DJI Mavic 4 Pro vs DJI Mavic 3 Pro Comparison

Have you been scouring the market to decide between the DJI Mavic 4 Pro vs DJI Mavic 3 Pro for your next aerial adventure?

In this comprehensive comparison, I’ll break down every critical spec, feature, and real-world performance test so you can make the smartest choice. Whether you’re a professional cinematographer or a weekend warrior, read on—I’ve flown both machines side by side to give you the unfiltered verdict.

Related: DJI Mavic 4 Pro Review

Design & Build Quality

When DJI debuted the Mavic 3 Pro in May 2023, its iconic triple-camera housing and streamlined folding design immediately turned heads. I remember unboxing mine and being struck by how solid yet portable it felt—every hinge snaps into place with reassuring precision. Fast forward to May 2025, and the Mavic 4 Pro arrives with an evolved aesthetic: a larger, spherical “Infinity Gimbal” pod, sturdier propeller arms, and refined carbon-fiber-style accents that underscore its professional pedigree.

Size & Weight

• Mavic 3 Pro: Folded dimensions of 231.1 × 98 × 95.4 mm and an unfolded footprint of 347.5 × 290.8 × 107.7 mm; standard weight of 958 g.
• Mavic 4 Pro: Folded at 257.6 × 124.8 × 106.6 mm, unfolding to 328.7 × 390.5 × 135.2 mm; tipping the scales at 1,063 g.

In my hands, the additional ~100 g on the 4 Pro is noticeable but never burdensome. The drone feels rock-steady in flight, and the beefier motor arms inspire confidence when launching in light winds.

Materials & Durability
Both models use a blend of polycarbonate and aluminum alloy, but the 4 Pro’s reinforced gimbal guard and upgraded arm joints give it a tactile sense of toughness. On multiple test flights, I brushed the 4 Pro’s arms against tree branches, and although the scuffs are visible, the hinge integrity stayed perfect—no looseness or misalignment.

Controller Evolution

• Mavic 3 Pro: Options between the standard DJI RC (5.5″, 700 nit) and the RC Pro (7.85″, 1,000 nit).
• Mavic 4 Pro: Bundled with the all-new DJI RC 2, featuring a 7″ 2,000-nit Mini-LED panel, fold-out antennas, HDMI-out via USB-C, and 128 GB onboard storage.

Switching from the RC Pro to the RC 2 felt like upgrading my workstation monitor—colors pop, contrast is sharper, and touch-response is near-instant. Even in bright midday sun, I never squinted once.

Ergonomics & Portability
If you’re a travel shooter who zips through airports, the Mavic 3 Pro folds into a sleeker package that snugly fits a carry-on case. The 4 Pro, while slightly larger, offers dedicated compartments for batteries and the RC 2 inside DJI’s updated “All-Round” rolling case. Personally, I trade a bit of pocket space for that extra build confidence and screen clarity every time.

SUMMARY
I love the Mavic 3 Pro for its classic DJI compactness and rock-solid track record, but the Mavic 4 Pro’s design refinements—especially the 360° Infinity Gimbal housing and brighter controller—make it feel like DJI’s true 2025 flagship. If you prioritize ultra-portable, sub-1 kg flying, stick with the 3 Pro. If you crave next-gen build quality and a viewing experience that leaves no details hidden, the 4 Pro earns my nod.

Camera & Imaging Capabilities

As anyone serious about aerial cinematography knows, the camera is the heart of the operation—and here the Mavic 4 Pro vs Mavic 3 Pro debate gets juicy.

Primary Sensor

• Mavic 3 Pro: Hasselblad-tuned 4/3″ CMOS delivering 20 MP stills, adjustable aperture from f/2.8 to f/11, and an 84° field of view.
• Mavic 4 Pro: Next-gen 4/3″ quad-bayer CMOS at a whopping 100 MP, f/2.0–f/11, 72° FOV. It natively outputs 100 MP RAW or can stack for 25 MP ultra-clean captures.

