Whether you rely on drone technology for life-saving search and rescue operations or simply for recreational fun, chances are you’ve heard about DJI drones. DJI drones are some of the most valuable and advanced pieces of technology available today, dominating the drone market and saving people time and money. With compact designs, long flight times, and intelligent flight modes that make navigation a breeze, DJI has something for everybody.
DJI splits its drones into two categories: Consumer and Enterprise. Consumer drones are typically used either for recreation or for photography/videography purposes. If you want to experience the thrill of flying a drone and taking unique “dronies” that you can post on social media, chances are you would enjoy a Consumer drone. Enterprise drones are used for commercial purposes, usually in industries such as firefighting, public safety, surveying and mapping, and inspections. While Enterprise drones come with unique features that help automate missions, many Consumer drones can also be used for commercial purposes.
In this article, we’ll go over the key features of all of DJI’s newest Consumer drones and Enterprise drones to help you find the one that best suits your needs. This article leaves out older generation models for one of two reasons: either they don’t drop in price from the newer models, or their price difference is negated by the fact that the older tech may use discontinued parts that could cause possible service ability issues.
This Drone Buying Guide focuses also exclusively on DJI drones based on the fact that DJI has 80% of the drone market. DJI drones have held the top spot for years, while many number 2 competitors over the last five years have either shut down or pivoted away from manufacturing drones. While Autel Robotics, Skydio, and Parrot are currently battling for the number 2 spot, we didn’t mention their drones because they all have less than 5% market share. This makes for a tiny sample size, which makes it difficult to consider them reliable.
Here is everything you need to know about Consumer and Enterprise DJI drones:
The Mavic Mini is a tiny but powerful drone, offering a simple flying experience that can provide you with an elevated and unique perspective. If you’re new to flying drones and are looking for something small to start off with, the Mavic Mini is the perfect starter drone. It’s the best micro drone on the market, almost as light as a smartphone (weighing just under 250g grams). The compactness of the Mavic Mini makes it easy to use and transport. You’ll have hours of fun with the easy to use DJI Fly app that gives you integrated access to SkyPixel, a social media platform where people can share the footage they capture with the drone.
Range and Flight Time
Because the Mavic Mini is so small and light, it can stay in the air much longer than other drones can. The Mavic Mini offers up to 30 minutes of flight time with a fully charged battery, allowing you to take your time during a photo shoot. This saves you from having to constantly stop and recharge just when you’re about to capture the perfect shot.
The Mavic Mini also provides you with 4 km HD Video Transmission, which helps you get up close and personal to take photos in places you wouldn’t be able to get to by foot.
Remote Controller
The Mavic Mini also comes with a dedicated remote controller that allows you to see what your Mavic Mini sees. You can detach the control sticks to store them inside the remote controller to make it easier to travel with.
Stabilized Gimbal Camera
The Mavic Mini comes with a 3-axis motorized gimbal that helps stabilize the camera and make sure that every single photo you capture is smooth and clear. The camera supports 12MP aerial photos and 2.7 Quad HD videos, allowing you to film any event in stunning quality.
CineSmooth Mode
The Mavic Mini also comes with a special CineSmooth mode, which slows down the Mavic Mini’s flight speed and movements to help you film with better precision and stability. The CineSmooth mode is also helpful when you need to fly the Mavic Mini in between narrow or difficult spaces.
QuickShot Modes
One of the coolest features of the Mavic Mini is its QuickShot feature, which lets you take elaborate movie-style shots with the click of a button. The Mavic Mini comes with four different QuickShot modes that will employ a cool preset motion while recording a short video for an electric effect. The Dronie mode is essentially a selfie using a drone, as the Mavic Mini hovers near you before flying back and up into the air while recording a video.
The Rocket mode slowly reveals the environment around you while the drone flies straight up into the air. The Circle mode is a bit more complex, as the camera keeps you in the middle of the frame while it slowly circles around. Lastly, the Helix mode starts out with the Mavic Mini close to you before it moves backwards while rising and circling you. Choose between the Dronie, Rocket, Circle, and Helix to take awesome selfie videos that you can post on social media and drive your friends wild!
360-Degree Propeller Guard
One of the most fragile parts of any drone is its propeller. The Mavic Mini comes with a 360-degree Propeller Guard that makes your flight that much safer by protecting the propellers from any obstacles. The Mavic Mini also come with advanced downward facing sensors that help it hover precisely where you want it to for increased precision in capturing photos. These sensors help you avoid tricky obstacles that can damage the drone and require costly repairs.
