fold backward while the rear arms fold inward, allowing it to easily fit into the included carrying case. When folded, it measures 145×90×62 mm, making it compact enough to fit into a jacket pocket or small bag. Unfolding the drone is simple - just unfold the rear arms, then the front arms until they click into place. Compared to the previous Mavic Mini 2, the 4 Pro is identical in terms of weight and folded size. However, DJI managed to incorporate a slightly larger camera module while maintaining the same compact form factor.
The body uses high-strength, lightweight plastics that are durable enough for daily use but keep the weight down. Overall, the Mavic Mini 4 Pro brings refinements to portability and design while retaining the compact and foldable form factor that made the Mavic Mini series so popular among travelers and hobbyists seeking an ultra-portable drone.
Camera
The DJI Mavic Mini 4 Pro comes equipped with a new 1/1.3-inch CMOS sensor capable of shooting 48MP still photos and 4K video up to 100fps. This is a sizable improvement over the previous Mavic Mini 2's 12MP sensor. The larger sensor allows for better low light performance and dynamic range. Photos have excellent detail and sharpness, making the Mavic Mini 4 Pro a very capable aerial photography drone.
The 3-axis mechanical gimbal gimbal provides impressive stabilization for smooth video and sharp photos, even in windy conditions.
The Mini 4 Pro introduces a new intelligent zoom capability that goes up to 4x lossless zoom when shooting 1080p video. This allows you to get closer to subjects without losing any image quality. The zoom is controlled easily from the remote controller.
For still photos, you can shoot in JPEG and RAW formats. Video can be recorded in MP4 and MOV formats. There are also a variety of intelligent photo and video flight modes, including Focus Track, Waypoints, Hyperlapse, Quickshots and Panoramas (More on this below!).
Overall, the upgrades to the camera and gimbal make the Mavic Mini 4 Pro an excellent choice for aerial photography and videography. The combination of high resolution, zoom capabilities, image formats and stabilization provide great creative flexibility.
Intelligent Flight Modes
The Mavic Mini 4 Pro comes with several intelligent flight modes that make capturing complex shots easy, even for beginners. These pre-programmed flight modes allow the drone to fly itself along predetermined flight paths with cinematic movements while you control the camera. With the addition of the 360 degree obstacle avoidance these intelligent flight modes can be extremely powerful tools.
Focus Track
Focus Track allows the pilot to highlight a subject for the aircraft to maintain focus on autonomously. Focus Track is offered in three modes:
Spotlight - The drone keeps the camera aimed at the subject while you control the flight.
Point of Interest - Point of Interest allows you to mark a point that the drone will orbit around autonomously. You can set the altitude, radius, and speed of the orbit, then control the tilt and pan of the camera while the drone circles the target. This is an easy way to capture compelling orbiting shots of landmarks, structures, or scenery. This mode is great for reveal shots when setting a scene for cinematic videos!
ActiveTrack - In Active track, the pilot sets an altitude and distance from the subject. The drone will maintain the the distance from the subject autonomously allowing the pilot to focus on the camera. ActiveTrack makes capturing tracking shots of subjects like people, vehicles, and animals incredibly simple. The tracking works well even when the subject moves quickly or changes elevation. This feature is great for solo drone users who want cinematic tracking shots. There are two modes of ActiveTrack: Trace & Parallel.
Trace - The drone locks onto the subject and matches their movements at a constant distance and elevation.
Parallel Profile - The drone tracks the subject at a profile angle from the side.
Master Shots
DJI’s Master Shots is an automated flight mode that includes flying, shooting, and even sequencing the shots. In Master Shots mode, the pilot highlights a subject, ensures their are no obstacles, and initiates the flight. The drone starts flying and recording automatically and returns to its starting point upon completion.
Quick Shots
Quick Shots offers six automated flight path modes that drone will automate and shoot to generate short video clips. The Quick Shots flight modes are:
Dronie - The camera is locked on the subject as the aircraft flies backward while gaining altitude
Rocket - The camera is pointing downward while the drone ascends upward
Circle - The camera is fixed on the subject while the aircraft orbits in a circle
Helix - The aircraft does a spiral orbit around a subject while ascending
Boomerang - The aircraft flies in an oval orbit around a subject while ascending on one end and descending on the other.
