As a practice professional photographer, I evaluate my gear from time to time and upgrade the necessary upgrade to improve the efficiency of my workflow. After my condition Accident experience With the DJI Mini 4 Pro, I have decided to take back a step again whether this ultra-light drone is actually suitable for professional use or if I should take the opportunity to get just another drone.
Me, DJI Mini 4 Pro It is a rare mixture of ultra-portability with a semi-high end functionality, which is packing 1/1.3 “48 MP camera, 4K120 video shooting, and 34 minutes of flight packing in a sub-250 grams. This sol-R-light, exploration.
build quality
The Mini 4 Pro feels incredibly light at hand, at the point that it is almost incredibly like a toy-but it is the whole point. Its sub -25G build makes it ideal to fly under most legal thresholds without red tape. He said, its biggest advantage-a small size drone is also its biggest weakness. When an air fly in a landscape, the footage stability takes a hit, especially with intimate subjects in the frame. This is clear than blowing a large drone, as it is not just to keep its position well. But I say that its gimbal is doing an incredible job in combating unwanted movement, as the physical drone looks much worse than footage.
To keep the weight of the drone less, the DJI has decided to use very light plastic materials for the manufacture of drones, including its propellers, which feel very delicate. And because the way propellers are formed are very thin and soft, a propeller guard is required to keep it in a position for safe transport. This is not the most comfortable when you need to take a quick flight, as you will falter to unleatch it under pressure, and it can slow down the workflow.
Despite all the deficiencies, there are obvious benefits of being such a small form factor. Flight in hard places becomes easier because you are more secretly than working with large drones that can draw unwanted attention. In some tight professional jobs, what does it matter to get a shot by hooks or crooks, and the flexibility of flying DJI Mini 4 Pro helps a lot.
Features and experience of real world use
Despite such a small, beautiful shape, the DJI 4 Pro provides a rich set of surprisingly rich features, many of which were available only on high -level drones before this drone. But all of them were not distributed in a state of demand without compromising. For the beginning, the camera claims 1/1.3-inch CMOS sensor with 48 MP resolution found in DJI Air 3. On paper, it seems impressive for such compact drones, and I can tell that it can produce beautiful, wide images under decent lighting conditions. I would also say that this is a big step from DJI’s first generation foldable drone-Deji Mavik Pro. However, once the level of light falls or when you start peeping pixels on 100% crop, the limitations of small sensors become clear. The noise is easily, especially in the lower midtones and shade regions. When compared to the 1 -inch sensor of DJI Air 2S, the quality of the image is not just at the same level. He said, for a sharp or prudent shoot where the flexibility trumps perfection, the Mini 4 Pro still has its own unique advantage.
A feature that I find especially useful is F/1.7 lenses, which performs a decent work in a low-light position such as shooting in the morning or late evening. On the other hand, because of this, image acuity suffers a bit, especially on the edges. The depth of the region can also be inconsistent due to the shallow depth of the region. The control limit of the gimbal tilt axis of the drone – up to 60 ° – is actually luxurious to capture shots with dynamic angles – tilted upwards with the low drone position with your camera. I find this feature very useful, especially when the exterior of a building is filmed to give the footage a grand experience, especially when combined with the cine mode of the drone, which allows the ultra-flow movement below 1 meter/second. Cine mode is a thoughtful inclusion for cinematic shots, especially during disclosure or close tracking.
On the other hand, although it is a very thoughtful gesture to incorporate 2 GB internal storage, it is completely insufficient in the area for today’s high-resolution files. For example, a single 48 MP raw image from the Mini 4 Pro can easily reach 100 MB, so you will find yourself just filling the place with a handful of shots until you shoot in 12 MP mode or JPEG format. Therefore, a high -speed external microSD card is highly recommended. Regardless of its large file size, transfer of files out of the drone is comfortable to include DJI to include USB-C direct file transfer that works without powering on drones. This is a very large plus for professionals who need to easily unload footage without card reader.
From my flying experience, signal transmission is usually stable with DJI RC2 controller, although I have experienced topical weak signals or dropouts in a complex environment where the vision line is not clear. Compatibility with Intelligent Flight Plus battery is another standout feature that I appreciate very much while shooting in the field. Note that intelligent flight battery plus is not sold in Europe, as using it will increase weight above 250 grams, it will be removed from the class 0 drone category. I comfortably fly on a flight plus battery through blue hours, which is a luxury while working under time pressure, because we no longer need to land for the battery swap. However, charging is also slow as much as I expect. It takes up to 78 minutes for each plus battery to charge using a two-way charging hub with a 30 W USB-C charger. Practically, this means that all three plus batteries will add charging time for about 4 hours, and yet we have not added to the charging time to RC2 remote, which takes another 1.5 hours to charge. This is an entire night of charging, before you can return to action after all the batteries dry up.
For the video, the Mini 4 Pro can record up to 4K at 120 FPS, which is excellent on paper. However, I find it less useful, because I usually fly my drone slowly, so the high frame rate is nothing that I trust – but always appreciate when there is an option. In addition to 4K 120 FPS, DJI has also included D-Log M video profile in DJI Mini 4 Pro. This format keeps the 10-bit color information and grade very well in the post, giving flexibility to professional distribution formats. Nevertheless, I could not help, but I wish DJI managed to squeeze in a telephoto lens or slightly hit the size of the sensor. They will extend two additions mini 4 Pro to a correct compact solution for professionals when proceeding with a reliable tool.
I should also give adequate credit to the DJI Mini 4 Pro’s universal obstruction system, which increases flight safety, especially in tight or blind complex places. As a person who often flies closer to structures or natural elements, the vision sensors displayed during the flight have a real -time black and white video feed, are incredibly helpful. This gives a very clear meaning of spatial awareness what the main camera or map can offer, which can make safe and more accurate flights possible. This system is not only a consumer-friendly add-on-it is something that can rely on the professional when the margin is diluted for error.
Examples of real world
On one of my most recent architecture photos and video shoots, I decided to put the Mini 4 Pro in the test with my Canon R5, shoulder to shoulder. And I have to say, despite the size of the small sensor, the footage from the Mini 4 Pro still looks very impressive under the right lighting position, in which my canon R has a lot of dynamic range recovery and color depth to match the 5 footage. Calm operations and compact forms also allow me to comfortably navigate in residential areas, which causes trouble without attracting much attention from nearby residents. The quality of the image is also very useful, but it is not expected to match the level of expansion of mirrorless cameras, because its sensor will also noise from size and atmospheric dust.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duo6MD52com
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IWYKJ1CPG4
Summary
So, is the Mini 4 Pro very small for professional use? I would say that this drone is more than capable of giving good results. But when it comes to advancing the last few percent of the image quality, it will start showing its limits.
What I liked:
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Ultra portability
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Battery life with intelligent flight plus battery
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Convenient USB-C file transfer
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Great Zilt Range and Decent image quality for its size
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D-log M color profile
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4K recording up to 120 FPS for flexibility
What can be improved:
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It would be great to have a “sensor
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Gyro sensor and motor power to improve stability in strong winds
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Include more than 2 GB internal storage
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Improve charging time
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Propeller guard design may be more user friendly
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Include a telephoto lens
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Image acuity may be incompatible with f/1.7
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Reveal auto turn-on once
Final conclusion idea
I must accept that the DJI Mini 4 Pro provides a remarkable package in a small body, which further the boundaries of a sub -25G drone (if you are flying with a non -flus battery). As long as you can deal with its set and work around its boundaries, it is a solid drone that provides results.