The Mavic Mini is perfect for beginners. This DJI drone is incredibly easy to use and quite low cost, starting at only $499 for the Mavic Mini and $649 for the Mavic Mini Fly More Combo. You won’t have to worry about any license or regulatory requirements in Canada with the Mavic Mini, which makes it the perfect consumer drone for recreation.
If you’re looking for a drone that takes picturesque images from kilometers away, look no further than the Mavic Air 2. This compact and easy to use drone comes with a powerful camera with enhanced HDR as well as the largest selection of QuickShot and intelligent flight modes. The Mavic Air 2 is a step up from the Mavic Mini, providing you with a few more unique features and an even better camera that you can use to capture high resolution stills. Check out the features that make the Mavic Air 2 one of the best consumer drones on the market.
Range and Flight Time
The Mavic Air 2 has the best range of any of the DJI consumer drones, providing you with 1080p video transmission at a maximum range of 10 km. When combined with the max flight time of 34 minutes, the Mavic Air 2 will allow you to fly further than ever before.
Obstacle Avoidance
The Mavic Air 2 comes with DJI’s signature obstacle avoidance technology to help protect the drone during flight. With sensors located in the front, back, and underneath, the Mavic Air 2 can sense and avoid almost any obstacles. It also comes with a downward pointing auxiliary light that improves your visibility as well as the accuracy of the vision sensor.
Redesigned Remote Controller
For the first time since the Mavic series was first released, the remote controller has been completely redesigned to have the display device mounted at the top instead of the bottom of the remote controller as was the case with Mavic Pro, Mavic Air, Mavic Mini, Mavic 2 as well as the Spark. This makes the controller a lot more ergonomic. The redesigned remote controller features a retractable device holder that retracts back into the remote controller when the phone is removed thus making it more compact for storage. The rectractable device holder also conveniently hides the USB cable. Featuring a long battery life of 240 minutes, the Mavic Air 2 remote controller has enough battery life for all your shooting needs.
HDR Capable Camera
Not only does the Mavic Air 2 have the best range of all the DJI consumer drones, but its new camera sensor produces the highest resolution stills as well. The camera captures 48 MP photos with a brand new ½” Sony IMX586 image sensor, giving you crystal clear images that can be blown up to greater sizes without blurring.
The camera records 4K/60fps HDR video, which allows for more natural color transitions and sharper details in the footage you capture. The Mavic Air 2’s camera is stabilized by the 3-axis gimbal, ensuring that nothing impacts the clarity of your shot. The HDR capable camera also lets you take Panorama shots, so that you can take in the entire majestic view without cutting anything out.
QuickShot Modes
The Mavic Air 2 goes above and beyond with its QuickShot modes. Not only does it have the same four QuickShot modes as the Mavic Mini (Dronie, Circle, Helix, and Rocket), but it also includes two additional modes that help you take even more engaging videos.
The Boomerang mode moves the drone like a boomerang by starting out close to you before zooming backwards and then returning to you. The Asteroid mode shoots the drone up into the air and turns the image it captures into a sphere, giving you a final image that looks like it was taken by a 360-degree camera.
Intelligent Flight Modes
The Mavic Air 2 stands apart from the rest thanks to its many intelligent flight modes that help you track objects while flying the drone. The Spotlight 2.0 flight mode locks the camera onto a subject while you freely fly the drone. This works on fixed objects and helps keep you from losing sight of them when the drone is moving.
ActiveTrack 3.0 locks onto objects and tracks them even when they pass behind obstacles such as buildings or trees. This prevents the drone from losing sight of the subject even when it’s temporarily obscured. Lastly, Point of Interest 3.0 flight mode helps you track moving objects rather than static ones. If you’re trying to keep track of a moving person, car, or boat, POI 3.0 will keep it in sight regardless of where it goes.
The Mavic Air 2 is perfect for recreational use for both beginners and intermediate users. Beginners will find it easy to use thanks to the redesigned Remote Controller. Intermediate users will love exploring the different intelligent flight modes and taking advantage of the extended range and flight time. It’s moderately priced, starting at $1,139 for the Mavic Air 2 and $1,409 for the Mavic Air 2 Fly More Combo. With all its features and capabilities, it’s more than worth every penny.
This series features two drones with two different cameras, each with their own unique capabilities. The Mavic 2 Pro comes with a Hasselblad camera that provides high quality aerial imaging, while the Mavic 2 Zoom provides 2x optical zoom that helps you shoot close up images in incredible detail. Both drones in the DJI Mavic 2 Series come with select features and flight modes that help you capture high quality images in a variety of lighting conditions and environments.