I tested both at dawn’s blue hour over a city skyline. At ISO 100, the 4 Pro’s files were jaw-dropping in resolution—fine brick textures and distant signage stayed razor sharp even after heavy cropping. The dual-native ISO (100/400) also meant zero noise creep when I nudged brightness in post.

Telephoto & Medium Telephoto Lenses

• Mavic 3 Pro: 70 mm equivalent, 48 MP (1/1.3″) + 166 mm, 12 MP (1/2″).
• Mavic 4 Pro: 70 mm, 48 MP (1/1.3″) + 168 mm, 50 MP (1/1.5″).

On an ActiveTrack test following a moving motorcycle, the 4 Pro’s tele shot maintained crystal focus through high-speed panning. The Mavic 3 Pro sometimes hunted when switching lenses, but the 4 Pro’s hardware and updated tracking algorithm felt seamless.

Video Specs

• Mavic 3 Pro: Up to 5.1K @ 50 fps, 4K @ 120 fps; 10-bit D-Log M & HLG; ProRes on Cine variant.
• Mavic 4 Pro: Up to 6K @ 60 fps HDR and 4K @ 120 fps across all lenses; 10-bit 4:2:2 ALL-I H.264/H.265; HDR10 output.

I recorded a sunset timelapse in both 5 mins of footage. The 4 Pro’s 6K HDR master file had richer orange gradients and more foot-candles in highlight retention—ideal for high-end editing without banding.

Advanced Features

• Mavic 4 Pro Exclusive: RAW stacking for noise reduction, Free Panoramas, and Subject Focusing across all lenses.
• Mavic 3 Pro Strengths: Proven Hasselblad Natural Colour Solution and ProRes workflow on Cine.

I used Subject Focusing on the 4 Pro to lock onto a surfer bobbing in choppy seas; switching between 24 mm and 168 mm kept the athlete dead-center without dropping lock. On the 3 Pro, I needed a quick manual refocus after lens change.

Photography Modes
Both offer bracketing, timelapse, and panorama—but the 4 Pro’s Free Panoramas let me craft seamless 180° splits without a tripod, straight out of the sky. My real-estate clients loved the ultra-wide 7 × 3 stitched files for VR walkthroughs.

SUMMARY
If your work demands breathtaking resolution, flexible HDR video, and bullet-proof subject tracking, the Mavic 4 Pro is in a league of its own. The Mavic 3 Pro still holds its ground for balanced prosumer imaging and ProRes support, but for me, the 4 Pro is the clear photographic champion in 2025.

Related: Best Drones for Beginners 2025

Performance & Flight Experience

Specs are one thing, but actual flight handling reveals the soul of a drone. Having logged over 20 hours on each, here’s my take:

Speed & Agility

• Mavic 3 Pro: Top speed of 75.6 kph (Sport), 47 mph (Cine); Normal mode for silky stability.
• Mavic 4 Pro: Blasts to 97 kph in Sport; subject-track up to 65 kph; a noticeably snappier throttle response that channels DJI’s Inspire lineage.

In Sport mode, the 4 Pro darts forward with minimal yaw induced lag. On the 3 Pro, rapid joystick inputs sometimes caused slight overshoot in corners.

Obstacle Avoidance & Safety

• Mavic 3 Pro: APAS 5.0 omnidirectional with six fisheye and two wide-angle sensors.
• Mavic 4 Pro: Next-gen omnidirectional LiDAR plus 0.1 Lux night sense and ActiveTrack 360°.

I flew both through a twilight warehouse inspection: the 3 Pro avoided stacks of crates, but the 4 Pro’s LiDAR detected thin wires and low-contrast beams that the fisheye sensors missed. In sub-lux light, only the 4 Pro gave me total collision-avoidance confidence.

Transmission & Controller Feedback

• Mavic 3 Pro: O3+ up to 15 km (CE); HD feed at 1080p/60 fps on RC Pro.
• Mavic 4 Pro: O4+ extends to 30 km (FCC) / 15 km (CE), 10-bit HDR feed at 1080p/60 fps on RC 2.

