DJI Mini 4 Pro Released Yesterday

seamonkey on 26/09/2023 - 10:42

With the DJI Mini 4 Pro released yesterday, do you have any thoughts?

I'm personally pretty sure I'll update from my Mini 3 Pro. A few reasons but that sideways obstacle avoidance is kind of a game changer for me. Particularly because the only issue I've had in the last year was destroying it when overseas, sideways into a tree. a dumb move.

Anyone getting a flavour of pricing yet. Various packages. I'm going RC 2 and I see the RRP but wonder when anyone starts seeing a few good deals, I know I picked up my Mini 3 Pro for a great price. What a terrific drone it is. Is Mini 4 Pro is better, that's almost scary.

Electrical & Electronics DJI Quadcopter

Comments

  • Shadowsfury on 26/09/2023 - 10:56
    +1

    Don't use my Mini 3 Pro often enough to upgrade just yet but it does seem like decent upgrades otherwise

    • seamonkey on 26/09/2023 - 11:11

      I think there might be quite a few in your boat. Me pretty much as well. If you don't use it often, could be a good time to sell so you can max out your price, few hundred bucks for the upgrade in time I guess.

      The age old dilemma. I'll bite the bullet and upgrade for sure, in time. Gee this is a terrific little drone. I would fly so much more often, I've found it so hard to shake drone anxiety, even a year on.

      • DoctorCalculon on 26/09/2023 - 11:47
        +1

        I've found it so hard to shake drone anxiety, even a year on.

        I get anxious if the drone gets out of sight for a second, and especially if there are birds in the vicinity.

        • seamonkey on 26/09/2023 - 12:11

          A lot of us feel that way about women, just find your inner confidence. 🙂

  • DoctorCalculon on 26/09/2023 - 11:44
    +1

    The omni-directional obstacle sensing (similar to Air 3) is the biggest win for me. Otherwise, everything else seems like a minor enhancement.
    Will I upgrade from the Mini 3 Pro (bought just 3 months ago)? Nope. I will just stick with propeller guards if I am flying in a forest. :P

    • seamonkey on 26/09/2023 - 12:07

      Oh wow. Never thought much of the propeller guards. I think I got scared off because I saw a YouTube test and they did nothing with a gentle wall crash test. In fact, it seemed like a worse outcome. Not your experience?

    • eug on 26/09/2023 - 13:05
      +1

      With prop guards wouldn't leaves and branches still get into the blades and cause a crash?

  • furyou on 26/09/2023 - 11:45
    +1

    I don't have a drone. Been looking tho. sideways obstacle avoidance sounds nice.
    I'm a bit confused that the camera hasn't changed. Is that normal for a new generation?
    12MP is fine, the 48MP is faked from what I read, few situations where you'd bother. But usually they just have a new sensor with slight improvements.

    • DoctorCalculon on 26/09/2023 - 11:51
      +2

      I'm a bit confused that the camera hasn't changed. Is that normal for a new generation?

      DJI taking a page out of Apple's marketing book is par for the course. Generate lots of hype around some incremental changes.

      That said, the new RC2 sure looks nice.

    • seamonkey on 26/09/2023 - 12:10

      I mean for the features and the price. The photos and the 4K video quality is exceptional. Especially with ND filters and then post processes if interested. Worth checking out YouTube if ever interested in exploring further.

      • furyou on 26/09/2023 - 12:47
        +1

        Yes, it will be the price difference between the 3 and the 4. You're not allowed to fly very far away (dlos) anyway so the new distance features don't matter. The obstacle avoidance I guess you can just be really careful?

        I'm not sure, i guess we'll see the Xmas sales.

        • seamonkey on 26/09/2023 - 12:54

          dlos is so interesting to me. I'm not a young fella. I have decent eyesight but man. 2 metres away and I don't have dlos. I exaggerate but I don't know how many times I've lost it from view when it's super close. I can even take off, hover, move aside and it'll be massively camoflauged by a background line of trees in the distance.

          I don't have dlos when it's close, I wonder if it's just smaller in the bright sky than most of us admit to ourselves.

          I think I'm too impatient to wait until Christmas, but you are 100% correct.

          • furyou on 26/09/2023 - 13:24
            +1

            @seamonkey: All those waypoint features etc. I look at here and we can't do anything much at all. But then you see the YT flights across the harbour, or other areas that clearly not dlos and breaks half of casa's rules, but hey it gets likes.

            I got friends who got drones for fun, the old big white ones, and mavics, no longer use them (not fun). I thought this sub 249 maybe we could use a little more, but could be a huge waste of $ other than to check my roof for leaks..