Range And Flight Time
The Mavic 2 Series comes with 8 km 1080p video transmission, which is more than enough range to help you fly close to mountains and down into crevices for breathtaking photos. The 31 maximum flight time gives you plenty of time to explore the environment with your drone and play around with its unique features.
Obstacle Avoidance
Obstacle avoidance goes above and beyond with the Mavic 2 series thanks to its Omnidirectional Obstacle Sensing. This is the first DJI drone to have obstacle sensors on every side of the aircraft to help keep it safe during flight. It also has enhanced wind resistance that lets you fly the drone in environments with inclement weather without worrying about the drone being blown off course.
Mavic 2 Pro: Hasselblad Camera
The Mavic 2 Pro comes with a Swedish Hasselblad camera, which is well known for its ergonomic design and superior image quality. The Hasselblad L1D-20c camera captures incredible 20MP aerial pictures in beautiful color detail. The brand new 1-inch CMOS sensor is much more effective than the original Mavic Pro, performing better in both high and low-light environments and offering a max ISO range of 12800.
Color is accentuated prominently in the images taken by the Mavic 2 Pro’s camera, as it supports a 10-bit Dlog-M color profile that records over 1 billion colors. This results in fine details in highlights and shadows, giving you greater control in the post-production of your photos. The Mavic 2 Pro also has 4K 10-bit HDR support, which means you can plug it into a 4K TV with HLG and watch your footage with the perfect color tones.
Mavic 2 Zoom: Optical Zoom
The Mavic 2 Zoom is powered by a 1/2.3” 12MP sensor with up to 4x zoom and a 2x optical zoom. 2x optical zoom is a first in a drone this size, giving you greater creative options to shoot wide angle shots, mid-range shots, and more. The Mavic 2 Zoom’s 48mm telephoto lens will compress your perspective and help you take image that look professional and cinematic.
You can use the 4x lossless zoom to shoot Full HD video from faraway, helping you keep a safe distance when filming vehicles or wild animals. The hybrid autofocus increases focus speed without losing any accuracy. This means that you can zoom in and out without the subjects blurring or losing focus.
Obstacle Avoidance
Obstacle avoidance goes above and beyond with the Mavic 2 series thanks to its Omnidirectional Obstacle Sensing. This is the first DJI drone to have obstacle sensors on every side of the aircraft to help keep it safe during flight. It also has enhanced wind resistance that lets you fly the drone in environments with inclement weather without worrying about the drone being blown off course.
Intelligent Flight Modes
The Mavic 2 Series comes with a few intelligent flight modes that make it easier to track subjects and increase workflow efficiency. Point of Interest 2.0 helps you easily circle and shoot subjects without having to first fly to a central point. Waypoint 2.0 also eliminates the need to fly the drone to a specific shooting point to mark waypoints. With this intelligent flight mode, you can tap waypoints in the app and plan flight paths that you can save and use in future flights.
QuickShot Modes
The Mavic 2 Series features four Panorama modes that help you capture spherical, 180-degree, horizontal, and vertical photos. It also includes Quickshot modes such as Asteroid or Boomerang in addition to the Dolly Zoom mode. The Dolly Zoom mode is available on the Mavic 2 Zoom, which automatically adjusts the focus while you’re flying the drone. This adds a unique warping effect to your video that makes it seem much more intense and cinematic. You can also play around with creative shots by setting proper focus speed values when you fly the drone manually.
The Mavic 2 Series is perfect for intermediate and advanced users. Anyone who needs high image quality and good low light performance will benefit from both the Mavic 2 Pro and the Mavic 2 Zoom cameras. With the Mavic 2 Pro set at a price of $2,129 and the Mavic 2 Zoom set at a price of $1,839, these drones are an investment well worth making. While they’re a bit pricier than the inexpensive Mavic Mini, they are the perfect tools for intermediate and advanced users looking to get the best quality for their photos.
The DJI Phantom 4 Pro comes with a classic design that’s both sleek and smooth. It also features a high quality camera with a 1-inch sensor that makes your photo shoot as easy as if it were on ground level. With excellent wind resistance and 4dB noise reduction, the DJI Phantom 4 Pro offers a quieter and more stable flight.
Range and Flight Time
With a 7km long range control and approximately 30 minutes of flight time, the DJI Phantom 4 Pro makes every flight a breeze. While it doesn’t have the longest range or flight time compared to some of the other DJI drones, it offers more than enough for most missions.
It also uses DJI OcuSync video transmission technology that scans available frequencies before a flight to find one with the least interference. This video transmission also supplies you with important flight statistics in real time while allowing you to quickly download photos and videos to your connected mobile device during the flight.
