I’ve flirted with the idea of owning a camera drone for years. The concept always appealed; the freedom, the perspective, the cinematic potential.
But every time I considered the investment, something held me back. Either the image quality wasn’t quite there, or the price for a model that did both photography and video well felt just out of budget.
With the announcement of the DJI Mavic 4 Pro, something shifted. For the first time, I’m genuinely considering it – not as a splurge or a novelty, but as an extension of how I already work.
At the heart of it is the camera. Or, more accurately, the cameras. A Hasselblad-branded Four Thirds CMOS sensor capable of 100MP is a serious leap for consumer aerial stills.
Combined with two additional telephoto lenses, a 70mm equivalent at 48MP and a 168mm equivalent at 50MP, it offers a flexibility that starts to feel creatively enabling, not just technically impressive.
What excites me most is that this isn't just a video drone that happens to take stills; it’s clearly designed with both in mind. Video in 6K, proper manual exposure control, aperture flexibility from f/2.0 to f/11 and that all-important RAW image capture – this drone ticks the boxes I’ve quietly hoped would one day line up.
There’s also the matter of vertical shooting, which DJI now supports in high resolutions across all three lenses. For someone thinking more about storytelling formats such as Reels, Shorts and even mobile-first photo essays, it feels like DJI has finally caught up with how people actually want to create.
I still have reservations, of course. Drone laws aren’t exactly fun. Battery life, portability and post-production workflows all come with trade-offs. But if I’ve learned anything in recent years, it’s that new perspectives often come when the right tools remove friction.
Of course, none of this means much if it’s out of reach. But surprisingly, the Mavic 4 Pro starts at $2,049 / £1,879 / AU $3,099. For what it offers in terms of the trio of high-resolution cameras, 6K video, a mechanical gimbal and pro-level stills, it feels like a serious tool at a reasonable price.
It’s not cheap, but compared to what you’d need to spend to replicate this setup on the ground, it’s a compelling package. For me, the specs, the performance, and the price all seem to have aligned.
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Check out our guides to the best drones for beginners and the best drones for video.
