DJI Flip vs Mini 4 Professional: What’s the very best improve for you?

Subsequent up in our “Ask Drone Lady” collection is concerning the DJI Flip vs Mini 4 Professional. In case you have a query for Drone Lady, contact her right here.

I’m debating shopping for the DJI Mini 4 Professional or the DJI Flip. I sadly crashed my DJI Mini 3 Professional and I’m having hassle repairing it or discovering somebody who can restore it. I may improve it as an alternative.

I need a drone that’s good for photos and movies, is straightforward to hold round, and may ideally fly out of the field (just like the Mini 3 Professional). I noticed the Mini 5 Professional simply got here out nevertheless it’s not being offered inside the US. What would you advocate I exchange my Mini 3 Professional with? 

Sorry to listen to about your Mini 3 Professional! Dropping a dependable drone is at all times robust, particularly while you’re used to how nicely it performs. Let me assist you determine which substitute makes essentially the most sense on your wants.

I’d lean towards the DJI Flip for many customers in your scenario, however the Mini 4 Professional has some benefits price contemplating. Right here’s why.

DJI Flip: The newer, extra compact choice

The Flip is DJI’s latest compact drone and brings some genuinely helpful upgrades:

Portability: The Flip is extremely pocket-friendly with its flip-phone-style folding design. If “simple to hold round” is a precedence, that is nearly as good because it will get. It’s smaller and lighter than the Mini 4 Professional when folded.

Picture high quality: The Flip contains a 1/1.3-inch sensor (similar as Mini 4 Professional) with 48MP photographs and 4K/60fps video with 10-bit D-Log M. For photos and movies, it’s glorious and matches the Mini 4 Professional’s capabilities.

Able to fly: Like your Mini 3 Professional, the Flip is designed to fly proper out of the field. Setup is easy, and it’s underneath 249 grams, so no FAA registration required for leisure flying within the US.

Fashionable options: It’s obtained topic monitoring, impediment avoidance, and all of the clever flight modes you’d anticipate from a present DJI drone.

Worth: I at all times need to consider the associated fee distinction. Particularly given you’re shopping for a wholly new drone fairly than go the restore route, you’ll be able to not less than avoid wasting cash because the DJI Flip is usually extra reasonably priced than the Mini 4 Professional, which is a pleasant bonus.

Mini 4 Professional: The confirmed performer

The picture high quality on the 2 drones are primarily equivalent, with the identical sensor dimension and capabilities. In case your solely aim is the digital camera itself, go together with the cheaper Flip. However the Mini 4 Professional is a extra highly effective plane, which supplies it some key strengths versus the DJI Flip that could be definitely worth the improve.:

Omnidirectional impediment avoidance: That is the massive one. The Mini 4 Professional has impediment sensors in all instructions, whereas the Flip has ahead and backward solely. Should you’re flying in complicated environments or nonetheless constructing confidence after your crash, this additional security internet issues.

Barely higher flight time: The Mini 4 Professional edges out the Flip with as much as 34 minutes versus 31 minutes. That is actually not enormous, however it might be noticeable should you’re doing longer shoots.

ActiveTrack 360: This one has extra superior monitoring capabilities in comparison with the Flip’s topic monitoring, which might 1. make flying (with out crashing) simpler, and simply get typically higher video angles.

Associated learn: DJI Mini 3 vs. Mini 4 Professional: is it definitely worth the improve?

What concerning the Mini 5 Professional?

You’re proper that DJI introduced the Mini 5 Professional, nevertheless it’s at present not out there from DJI’s store for cargo within the U.S. What’s extra, there’s no confirmed US launch date but. Whereas it’s tempting to attend, you would be ready months, and also you want a drone now. (Although you will have luck discovering the DJI Mini 5 Professional from third-party retailers).

I haven’t flown the DJI Mini 5 Professional myself given the dearth of U.S. availability, nevertheless it does look to be the very best of the bunch. Nonetheless, the Mini 4 Professional and Flip are each glorious current-generation choices that gained’t really feel outdated anytime quickly.

Associated learn: Mini 5 Professional vs. Mini 4 Professional: is it definitely worth the improve?

My suggestion when selecting the DJI Flip vs Mini 4 Professional

Select the DJI Flip if: You prioritize portability above all else and sometimes fly in open environments the place omnidirectional impediment avoidance isn’t vital. It’s additionally the higher worth.

Select the Mini 4 Professional if: You need most impediment avoidance after your crash, desire a barely extra confirmed platform or regularly fly in tight areas with obstacles coming from a number of instructions.

Each drones gives you glorious picture high quality and that “fly out of the field” expertise you liked along with your Mini 3 Professional. You actually can’t go unsuitable with both alternative – it actually comes down as to if portability or impediment avoidance is extra vital to you.

Repairing your Mini 3 Professional: is it price it?

You talked about having hassle discovering somebody who might restore the DJI Mini 3 Professional. Given the low price of the DJI Mini 3 Professional already (and the comparatively reasonably priced price of really helpful upgrades just like the Flip and Mini 4 Professional), it seemingly doesn’t make sense to restore your DJI Mini 3 Professional.

Repairs are inclined to make sense for higher-end drones just like the Mavic line. However the price of labor and delivery on one thing just like the DJI Mini 3 Professional hardly is sensible.

Should you should go the restore route, I like to recommend Drone Nerds as the very best drone restore service, as they’re embedded in drones and are extra conversant in their earnings than a basic digital camera or electronics restore store can be.

However even Drone Nerds has explicitly informed me {that a} restore in a situation like yours wouldn’t make sense. Their rule of thumb?  If the restore (and that features adjoining bills like delivery) will price greater than 66% of the quantity of simply shopping for a brand new drone outright, it is best to nearly at all times skip the restore. However even that estimate is excessive. Account for the depreciation of getting an older drone, too.

No matter you select, blissful flying and should your new drone have a protracted, crash-free life!

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