DJI Mavic 4 Pro in practical test: Is this the perfect drone for photographers like you?

Are you wondering if the new DJI Mavic 4 Pro is really an upgrade for your photography? Or is DJI simply throwing around fancy marketing promises and video features that ultimately hardly matter to serious photographers? My aerial shots have to be efficient, safe – and able to keep up with medium format images from the Hasselblad X2D in terms of image quality. So: Can the Mavic 4 Pro do that? In this article, we'll take a close look at the handling, flight performance, and image quality of DJI's new flagship. And I'll show you whether this drone can really compete with high-end medium format cameras – and whether it's a good investment for your next photo projects.

This article is based on my detailed YouTube video, in which you will find many additional sample images, real comparisons and behind-the-scenes insights:

You can find the English version of my Mavic 4 Pro video here.

Setup & Handling: A new league for photographers like you

If you're tired of how long it takes to get a drone ready for takeoff—power buttons, connection, calibration, satellite search—then the Mavic 4 Pro will blow you away. DJI has completely revamped the experience. The drone starts automatically as soon as you unfold the right rear leg. The RC Pro 2 controller turns on when you flip up the display. The control sticks are now permanently installed—no more searching for or screwing them on before takeoff. From unpacking to launch, it only takes about 20 seconds—just enough time to set up the drone and take your position. And best of all, you don't even need a GPS signal to start. Thanks to visual positioning, the drone can take off immediately!

DJI has also stepped up its game when it comes to charging. The 240-watt charger in the Creator Combo charges all three batteries in just 90 minutes and powers the controller at the same time. Whether in the car with a DJI Power Station or on the go with a USB-C Power Delivery charger, you have flexible, fast charging options everywhere. And after the flight? Data transfer is now even faster and easier: the drone and controller have fast SSDs installed, so you can download images at around 650 MB/s via USB-C—without fumbling with a microSD card. You can even connect to the switched-off drone via Bluetooth up to 12 hours after your flight and transfer images directly to your smartphone or tablet via the DJI Fly app. What does that mean for you as a photographer? Less waiting, more shooting. For hobby pilots, this is a nice extra—for professionals who have to cover multiple locations in one day, it's a real relief and increase in efficiency in their daily work!

My rating for setup & handling: 4 out of 5 points

Elbphilharmonie in the evening light with the Port of Hamburg reflected in the water

Flight performance: Power, speed, and stability that impress

In Hamburg, there are almost always coastal winds of at least 20 km/h—and yet the Mavic 4 Pro always held its position in the test, as if it were bolted to the sky. Even between tall buildings and in turbulent air currents. I tested exposure times between 0.5 and 1 second on all three lenses. It was to be expected that the 28 mm main lens would remain stable—but that the drone would also stand perfectly still in the air at 166 mm telephoto and take long exposures in twilight? That was a real wow moment!

And the battery life? DJI promises 51 minutes—realistically, it's about 35 minutes per battery with active photography and filming in a 1 km radius, with landing at 25% remaining charge. Let's be honest: that's easily enough for most photo sessions. Good light rarely lasts longer—and batteries can be changed quickly if you need more. What really counts here is not just the range or the speed—it's the confidence you gain from the stable flight position. Enough battery power to work with focus. And the flexibility to react quickly to new locations or urban challenges.

My rating for flight performance: 4 out of 5 points

Why? Because range, stability, and speed are top-notch—but the real battery life is about 40% below the manufacturer's specification.

Safety: Finally fly with real peace of mind

When you work with a drone weighing over 1 kg and worth over €2000, one thing matters above all: safety. And here, the Mavic 4 Pro surprised me several times. I was able to experience the new safety features practically during a test flight shortly before sunrise. I flew past a large steel crane and suddenly the connection was lost. Old fears immediately resurfaced: seven years ago, I lost my Mavic 1 Pro at exactly this spot—over the Elbe, behind the Elbphilharmonie. The connection broke and it never returned. (Fortunately, the Mavic 2 Pro came out three weeks later.) But the Mavic 4 Pro? It had already scanned its surroundings during the flight, calculated the safest return route, and when the connection was restored, the controller showed me this route live in augmented reality. It flew back between two bridge pillars—and landed smoothly. That honestly felt a bit like science fiction.

