DJI Matrice 4 Series vs Matrice 3E Series Comparison
DJI’s latest release, the Matrice 4 Series, redefines compact enterprise drones with advanced capabilities tailored for surveying, mapping, and inspections. In this blog, we’ll compare the new Matrice 4 Enterprise (M4E) and Matrice 4 Thermal (M4T) drones to the former Mavic 3 Enterprise Series. From flight features and surveying performance to camera options, AI additions, and accessories, discover how these two drone series meet the demands of professional operations and help you choose the right solution for your needs.
Key capabilities comparison
The below table showcases the differences between the key features and capabilities between the Matrice 4 Series and Mavic 3 Enterprise Series, including their respective thermal options.
Specification comparison
| Feature | M4E | M4T | M3E | M3T |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Size (L x W x H) (Excluding propellers) |
Folded: 260.6x113.7x138.4 mm Unfolded: 307.0x387.5x149.5 mm |
Folded: 260.6x113.7x138.4 mm Unfolded: 307.0x387.5x149.5 mm |
Folded: 221x96.3x90.3 mm Unfolded: 347.5x283x107.7 mm |
Folded: 221x96.3x90.3 mm Unfolded: 347.5x283x107.7 mm |
| Weight | 1219 g | 1219 g | 915 g | 915 g |
| Camera Types | Wide, Tele, and Medium Tele | Wide, Tele, Medium Tele, and Thermal | Wide and Tele | Wide, Tele and Thermal |
| Flight Time | 42 mins | 42 mins | 45 mins | 45 mins |
| Max Horizontal Speed (N mode) | 21 m/s | 21 m/s | 15 m/s | 15 m/s |
| Max Ascend Speed (N mode) | 10 m/s | 10 m/s | 6 m/s | 6 m/s |
| Max Descent Speed (N mode) | 8 m/s | 8 m/s | 6 m/s | 6 m/s |
| Low-light Positioning & Obstacle Avoidance | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| GNSS anti-jamming | ✓ | ✓ | x | x |
| RTK | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Vision Assist | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Camera comparison
| Feature | M4E | M4T | M3E | M3T | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1x Wide Camera | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | M4E/T: New 1/1.3 CMOS with f/1.7 aperture brings 2.7x more light than M3T, enhancing low-light imaging capability |
| 3x Medium Tele Camera | ✓ | ✓ | x | x | M4E: Same wide-angle mapping camera as M4E, factory-calibrated, higher accuracy |
| 7x Tele Camera | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | M4E/T: 1/1.3 CMOS, 48 MP Effective Pixels, f/2.8, Format Equivalent: 70 mm |
| 1x, 3x, 7x, 14x, 28x, 56x, 128x Zoom Control | ✓ | ✓ | x | x | - |
Low light comparison
| Feature | M4E | M4T | M3E | M3T |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Noise Reduction Level: High (5 fps) / Medium (15 fps) | x | ✓ | x | x |
| Black and white night vision (IR filter OFF) | x | ✓ | x | x |
| NIR light | x | ✓ | x | x |
Camera mode comparison
| Feature | M4E | M4T | M3E | M3T |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smart Photo | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| High-res Grid Photo | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Video Pre-recording | ✓ | ✓ | x | x |
| Photo in Video | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Matrice Series AI capability
The Matrice 4 Series comes with an advanced AI model that can detect vehicles, vessels, and individuals. Its recognition capabilities and open model definition features – like counting vehicles in an image – make it an excellent tool for public safety, pest control, security, and inspections.
One of the key highlights of the Matrice 4 Series is its built-in laser range finder, providing accurate real-time measurements for tasks like point marking, line drawing, and area calculations. This advanced feature delivers enterprise-level benefits without added bulk, making it highly portable and granting operators greater regulatory flexibility.
The Matrice 4 Series comes with the following flight modes, designed to streamline your workflows:
Cruise – Activate cruise control mode to pilot the drone in a specific direction without constantly pressing the control sticks, making long-distance flights easier
FlyTo – In emergencies or disasters, the drone can automatically adjust its flight path and speed based on the surrounding environment, allowing it to reach a designated location without manual adjustments
Smart Track – Smart Track allows for precise subject positioning and automatic zoom adjustments, allowing you to switch between subjects easily. It can automatically reacquire a subject even if obscured briefly
POI (Point of Interest) – POI enables continuous observation and 3D modeling of buildings while flying around a designated area, greatly enhancing the efficiency of fixed-point observation and modeling tasks
The Mavic 3 Enterprise Series lacks a laser range finder and AI identification, but is slightly more compact and lightweight than the Matrice 4 Series and shares some flight modes, including POI flights. Overall, when it comes to surveying precision, the Matrice 4 Series offers higher accuracy, while the Mavic 3 Enterprise is the more portable option.
