Latest news with #Mavic3Pro
Tom's Guide
26-06-2025
- Tom's Guide
I gave the DJI Mavic 4 Pro 5 stars but you still can't buy it in the US — I'd recommend these 3 drones instead
The DJI Mavic 4 Pro made headlines when DJI first announced it in May just gone. I was one of the first people to review what I call the most powerful consumer drone yet, and I was floored by its 100MP Hasselblad camera, smooth 6K/60fps video, long flight time, and new RC Pro 2 controller. But the drone also made headlines for another reason... DJI announced that it wouldn't be making the Mavic 4 Pro available in the U.S. market upon its global launch. This didn't come as a surprise to many drone pilots who have been aware of talks of a DJI ban circulating for over a year, but that doesn't stop it from being an absolute bummer. The Mavic 4 Pro is a mind-blowing drone, and many users in the U.K., Europe, Australia, and other parts of the world have been lucky enough to fly or own it. But for Americans who can't get the drone (yet, that may change in the future), fret not. I'm a licensed drone pilot, and I test the best drones, and there are alternatives from DJI available. They may not all be as powerful as the Mavic 4 Pro, as that drone has set a new standard, but they're still extremely good. The first alternative on this list is, of course, the DJI Mavic 3 Pro, the Mavic 4 Pro's predecessor. With the RC controller, it's priced similarly to the Mavic 4 Pro: it'll set you back by $2,199 / £2,367. While its successor captures 6K/60fps footage, the Mavic 3 Pro captures 5.1K/50fps, which is still fantastic and extremely smooth. It's got 10-bit D-Log M too to capture a wide dynamic range and 1.07 billion individual hues for more freedom in post-production and while color grading. Omnidirectional obstacle avoidance is also at play here, letting you fly with more confidence. The Mavic 3 Pro's flight time stands at 43 minutes (8 minutes fewer than the Mavic 4 Pro), so you can undertake long flights. With three cameras that capture detailed stills, 5.1K/50fps video, a three-axis mechanical gimbal for stabilizing footage, a long flight time, omnidirectional obstacle avoidance and other goodies, the DJI Mavic 3 Pro is a fantastic Mavic 4 Pro alternative. It's the drone that comes closest to DJI's latest creation. Similar to its successor, the Mavic 3 Pro utilizes three cameras (with a three-axis mechanical gimbal for stabilizing footage): 48MP Medium Tele, 20MP Hasselblad and 12MP Tele. It's excellent for any kind of landscape and nature shot, really. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. The DJI Air 3S sits at the top of our best drones buying guide, and it's my favorite drone — I rarely go anywhere without it. Again, not as advanced as the DJI Mavic 4 Pr,o but I believe it's the next best thing. It's extremely easy to fly with either the RC-N3 or the RC-2 controller, and it captures stunning 4K/60fps footage, detailed RAW photos, and a wide dynamic range in D-Log M. Unlike the Mavic series, the Air 3S utilizes two cameras — 12MP/50MP Wide-Angle and 48MP Medium Tele — and the photos it captures are incredibly detailed, even while using the drone's 9x digital zoom. Its flight time is two minutes longer than the Mavic 3 Pro's, too! The new DJI Air 3S is an outstanding drone with a dual-camera system that lets aerial videographers and travel photographers capture wide-angle and medium telephoto shots. With a large 1-inch sensor, next-gen obstacle avoidance, 42GB internal storage, and superb low-light performance, this is the best 4K/60fps drone money can buy right now. You also get 42GB of internal storage and a slot for a microSD card, and omnidirectional obstacle sensors to avoid crashing into objects. The Air 3S is also a more affordable alternative to the Mavic series, so if you want to save money while waiting for the Mavic 4 Pro but still want a highly capable drone, I'd recommend the Air 3S any day. See sample footage and images in my full DJI Air 3S review. This one's a bit of a wild card, as the DJI Flip is what I'd describe as a cheap drone — its price tag is nearly a third of the DJI Mavic 4 Pro! But that doesn't mean you should underestimate the Flip. It's a great budget alternative if, again, you want to save for the Mavic 4 Pro. It's the easiest drone to get a hang of, and I'd recommend getting the RC-2 controller for it (700-nits of brightness packed into its touchscreen) for easy and comfortable flying. And if you're a Star Wars fan, I think you'll really enjoy its design as it looks like a droid. Unlike the Air 3S, the Flip has just one camera that takes 48MP stills, and they look absolutely beautiful. A three-axis mechanical gimbal is at play here, again, so you don't have to worry about footage being shaky. Again, the drone captures 4K/60fps footage or FHD/100fps slow-mo footage. The DJI Flip is a solid mid-range drone, perfect for those looking to upgrade from older DJI models. It captures detailed 48MP stills in all lighting conditions, and records gorgeous 4K/60fps footage. It's great for content creators as it features many shooting modes, plus it's built really well and sports a slick design. What I love about the Flip is that it's under 249g, so you don't necessarily need to register with the F.A.A. in the U.S. or the C.A.A. in the U.K. to fly it — unlike the other two drones on this list. Although it's lightweight, you'll have to be mindful of gusts of wind as they can knock the Flip off course. Obstacle avoidance is also limited to front-facing only, so you'll need to watch for hindrances. See sample footage and images in my full DJI Flip review. So, while you wait for the DJI Mavic 4 Pro to hopefully land in the U.S. market someday, is there any drone you'll be buying to pass the time? Or to step up your aerial photography skills before taking to the sky with the Mavic 4 Pro? Let me know in the comments below!