Obstacle Avoidance
This DJI drone comes with obstacle sensors in five directions, including a pair of high-resolution stereo vision sensors located at the front and one at the rear as well as two infrared sensing systems located to the sides. With such powerful obstacle sensors, filmmakers will have the confidence to push for that perfect shot without worrying about damaging the aircraft.
In Beginner mode or Tripod mode, all the sensors are active making flight safer and smoother while detecting obstacles in the front, back as well as the left or right directions.
Camera
The Phantom 4 Pro is the first DJI drone to sport a 20 megapixel camera with wider dynamic range thanks to the 1-inch Sony CMOS Sensor. Capable of shooting 4K video at upto 100mb/s and up to 60fps for crisp, smooth aerial imagery. With support for the more efficient H265 codec, the Phantom 4 Pro camera was the first DJI drone to support in-camera H265 rendering. With adjustable aperture, a mechanical shutter for stills and global shutter for video, the Phantom 4 Pro camera brought high-end features that usually were seen only in high-end drones like the Inspire series.
Intelligent Flight Modes
One of the coolest flight modes of the DJI Phantom 4 Pro is the Draw mode for waypoint control. This mode lets you draw a route on the screen for the DJI Phantom 4 Pro to follow with a locked altitude, leaving you to focus on controlling the camera. ActiveTrack helps you follow fast-moving objects with advanced image recognition algorithms, providing you with smoother shots.
The TapFly mode allows you to fly to any direction on the screen while avoiding obstacles just by tapping on it. With the upgraded Return to Home mode, you can call the DJI Phantom 4 Pro home and it will choose the best route to avoid obstacles. Gesture mode is another great feature that lets you control the drone through gestures rather than using the remote control. By lifting your arms when facing the camera and then holding your arms out, you can trigger a countdown before the drone takes a photo of you.
Flight Performance
The DJI Phantom 4 Pro offers several modes of flight that give you better control when it comes to smoothness or speed. Position mode will allow you to use intelligent features such as TapFly or ActiveTrack, while Sport mode gives you better agility and speed. Atti mode is great for experienced pilots who want to capture smoother footage, as it maintains the drone’s altitude and turns off satellite stabilization. Tripod Mode will bring the drone’s speed down to 4mph or less, which improves precision control and allows for indoor flying.
The DJI Phantom 4 Pro is the perfect drone for users who want to film fast-moving objects. The mechanical shutter helps you capture crystal clear photos regardless of how fast the drone is flying or the subject is moving. It’s also a great drone for beginner mapping thanks to its powerful camera and intelligent flight modes. Priced at $2,129, it’s comparable to the Mavic 2 Pro both in terms of value and capabilities.
If you’re looking to shoot video like a professional TV or filmmaker, nothing less than the DJI Inspire 2 will suffice. Thanks to the X7 camera and the CineCore 2.1 image processing system, this DJI drone is the absolute best aerial video rig on the market. Not only does it provide easy flight capabilities and superior obstacle avoidance, but it also offers an efficient workflow that aids videography from start to finish.
Range and Flight Time
The DJI Inspire 2 stands out for its extreme photographic capabilities, although it still boasts a pretty decent range and flight time that help make shooting aerial videos more convenient. With up to 27 minutes of flight time and a max control range of 7km, the DJI Inspire 2 should give you plenty of flexibility to shoot dynamic aerial videos without having to stop and charge. An uninterrupted flight time is ensured by the dual battery system, which means that in the event that one battery fails, the other one keeps the drone flying long enough to come in for a safe landing.
Obstacle Avoidance
The DJI Inspire 2 is fitted with forward and downward vision systems that allow it to detect any obstacles within 30 meters. The infrared sensors located on the top of the aircraft scan obstacles up to 16ft above, allowing you to easily fly the Inspire 2 in enclosed spaces. It also comes with two controller sticks that are highly sensitive, giving you greater control to enact delicate maneuvers.
X7 Camera
The DJI Inspire 2 is an even better improvement on the Inspire 1 thanks to its Zenmuse X7 camera. With the image processing system CineCore 2.1, the DJI Inspire 2 can record up to 6K in Adobe Cinema DNG raw video as well as 5K in Apple ProRes. These capabilities meet industry standards for quality, as evidenced by the fact that plenty of movies and TV series use the DJI Inspire 2 whenever they need to shoot aerial video.
Efficient Workflow
In addition to its incredible ability to capture high quality aerial footage, the DJI Inspire 2 also has an optimized creative workflow that allows you to perform extensive post-production. Matching air footage to ground footage is a breeze thanks to the CinemaDNG and ProRes workflows that help you deliver movie-quality footage without needing to download additional software.
