DJI Mini 4 Pro review

DJI has just released its latest sub-250 drone in the DJI Mini series. Has the hype lived up to it after piloting it for the last week? Are the changes made worth the upgrade over the Mini 3 Pro released less than a year and a half ago? Here's our full review of the DJI Mini 4 Pro .

A drone that wanted to be "big" is now big

The Mini 3 Pro attempted to bridge the gap between the beginner and professional drones offered by DJI, but failed. We're happy to say that the Mini 4 Pro has officially closed the existing gap.

The release of the Mini 3 Pro was full of design changes and innovative additions. DJI chose to stay true to that popular design, but improve where the Mini 3 fell short. Especially when it comes to obstacle avoidance and recording codecs. However, DJI has also introduced another novelty for one of its drones which we will talk about later.

360 Obstacle Avoidance: Blinders have been removed

By far the biggest negative aspect of the Mini 3 Pro was the “three-way obstacle detection,” which I would rate as “OK.” While it provides peace of mind that you won't crash into a tree when flying backwards, anything to the right or left of the drone can ruin your day if you're not careful.

One of the first things we did with the Mini 4 Pro when it arrived was fly it straight into a tree. Seriously, how do you experience this other than by running around a bunch of trees? It turned out perfect, missing the branches, leaves and picnic table.

DJI's unique redesign of the Mini 4 Pro's exterior allowed for an updated 360-degree obstacle avoidance system, and if I may say, it works pretty well. It not only avoids collisions, but also gives us a more robust ActiveTrack function.

Called ActiveTrack 360° and as opposed to the ActiveTrack 4 or 5 function, it is clearly superior to that of the Mini 3 Pro and works wonderfully. I'll say it right away: if you are someone who travels and uses ActiveTrack a lot, the Mini 4 Pro is the drone for you.

O4: a true mini Air 3

The second update of the Mini series is the new O4 drive system, already announced with the Air 3. For this reason, the Mini 4 Pro will be supplied with the RC 2 or the RC-N2 which supports the new system and provides a solid and clear transmission. I only had transmission problems once while flying and I'm pretty sure I was near some power lines, and keep in mind I was using pre-release software.

Overall though, this drone felt like we were flying a much smaller version of the Air 3. It has many of the same specs as the O4, just missing the 3x camera and extra speed. It's a little less stable in stronger winds due to the weight, but it's really similar.

D-Log M: All DJI drones in line with consistent color classification

One of the biggest changes, in my opinion, was the addition of D-Log M to the list of codecs available for video recording. While we previously had the 8-bit D-Cinelike, the 10-bit color option brings the Mini line up to par with other drones.

This is one of those features that is truly for the pros and not the average rider. But if you have more than one drone working on a project, you'll be happy to know that all DJI series now record with the same codec.

In my opinion, it's a pain in the ass for colors, but I know many of you want to add this format and I've recorded in this format for anything that might be shared in future videos. However, the new HLG format that has arrived on the Mini 4 Pro would be a great option for anyone who wants to get more out of their videos, while still preserving colors.

Accessories: Frustrating change of ND and wide angle

The ND filter set is available in ND16, ND64 and ND256 versions, which are quite useful. While it's not exactly suited to my use cases, the 256 filter will be useful for anyone who does timelapse filming.

What's wrong with that? Although almost everything about the drone is identical to that of the Mini 3, DJI has changed the Mini 4 Pro's mounting system for lens attachments.

This is probably due to DJI's desire to reduce weight as much as possible. The new mounting hooks have been moved to take advantage of the Mini 4's camera bump. Maybe to save an ounce or two of material?

Good news, however, is that the Mini 3's batteries are interchangeable between the two drones. Sharing the incredible flight time of 30-40 minutes, which I achieved almost entirely with my flights.

Same old camera now heavily used

Well, let's talk about the camera and camera specs that are new with the Mini 4 Pro. While the camera overall is the same as the one released with the Mini 3, 1/1.3, 24mm, 2.4μm pixels and 4K 60, features some changes, such as the addition of 4K 100 slow motion.

The most important is the addition of double native ISO. It's the first time DJI has put together a drone and basically it should help take better photos. I won't explain how this technology works, this review is already long enough, but the gist is a reduction in noise at certain ISO ranges.

In the photos here you can see the clear difference between DJI Mini 3 Pro (left) and DJI Mini 4 Pro (right).

In practice, it will be really difficult to notice these improvements unless you know what you are looking for. Overall the camera is the same, but has added support for some new video formats. The DNGs that come out of this drone are also great and editing them to get some great photos was a pleasure.

Final verdict: is the Mini 4 Pro worth it?

If you're using the Mini 3 Pro for any kind of professional video work, then yes, it's worth the upgrade. If you are passionate about travel and use ActiveTrack to capture your adventures, then you should upgrade to the Mini 4 Pro.

We recommend DJI Mini 4 Pro even if you are just a hobbyist, the ActiveTrack or obstacle avoidance has been perfected to make it even more optimal. Finally you no longer have to be afraid of hitting a tree.

Starting at €799.00, the Mini 4 Pro is an extremely well positioned product for enthusiasts and now also for professionals.