Engadget
24-05-2025
- Engadget
Engadget review recap: DJI Mavic 4 Pro, Sony WH-1000XM6, ASUS ROG Flow Z13 and more
The biggest tech events in May and June may be software focused, but there's plenty of hardware going through the wringer here at Engadget. Over the last two weeks alone, we've put a drone, gaming display, headphones and a gaming tablet through their paces. If you missed any of that, or our latest game analysis and EV test drive, keeping scrolling to catch up on our latest reviews. DJI's Mavic 4 Pro is the most technologically advanced consumer drone I've seen, with improvements in video quality, obstacle detection, tracking, battery life and range. However, it's not yet on sale in the US. $2,360 at DJI Reporter Steve Dent reviews a lot of drones at Engadget. So when he uses descriptors like "a new standard," "the most technologically advanced drone I've seen" and "the best video quality," everyone needs to take note. After his tests, Steve argued that the Mavic 4 Pro is further proof of how DJI continues to outpace its rivals. "It's an improvement over the Mavic 3 Pro in nearly every area, and as mentioned, it doesn't really have any competition in the consumer space," he said. "The closest alternative in price and capability is Autel's Evo II Pro 6K, but that drone has a single-camera system with a smaller sensor, less endurance and shorter range." The crown is safe once again. Sony has managed to overhaul its flagship headphones in all the right ways that keep the 1000X line atop our best headphones list. $448 at Amazon Explore More Buying Options $450 at Best Buy$450 at Sony Electronics Sony's latest flagship headphones were hardly a secret by the time they officially arrived last week, but thankfully, the three-year wait for the upgrade was well worth it. The company managed to improve its already great over-ear headphones yet again, with updates to sound quality, noise cancellation and overall comfort. "The only real downside is the price continues to go up: the M6 is $50 more than the M5 was at launch," I wrote. "When you combine their performance with Sony's ever-growing list of features, the 1000XM6 are the best headphones you can buy right now." The ROG Flow Z13 fills the gap between traditional gaming laptops and portable workstations, but its keyboard and price are hard to love. $2,300 at Best Buy If you're looking for a gaming tablet to replace your laptop, there are some perks to the ROG Flow Z13. However, there are also some drawbacks, mainly the flimsy keyboard that makes typing on anything other than a table or desk quite cumbersome. "It's got a funky build and unapologetically aggressive styling," senior reviews reporter Sam Rutherford explained. "But unless you have a very particular set of requirements, it doesn't fit neatly into most people's lives as an equivalent laptop." The 27 UltraGear is a phenomenal OLED gaming monitor, and it proves that 480Hz screens aren't all just hype. $800 at Amazon Explore More Buying Options $870 at Macy's$800 at Best Buy It may have taken writing a review to get senior reviews reporter Devindra Hardwar to understand the hype around 480Hz gaming displays, but I'd argue the sacrifice was well worth it. The LG 27 UltraGear is a powerhouse, right down to the future-proof DisplayPort 2.1 connection. It's expensive though, and besides the OLED panel, it's not much of a looker. But that performance, it'll make you forget where you are. "The real world melted away — I was fully inside Rocket League's absurd soccer arena," he described. "When the match ended, it took me a few minutes to reacclimatize to reality." Contributor Tim Stevens spent some time behind the wheel of Hyundai's three-row Ioniq 9 EV SUV. Pricing for the more premium trims ventures into Rivian territory, but Tim argues the Ioniq 9 is the more practical choice for the rigors of daily life over the R1S. "The Ioniq 9 has a stance more like a Volvo station wagon than a gigantic family hauler, but make no mistake, it's the latter," he said. "That's immediately evident as soon as you climb into the third row." Senior gaming editor Jessica Conditt took Remedy's co-op shooter FBC: Firebreak for a spin. While the game enticed her to keep playing after almost three hours with two strangers, it could still use some polish before next month's launch. "All of the issues I have with Firebreak can be fine-tuned before the game launches this summer, and I have faith in Remedy to do so," she observed. " Firebreak is poised to be a thoughtful and focused entry in the co-op shooter genre, and it's already an inviting extension of Remedy's darkest and silliest sensibilities.