Spotlight Pro
Spotlight Pro provides the DJI Inspire 2 with superior tracking abilities that allow a single pilot to capture dynamic shots that would normally require a camera operator. Spotlight Pro uses advanced tracking algorithms that track the subject and automatically rotates the aircraft if needed to keep the subject in sight without impacting the shot.
Spotlight Pro has two modes: Quick mode and Composition mode. In Quick mode, you simply select the object to start tracking it. In Composition mode, you select both the subject and the tracking position. Then, once the subject enters the tracking position, you can begin tracking it by pressing a shortcut.
Intelligent Flight Modes
To aid pilots in taking aerial videos, the DJI Inspire 2 comes with a few more intelligent flight modes. TapFly allows pilots to set a route for the drone to fly while they are left to focus on operating the camera. ActiveTrack improves tracking precision by allowing the DJI Inspire 2 to track moving objects, and Smart Return to Home allows the aircraft to fly home along its original route in the event that it loses connection.
The DJI Inspire 2 is perfect for professional videographers and photographers. You won’t find a drone that can shoot higher quality videos, and you certainly won’t find one that flies quite so smoothly. With a cost of $3,299, it’s definitely one of the more expensive drones on the market. However, its features and post-production capabilities are priceless and eliminate the need for costly additional software.
The DJI Matrice 300 Series is the most advanced commercial drone DJI has produced till date. Not only does it fly further and longer than any other Matrice system, but it also allows for multiple payload configurations that make it useful for a wide variety of missions. Its reliability is also unprecedented, as it can continue operating in temperatures as low as -20 degrees Celsius and as high as 50 degrees Celsius.
Range and Flight Time
The DJI Matrice 300 RTK has a refined airframe and propulsion system design that enhances flight performance even in complex or harsh environments. With a max flight time of 55 minutes and a 15km transmission range, the DJI Matrice 300 RTK flies further and longer to help you successfully complete your mission.
Obstacle Avoidance
In addition to its extended range and flight time, the DJI Matrice 300 RTK can withstand winds up to 15m/s and has 6 Directional Sensing & Positioning. This rigorous obstacle avoidance technology ensures the safety of the aircraft whether it’s being used for firefighting or a search and rescue in tricky terrain. You can also customize the drone’s sensing behavior through the DJI Pilot app, allowing you to adjust its detection range based on your mission’s unique needs.
Multiple Payloads
One of the most dynamic features of the DJI Matrice 300 RTK is its multiple payload configuration, which allows you to mount up to 3 payloads at the same time. Depending on the needs of your mission, you can mount one camera above the aircraft and two below it to give you greater creative control. When used with the unique, multi-sensor Zenmuse H20 payloads, the DJI Matrice 300 RTK unlocks the potential of the AI powered core for enhanced automated operations saving time and money.
Compatible Payloads
The DJI Matrice 300 RTK is compatible with several powerful Zenmuse payloads that offer unique capabilities for each mission. The Zenmuse H20 offers LRF and zoom capabilities, while the H20T adds on a thermal camera as well. The Zenmuse XT2 is a dual-sensor camera that combines a 4K visual sensor with a thermal imaging sensor that can be useful for detecting hot spots in burning buildings. If you need a payload that can zoom in closely for detailed inspections, the Zenmuse Z30 is a 30x optical zoom camera that’s perfect for the job.
Intelligent Features
The DJI Matrice 300 RTK comes with several intelligent features that help automate certain actions, making inspections and mapping that much more effective. Live Mission Recording allows you to record mission actions such as gimbal orientation or zoom level that you can use to automate future inspections. The DJI Matrice 300 RTK also comes with a built-in advanced redundancy system to help your mission continue even if you lose connection.
AI Spot-Check is another useful tool for automating routine inspections to help maintain consistent results. With AI Spot-Check, the onboard AI will recognize and identify a certain subject to ensure consistent framing in future missions. Waypoints 2.0 allows you to create up to 65,535 waypoints and set specific actions for each waypoint, further automating the inspection process.
Primary Flight Display
The DJI Matrice 300 RTK uses a Primary Flight Display that supplies you with flight information such as altitude and wind speed to help aid navigation. To make control of the aircraft even easier, the DJI Matrice 300 RTK also offers advanced dual control that allows one operator to control the aircraft while the other controls the payload.
This helps improve teamwork during a mission and allows for greater flexibility.
