DJI Drones Then vs Now: From Chaos to Cinematic Mastery

Flying high with DJI

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When drones first hit the skies, they were flying all over the place. And when I say all over the place, I mean many novice users were having trouble controlling them and back in those Wild West days you could almost use a drone anywhere before places started banning them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3iML1HgVGI

(compilation video of drone fails)

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Since DJI introduced the popular Phantom 1 drone in 2013, the technology (and user skills) has come a long way. The latest DJI Mavic 4 Pro has taken flight performance, speed and power to new heights. Literally. In the video below, the DJI Mavic 4 Pro captures hikers clambering up the final daunting stages to the summit of Mt Everest. Captured in a single continuous shot, and in 6K video using three 4/3 Hasselblad Cameras, today’s drone footage looks more Hollywood than hobby.

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Not only did drones of old not have enough power to scale these heights, but they also didn’t have the battery life. The flight time of the original Phantom was a maximum of 15 minutes, while the DJI Mavic 4 Pro can stay airborne for 51 minutes.

The DJI Mavic 4 Pro also comes with an “Infinity Gimbal”, which can freely rotate and tilt and also the impressively sounding “Nightscape Omnidirectional Obstacle Sensing”, which I have no idea what it does, but it sure does sound impressive.

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The DJI Mavic 4 Pro retails for AUD $3,099