The new DJI mini 5 Pro v DJI Mavic 4 Pro…..!

As some of you may know, 18 months ago we here at FOALUA PHOTOGRAPHY purchased a new DJI mini 4 pro drone to add a different dynamic twist to our camera line up that we use when on our frequent photo shoot expeditions ..

This little drone to date has performed very well and so far has been totally reliable…never crashed… mind you there has been a couple of close shaves, but then thats life in this new drone world..

Being a tiny drone certainly has some advantages over DJI’s larger models, mainly being so quiet in flight, we can move around to capture imagery without disturbing wild life as long we respect a little distance, this little drone is also very compact and easy to carry around, however there have been times where we have thought a bigger brother would be better suited with its better  low light camera sensor, larger dynamic range, able to shoot later into the evening yet still retain colour and clarity, which we have noticed has become an issue for us with our current model..The larger Mavic 4 pro, is much better able to handle windy conditions, coupled with faster flying speeds and longer range endurance..

Another annoying problem that is ongoing with our current drone, it takes about 25 minutes of flying time to drain each of our three supplied batteries, and over the course of a photo shoot location we soon run out of power… ie We may elect to send the drone to the opposite side of a lake requiring say ten to twelve mins flight time each way which doesnt leave much time to compost shots actually on location…. the problem is very slow recharging of the battery bank on location… we have tried everything, bought a large portable solar panel, the result slow charging, plugging into our vans 12 volt system,  slow charging… purchased an expensive large battery storage bank, still this takes almost two hours to recharge…. in the end we have purchased further drone batteries but still they too need recharging…

So, the concept of using the drone to capture imagery that otherwise would require a lot more effort using hand held cameras is a great advantage, so we felt some further research on the subject was needed..

The larger DJI Mavic 4 pro has been of interest although it comes with quite a hefty price at around 5k for the complete set up, however setting this to one side, longer flight times per battery, faster flying to and from location, perfect high resolution Hasselblad 100mp main camera coupled with a 4/3 sensor are some of the pluses … perhaps the louder operating  noise would be one draw back along with a bulky carry bag containing the drone another…

Then just a week or so ago, finally the brand new DJI mini 5 pro has been released for sale here in New Zealand. So looking at the specs of this latest upgraded drone, the much needed increase in low light photography capacity with a new one inch CMOS sensor will be most welcome, this increase will also help us  when imagery is printed on a larger scale such as our  1.8 metre wide prints.. some images captured in low light such as early morning have tended to show some softening on the outer edges, causing an otherwise nice shot to be discarded as if we attempt to print then the end result would be less than sharp..

We see a new faster design charging hub and longer range batteries have been added to the new concept, along with slightly faster flying speed..

We already have the latest RC2 drone controller which is compatible with the new Mini 5 Pro and I think also suits the Mavic 4 pro..

Since the start of writing this blog, I have continued my research into both options, as I am finding myself sitting on the fence so to speak as to which option would suit… sure with endless money one may opt to purchase both units, but with the current economy that’s not really a consideration…

As with most things we purchase, research is the key to limiting mistakes and of course gaining the best value for money…I do really like the reliability of the DJI products and have been amazed with the little Mini 4 pro in the new world it has opened up for us…!

I guess a little further time here is needed, we still have the current drone to use so there is no urgency..!

Main photo.. the new DJI Mini 5 pro

Below photos taken with our DJI Mini 4 Pro..these are straight out of the drone images..

ps… This mornings photo shoot location saw a large amount of bird wildlife either feeding near or on the lake, and yet with the small quiet mini 4 drone airbourne, we were able to capture our intended imagery at around 5 metres up without unduly disturbing anything… to us, this is a big plus..