Asteroid - The aircraft takes a series of photos while flying backward and ascending. The resulting video starts with the panoramic view from the highest position before revealing the descent.
Hyperlapse
Hyperlapse mode is a moving time-lapse. The Mavic Mini 4 Pro makes this possible with its incredible stability. Hyperlapse is offered in 4 flight patterns:
Free - The pilot can manually control the aircraft and gimbal
Circle - The aircraft orbits the subject while creating the hyperlapse
Course Lock - The pilot locks the flight path direction but can still control the camera during the flight to create the hyperlapse
Waypoints - The pilot sets a series of waypoints for the aircraft to follow while generating the time-lapse video
Waypoints Flight
With Waypoints Flight (similar to the hyper-lapse mode but for standard video and photography shooting), you can pre-plan a complex flight path on the map and the drone will follow it automatically while you control the camera. You can add multiple waypoints and customize advanced parameters like altitude, speed, and angle to create cinematic automated flight paths. Waypoints make capturing professional drone shots much more accessible.
Cruise Control
The Cruise Control setting allows the pilot to lock their stick inputs so the aircraft maintains autonomous flight at the current speed. The Cruise Control option is great for longer distance flights especially when shooting video where consistent speed is required for smooth video.
Return to Home
The Mavic Mini 4 Pro has robust automated safety features, including Return to Home. If the drone battery gets low, or the signal is lost between the controller and drone, it will automatically fly back to the takeoff point and land safely. This gives peace of mind if something goes wrong or if you lose orientation of the drone.
Remote Controller
The DJI Mavic Mini 4 Pro is compatible with the RC-N2 controller and the newer RC 2 controller. Both are minimalist remote controllers with compact and lightweight bodies that feels nice in the hands. They are light weight which helps reduce arm fatigue when flying the drone for longer sessions.
The RC-N2 controller connects to your mobile phone to run the DJI Fly App. The RC 2 controller has a built in screen and runs the display functions right from the controller without having to mount your phone. The RC 2 controller option generally adds an additional $200 value to the Mavic Mini 4 Bundles.
The sticks on both controller are easy to grip and provide smooth precision controls. They are also quickly removable and can be stored on built in holders on the underside of the controller to protect them during transport. All essential buttons like photo/video capture and gimbal tilt are within easy thumb reach.
In terms of operating range, DJI claim the new Mavic Mini 4 Pro can reach up to 7 miles when unobstructed and free of interference. Coming from FPV piloting this seemed really far fetched for me. Real world tests seem to indicate this being fairly accurate, with the RC able to maintain a stable HD video feed back up to around 6 miles before starting to get patchy. The operating frequency is also automatically selected between 2.4GHz and 5.8GHz to help maintain optimal range and stability.
Overall the remote controller refinements provide an excellent lightweight controller solution for the new Mavic Mini 4 Pro that should meet the needs of most recreational and amateur pilots.
App and Software
The DJI Mavic Mini 4 Pro uses the DJI Fly App. The DJI Fly App has been around for a long time now and become pretty trusted. The simple UI makes capturing complex shots easy, even for beginners. The basic camera controls are easy to learn and operate as well as initiating the intelligent flight modes.
Battery Life
The DJI Mavic Mini 4 Pro comes with an impressively long maximum flight time despite its small size. The standard battery allows for up to 35 minutes of flight time, which is 5 minutes more than the previous Mavic Mini model. This allows you to stay in the air capturing footage for longer without having to land and swap batteries as frequently.
The battery requires around 1 hour and 20 minutes to charge fully from empty using the included charger. This isn't the fastest charge time, but is on par with other consumer drones in this price range. The Mini 4 Pro Fly More Combo Package comes with three batteries and an equal size charger conveniently placed in a padded carry bag. Having multiple batteries on hand means you can simply swap them out when one runs low rather than having to end a flight when you run out of juice. With 35 minutes of flight time over three batteries is more than enough flying for most applications.