The DJI Matrice 300 RTK is best suited for inspections, search and rescue operations, and first response type applications. Features such as Waypoints 2.0 and Live Mission Recording make inspections faster and more efficient, while its wind resistance and extended flight time are vital to ensuring a successful search and rescue. The DJI Matrice 300 RTK is priced at $6,500, making it a pricier option than the Mavic 2 Enterprise. However, the multiple payload configurations and AI powered core will save time and money through increased efficiency.
The DJI Matrice 200 Series is a powerful drone that’s built to endure tough elements while giving you centimeter-level accuracy. The Matrice 210 RTK V2 with the Zenmuse X7 camera is the best high-resolution survey tool on the market. With high performance motors that ensure flight stability and the ability to configure multiple payloads, this versatile drone can be just as useful for mapping and surveying as it can for search and rescue operations.
Range and Flight Time
The DJI Matrice 200 series boasts a maximum flight time of 38 minutes and a 7km operating range. Its high-performance motors are paired with 17” propellers that help keep the aircraft stable while flying through strong winds. The enclosed design makes the drone both weather and water resistant, allowing you to operate the drone in harsh weather environments.
Obstacle Avoidance
The DJI Matrice 200 series comes with a FlightAutonomy system that uses front, bottom, and upper sensors to detect obstacles and help you keep the aircraft safe during flight. The obstacle avoidance system also allows for precision hovering, making it that much easier for you to navigate complex terrain.
Compact Design
Whether you’re traversing mountains to inspect pylons or navigating complex terrain during a search and rescue operation, the DJI Matrice 200 series is easily transportable thanks to its foldable design. You can quickly fold and unfold it without having to remove the gimbal mounting plates or aircraft arms. It’s also light and compact, making it easy to carry with the rest of your equipment without being weighed down.
Payload Options
The DJI Matrice 200 series comes with multiple payload configurations that allow you to take advantage of several Zenmuse payloads at once. The Zenmuse XT2 payload provides thermal imaging with <50 mK sensitivity, which it combines with visual imaging through its special FLIR MSX function. The Zenmuse Z30 camera is particularly useful for wind turbine inspections thanks to its 30x optical zoom that lets you see crystal clear details from a safe distance.
The Zenmuse X7 payload is ideal for surveying, as it shoots 24 MP stills with a leaf shutter that prevents the distortion of moving objects. The DJI Matrice 210 RTK V2 with the Zenmuse X7 Camera uses the TimeSync feature to align data to the center of the image sensor. This provides incredible accuracy for data collection, allowing you to ensure that your survey is done right. The DJI Matrice 200 series is also compatible with third party payloads as well, making the drone even more versatile.
Intelligent Flight Modes
The DJI Matrice 200 series includes a few intelligent flight modes that help you fly and capture data at the same time. ActiveTrack keeps moving subjects in the frame, leaving you to focus on flying the drone. This can be incredibly useful in search and rescue operations to keep track of missing persons while coordinating rescue. Point of Interest aids your inspection process by allowing you to circle an object while keeping it in sight in order to collect data.
Because of the multiple payload configurations and the centimeter-level accuracy, the DJI Matrice 200 series is well suited for many different jobs. Surveying and mapping is a breeze with the X7 payload as you can quickly gather data to create 3D maps. The enclosed design also makes it an excellent choice for wind turbine and powerline inspections, especially when fitted with the Zenmuse Z30 camera for added zoom capabilities.
The DJI Matrice 200 series is a perfect fit for firefighting and search and rescue operations when fitted with the Zenmuse XT2 camera. The thermal imaging capabilities and obstacle avoidance sensors can help you navigate dangerous areas such as burning buildings or spot missing persons in wild terrains. With six different in-house payloads ranging from high-resolution aerial imagery to thermal or multispectral imaging, there’s a payload available for every kind of job.
The Mavic 2 Enterprise series consists of two sub models that are both incredibly powerful tools for a wide range of commercial applications. With a compact, foldable design and additional modular attachments useful in urgent missions, the Mavic 2 Enterprise can save not only time and money, but also lives.
Range and Flight Time
The Mavic 2 Enterprise has an impressive range of 8km thanks to the OcuSync 2.0 transmission system, which transmits videos with 1080p resolution. It also supports automatic dual frequency band switching, which prevents outside signals from interfering with the connection. The Mavic 2 Enterprise has a max flight time of 31 minutes, allowing you to make the most of each mission.
Obstacle Avoidance
The Mavic 2 Enterprise comes with omnidirectional obstacle avoidance, ensuring that your aircraft is safe and secure throughout the entire mission. The advanced sensing system consists of eight high-resolution vision sensors as well as two infrared sensors. These sensors determine the speed and distance between the aircraft and nearby obstacles, allowing you to safely navigate through complex environments.