Stuff.tv
13-05-2025
- Stuff.tv
The DJI Mavic 4 Pro just flew to the top of my drone wish list
DJI has just revealed its new flagship drone, and it's taking the Mavic range to new heights. Not literally, of course – the new Mavic 4 Pro is subject to the same altitude restrictions as previous generations – but in terms of performance, features and all-round appeal. This is the company's latest top of the range consumer camera drone, supplanting the excellent Mavic 3 Pro. It builds on that previous model in every significant way: camera performance, flight performance and battery life. Let's start with the camera. As with the Mavic 3 Pro, there are actually three cameras on board the Mavic 4 Pro, covering wide, medium telephoto and telephoto focal lengths. The Hasselblad-branded wide-angle camera offers a 28mm equivalent focal length and a new 4/3 sensor offering 16 stops of dynamic range, 100MP still photos, 6K video recording at up to 60fps; it also has an adjustable aperture offering an f/2.0 to f/11 range. The medium tele camera offers a 70mm focal length, 48MP stills and 4K video at up to 60fps from its 1/1.3in sensor, while the tele camera offers 168mm, 50MP stills and 4K/60fps video from its 1/1.5in sensor. Both have fixed f/2.8 apertures. All three cameras support 10-bit 4:2:2 video, colour modes including HLG and D-Log, plus slow-motion capture at 4K quality (120fps for the wide and medium tele cameras, 100fps for the tele camera). To Infinity and beyond They're also all mounted on a brand-new 'Infinity' gimbal, which has a much greater range of motion than previous designs: not only can it tilt up and down much further, it'll also rotate to record 9:16 portrait footage that's ready to go straight to TikTok, Reels or YouTube Shorts. In fact, it can rotate through a full 360° if needed. There are huge improvements to battery life, too (it's now up to 51 minutes of flight on a full charge – 8 minutes more than the Mavic 3 Pro), while flight safety gets a boost thanks to a more sensitive obstacle detection system that deploys LiDAR at the front and night-friendly low-light vision sensors in all directions. DJI promises that this makes the Mavic 4 Pro a lot more capable of avoiding collisions in darker conditions, as well as clever enough to return to home without the use of GPS. The design is more aerodynamic too, boosting flight speed. In fact, having flown the Mavic 4 Pro a few times myself, I found it incredibly zippy and surprisingly quiet for a larger drone. It weighs over a kilo, so it's subject to quite a few restrictions about where it can be flown, but it doesn't fly like a heavyweight model. The DJI Mavic 4 Pro is available to order now from DJI's site in a range of packages. The most basic bundle is just the drone, one battery and one RC 2 controller for £1879/€2099, while the Fly More Combo featuring an additional two batteries, charging hub and shoulder bag is £2459/€2699. Top of the heap is the Creator Combo, which comes with the same plus a 240W power adapter for fast charging, a new RC Pro 2 controller and a drone with 512GB of built-in storage (the regular model has 64GB). It costs £3209/€3539. If you're wondering where the US prices are, DJI has yet to confirm them – probably due to the current situation with tariffs. It could be a while before the DJI Mavic 4 Pro arrives in the States, we suspect. That's a great shame, because it's looking like the best premium consumer drone around right now. Amateur Photographer Festival of Outdoor Photography coming to London in May – save 40% now! The festival will bring together an incredible selection of world-class experts who will share their knowledge and passion. Get your tickets here and save 40%
Engadget
13-05-2025
- Business
- Engadget
DJI Mavic 4 Pro review: A new standard for consumer drones
DJI's much-awaited Mavic 4 Pro drone has launched, but there's bad news. Due to Trump's tariffs and other market uncertainties (like a potential DJI ban), it's not yet on sale in America and there's no word on when it will be, or for what price. That will disappoint US buyers, because the Mavic 4 Pro is the most technologically advanced consumer drone ever. With a triple-camera system housed in a wild-looking round gimbal, it can shoot up to 6K at 60 fps with 16 stops of dynamic range, beating any drone and even most cameras. DJI also boosted top speed, battery life and range, while improving obstacle avoidance in low light via a new LiDAR system. Plus, the company introduced an all-new RC Pro 2 controller with a useful new foldable design. I've had the Mavic 4 Pro for a couple of weeks now and it performs even better than the specs would suggest. Though a bit expensive, this drone is so polished