DJI Mini 4 Pro with Around Obstacle Detection

The Chinese drone manufacturer DJI presents the Mini 4 Pro. The innovations compared to the previous model are rather modest. The Mini 3 Pro was - contrary to the number in its name - the first Pro drone under 250 grams and much more powerful than all other DJI Mini models. It is still available.

Obstacle detection and flight programming

The Mini 4 Pro offers omni-directional obstacle detection. The built-in sensors also locate obstacles from the side and towards the top. The previous model only has sensors in the forward, backward and downward directions. All other mini-drones have no obstacle detection at all, only a downward sensor that enables automatic landing.

Also new in a mini-drone: the "Waypoints" function. This allows you to programme a route on a map, which is then flown automatically. This allows you to fly the exact same route several times and, for example, seamlessly merge the recordings of different times.

Other small improvements

The Mini 4 Pro uses the OcuSync 4 (O4) transmission protocol instead of OcuSync 3 like the Mini 3 Pro. However, the benefit of this is minor. In photo mode, the live image can display Full HD at 60 instead of 30 frames per second, and the download speed is slightly higher. The same goes for the transmission range, but this doesn't give you any advantage: already O3 reaches much further than flying at line-of-sight distance would allow.

This change to O4 means that the Mini 4 Pro needs a different remote control than the Mini 3 Pro. It uses the DJI RC-2 controller, or RC-N2 in the variant where the smartphone is used as a screen. For the Mini 3 Pro, it is the RC or RC-N1.

The Mini 4 Pro can record slow-motion videos at 100 FPS in 4K. Moreover, in addition to the standard colour profile, it no longer uses D-Cinelike, but D-Log M, which is also used in the Air 3.

The internal memory holds 2 GB, compared to 1.25 GB for the Mini 3 Pro. Exposure brackets can be created from three shots with 48 megapixels. Continuous shooting with 48 megapixels is also possible.

DJI does not seem to have changed anything about the rest of the drone. The optics are the same, the sensor too, as is the housing and thus the flight characteristics. The Mini 4 Pro is expected to be available in three versions from the beginning of October: with two different remote controls, one with and one without a built-in screen. There is also a Fly More package with the luxury remote control and more accessories.

Drone

799,–

DJI Mini 4 Pro

30 min, 249 g

9

Drone

999,–

DJI Mini 4 Pro (RC 2)

30 min, 249 g

6

Drone

1129,–

DJI Mini 4 Pro Fly More Combo

30 min, 249 g

47

Drone

799,–

DJI Mini 4 Pro

30 min, 249 g

9

Drone

999,–

DJI Mini 4 Pro (RC 2)

30 min, 249 g

6

Drone

1129,–

DJI Mini 4 Pro Fly More Combo

30 min, 249 g

47

You can find the differences between the previous mini drones in this overview.