Mavic 2 Enterprise (Zoom)
The Mavic 2 Enterprise comes with two sub models: the Enterprise (Zoom) and Enterprise Dual. The Enterprise offers 2x optical zoom and 3x digital zoom, allowing you to fly the drone in close range missions without putting yourself or the aircraft in harm’s way. The Enterprise also allows for 4K video recording at 30 fps with a 1/2.3” 12MP CMOS sensor, giving you the ability to perform detailed inspections.
Mavic 2 Enterprise Dual
The Mavic 2 Enterprise Dual has a thermal camera alongside its visual camera, which helps aid in firefighting and search and rescue applications. With a native resolution of 160x120, the thermal camera provides images upscaled to 640x480 with a video resolution of 640x360. This gives you greater power to locate missing persons hidden in an expansive terrain.
FLIR MSX
Thanks to the combination of visual and thermal capabilities of the Mavic 2 Enterprise Dual, this drone offers a valuable feature called FLIR MSX. FLIR MSX overlays the visual and thermal images together in real time, which gives you greater location accuracy. This capability is vital in firefighting applications to determine exactly where hot spots are located in burning buildings before going in.
Isotherm
The Isotherm feature enhances image visibility on all your captured data, giving you more accurate heat measurements for objects. You can take advantage of the Customize feature to set predefined settings based on what your unique mission is. This can be incredibly useful when performing inspections or searching for hot spots and backdrafts.
Modular Attachments
The Mavic 2 Enterprise comes with three modular attachments that help aid your mission. The M2E speaker can be used to communicate with ground teams during emergency situations. The M2E spotlight helps enhance vision in low-light environments, while the M2E beacon can be used to light up the aircraft and make the drone easier to locate.
The Mavic 2 Enterprise is designed for first response applications as well as search and rescue. The thermal camera of the Enterprise Dual is perfect for locating missing persons during a search and rescue, while the modular attachments such as the spotlight can greatly aid first responders in low-light conditions. It can also be used for entry-level inspection work as well, as the thermal capabilities can be useful in detecting gas leaks. The Mavic 2 Enterprise is a more affordable Enterprise drone, listed at only $2,699. This makes it a less expensive option that still gives you the capabilities you need to complete your mission.
The Phantom 4 RTK is a purpose-built mapping and surveying platform, giving you unparalleled accuracy for all your mapping needs. It is the cheapest RTK based high precision mapping drone on the market, with centimeter-level accuracy and a purpose-built application. You can even access a variety of third party applications with the Phantom 4 RTK, making the mapping process seamless from beginning to end.
Range and Flight Time
The OcuSync transmission system transmits stable HD images and videos at a maximum range of 7km. This allows you to map larger sites without having to worry about shifting position to extend the drone’s range. The Phantom 4 RTK also has a max flight time of approximately 30 minutes, giving you plenty of time to complete your mission.
Obstacle Avoidance
This DJI drone can sense obstacles up to 30 meters away with its visual sensors, and up to 23 feet away with the infrared sensors. The visual sensors are located on the front, rear, and underneath the aircraft, while the infrared sensors are located on the left and right sides.
Camera with a Mechanical Shutter
The Phantom 4 RTK comes with a 1” 20 MP CMOS sensor camera with a mechanical shutter. This provides you with high-resolution photos and videos while eliminating rolling shutter distortion, which can ruin the data you collect during a mapping mission. The Phantom 4 RTK has such high resolution that it can achieve a ground sample distance of 2.74 cm at an altitude of 100 meters. The camera lens is also rigorously calibrated to ensure that your photos and data are all 100% accurate.
Centimeter-Level Positioning System
In addition to the accuracy of the camera, the Phantom 4 RTK comes with an RTK module that provides real-time, centimeter-level positioning data. Precise data collection is vital during for any surveying or mapping process, and the Phantom 4 RTK delivers absolutely. It also stores satellite observation data that you can use for Post Processed Kinematics by connecting the Phantom 4 RTK to any workflow.
TimeSync
The Phantom 4 RTK was also created with a TimeSync system to ensure that the flight controller, camera, and drone are all continually aligned. TimeSync also makes sure that every photo uses the most accurate metadata by fixing the positioning data to the optical center of the lens.
Purpose Built Application
The Phantom 4 RTK comes with a new DJI GS RTK app and Remote Controller that streamlines the survey process and helps you collect more data. You can control the Phantom 4 RTK through the GS RTK app by taking advantage of its planning modes such as Waypoint Flight or Terrain Awareness. The built-in screen on the Remote Controller lets you view and plan your missions on a clear and bright HD display.
