DJI Mavic 4 Pro
DJI Mavic 4 Pro: the most capable, and the most constrained. Training, flight subcategory and what to plan for.
The most capable aircraft, and the most tightly framed
The Mavic 4 Pro sits at the top of DJI's consumer range. It is also the one whose purchase commits you most, because its capabilities only serve you if you can fly where you want to fly.
A buyer coming from a Mini often discovers three things at once: the weight, the training, and the fact that a good share of the places they used to fly are no longer open to them on the same terms.
What the regulations require for this model
| Mass | About 1,063 g |
| Aircraft class | C2, marked by the manufacturer. The marking on the aircraft is what counts |
| Flight category | Open, subcategory A2 or A3 depending on distance to people |
| Training | Mandatory: A1/A3 as a minimum. A2 required to fly close to people with a C2 |
| Operator registration | Mandatory |
| Insurance | Not mandatory for recreational use, strongly advised given the value of the aircraft |
⚠️ A2 training is not the same thing as A1/A3. A1/A3 is taken online and free of charge. A2 requires declared practical self-training and then an exam at a centre. If the intention is to film in built-up areas, it is unavoidable, and it is prepared before the purchase, not after.
What it does well
- Several focal lengths, covering the wide landscape and the distant detail
- Image quality that stands comparison with production kit
- Flight time and stability above lighter aircraft
- Colour profiles that hold up in grading
What to know before buying
- A2 training governs real use in built-up areas
- Weight closes places off: what passed with a Mini no longer passes the same way
- Accessory prices follow the aircraft's: filters, batteries and bag are not trivial
- The files it produces need storage and a machine able to edit them
- Neither a fast memory card nor filters are supplied
What is in the box, and what is missing
The basic pack contains enough to fly, not enough to work. Three gaps show on the first serious outing:
- A fast, high-capacity memory card: this model's bit rates refuse slow cards, and an unsuitable card fails the recording mid-shot
- ND filters: on an aircraft of this image quality, the absence of a filter is what most distinguishes amateur video from composed video
- Extra batteries, the typical use being the long outing
Going further
Where to find these accessories
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