DJI’s Matrice drones elevate the game
Posted on Mar 25, 2025 by Pro Moviemaker
DJI’s new flagship UAVs use AI technology to fly safer
The Matrice 4 series is the new compact flagship of DJI’s enterprise drone series. The new Matrice 4T and Matrice 4E are intelligent, multi-sensor UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) with advanced smart detection and laser rangefinder measurement. A new AI platform and improved positioning sensors mean the Matrice series will be safer and more reliable than ever, DJI claims.
Both drones are largely designed for emergency response teams or safety inspections, and feature three cameras. Both the £5910/$7299 4T model and £3940/$4799 Matrice 4E have a 70mm f/2.8 lens illuminating a 48-megapixel, 1/1.3-inch CMOS sensor plus a 168mm f/2.8 telephoto allied to a 48-megapixel, 1/1.5-inch CMOS sensor to get in close to the action. In addition, both models have a 24mm wide lens, the 4T model using a faster f/1.7 version with a 48-megapixel, 1/1.3-inch CMOS sensor. The 4E version has a slower, f/2.8 lens and 20-megapixel, 4/3 CMOS sensor with a mechanical shutter.
This allows high-speed aerial surveying from multiple angles as the drone supports rapid 0.5-second interval shooting and mapping of flight speeds up to 21 metres per second. With Smart 3D Capture, precise mapping routes can be generated on the remote controller. It can also display virtual space routes and waypoint photos.
Both drones also have infrared thermal cameras that support high-res mode up to 1280×1024 pixels, while an auxiliary light can illuminate objects 100 metres away. Their laser rangefinders can measure distances of up to 1800 metres.
A key upgrade to the Matrice 4 series is in night mode, thanks to their larger-aperture lenses and intelligent low-light capabilities. They also have six high-definition, low-light fisheye lenses to allow for automatic obstacle avoidance, intelligent rerouting and safe return in urban low-light environments. In case of fog, haze or high humidity, the Electronic Dehaze function improves imaging clarity.
The range of new accessories includes the AL1 Spotlight, to illuminate subjects up to 100 metres away. The AS1 Speaker delivers powerful audio up to 300 metres and reaching 114 decibels at one metre. The Multifunctional Station is a base station that offers improved positioning accuracy and extends image transmission.
For fast take-offs and return-to-home functionality, there’s vision-assist in five directions, plus downwards, so the drone can fly without a GNSS signal.
DJI tech comes to third-party FPV aircraft
If you want to bring DJI’s transmission, camera and control know-how to boost your own FPV drone, the new O4 Air Unit lets you do just that. It’s a lightweight digital video transmitter with impressive range, ultra-low latency and crisp video from its camera’s 1/2-inch image sensor.
Although the transmission tops out at 4K/60p, the sensor is capable of recording 4K in 120fps. It also supports 10-bit D-Log M colour mode for wide dynamic range, and a 155° ultra-wide field of view. The O4 Air Unit is the smallest and lightest 4K digital-video transmission solution available for FPV drone users. It offers a maximum transmission distance of 10km with 20ms latency. The Pro version’s dual-antenna design improves the transmission distance to 15km, with latency of 15ms. It also automatically selects the most stable frequency to ensure there is no signal drop.
The O4 Air Unit Series uses H.265 encoding, supporting transmission at 1080p/200fps regardless of flight speed or environment. Rock Steady stabilisation allows smooth video and it is compatible with Gyroflow software for offline post-stabilisation. Both models support Canvas Mode and Betaflight OSD to customise real-time data and layout on the goggles’ screen, enhancing flight control.
The unit is compatible with DJI Avata 2’s ND Filters Set, and there is a micro SD card slot which offers expanded storage.
The O4 Air Unit Series is compatible with DJI’s Goggles 2, 3, N3 and Integra, and FPV Remote Controller 2 and 3. The standard unit is £99/$109; the Pro version is £209/$229.
Flipping wonderful!
The new DJI Flip is the Chinese brand’s first drone to feature foldable, full-coverage propeller guards for safety.
It’s a new series of all-in-one vlog camera drones which weigh just under 249g, so don’t require certification to fly. It’s equipped with a 49-megapixel, 1/1.3-inch CMOS sensor that captures 4K video and stills, and combines the flying ease of the cheaper Neo with the camera quality of the advanced Mini.
The palm-sized unit doesn’t need a separate controller. The Mode button offers a choice of six different intelligent shooting modes; Dronie, Circle, Rocket, Spotlight, Helix and Boomerang, while AI subject tracking keeps subjects in the frame.
The camera features dual native ISO, a fast f/1.7 aperture lens and up to 4x zoom. DJI’s next-gen Smart Photo technology combines HDR imaging and scene recognition for automatic image enhancement.
HDR video is recorded in 4K/60p while super slow-motion can be recorded at 4K/100fps in 10-bit D-Log M colour mode. The 4:3 aspect ratio sensor provides enough space for vertical crops while maintaining a 2.7K resolution; ideal for social media.
There are four hyper-lapse options to capture time-lapse footage at up to 4K horizontally or 2.7K vertically. Panorama mode supports 180°, wide angle, vertical and sphere panoramic photos with different Focus Track options for moving subjects.
The Flip offers up to 31 minutes of flight time, while 3D infrared sensing supports automatic braking to avoid crashes, even at night.
The £369/$439 Flip kit comes with the RC-N3 controller, but the RC2 remote, the DJI Fly app or voice control can also be used. The O4 video transmission supports up to 13km of 1080p/60fps video transmission.
Learn about other DJI products in this review of the DJI Neo.
This article was first published in the March/April 2025 issue of Pro Moviemaker