The Phantom 4 RTK is the perfect drone for any industry that requires precise survey work. Whether you work in construction or mining, you can take advantage of its incredible accuracy and seamless flight process to capture the precise data you need. The Phantom 4 RTK costs $7,975, which may seem to be on the more expensive side but is actually the cheapest RTK based high precision mapping drone on the market. However, just because it is an affordable model doesn’t mean it lacks the power to get the job done right.
The Phantom 4 Multispectral is the first fully integrated RTK enabled precision agriculture drone. With a multispectral camera that combines data from six separate sensors to measure crop health, insects, and more, you’ll be able to scout fields in less time and make better decisions to optimize plant health and yields.
Range and Flight Time
This DJI drone comes with a max flight time of 27 minutes and a range of up to 7km with the OcuSync system. This allows you to scout large fields and monitor all of your crops in one mission.
Obstacle Avoidance
The Phantom 4 Multispectral has visual sensors in the front and back that can sense obstacles up to 30 meters away, up to 23 feet away with the infrared sensors. The visual sensors are located on the front, rear, and underneath the aircraft, while the infrared sensors are located on the left and right sides.
Integrated Spectral Sunlight Sensor
Accuracy is one of the most important features of the Phantom 4 Multispectral, as evidenced by the integrated spectral sunlight sensor on top of the drone.
This sensor captures solar irradiance to provide maximum accuracy and consistent data collection during different times of day.
Multispectral Camera
The Phantom 4 Multispectral uses a 1 RGB camera as well as a multispectral camera array to provide you with comprehensive agriculture imagery collection. The multispectral camera contains five cameras that cover Blue, Green, Red, Red Edge, and Near Infrared bands. It also collects them at 2 MP with global shutter on a 3-axis stabilized gimbal to ensure that the results are high resolution and free from blurring.
RGB and NDVI Feeds
Other drones don’t provide the same level of data through aerial imagery that the Phantom 4 Multispectral provides. The Phantom 4 Multispectral allows you to see a Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) analysis as well as a live RGB feed. This data helps you pinpoint exactly where you need to take action so that you can ensure the health of your crops.
Centimeter-Level Precision
All six cameras give you real time, accurate positioning data on your images thanks to DJI’s TimeSync system. TimeSync continually aligns the flight controller, the aircraft, and the RGB and NB cameras to ensure that each photo provides centimeter-level accurate measurements.
It also saves the distortion parameters into the metadata for each photo, which helps post-processing adjust to your unique needs.
The Phantom 4 Multispectral is perfect for use in agriculture as well as environmental monitoring and inspection. Agriculture professionals can use the multispectral imagery for a more precise growing process, as it provides them with information they wouldn’t be able to ascertain manually. This information can be vital to help them make the best decisions to lower costs, ensure crop health, and maximize yields while minimizing the use of resources.
The Phantom 4 RTK can also help with any routine inspections or maintenance involving plants by making them the process smarter and more efficient. Inspectors can use the Phantom 4 RTK to measure biomass or map shorelines in order to protect habitats and ecosystems. With a cost of $6,499, the Phantom 4 Multispectral is an excellent value for money that is a vital component in the future of agriculture.
While each DJI drone offers its own unique range of features and capabilities, some drones are better suited for certain tasks than others. If you’re new to using drones and are looking for something simple and fun, the Mavic Mini is a great place to dip your toe into the world of recreational drones. If you’re looking to make movie-quality videos with superb and dramatic effects, you won’t be able to do any better than the DJI Inspire 2.
When it comes to Enterprise drones, many of them can be used for multiple purposes. The Mavic 2 Enterprise is a low cost drone that will aid in first response and search and rescue, while the DJI Matrice 300 series is going to be a more expensive and powerful tool. You’ll have to decide for yourself based on your budget and your unique needs which drone will be able to best accomplish your mission. But no matter what your needs are, DJI drones are sure to provide you with the tools and features you need to work smarter, faster, and more efficiently.
Dr Drone
Author
DrDrone is Canada's leading provider of drone technical services, with over a decade of experience and the distinction of being the first company in the country to offer drone servicing and repairs. As the largest drone vendor in Canada, we are also the primary supplier of Remotely Piloted Air Systems (RPAS) to the Canadian government. Our team members possess extensive knowledge of each drone's technical specifications and have a wealth of hands-on experience. For more than ten years, we have been dismantling and reconstructing drones, ensuring a deep understanding of these systems.