Matrice 4 Series camera upgrades
The Matrice 4 Series features substantial camera upgrades over the Mavic 3 Enterprise Series. Its medium 3x optical telephoto lens can detect cracks and screws from a distance of 10 metres and clearly read instrument data at substations. With 48 MP resolution, the Matrice 4’s 7x telephoto camera has much improved clarity and can capture incredible details from signs up to 250 metres away.
Electronic dehazing further improves inspection capabilities in difficult weather, improving visibility by removing fog from images and videos – intelligent processing delivers the same level of detail as if the fog weren’t present.
The Mavic 3 Enterprise features a 20MP wide camera with mechanical shutter for motion blur prevention and a 12MP tele camera with 56x hybrid zoom for detailed inspections, but lacks dehazing capabilities.
The Matrice 4 Series beats the M3E’s zoom capabilities – get up to 128x zoom control while preserving image quality, even at maximum zoom.
| Camera Feature | M4E | M3E |
|---|---|---|
| Wide Camera: Video Resolution | 4K: 3840x2160@30fps FHD: 1920x1080@30fps | 4K: 3840x2160@30fps FHD: 1920x1080@30fps |
| Zoom Control | 16x (112x hybrid zoom) | 8x (56x hybrid zoom) |
| ISO Range | Medium Tele Camera: ISO 100 to ISO 409600 Tele Camera: ISO 100 to ISO 409600 |
Tele Camera: 100-6400 |
Precision aerial surveying
The Mavic 3 Enterprise Series excels at GIS applications, but the Matrice 4E improves upon what worked so well for its predecessor to deliver greater survey efficiency and ease of data collection.
The Matrice 4 Enterprise’s 5-directional oblique capture – versus the Mavic 3 Enterprise's three-directional smart oblique capture – helps improve efficiency by 40%. In addition, the M4E's wide-angle camera has an improved shooting interval of 0.5s vs 0.7s and faster flight speed of 21m/s vs 15m/s, further improving mapping efficiency.
The Matrice 4 Enterprise also introduces Smart 3D Capture, designed to streamline 3D model creation, and it comes with the RTK module already installed – this must be purchased separately with the Mavic 3 Enterprise.
| Wide Camera Feature | M4E | M3E |
|---|---|---|
| Image Sensor | 4/3-inch CMOS, Effective Pixels: 20 MP | 4/3 CMOS, Effective Pixels: 20 MP |
| Lens | FOV: 84° Equivalent Focal Length: 24 mm Aperture: f/2.8-f/11 Focus: 1 m to ∞ | FOV: 84° Format Equivalent: 24 mm Aperture: f/2.8-f/11 Focus: 1 m to ∞ |
| ISO Range | 100-204800 | 100-6400 |
| Shutter Speed | Electronic Shutter: 2-1/8000 s Mechanical Shutter: 2-1/2000 s |
Electronic Shutter: 8-1/8000 s Mechanical Shutter: 8-1/2000 s |
| Max Image Size | 8064x6048 | 5280x3956 |
Thermal camera comparison
Both the M4T and M3T integrate seamlessly with the DJI Thermal Analysis Tool and support side-by-side split-screen zoom for real-time RGB and thermal comparisons.
The M3T is equipped with a dependable 640x512 resolution sensor operating at 30Hz, making it well-suited for standard thermal inspection tasks. In contrast, the M4T provides advanced features, such as an extended focal length and NIR illumination hardware, allowing for lighting distances of up to 100 metres.
Additionally, M4T supports an infrared super-resolution with up to 1280x1024 image resolution and offers temperature measurement in specific modes. Its 1/1.3 CMOS sensor with an f/1.7 aperture captures 2.7x more light than the M3T, enhancing low-light performance and making it ideal for complex and demanding operations.
| Thermal Camera Feature | M4T | M3T |
|---|---|---|
| Lens | DFOV: 45°±0.3° Equivalent focal length: 53 mm Aperture: f/1.0 Focus: 5 m to ∞ | DFOV: 61° Format Equivalent: 40 mm Aperture: f/1.0 Focus: 5 m to ∞ |
| Temperature Measurement Range | High Gain Mode: -20°C to 150°C (-4°F to 302°F) () Low Gain Mode: 0°C to 550°C (32°F to 1022°F) | High Gain Mode: 20° to 150°C (-4° to 302° F) Low Gain Mode: 0° to 500°C (32° to 932° F) |
| Still Photography Modes | Single: 1280x1024 / 640x512 Interval: 1280x1024 / 640x512 JPEG: 0.7/1/2/3/5/7/10/15/20/30/60 s | Tele Single: 640x512 Timed: 640x512 JPEG: 2/3/5/7/10/15/20/30/60 s |
| Digital Zoom | 28x | 28x |
| Thermal Imager | Uncooled vanadium oxide (VOx) | Uncooled VOx microbolometer |
Flight feature comparison
The Matrice 4 Series and Mavic 3 Enterprise Series share advanced flight features, including max speeds in Normal mode, low-light positioning, and obstacle avoidance.
