In an unfortunate turn of events for drone enthusiasts, Skydio has exited the consumer drone market, leaving potential customers searching for alternatives. One such option is the DJI Mini 4 Pro, priced at $759, which is being marketed as the first Mini with omnidirectional obstacle sensing. This feature is a significant upgrade from its predecessor, the Mini 3 Pro, which could only sense obstacles in specific directions. With binocular vision in every direction, the Mini 4 Pro has the potential to navigate more effectively, especially in tight spaces with trees and branches.

The Mini 4 Pro brings the Mini 3 Pro up to par with DJI’s larger and pricier Air 3 model. It offers similar features such as a main camera with a 48-megapixel resolution and a battery life of over 40 minutes. However, the Mini 4 Pro distinguishes itself with omnidirectional obstacle avoidance, 100fps 4K shooting capabilities, and an extended video transmission range of 20 kilometers. While DJI advertises “True Vertical Shooting” as a key selling point for the Mini 4 Pro, this feature is already present in the Mini 3 Pro. Additionally, the Mini 3 Pro surpasses its successor in battery performance, providing an extra four to six minutes of flight time depending on the inserted battery.

Although the Mini 4 Pro offers improvements, drone users requiring more speed may still need to opt for DJI’s Air or higher models, as the Mini series has a maximum speed of five meters per second compared to the Air’s faster ascent and descent. Moreover, the Air offers a second telephoto camera, enabling greater flexibility in capturing images. For those who already own a Mini 3 Pro or have accessories for it, the good news is that the Mini 4 Pro is compatible with the same batteries. However, a new controller is necessary due to the upgraded Ocusync 4 video transmission system.

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