Head-to-Head Comparability

Weight and Design

Winner: Relies upon

Each of those drones goal totally different audiences. That’s why it’s best to contemplate what you want the drone for earlier than figuring out if the load will probably be a difficulty.

The DJI Mini 4 Professional comes from a sequence of drones designed for informal customers, vacationers, and other people in search of light-weight drones that they gained’t should register with the authorities.

If that’s what you’re in search of, then the DJI Mini 4 Professional is the winner right here.

However, the DJI Mavic 2 Professional is heavier, weighing 907 grams. As such, it appears ultimate for skilled photographers or business customers who prioritize imaging capabilities.

The trade-off in weight is commonly acceptable, contemplating you can be getting a bigger sensor, extra management with the app, and better picture high quality.

It’s value noting that developments in drone expertise have led to the event of lighter drones with improved capabilities, as we see with the Mini 4 Professional.

DJI acquired very shut this time. Nonetheless, we have now but to see a Mini drone that performs in addition to the Mavic 2 Professional.

» MORE: Touring With a Drone (Is It Value It?)

Photograph and Video Recording

Winner: DJI Mavic 2 Professional

As I discussed above, DJI acquired actually shut to creating a Mini drone that would move for knowledgeable drone, however I’d nonetheless go for the Mavic 2 Professional. Right here’s why:

• Sensor measurement – A bigger sensor provides you higher footage and a wider dynamic vary; the footage you get from a bigger sensor is extra probably to present you better-looking printouts than a smaller sensor. Even once we go all the way down to the utmost decision, you get 20MP stills from the DJI Mavic 2 Professional, when you can solely get 12MP stills from the Mini 4 Professional. In accordance with {most professional} photographers I’ve come throughout, the 20MP is the naked minimal for skilled work. The DJI Mini 4 Professional does include 48MP, however this isn’t a real 48MP. As an alternative, it’s an enhanced 12MP, which some individuals have complained that it introduces noise and I wouldn’t decide it over a real 20MP.
• Variable aperture – The Mavic 2 Professional provides variable apertures starting from f2.8 to f11. This can be a restricted vary in comparison with a DSLR, however for a drone, it’s one of many largest ranges you’ll come throughout. Coupled with the bigger sensor, variable aperture provides you extra flexibility in adjusting a shot to your liking earlier than resorting to ND filters and polarizers.
• Two capturing modes – The DJI Mavic 2 Professional options two major capturing modes, primarily when capturing in 4K: “HQ mode” and “FOV mode.” The “4K HQ mode” makes use of a pixel-to-pixel readout from a cropped sensor space, delivering one of the best 4K picture high quality with out downsampling. It provides a transformed FOV of 55 levels, probably enhancing picture high quality and cinematic views, and helps 10-bit video. However, the “FOV mode” permits customers to regulate the sector of view for a broader or narrower perspective, offering flexibility in capturing scenes based mostly on particular person preferences and capturing circumstances.

Nevertheless, the DJI Mini 4 Professional isn’t all that inferior relating to picture and video recording. It shoots in 4K at as much as 100 fps, which is nice if you wish to create the highest-quality footage.

And it additionally comes with 10-bit D-Log M and M, additionally out there within the Mavic 2 Professional, giving extra room for modifying the footage to your liking.

However the vertical capturing mode is one characteristic that units it aside from the Mavic 2 Professional.

This mode permits you to change the gimbal’s orientation from panorama to portrait, permitting you to shoot portrait footage which you could readily use for social media.

You may obtain this with footage from the Mavic 2 Professional by cropping into the footage, nevertheless it’s choice to have. Nonetheless, this doesn’t make up for every part else you get from the Mavic 2 Professional.

» MORE: Digicam Know-how in Drones (Defined)

Clever Flight Modes

Winner: DJI Mini 4 Professional

That is one space that DJI has superior through the years, making some flight modes that had been beforehand solely out there in bigger, dearer drones now out there in small and cheaper drones.

Whereas the DJI Mavic 2 Professional already has a few of the flight modes we see within the Mini 4 Professional, these within the latter are extra upgraded. Let’s take a look at them.