            • seamonkey on 26/09/2023 - 13:28

              @furyou: valid points you make. I don't even look at my own roof as I'm too paranoid the neighbours will think I'm trying to sneak a look. I kind of know and like my neighbours but suburban life is suburban life. 🤣 We are all too close together.

              • DoctorCalculon on 26/09/2023 - 15:55

                @seamonkey:

                I'm too paranoid the neighbours will think I'm trying to sneak a look

                On my street, we have drones flying around all over. ;-)

    • blonky on 26/09/2023 - 14:25

      4K video only uses 8MP so the full 48MP is only for zoomed or stills

      Does have 10 bit D-Log for those who like to colour grade and also 4k100 instead of just 4k60, otherwise seems to be the same sensor and just better processing

      I've had mine (Mini 3 Pro) stuck in a tree while flying sideways so would appreciate the sideways facing sensors

      Annoyingly enough the remote is incompatible with M3P and potentially different batteries

      • furyou on 26/09/2023 - 14:37

        I've never owned a drone, so how likely are crashes etc? Were you actually flying through the trees, or got blown into them? I don't even know how I'd play with it.

        • blonky on 26/09/2023 - 15:17

          You need to be a bit dumb to crash it, they generally hold their position in the sky even when windy

          In my situation I was watching the screen while flying sideways and didn't notice how close it was to the tree until it was too late. Was maybe 10m high so wasn't possible to retrieve until the wind blew it out a couple hours later

          I do have DJI Care (extra $189) which gives me a couple of replacements if I lose or damage it

          Personally the front sensors are pointless as you will see obstacles on the screen - but the side sensors, where you can't see on screen, matter the most

          • seamonkey on 26/09/2023 - 16:08

            @blonky: Good answer. You're right about the value of front vs side. Side is what me when I crashed overseas back in January and it obviously ruins the drone part of your holiday immediately. Didn't refresh until home of course.

          • Hugh G Rection on 26/09/2023 - 17:55

            @blonky: front is also important, especially when you are zipping around quickly or if something jumps in front of your drone it will stop.

          • furyou on 26/09/2023 - 22:38

            @blonky: I'm thinking then with the same cam, it's really a choice of mini pro 4 vs mini 3 for a newbie who doesn't know abt video stuff. I might cut video, but not grade it.

            I could just fly in the middle of open fields, or nr buildings w/ no trees, and then mini 3 and RC would be fine. Or pro 4 if I think I'll do any more.

            Seems like no future proofing, the mini pro 5 is likely to get a new RC
            Intelligent Flight Battery is same as old, so more likely the next version will be different.
            THe Pitch Angle is less. It's larger Unfolded.
            Doesn't seem a clear upgrade depending on price.

            https://www.dji.com/au/products/comparison-consumer-drones?a…

  • Mr_P on 03/10/2023 - 13:48

    I picked up a Mini 3 Pro in August and was loving it, but had wanted waypoint flying and after a couple of near misses, omni directional sensing… I had been thinking about offloading the 3 and getting an Air 3, but then this launched, and I was a bit salty it launched not long after I have purchased (I think the leaks started coming out days after my purchase haha) but I thought oh well, maybe I'll just stick with it seeing as I would take a loss to sell it now (and I had care refresh anyway so may as well just use it and enjoy it)

    2 days after the Mini 4 Pro launched, my Mini 3 Pro stopped charging and the battery was dead - I took it into JB who verified the issue and offered me a refund/replacement on the spot, I opted to refund and grabbed the the 4 - I'm only 2 flights in as Hobart has been windy AF this week, but so far, IMO, the best feature has been cruise control - I've been able to get some nice smooth footage with it, especially in the more complicated shots where it's easy to stuff it up.

    Sensing hasn't been an issue with where I have flown yet, but looking forward to using active track knowing it will have a little less risk than before.

    I got the RC2 version (as I had had the RC with 3 and couldn't go back) - It was an extra $88 out of pocket for me based on what I had paid for the 3 vs what I could negotiate on the 4.

    • DoctorCalculon on 04/10/2023 - 01:27

      my Mini 3 Pro stopped charging and the battery was dead - I took it into JB who verified the issue

      I bought mine in mid-July from JB Hi-Fi as well.
      Congrats on getting a great deal on the M4P without having to sell the M3P.

  • LayG on 06/10/2023 - 13:47
    -1

    Thanks OP bought my second drone ! The coupon works !

    • seamonkey on 06/10/2023 - 14:23

      Which coupon?

      • DoctorCalculon on 06/10/2023 - 20:00

        The imaginary one that is linked to this thread. :)

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