and capable that nothing else remotely compares to it. DJI's Mavic 4 Pro is the most technologically advanced consumer drone I've seen, with improvements in video quality, obstacle detection, tracking, battery life and range. However, it's not yet on sale in the US. $2,360 at DJI The trademark feature, as we've seen from leaks and a teaser last week, is the big round triple-camera 'Infinity Gimbal' module at the front. The idea is to allow the gimbal to rotate freely for improved stabilization and interesting camera angles. It boosts the tilt-up angle from 60 to 70 degrees and lets the gimbal rotate at any angle, allowing off-kilter 'Dutch' camera angles for more interesting shots. And of course, it can rotate 90 degrees to deliver full-resolution vertical video for social media. With that new housing and slightly larger batteries, the 2.3 pound Mavic 4 Pro is 0.2 pounds heavier than the Mavic 3 Pro. The propeller arms have been updated so they can be folded and unfolded in any order, unlike the previous model. The body is also more aerodynamic to boost efficiency and speed. To view this content, you'll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here and view the "Content and social-media partners" setting to do so. Tucked in the left propeller arm is a forward-facing LiDAR sensor that greatly aids nighttime obstacle detection. The drone also has six omnidirectional fisheye sensors that work in as little as 0.1 lux, which is equivalent to a night sky lit by a full moon. Where the Mavic 3 Pro had just 8GB of internal memory, the standard Mavic 4 Pro is equipped with 64GB of storage (42GB usable), and the Creator Combo version comes with a generous 512GB of high-speed storage (460GB usable). Both models have a microSD card slot as well. DJI's new RC2 Pro screen controller folds up and flips sideways. (Steve Dent for Engadget) The Mavic 4 Pro ships with the RC2 screen controller first seen with the Air 3 in the basic and Fly More kits. However, DJI also introduced the RC2 Pro, a controller unlike any I've seen before. The bright 7-inch HDR display folds up to provide a multi-angle view and the joysticks now collapse into the body. It has a full complement of controls for flying and camera operations, including a button that flips the camera 90 degrees. The RC2 Pro also has an HDMI and a USB-C port, along with Wi-Fi 6 support for high-speed data transfers. The new 95Wh batteries are rated to offer up to 51 minutes of flight time, or around 40-45 minutes in typical use. That's a significant boost from the 30-35 minute real-world battery life on the Mavic 3 Pro. Better still, they charge faster than ever at 51 minutes for one battery (via USB-C) or 90 minutes for three with the Fly More kit charger. The Mavic 4 Pro can now hit 56 mph (90 km/h) in sport mode without obstacle detection, up from 47 mph before, which will be a big help for filming motor vehicles. Top speed in normal mode with tracking and obstacle detection is also faster at 40 mph. It's still a big SUV of a drone, though, so it lacks the agility of DJI's Mini 4 Pro. And with no prop guards, it's not advisable to maneuver around people or in tight spaces like the Avata 2. Noise from the Mavic 4 Pro is unchanged from the Mavic 3 Pro at 83 dB. However, the frequency is lower and less bothersome, especially when it's flying close to people — so, er, props to DJI for that improvement. With the new O4+ transmission system, the Mavic 4 Pro now offers up to 18.6 miles (30 km) of video transmission range, double that of the Mavic 3 Pro. Though most pilots won't venture that far away, I found the Mavic 4 Pro less susceptible to interference and dropouts than before. It also supports bright 10-bit HDR 1080p live video transmission for a higher-quality backup capture and better visibility in sunlight. Subject tracking is available via the ActiveTrack 360 function (first seen on the Mini 4 Pro), which allows you to manually control the camera position while keeping your subject in frame. It's also designed to keep subjects in focus even if they're partially obscured. I tested it with a car, mountain bike and while walking to see how it worked at various speeds. The Mavic 4 Pro stayed locked on a car driving at up to 30 mph with full obstacle avoidance. When filming the bike rider, the Mavic 4 Pro chose interesting and random routes around trees that often yielded cinematic greatness. That behavior also caused a crash into a small tree branch, but luckily, it caused no visible or functional damage. The drone also worked well as a vlogging tool, following me on a preset ActiveTrack 360 path. Later, I took the Mavic 4 Pro out at night to test the LiDAR and low-light sensors, flying it up around