However, the Matrice 4 Series is faster, with a max speed of up to 21 m/s vs 15 m/s. The DJI Matrice 4 Series also has a longer flight time of 49 minutes compared to the Mavic 3 Enterprise Series' 45 minutes.
The Matrice 4 Series delivers omnidirectional low-light sensing with its six high-definition low-light fisheye vision sensors. This significantly enhances visual low-light positioning and obstacle avoidance, and allows for automatic obstacle avoidance, intelligent rerouting, and safe return in urban low-light environments.
The Mavic 3 Enterprise Series offers a five-directional vision assist view and advanced Return to Home for efficient routing. Its flight modes include Normal for positioning, Sport for agility (without obstacle sensing), and Function mode for controlled or manual operation in GNSS-limited environments.
| Flight Feature | M4E Series | M3E Series |
|---|---|---|
| Max Payload | 200 g | - |
| Max Ascent Speed | 10 m/s | 6 m/s |
| Maximum Ascent Speed With Accessories | 6 m/s | 6 m/s |
| Max Altitude | 6000 m | 6000 m |
| Max Operating Altitude with Payload | 4000 m | - |
| Max Wind Speed Resistance | 12 m/s | 12 m/s |
| GNSS | GPS + Galileo + BeiDou + GLONASS | GPS+Galileo+BeiDou+GLONASS (GLONASS is supported only when the RTK module is enabled) |
| RTK GNSS Accuracy | RTK Fix: 1 cm + 1 ppm (horizontal), 1.5 cm + 1 ppm (vertical) | - |
Accessories comparison
The Matrice 4 Series can be equipped with the following accessories:
- A gimbal-following spotlight that can illuminate subjects up to 100 metres away and features two modes – Always On and Strobe;
- A real-time voice speaker with a broadcast range of 300 metres and volume of up to 114 decibels at a distance of 1 metre;
- The high precision D-RTK 3 Multifunctional Station – this can serve as a base station to provide centimetre-level positioning for multiple drones simultaneously or extend the operational range of drones in relay station mode.
The DJI RC Plus 2 Enterprise controller features a new high-brightness screen that remains visible in direct sunlight, IP54 protection rating, and supports the O4 Enterprise transmission system.
The Mavic 3 Enterprise Series has similar accessories from older systems. While it remains a reliable and effective drone, it lacks the advanced capabilities of the Matrice 4 Series. It works with the DJI RC Pro Enterprise controller, featuring a 5.5-inch, 1,000-nit screen for clear visibility. Additional accessories including the RTK Module, D-RTK 2 Mobile Station, and a loudspeaker with text-to-speech functionality, can further enhance its performance.
| Controller Feature | RC Plus 2 Enterprise | RC Pro Enterprise |
|---|---|---|
| IP Rating | IP54 | IP54 |
| Video Transmission System | O4 Enterprise | O3+ |
| Operating Frequency Range | 5.150-5.250 GHz; 5.725-5.850 GHz | 2.400-2.4835 GHz 5.725-5.850 GHz |
| Transmitter Power (EIRP) | 2.4 GHz: <33 dBm (FCC), <20 dBm (CE/SRRC/MIC) 5.1 GHz: <23 dBm (FCC/CE) 5.8 GHz: <33 dBm (FCC), <14 dBm (CE), <30 dBm (SRRC) |
2.4 GHz: ≤33 dBm (FCC); ≤20 dBm (CE/SRRC/MIC) 5.8 GHz: ≤33 dBm (FCC); ≤14 dBm (CE); ≤23 dBm (SRRC) |
| Bluetooth Transmitter Power (EIRP) | <10 dBm | ≤8 dBm |
| GNSS | GPS + Galileo + BeiDou | GPS + Galileo + GLONASS |
| Operating Temperature | -20° to 50° C (-4° to 122° F) | -10° to 40°C (14° to 104° F) |
| Bluetooth | 5.2 | 5.1 |
The Matrice 4 Series introduces significant advancements in aerial surveying, mapping, and inspection, featuring enhanced AI, superior camera systems, and improved flight performance. With upgrades like a built-in laser range finder, advanced zoom capabilities, and AI-powered object recognition, it offers greater efficiency and accuracy in professional operations. The Mavic 3 Enterprise remains a dependable and portable choice, however, particularly for drone operators who prioritise lightweight design and essential surveying features without the added complexity of the Matrice 4 Series.
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