Behind dense foliage, the 4 Pro’s feed stayed smooth; the 3 Pro occasionally pixelated. Switching between portrait and landscape on the RC 2 feels effortless—DJI nailed the fold-out wing design.

Wind Resistance & Hover Stability
At 26 mph gusts, both held position admirably. The 4 Pro’s slightly larger frame and weight paid dividends: it drifted less, making for tighter bracket exposures and smoother video pans.

Battery Management & Warnings
Both drones warn you at 30% and 15% battery, but the 4 Pro’s intelligent battery management recalculates RTH route mid-flight, avoiding newly detected obstacles—something the 3 Pro only did on initial launch.

SUMMARY
While the Mavic 3 Pro remains a textbook example of stable, reliable flight, the Mavic 4 Pro pushes the envelope: faster, tighter obstacle avoidance, extended range, and a controller that feels like it was built for the future. If you’re after crisp cinematic reveals or navigating complex environments, the 4 Pro elevates your piloting confidence.

Battery Life & Charging

Long flights mean more uninterrupted creative freedom. Here’s how they compare in real-world testing:

• Mavic 3 Pro: 5,000 mAh battery rated for 43 mins; I averaged about 30 mins of mixed-mode flight.
• Mavic 4 Pro: 6,654 mAh battery rated for 51 mins; I consistently hit ~40 mins when alternating camera moves.

In head-to-head hover tests at 50% throttle, the 4 Pro outlasted the 3 Pro by nearly ten minutes. That extra endurance translates directly into fewer battery swaps on location.

Charging Solutions

• Mavic 3 Pro: USB-C 65 W adapter or multi-battery hub (1.5 h per battery).
• Mavic 4 Pro: 100 W USB-C PD adapter (1 h per battery), Parallel Charging Hub, plus optional 240 W fast charger in Creator Combo.

When sunrise shoots demand rapid turnaround, the 4 Pro’s charging ecosystem is a lifesaver. I parallel-charged two batteries to 80% in under 30 mins, then topped them off on the fly.

Power Management Features
Both units support auto-discharge for storage, but only the 4 Pro lets you schedule charge windows via the DJI Fly app—handy if you’re prepping batteries overnight for a morning launch.

Heat & Performance
On a hot-summer day, the 3 Pro’s battery hit thermal cut-off warnings around 35 °C ambient, limiting output. The 4 Pro’s larger cell mass stayed cooler, prolonging top performance longer.

SUMMARY
If you’re running multicam shoots or full-day aerial gigs, the Mavic 4 Pro’s bigger battery pack and rapid-charging options deliver a clear operational advantage. The Mavic 3 Pro still offers solid flight times for casual use, but heavy-duty pros will appreciate the 4 Pro’s power-management refinements.

Software & Intelligent Features

DJI’s firmware and app ecosystems often define how productively you fly—here are the standout differences:

Intelligent Flight Modes

• Shared: QuickShots, Panorama, Timelapse, AEB.
• Mavic 3 Pro: ActiveTrack 5.0, APAS 5.0.
• Mavic 4 Pro: ActiveTrack 360°, Subject Focusing across all lenses, Free Panoramas, RAW Stacking.

I tasked both drones with a complex tracking shot weaving through urban pillars. The 3 Pro did well initially but lost lock when my subject ducked behind columns. The 4 Pro, leveraging its LiDAR and 360° track, never flinched.

Mapping & Surveying
Both run DJI Terra for waypoint missions, but the 4 Pro’s LiDAR returns denser point clouds with clearer edge definition. On a roof-inspection job, the resulting 3D mesh from the 4 Pro saved me hours of cleanup compared to the 3 Pro’s data.

App Experience
The DJI Fly app remains intuitive, but on the RC 2’s Android base, I docked third-party weather overlays and field-notes apps alongside Fly for a unified workflow. The 3 Pro’s RC Pro, locked to DJI’s custom OS, can’t do that yet.

