Having reviewed dozens of drones of all shapes, sizes, and prices, I’d recently come to the conclusion that smaller, lighter, and cheaper drones were the way to go for 90 percent of consumers. Premium drones, with all their equipment and flight regulations, just didn’t make sense. But then DJI launched its new premium-priced, jumbo-size flagship consumer drone, the Mavic 4 Pro, and made me fall in love all over again. Yes, this drone is seriously impressive.
But before I deep-dive the phenomenally good camera and ridiculously long range, it’s important to note that the Mavic 4 Pro will not be officially available in the US. Yet. As well as ongoing issues around flight restrictions and security, a DJI spokesperson told WIRED, “Like many global companies, we have had to adjust our market strategy as local conditions and the industry environment have evolved. While we do not have a timeline for when we can introduce the product to the US market, we are closely monitoring the situation and actively exploring every possible solution.”
The Mavic 4 Pro is, however, listed on B&H Photo for $2,699, which is teasingly optimistic. It’s not for sale, yet, but there is at least some hope.
Focal Hero
So what makes the Mavic 4 Pro great? It’s mostly down to the camera. Or cameras, I should say. Just like its predecessor, the Mavic 3 Pro (9/10 WIRED Recommends), the Mavic 4 Pro has three cameras. There’s an ultra-high-spec wide-angle camera partnered with slightly lower-spec medium-telephoto and telephoto cameras. The trio’s equivalent focal lengths are 28 mm, 70 mm and 168 mm, respectively.
They’re all improvements over the Mavic 3 Pro’s cameras. And the star of the show features a new 4/3 sensor capable of 100 MP photographs and 6K video capture at up to 60 fps (or 4K at 120 fps, for slick slow-motion playback), with an astounding 16 stops of dynamic range. It also has an adjustable aperture, allowing pilots to pick anything between f/2.0 and f/11.0.
The other cameras’ sensors are a little smaller in size, their video is limited to 4K resolution, and their apertures are fixed at f/2.8, but all three cameras can capture video at 10-bit quality using the D-Log, D-Log M, or HLG color profiles. In other words, all are built for pro-quality aerial movie making.
And better yet, it is all mounted on a completely new design of gimbal that’s able to freely rotate and tilt. Not only does this mean it can be pointed directly upward, it can also rotate to capture true portrait-oriented content, perfectly formatted for the likes of TikTok, Instagram Reels, or YouTube Shorts.
All of the above makes the creative capabilities of the Mavic 4 Pro something to behold. It’s a fantastic aerial camera in almost any lighting conditions (the 28-mm Hasselblad is particularly capable at night-time, for instance) and its range of motion and choice of focal lengths makes it incredibly versatile. If there’s something else this accomplished in consumer drones, image-quality wise, I’ve yet to encounter it.
Flight Club
The drone’s flight capabilities are impressive, too, right down to new time-saving touches like the fact it automatically powers on when unfolded. Battery life is now 51 minutes, a notable improvement over the Mavic 3 Pro’s 43 minutes, while the more aerodynamic design of the drone makes flight both faster and quieter.
The 4 Pro is also the first Mavic model to come with a front-facing Lidar sensor, which, when teamed up with the low-light vision sensors that poke out in all directions, gives this drone a lot more situational awareness and anti-collision capability, even in less-than-ideal lighting conditions. This works well with its tracking capabilities, which allow it to accurately keep the camera focussed on people, boats, and vehicles while being flown either manually or autonomously.
Return to home capabilities have also been upgraded. The drone’s enhanced visual skills now let it automatically fly back to its take-off point without the use of GPS. I was also able to move the home point to the current controller position rather than the take-off point, which is a handy feature to have if you’re piloting the drone from a moving car or boat.
Controller Upgrade
DJI sent me both a regular RC 2 controller and the new RC 2 Pro controller ($1,299) to test with the Mavic 4 Pro, and while the former works well enough, the RC 2 Pro really improves the experience. Its screen is larger and brighter and can rotate through 90 degrees to act more like a smartphone (it runs on Android, so you can install third-party apps), and it powers on automatically when you lift the screen from the body. This movement also results in the two thumb sticks popping up, meaning you don’t have to screw them on each time you use the controller.
Photograph: Chris Haslam
All in all, the Mavic 4 Pro represents a major upgrade over its already impressive predecessor and makes the idea of owning a larger drone once again very appealing. While it’s true that heavier drones are subject to a lot of (often tiresome) restrictions compared to ultra-lightweight models, but the extra paperwork and care around flight locations seems like a price worth paying when they perform as well as this does.
As for the actual price of the Mavic 4 Pro, I’d call it expensive but good value—provided you’re going to actually make use of this drone’s vast array of capabilities. If you’re just looking for something to get in the air and capture a few good-looking shots, the much cheaper DJI Mini 4 Pro (8/10 WIRED Recommends) is all you need. If you want the flexibility and power to create something special, the Mavic 4 Pro has it—and more.
I just hope DJI is able to navigate around the ongoing uncertainty of the Trump administration’s tariffs, as it’d be a true shame if this brilliant drone were not available in the US.
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