trees and next to buildings. That would have been risky with past models, but it successfully detected and avoided all obstacles in my testing. The low-light capability will also help you bring the drone home safely at night, as long as you remember that the LiDAR only works in the forward direction. Return-to-home now functions without GPS in sufficient light, as the Mavic 4 Pro can memorize flight paths. With its new camera system, the Mavic 4 Pro has the best video quality I've seen on any consumer drone. The main Hasselblad-branded 28mm wide camera has a 100-megapixel , dual ISO 4/3 sensor that supports 6K 60 fps or 4K 120 fps capture along with DJI's professional D-Log and D-LogM modes to max out dynamic range. It also delivers up to 100MP photos. The Mavic 4 Pro is one of few drones with a variable aperture (f/2.0 to f/11) for better depth of field control and more usability in sunlight. The Infinity Gimbal also houses a 70mm medium telephoto lens with a 1/1.3-inch sensor like the one on the Mini 4 Pro. Plus, there's a longer 168mm camera with a 1/1.5-inch sensor that should be ideal for things like wildlife tracking. Both feature an f/2.8 aperture, 4K 60p video and D-Log/D-LogM and HDR, along with subject-tracking AF and dual native ISO. 6K and 4K video quality on the Hasselblad camera is incredibly sharp and color-accurate, while providing good dynamic range, particularly with sky and cloud details. Switching over to D-Log mode further boosts dynamic range, but makes color correction a bit trickier. I liked using D-LogM to get a good balance between ease of adjustment and dynamic range. The base Mavic 4 Pro captures H.265 video up to 180 Mbps, but the Creator Combo version — with its faster internal storage — also supports 1,200 Mbps H.264 All-I for easier editing. However, DJI dropped the ProRes 4:2:2 HQ option that was available on the Cine version of the Mavic 3 Pro. Where the Mavic 4 Pro really beats other drones is in low light, thanks to the native dual ISO capability. When shooting a cityscape at dusk at ISO 6400 and up, grain was easy to tamp down with a bit of noise reduction. And if shooting at dawn or dusk, the D-Log mode provides enough dynamic range to balance light sky and dark ground areas. Photo quality is also outstanding in the 100MP mode with so much detail that I could zoom in and clearly see tiny objects. For low-light shooting, though, it's best to stick with 25MP to reduce noise. DJI's RAW DNG capture makes it easy to fine-tune photos shot in contrasty lighting conditions. The 70mm (3x) 1/1.3-inch telephoto camera is great for taking portraits or getting in tighter when shooting landscapes. With support for 4K at up to 120 fps and D-Log or D-LogM, it can easily be mixed and matched with footage from the main camera, though detail and low-light capability isn't as good. The 168mm 1/1.5-inch camera produces mediocre video quality, but it's great for capturing wildlife. The Mavic 4 Pro is a great example of how DJI stays far ahead of rivals by consistently updating and perfecting its products. It's an improvement over the Mavic 3 Pro in nearly every area, and as mentioned, it doesn't really have any competition in the consumer space. The closest alternative in price and capability is Autel's Evo II Pro 6K, but that drone has a single-camera system with a smaller sensor, less endurance and shorter range. The lack of US availability is a major issue that's bound to cause a furor with drone enthusiasts in the States. And there's still a great risk that sales of DJI drones will be completely banned in America by the end of the year. The company insists that its drones pose no national security risk and says it welcomes any scrutiny. The Mavic 4 Pro is now on sale in most regions except the United States starting at €2,099 or £1,879 (about $2,360) with the RC2 controller. You can also get it in the Fly More kit with the RC2 controller, a bag, three batteries and a charger for £2,459 and €2,699 ($3,040). The Creator Combo, which includes everything in the Fly More kit plus the RC2 Pro controller, 512GB of storage and All-I video capture, is €3,539 (£3,209) or about $3,980. The RC2 Pro controller by itself is €999 and €879 (about $1,125).
The Verge
06-05-2025
- The Verge
The company hasn't revealed what model it's announcing on May 13th, 2025, but a
DJI is teasing a spinning triple camera setup on its next drone. teaser video shared to its X account shows a drone with a triple camera array similar to what the DJI Mavic 3 Pro uses. Next week could see the debut of the DJI Mavic 4 Pro, as DroneDJ speculates, with an upgraded stabilized camera system that can roll to facilitate video capture in portrait mode like the DJI Mini 4 Pro.