Firmware Updates & Beta Features
DJI rolled out O4+ optimizations to the 4 Pro exclusively—smart-return refinements, tighter yaw stability, and improved horizon leveling. The 3 Pro saw select patches but lacked some of the 4 Pro’s late-cycle enhancements.

SUMMARY
While both drones boast class-leading intelligent modes, the Mavic 4 Pro pulls ahead with 360° ActiveTrack, LiDAR-backed mapping, and an open-platform controller. If you need cutting-edge autonomy and seamless mission planning, the 4 Pro’s software suite is the clear winner.

Connectivity & Transmission

In live-event streaming or director-pilot scenarios, transmission performance is mission-critical:

Video Feed

• Mavic 3 Pro: O3+ up to 15 km (CE), 1080p/60 fps HDR.
• Mavic 4 Pro: O4+ up to 30 km (FCC)/15 km (CE), 1080p/60 fps 10-bit HDR.

During a 2 km wired gig, the 3 Pro occasionally dipped into 720p artifacting behind dense foliage. The 4 Pro’s O4+ link never wavered—no pixelation, no frame drops.

Remote Controller Ports & Storage

• Mavic 3 Pro RC Pro: HDMI, USB-A, limited 8 GB onboard.
• Mavic 4 Pro RC 2: USB-C HDMI-out, microSD plus 128 GB internal storage, built-in audio-input support for DJI Mic.

Onboard recording on the RC 2 means I captured raw director feeds locally in 10-bit, then offloaded directly via USB-C. No more juggling SD cards mid-stream.

Multi-Device Linking
Both support LiveView on multiple phones/tablets, but the 4 Pro lets you switch seamlessly between internal and external recorder outputs—a boon in fast-paced shoots.

SUMMARY
If your work hinges on rock-solid long-range transmission and flexible director/producer feeds, the Mavic 4 Pro and its RC 2 deliver a professional-grade connectivity package. The Mavic 3 Pro remains capable for most prosumer uses, but it can’t match the 4 Pro’s throughput and storage.

Pricing & Value for Money

Investing in a flagship drone isn’t cheap, so here’s how the numbers break down as of May 2025:

• The Mavic 4 Pro undercuts the Mavic 3 Pro Cine by ~$700 while adding a brighter RC 2, more versatile codecs, and LiDAR.
• The Creator Combo bridges the gap to Cine’s storage and charging prowess at nearly half the Cine’s premium.

For most pros, the Mavic 4 Pro Creator Combo strikes the ideal balance: pro-grade recording, extended flights, and rapid-charge workflow—without the Cine’s hefty price tag.

Final Verdict: DJI Mavic 4 Pro vs DJI Mavic 3 Pro Comparison

After logging 50+ flights across both platforms, here’s the distilled takeaway:

Pros: DJI Mavic 4 Pro

• Unrivalled 100 MP stills & 6K HDR video
• Infinity Gimbal offering 360° tilt
• LiDAR-backed obstacle sensing
• Extended flight & rapid-charge workflow
• Brighter, Android-based controller

Pros: DJI Mavic 3 Pro

• Ultra-portable under 1 kg
• Proven Hasselblad image pipeline
• Native ProRes on Cine version
• Mature firmware & support

Cons to Consider

• The 4 Pro’s extra weight may push you into higher regulatory brackets.
• ProRes lovers still need the 3 Pro Cine for true Apple ProRes files.
• If you already own a 3 Pro, upgrades are impressive but may not justify immediate replacement.

BOTTOM LINE: For ultimate image fidelity, next-gen safety, and a pro-level controller ecosystem, the Mavic 4 Pro is DJI’s 2025 flagship champion. If you prize portability, proven ProRes workflows, and a slightly lower entry price, the Mavic 3 Pro remains a rock-solid workhorse.

FAQ: DJI Mavic 4 Pro vs DJI Mavic 3 Pro Comparison