The DJI Mavic 4 Pro has three kinds of built-in lights: a bottom auxiliary light that helps the downward sensors in low light, front LEDs, and aircraft status indicators. It has no anti-collision strobe and no spotlight. For night flights, especially under Part 107, add a small strobe. For sensing obstacles in the dark, the drone relies on its forward LiDAR, not on light.
Built-in lights
| Light | What it does |
|---|---|
| Auxiliary light (bottom) | Helps the downward vision system in low light. Turns on automatically below about 5 m after takeoff |
| Front LEDs | Solid green when powered on before motors start; blink green in flight |
| Aircraft status indicators | Show GPS, vision and warning states before takeoff; blink red and green in flight |
From DJI's manual:
- Auxiliary light: set to Auto by default. It turns on in low light when the drone is under 5 m after takeoff. You can switch it in DJI Fly, but it returns to Auto every restart. If it seems "not working," you're probably above 5 m or it isn't dark enough.
- Front LEDs: when set to Auto in DJI Fly, they switch off while you take photos or video so they don't flare into the shot.
- In flight: DJI says the green lights identify the aircraft as a UAV, and the green and red lights show its heading and position. DJI adds that lighting requirements vary by region.
Anti-collision strobes for night flights
US rules for night flying:
- Part 107: current training plus anti-collision lighting visible for 3 statute miles, with a flash rate that makes the drone easy to spot.
- Recreational: the drone must have lighting that shows its location and orientation.
DJI doesn't sell the Mavic 4 Pro's own LEDs as meeting the Part 107 strobe requirement, so add a small, light strobe. Mount it on the top shell where it won't block the upward vision sensors, the forward LiDAR or the propellers. Turn it on before takeoff and check it's visible from the ground. See can you fly a drone at night.
Spotlights
DJI doesn't make a spotlight for the Mavic 4 Pro. Third-party clip-on lights exist, but:
- Every gram cuts flight time and wind margin.
- A mount mustn't cover the vision sensors, LiDAR or infrared sensor.
- Damage caused by accessories may not be covered.
For night photos, the 4/3 Hasselblad camera with a high ISO or Night mode usually beats a small spotlight 100 ft away. See Mavic 4 Pro night mode.
LiDAR: sensing without light
The forward-facing LiDAR keeps forward obstacle sensing working in near-darkness, below 0.1 lux, where the vision cameras stop working. At night it also helps Smart RTH: if vision sensing fails, the drone uses the LiDAR to detect obstacles ahead and climbs to avoid them. It can't see glass or very dark, low-reflectivity objects, and it doesn't work well in very bright light. See Mavic 4 Pro obstacle avoidance.
Rules current as of October 2026. This is general information, not legal advice.
Planning night shoots? See the DJI Mavic 4 Pro, and read Mavic 4 Pro license for the Part 107 side.
Related guides
- DJI Air 3 lights: auxiliary light, LEDs and anti-collision strobes
- DJI Mini 5 Pro lights: anti-collision strobes and light kits
- DJI Air 3S lights: auxiliary light, spotlights and anti-collision strobes
- DJI Mini 4 Pro lights: auxiliary light, status LEDs and strobes
- DJI Neo lights: anti-collision strobes and light kits
- Best SD card for the DJI Mavic 4 Pro (and internal storage)
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