I rarely have concerns when flying forward. But sideways and backwards? That's often tricky for photographers. You're fully focused on the image framing—and suddenly there's a tree behind you, a street lamp below, or a balcony in the way to the side. This is exactly where the 360° obstacle avoidance of the Mavic 4 Pro shows what it can do. On the controller, you see a live view of all sensors—you always know what's happening around you. Especially with the telephoto lenses, where you lose all sense of space, this is a huge advantage.

Even better: the Mavic 4 Pro doesn't brake overcautiously like earlier models. It lets you fly precisely up to objects and only intervenes gently when it's really necessary. Indoor flights, tight urban spaces, and close-ups become much smoother and safer as a result. In my test in the Westfield shopping center, it moved elegantly around obstacles—not just recognized them, but actively navigated around them. What that means for you as a photographer: you get a completely new sense of space when flying. The drone protects you without slowing you down—and it even brings itself back safely in an emergency.

My safety rating: 5 out of 5 points

Because the combination of obstacle detection, position control, and autonomous flight behavior is unbeatable in this class.

Westfield shopping center with the Hamburg skyline

Control & Menu Navigation: Where the controller shines—and where it falters

I didn't know I needed a tiltable display on my remote control—until I had one. That's exactly what makes the RC Pro 2 controller a real revolution for photographers. The 7-inch display can be flexibly angled so you can hold it comfortably and still read it perfectly. With 1600 nits of brightness, the shadowy existence of drone pilots has finally come to an end! Even in direct sunlight, you can accurately assess the exposure on the screen.

One of my favorite features is the small control wheel. With one click, you switch between shutter speed, aperture, ISO, and exposure compensation—and then adjust everything finely and directly via the dial. Without annoying tapping on the touchscreen. It feels as direct and precise as with a real camera. Even better: you can assign the lens switch to one of the joystick buttons—perfect if you're flying with gloves in winter, for example. Such details show that DJI really designed the controller for photographers.

If you turn the screen to portrait format, the gimbal also automatically rotates—and shows you the image in full-screen vertical format. Sounds like a gimmick at first—but is unexpectedly useful in practice. But here's the catch: in portrait format, the camera angle is severely restricted—only between -11° (slightly downwards) and 0° (straight ahead). That means: no tilt-ups, no dramatic upward perspectives—which significantly limits creative angles. In addition, the gimbal sometimes mechanically jerks at the stop when you fly fast at maximum portrait tilt. Not bad—but quite annoying during the flight. In landscape format, on the other hand, you get a gigantic swivel range from -90° (vertically downwards) to +70° (far upwards)—this gives you much more freedom in image design.

The RC Pro 2 controller is large, heavy—and definitely not a lightweight for travel. But it offers you comfort, control, and speed that you really feel in professional use. The control is precise, the display is excellently readable, and options such as the lens-switch-button layout make the workflow much faster, but the limitations in portrait format and the bulky design cost it the last point.

My rating for control & menu navigation: 4 out of 5 points

Image quality of the Mavic 4 Pro: The centerpiece for photographers

Let's get to the point you've probably been waiting for the most: How good are the images from the DJI Mavic 4 Pro really? And how do its three cameras compare to previous DJI models—or even to the Hasselblad X2D 100MP? Spoiler alert: The Mavic 4 Pro brings a huge upgrade—especially thanks to the two telephoto lenses, which were among the biggest surprises in my test. If you would like to get an idea of the photo quality of the Mavic 4 Pro for yourself, then sign up for my newsletter via the following link and receive download access to some RAW test images of the new drone.

Link to the newsletter

The telephoto lenses – Surprisingly strong

The 168mm telephoto lens delivers its best performance in 12.5 MP mode at ISO 100–400. Sharp details, decent dynamic range – on par with the main camera. A huge improvement compared to the Mavic 3. Even at ISO 3200, the texture remains surprisingly stable – and with Lightroom AI Denoise, you can get absolutely clean images from it. Sure, 50MP sounds tempting, but in reality, it only provides a little extra detail – and creates files four times as large with softer edges.

👉 My tip: Stay in 12MP mode and upscale selectively later with Lightroom AI Super Resolution – this gives you more flexibility when denoising and post-processing.

The 70mm telephoto lens is similarly impressive: 12MP is crisp, while 48MP is somewhat soft. It's best to work in the ISO range of 100–400 here as well, and use AI Denoise if you ever need to use ISOs up to 3,200.

