DJI Mini 4 Pro from a photographer's perspective

I hesitated about buying my first drone for about 2 years. I kept putting off buying it because I thought the price was too high, or I didn't like the large size of drones. As a photographer, I planned to use the drone only as a supplement to the "ground" photos, which will continue to dominate my photo reports.

But this changed on September 25, 2023, when the brand new improved DJI Mini 4 PRO model was launched, which matched my financial budget and also met my size and weight criteria. I immediately started looking online where I could buy this drone. The search engine offered me the xtreme.sk store in Bratislava. I think it could be a good choice - according to references, this store has been selling drones for a long time and they also have a brick-and-mortar store if I needed to try something out or actually look at it.

So I started communicating with the store and was advised to purchase the aforementioned drone in the Combo version, i.e. for 1129 EUR the drone, 3 batteries, docking station, spare propellers, screwdriver and practical bag. The seller also recommended that I also purchase insurance for this drone (DJI Care Refresh - 2 Year Plan) for 139 EUR, which I considered a bit of an unnecessary expense, because what else could happen when the drone is equipped with such sensitive sensors? (It soon became clear how wrong I was. But the seller certainly knows more about drones than I do, so I asked for advice. I preferred the version with the DJI RC 2 remote control with a built-in display to the cheaper DJI RC N2 controller, where you need to use a smartphone instead of the built-in display (I read a few reviews on the Internet and supposedly there can be problems if someone calls you on your phone while you are flying, or you receive a message, etc.).

The next morning after payment, a courier brought me my new drone. The guys in the store prepared and activated it for me (charged the batteries, set the best settings, flew it, and I don't know what else), so I could go test the drone right after unpacking it. I used their first launch service for 15 EUR. The service was cheaper because I bought the drone from them and saved me the time of finding all the information on the Internet.

First impressions were excellent, the drone was easy and intuitive to control, and of course, it was able to return to its starting point on its own. Since the drone has a slightly smaller 1/1.3" sensor, compared to its larger and heavier counterparts on the market (they have a 4/3" sensor), it was clear to me that I would use it mainly for photography during the day, preferably in the golden hour, or in good lighting conditions.

(As for assessing the features and video quality, I won't go into that in this short review, as I have nothing to compare them to, as I primarily focus on photography and don't shoot video yet.)

Camera

When testing in low light, the result wasn't entirely bad, but it also varies depending on whether you choose 12 or 48 Mpx.

The camera has a fixed focal length of 24 mm and an aperture of f/1.7. You can leave the ISO and time settings in automatic mode, or you can manually set them as you like. The high-quality display on the DJI RC 2 remote control shows the current time and very realistic settings of the photographed scene. The device allows you to save photos in RAW, JPEG, or both formats simultaneously. When testing in low light, the result was not entirely bad, but it also varies depending on whether you choose 12 or 48 Mpx.

First accident and experience

In two days I planned to test the drone's tracking functions, so I set up an object for the drone to follow. Unfortunately, I misjudged the drone's flight path and it hit the power lines and crashed. The result - a broken arm, bent propellers, and a dented fuselage cover. At that moment, I was incredibly grateful that I had activated DJI Care Refresh insurance after all. I wrote to the guys from Xtreme, described the situation that had occurred. They reassured me that such accidents can happen because drones have camera sensors. They don't always know how to capture small objects and evaluate them as obstacles. Examples are electrical cables or thin tree branches. I sent the drone directly to their address. They took care of everything for me and in 2 weeks I had a new drone at my address. I paid a one-time fee (so-called "co-payment") of 75 EUR and then 25 EUR for mediation. I was extremely grateful that they took care of everything for me.

After two months of purchase, I have already gained some experience and can say that in good lighting conditions the drone takes really great photos. The control is very pleasant. The drone does not like uneven surfaces for landing, so I carry a small rebound board that I put on uneven surfaces or on grass and it lands pretty easily (it is also possible to purchase foldable landing surfaces).

When using the drone , I appreciated the button on the controller, which can be used to change the camera view from horizontal to vertical. It is also very easy to switch the camera view vertically downwards with another button, which is also located on the bottom of the remote control, creating interesting views. As for the flight time - usually after approximately 23-25 minutes of flight, the drone tells me that 20% of the battery remains and returns, of course the time depends on several factors such as temperature, wind speed, speed and flight distance. The big advantage of this drone is its weight of only 249g, based on which it has a C0 certificate, thanks to which it is not subject to some legislative restrictions in our country, but also abroad, and it does not take up much space in a backpack.

Pros and Cons of a Drone

Author text and photo: Peter SOBEK

XTREME TIPS AND TRICKS
1. All information regarding registration for legal flying can be found here LEGISLATION 2024.
2. If you are a beginner and are afraid of your first flight, try our OPERATOR TRAINING, where you will learn everything you need.