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.
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.
