The Mavic 4 Pro and Matrice 4T look similar on paper, with three visible cameras and long flight times, but they're built for different jobs. The Mavic 4 Pro is a creative drone with a 100 MP 4/3 Hasselblad camera and 6K video. The Matrice 4T is an enterprise drone with a 640 x 512 thermal camera, a laser rangefinder and night tools for inspection, search and rescue and public safety.
The short answer
- Choose the Mavic 4 Pro for real estate, travel, landscape, film and commercial photo work where image quality is the product.
- Choose the Matrice 4T if you need to see heat (people, animals, hot spots, failing electrical parts), measure distances to targets, or fly missions at night.
If you need both, many teams own one of each. A thermal drone's visible cameras are good for documentation, not for portfolio images.
Cameras
The Mavic 4 Pro has three cameras on one gimbal: a 4/3 CMOS 100 MP Hasselblad wide camera with an adjustable f/2.0 to f/11 aperture, a 48 MP 70 mm medium tele and a 50 MP 168 mm tele. It records up to 6K/60fps and offers 10-bit color profiles. The gimbal can rotate for true vertical shots.
The Matrice 4T has a 48 MP 24 mm wide camera, a 48 MP 70 mm medium tele and a 48 MP 168 mm tele, with up to 112x hybrid zoom. Video tops out at 4K/30fps. What makes it a "T" model is the thermal camera: an uncooled VOx sensor at 640 x 512, with spot and area temperature measurement and up to 28x digital zoom.
Work features the Mavic doesn't have
- Laser rangefinder: measures distance to a target up to 1,800 m, so you can mark and share a location.
- NIR auxiliary light and a night scene mode for low-light visible imaging.
- Accessory ports for DJI's AL1 spotlight and AS1 speaker.
- DJI Pilot 2 and the DJI RC Plus 2 Enterprise controller, with mission planning and FlightHub 2 support.
The Mavic 4 Pro uses DJI Fly, which is simpler and better suited to filming. It has omnidirectional sensing plus forward LiDAR for safer low-light flying, but it has no thermal sensor.
Flight and transmission
Both fly a long time: 51 minutes rated for the Mavic 4 Pro, 49 minutes for the Matrice 4T. DJI rates transmission at 30 km (FCC) for the Mavic and 25 km (FCC) for the Matrice, but US rules still require visual line of sight unless you hold a waiver. Neither has an official IP rating, so avoid rain with both.
Price and buying in the US
Our Mavic 4 Pro starts at $2,419 with the DJI RC 2. DJI didn't officially launch it in the US, so ask us about US Care Refresh before you count on it. The Matrice 4T is quote-only because enterprise packages vary by batteries, controller, accessories and support. Contact us for a quote.
Two US policy points matter for the Matrice 4T. In July 2026 the FCC proposed limits on future imports and sales of drones with thermal imaging; it is a proposal, not a rule. And since September 2026, imported thermal drones carry a higher Section 232 tariff than camera drones. Neither affects drones already owned. See is DJI banned in the US.
Which pilots need a Part 107
Both drones weigh over 250 g, so they must be registered and broadcast Remote ID. Almost all Matrice 4T work is commercial or public-agency work, which means Part 107 or a public COA.
Compare more thermal options on our best thermal drone page, or browse the enterprise collection.
Related guides
- DJI Matrice 4T vs Mavic 3 Enterprise: which should you buy?
- DJI Enterprise drones explained: Matrice, Mavic 3E and Dock
- Antigravity A1 vs DJI Avata 2, Mini 5 Pro and Mavic 4 Pro
- DJI Air 3S vs Mavic 4 Pro: which should you buy?
- DJI Matrice 30T vs Matrice 4T: which should you buy?
- DJI Matrice 4T vs Matrice 4E: thermal or mapping?
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