The 28mm wide-angle – the all-rounder

The main camera with 28mm is your most flexible tool – it consistently delivers strong results, even at 25MP. Yes, the 100MP mode sounds spectacular – but offers hardly any visible gain, while resulting in huge file sizes. For maximum sharpness, stick to f/2.8. Apertures of f/2.0 and f/5.6 are also good, but from f/11 onwards, you'll lose contrast and clarity – and lens flares become unpleasantly dominant. Want star effects in your highlights? Then it's best to use f/5.6.

And as for the viewing angle of the new drone: I missed the 24mm of the Mavic 3 less than I thought I would. The 28mm appears slightly more compressed – which often looks even more aesthetically pleasing. Only with top-down shots (especially with the 120 m height limit in Europe) does it get a bit tight. I hope DJI brings out a wide-angle adapter for this soon.

Consistency & color reproduction at a professional level

What impressed me most: All three cameras deliver a consistent image straight from the drone. Thanks to the Hasselblad Natural Colour Solution (HNCS), you get harmonious colors, even white balance, and a clean contrast curve. The 28mm has a minimal green cast, the telephoto lenses tend slightly towards magenta – but this can be quickly adjusted in post-processing. This is a great advantage, especially for professional workflows – especially when you combine image series from multiple focal lengths.

Studio test: RAWs & Grading flexibility

In my studio, I directly compared the RAWs of the Mavic 4 Pro with the Hasselblad X2D. What I noticed:

The Mavic delivers impressive dynamic range
Highlight recovery is very natural, shadows can be lifted cleanly
The noise behavior is even and controllable
The colors are more vibrant than with the X2D – but easily integrated thanks to HNCS

Of course, the X2D remains superior in terms of detail, neutrality, and editing latitude. But the Mavic 4 Pro can be seamlessly integrated into a professional workflow.

Comparison of the Mavic 4 Pro with earlier DJI models

Compared to the Mavic 2 Pro (2018) and Mini 3 Pro (2022), the Mavic 4 plays in a different league.

The Mavic 2 Pro appears soft, low in contrast, and less dynamic in comparison
The Mini 3 Pro delivers great images for its size but is significantly weaker in low light, detail, and editability

Comparison with the Hasselblad X2D

These 100MP drone images from marketing? They're primarily a PR stunt! The upscaled shots can't compete with real medium format shots from the 9,000 € Hasselblad X2D. But – and this is crucial: The Mavic 4 complements a ground-based setup perfectly. It offers unique perspectives with a quality that convinces even fine art photographers like me – especially when it comes to large prints.

My rating for image quality: 9 out of 10 points

Why so high? Because the Mavic 4 Pro is not a revolution, but a brilliant evolution – especially thanks to the two telephoto lenses. I'm deducting one point because the high-res modes are more for show than substance. But for serious drone photographers, the Mavic 4 Pro is unmatched in its class.

DJI Hasselblad Store Westfield Shopping Center Hamburg

Conclusion: Is the DJI Mavic 4 Pro worth it for you as a photographer?

From a photographic point of view, the DJI Mavic 4 Pro Creator Combo is as close to the perfect drone as it currently gets. With a total score of 26 out of 30 points – i.e., 87 % – you get a setup that impresses in terms of photography due to:

Three high-quality cameras with practical focal lengths
Excellent control and a well-thought-out operating concept
Strong flight performance with outstanding safety features

While the RC Pro 2 controller is heavy and bulky, its display quality, ease of use, and range of functions make it feel like a professional camera body – but for drones. No, the Mavic 4 doesn't replace a medium format camera. However, it expands your creative toolkit with perspectives you could never capture from the ground – and at a level of quality that is impressive even in large prints. If you're ready to invest in a tool that will inspire and expand your photography for years to come, then the Mavic 4 Pro Creator Combo is a package that is truly worth it for you.

If you would like to call the Mavic 4 Pro or another product from DJI or Hasselblad your own, then take a look at the DJI Stores Germany. Here you will find the entire range of both companies, receive individual advice in 5 stores in Germany and Austria and with my discount code “Voss5” you can even save 5% on your purchase via the following link: Link to the DJI Stores Germany

I'd be happy if you join me again for the next post or video. Until then, have fun taking photos!