• ActiveTrack – The DJI Mini 4 Professional options the most recent ActiveTrack 360, permitting you to trace the topic in several instructions. That is in contrast to the earlier ActiveTrack variations, such because the ActiveTrack 2.0 discovered within the DJI Mavic 2 Professional, which lets you observe the topic in two instructions. In case you love creating a number of follow-me content material, you will get extra inventive with the DJI Mini 4 Professional than with the Mavic 2 Professional.
• Waypoints – This characteristic permits the drone to observe pre-recorded waypoints mechanically. You should utilize this characteristic to get to some extent or to duplicate a shot at totally different instances for a time-lapse. It’s the primary time we’re seeing this characteristic in a Mini drone, nevertheless it got here with the Mavic 2 Professional and the Mavic 3 drones.
• Night time mode – Just like the Mavic 3 drones, the DJI Mini 4 Professional now comes with evening mode, which reinforces the ISO and reduces noise to provide higher nighttime or low-light photographs. This barely helps compensate for the smaller sensor. Whereas the Mavic 2 Professional doesn’t have a Night time Mode, it does have a bigger sensor and adjustable aperture that may assist you to obtain virtually the identical outcomes because the evening mode characteristic.
• Cruise Management – This characteristic permits the drone to maintain flying at a continuing velocity with out a lot enter from the pilot. You should utilize it to discover an space the place you employ the gimbal because the drone flies, fly to a particular level, or movie at a continuing velocity, which is typically difficult to do manually. The DJI Mini 4 Professional is once more the primary Mini drone to have this characteristic. Whereas the Mavic 2 Professional doesn’t have the Cruise Management characteristic, it has an analogous variation referred to as TapFly, which works equally.

» MORE: DJI Clever Flight Modes (Together with Quickshots & Mastershots)

Vary and Transmission

Winner: DJI Mini 4 Professional

That is one other space the place the DJI Mini 4 Professional excels, however solely as a result of it was launched a lot later than the Mavic 2 Professional.

The DJI Mini 4 Professional comes with the latest transmission system, the OcuSync 4.0, which options extra antennas, extra processing energy, and improved transmission efficiency even in superior circumstances.

It guarantees a variety of as much as 12 miles, the longest we have now seen on a shopper drone.

However, the DJI Mavic 2 Professional options the OcuSync 2.0, which has fewer antennas and a slower working system.

Having used it for a number of tasks, I can attest that I might fly it as much as 2.5 miles away in open areas. However bushes or another constructions decreased that to lower than a mile.

This video exhibits the consumer pushing the DJI Mini 4 Professional to about 4 miles from the controller.

Extra antennas and an extended vary are good, however the DJI Mavic 2 Professional isn’t that dangerous, and I wouldn’t commerce off picture high quality for the flamboyant new transmission.

» MORE: DJI Transmission System (Every thing You Must Know)

Impediment Avoidance

Winner: DJI Mini 4 Professional

This characteristic is new within the Mini drones however has been within the Mavic drone sequence for some time, together with the Mavic 2 Professional.

With each drones, you get all-round impediment detection, which makes automated modes like ActiveTrack, Cruise Management, TapFly, and so forth., extra sensible because you don’t have to fret in regards to the drone crashing into issues.

However as I at all times point out, it’s best to at all times be aware of the realm you’re flying in because the drone could not detect all obstacles.

» MORE: Impediment Avoidance in DJI Drones (Defined for Learners)

Flight Time

However, the DJI Mavic 2 Professional comes with a 31-minute battery, which is a bit shorter than the Mini 4 Professional however not insufficient; it’s sufficient for many actions, and you are able to do much more when you’ve a number of batteries.

Nevertheless, when speaking about batteries, we should contemplate components that have an effect on battery life, akin to battery well being, battery cycles, drone velocity, and environmental components, akin to temperature and wind.

Being heavier and sturdier, when uncovered to excessive wind speeds, the DJI Mavic 2 Professional will maintain its place higher and won’t use extra battery energy than the Mini 4 Professional.

However, the Mavic 2 Professional is discontinued, so it could be difficult to discover a new one.

Shopping for a used drone means getting used batteries, which can not carry out in addition to they did when new. However if you’re fortunate sufficient to get a brand new or well-maintained drone, it’s best to be capable of get probably the most out of it.