Pricing
The new DJI Mavic Mini 4 Pro is a bit of a move upmarket for DJI into more premium consumer drones. The base pricing starts at $799 for the standard package which includes the remote controller, extra propellers, and basic required accessories. This makes it more expensive than the original Mavic Mini launched at $399, but still more affordable than higher-end models like the Mavic 3 priced at $1599.
Pricing varies, but in the United States the Mavic Mini 4 Pro can be found from $750-$1200 depending on the options included with the main difference being the RC2 Controller (built in screen), or the RC-N2 controller which requires you to use your mobile phone in place of the built in screen.
When comparing to competitors, the Mini 4 Pro is priced similarly to the Autel Nano+ at $749. It's more expensive than other small consumer drones like the Skydio 2 at $649, but you get the advantage of DJI's renowned technology and software. The Mini 4 Pro doesn't have all the features of the Mavic Air 3 which costs $1299, but offers an impressive experience considering the lower price and more compact size.
Overall, the Mini 4 Pro hits a nice sweet spot between price and performance that makes it accessible for consumers who want pro-level aerial photography without the premium cost. While not DJI's cheapest drone, it provides excellent value compared to both DJI's lineup and competitor drones on the market. For around $800 you get impressive camera specs, intelligent flight modes, compact and portable design, and DJI's trusted software for an immersive flying experience.
Pros and Cons
Pros
The DJI Mavic Mini 4 Pro has a great new camera. It now shoots 4K video 100 fps and takes 50 MP photos, a big upgrade from the 12 MP camera on the previous Mavic Mini. This allows you to capture incredibly detailed and crisp footage.
The drone now has 3-way obstacle avoidance sensors, detecting obstacles in front, above, and below the drone. This is a huge improvement in safety over the original Mavic Mini.
Flight time has been extended to 38 minutes, up from 30 minutes on the prior model. This gives you more time in the air to capture footage before needing to land and recharge.
It's still an ultra light 249g drone, meaning you don't need to register it in many countries. This makes it extremely portable and convenient to travel with.
Cons
While the camera has been upgraded, it's still a bit behind what you'd find on higher-end DJI drones like the Mavic 3. It doesn't have as large of a sensor or support 10-bit HDR video capture.
The drone still lacks features like obstacle avoidance sensors on the rear or side of the drone. So you do need to remain cautious when maneuvering in tight spaces.
While the increased flight time is great, 38 minutes is still lower than what you'll get from higher-end drones, some of which can fly for 45 minutes or more on a single charge.
The Mini 4 Pro is a hike up in price from previous versions. Though the upgrades may be worth it to many, the price point in $800-$1200 range offers many other worthy competitors.
Fly More Combo with RC 2 Controller
Conclusion
The Mavic Mini 4 Pro deserves its title as DJI's smallest, lightest drone yet, with impressive flight capabilities packed into a travel-friendly form factor. While the lack of obstacle avoidance sensors limits its appeal for beginners, the boosted 4K/100fps video, 38-minute flight time, and sub-250g weight make this an ideal drone for recreational, travel, social media content creators, and even real estate photography.
Advanced pilots will appreciate the 6 mile HD video transmission, nimble handling, and intelligent flight modes like Master Shots that produce pro-level footage with minimal effort. This latest iteration builds upon the strengths of the Mavic series to deliver DJI's most portable premium drone experience.
The Mini 4 Pro hits the sweet spot between size, weight, and performance. It's the perfect drone for travel bloggers, vloggers, artists, and anyone who wants high-quality aerial footage on the go. The compact and foldable body fits into any bag or backpack, so you can document landscapes, cityscapes, adventures, and more wherever you journey.
The Mavic Mini 4 Pro is available for purchase directly from DJI and at most major electronics retailers like Best Buy and Amazon. Additional batteries, multi-battery chargers, propeller guards, landing pads, and other accessories are sold separately to customize your flight experience.
My personal recommendation is to consider the Fly More Combo bundle with the RC 2 controller linked above. I think the extra money is worth the additional batteries, protective case, and the built in screen which eliminates the need to use my phone. This makes it faster to setup and launch, less chance for compatibility issues (which I experience with earlier Mavic models), less drain on my phone battery, and keeps my phone free for other use if needed.