» MORE: Flight Time of All DJI Drones (Defined)

Controllers

Winner: DJI Mini 4 Professional

The DJI Mini 4 Professional comes with two controller choices: the DJI RC-N2, just like the RC-N1 you will have seen in earlier Mavic or Mini drones, and the DJI RC 2, a extra superior model of the DJI RC.

The DJI RC-N2 upgrades from the RC-N1, which has been the usual controller for many DJI drones, and it requires attaching a smartphone on the prime to be used as a display screen.

It’s one of the ergonomic controllers I’ve used, and it’s simple to arrange and use.

However, the DJI RC and RC 2 include an inbuilt display screen, so that you don’t want to make use of a smartphone.

This makes it even simpler to arrange, and the most recent upgrades eradicate the lags, connectivity points, and different points individuals have had with utilizing smartphones.

The DJI Mavic 2 Professional additionally got here with two controller variations: one which wanted a smartphone and the DJI Sensible Controller with an inbuilt display screen.

In comparison with the RC-N2, the Mavic 2 Professional controller isn’t that ergonomic.

I usually discovered it uncomfortable because the smartphone goes on the backside, not the highest, and it will get even worse when you must use the cable port on the backside as an alternative of the one on the aspect to hook up with your smartphone.

However, the DJI Distant Sensible Controller helped resolve this by eliminating the necessity for a smartphone, providing a 1080p show, a smoother connection to your drone, and an general simpler setup.

Nevertheless, it’s a lot heavier than the DJI RC 2 and has since been discontinued, so it’s incompatible with the later drones.

You may nonetheless get a used one, which brings you nearer to what you’d get with the RC 2.

However, the DJI Mini 4 Professional comes with the latest controllers and transmission system, that are incompatible with the earlier drones however could also be suitable with the drones DJI releases later.

» MORE: DJI RC vs DJI RC-N1 (All You Must Know)

Apps

DJI GO 4 and DJI Fly are two purposes developed by DJI for controlling their respective drone fashions, providing distinct options and consumer interfaces tailor-made to totally different flying experiences.

DJI GO 4, the predecessor to DJI Fly, is suitable with numerous superior drone fashions just like the Mavic sequence, Phantom 4 sequence, and Encourage 2.

Identified for its complete options, together with Clever Flight Modes and superior digital camera controls, DJI GO 4 caters to fans and professionals looking for an intensive suite of capabilities.

However, DJI Fly is designed for newer consumer-focused fashions just like the Mavic Mini and Air sequence, together with the Mini 4 Professional. With a simplified and user-friendly interface, DJI Fly is very interesting to novices.

Its streamlined design and important flight modes present an easy and pleasurable expertise for these getting into the world of drone piloting.

It excels in its accessibility, making it a wonderful alternative for customers who prioritize ease of use and fast setup.

» MORE: DJI GO 4 vs. Litchi vs. Autopilot: Which App is Greatest?

Third-Celebration Compatibility

Whereas it makes use of an older app, the DJI Mavic 2 Professional can also be suitable with third-party apps like Litchi, which assist unlock an excellent bigger world of prospects. That is because of the supply of the SDK.

The DJI Mavic 2 Professional can also be suitable with the GS Professional app, a DJI enterprise app that helps create flight routes for mapping, monitoring, inspection, and even search and rescue purposes.

In case you are in any of those industries, with this app, you don’t should depend on third-party apps like DroneDeploy.

We’re but to see an SDK for the DJI Mini 4 Professional, so you’re restricted to what the DJI Fly App provides, and this drone isn’t but suitable with any enterprise functionalities.

Conclusion

It boasts a strong observe document, a bigger sensor, a variable aperture for inventive management, purposes in numerous business industries, and a steady construct that performs nicely in difficult circumstances.

The Mini 4 Professional makes case, nevertheless it targets a special viewers, prioritizing portability, prolonged battery life, and upgraded clever flight modes.

With options like ActiveTrack 360, Waypoints, Night time Mode, and Cruise Management, this sub-250-gram drone caters significantly nicely to informal customers.

» MORE: Autel EVO 2 Professional vs. DJI Air 3 (Which One Is Higher?)