DJI Drones: How Mavic, Mavic Enterprise and Matrice Differ, and Which Model Fits Your Task

The Astreia catalogue currently lists more than twenty DJI items, from the Mavic 3 Classic at 75,000 UAH to the Matrice 300 RTK with a Zenmuse H20T gimbal camera at 700,000 UAH. Price here reflects the class of aircraft: consumer Mavics, compact Enterprise models and heavy Matrice platforms were designed for different jobs and come in different kits. Below we go through how the lineup is structured, what each model actually does in the field, and what you pay for when moving up a tier.

DJI's two product lines and how to read the model names

DJI splits its drones into a consumer line and an Enterprise line. Consumer Mavics are built for photo and video, so their key parameters concern the camera: sensor size, the set of focal lengths, codecs, colour profiles. Enterprise aircraft (in the catalogue: Mavic 3E and 3T, Matrice 4E and 4T, Matrice 30T, Matrice 300 RTK) get tools that consumer models lack entirely: a thermal camera, a laser rangefinder, an RTK module for centimetre-level positioning, and automated mapping modes.

Within Enterprise the naming follows a simple rule. The letter E (Mavic 3E, Matrice 4E) marks a version without a thermal camera, aimed at photogrammetry, i.e. building maps and 3D terrain models from a series of images. The letter T (Thermal) means a thermal camera is on board. This rule rules out half the options straight away: if the task involves night work or finding objects by heat contrast, E versions do not fit by definition, however good their daylight camera is.

Mavic 3, Mavic 3 Pro, Mavic 4 Pro: when the camera matters most

The simplest model in the catalogue, the Mavic 3 Classic, has a single Hasselblad camera with a 20 MP 4/3-inch sensor and flies for up to 46 minutes. The 4/3 format matches the sensors of Micro Four Thirds mirrorless cameras. Its area is several times larger than the 1/2-inch sensors used in compact drones, so each pixel gathers more light: less noise at dusk and wider dynamic range in high-contrast scenes. The Classic with the RC N1 controller costs 74,999 UAH; the standard Mavic 3 with an additional telephoto camera sits in the same price range.

The Mavic 3 Pro keeps the same Hasselblad camera and adds two more: a 70 mm medium telephoto (1/1.3" sensor, 48 MP) and a 166 mm telephoto (1/2", 12 MP). Three focal lengths on one gimbal let you shoot a wide, medium and close-up view from a single position without flying closer to the subject. That helps both for video and for observation where bringing the drone nearer is undesirable. The third camera costs weight, so flight time drops to 43 minutes. O3+ video transmission works at up to 15 km.

The Mavic 3 Pro Cine differs only in recording Apple ProRes to a built-in 1 TB SSD. ProRes retains far more data per frame than H.264/H.265 and is needed when footage goes to professional colour grading. For inspection or reconnaissance work there is no reason to pay extra for the Cine. In the catalogue the Mavic 3 Pro starts at 80,000 UAH, the Fly More Combo with extra batteries at 105,000 UAH, and the Cine Premium Combo costs 115,000 UAH.

The Mavic 4 Pro, released in May 2025, develops the same three-camera layout. The main Hasselblad 4/3 camera now has 100 MP, both telephoto cameras received large sensors, and the Infinity Gimbal rotates through 360°. For field use, other changes matter more. Flight time has grown to 51 minutes. The O4+ transmission system reaches up to 30 km under FCC rules (15 km in CE mode) and holds the link better under radio interference. Six vision sensors rated at 0.1 lux avoid obstacles at dusk, and in near-total darkness a forward-facing LiDAR detects obstacles ahead and brakes the aircraft. Non-GPS return-to-home is worth a separate mention: in adequate light the drone memorises its route using the visual positioning system and flies back along it even where the satellite signal is absent or jammed.

The Mavic 4 Pro with the RC 2 controller costs 80,000 UAH in the catalogue, or 75,000 UAH as Open Box. That is the same as the Mavic 3 Pro, so on an equal budget the fourth generation is the obvious choice unless you already own a stock of Mavic 3 batteries and accessories.

Mavic 3E and Mavic 3T: professional capability in a Mavic airframe

The Mavic 3 Enterprise looks like the consumer Mavic 3 but has its own camera assembly and firmware built for professional tasks. It weighs around 920 g, stays airborne for up to 45 minutes and uses O3 Enterprise transmission with a range of up to 15 km. The series comes in two versions sharing the same airframe.

The Mavic 3E carries a 20 MP 4/3 wide-angle camera with a mechanical shutter. A mechanical shutter exposes the whole frame at once. An electronic shutter reads the sensor line by line, and while the drone is moving, objects shift during readout and the image geometry gets skewed. In an ordinary photo this is barely visible; in a map it means error in the model. With the mechanical shutter the 3E shoots at 0.7-second intervals, and with the RTK module (a receiver that refines the drone's coordinates to centimetres using corrections from a base station) it builds maps without ground control points. The second camera, a 12 MP telephoto with a 162 mm equivalent focal length, provides up to 56× hybrid zoom. Hybrid zoom combines the telephoto optics with digital magnification, so the closer you get to the maximum figure, the more of the image is digital processing and the less real detail it contains. The Mavic 3E in the catalogue starts at 90,000 UAH.

The Mavic 3T replaces the large 4/3 sensor with a 48 MP wide-angle camera, keeps the same 56× telephoto and adds a 640×512 thermal camera with a 40 mm equivalent focal length and a 61° field of view. The thermal camera is radiometric: besides the image, it measures temperature at a point or across an area of the frame, alerts when a set threshold is exceeded, and draws isotherms, highlighting every area within a chosen temperature range. This lets an operator find a person in a tree line or camouflaged vehicles faster, as well as overheated insulation on a power line or a smouldering spot after a fire.

The catalogue offers the Mavic 3T in several configurations: from 110,000 UAH for the aircraft only (for those who already have a controller and batteries) to 165,000–225,000 UAH for complete kits, including the Mavic 3T Advanced. It is the most affordable DJI thermal drone in the range.

Matrice 4E and 4T: the next generation of the compact class

The Matrice 4 series occupies the same compact professional niche as the Mavic 3 Enterprise but has an entirely new camera assembly. Both versions fly for up to 49 minutes, transmit video at up to 25 km and have a built-in laser rangefinder.

The rangefinder is the main difference from the previous generation. It measures the distance to the point under the crosshair, and together with the drone's coordinates and the gimbal tilt angle, the system calculates the coordinates of the object itself. The Matrice 4's rated measuring range is 1,800 m (600 m for oblique measurement at a 1:5 slope), with accuracy of ±(0.2 m + 0.15% of distance). At one kilometre that gives an error within 1.7 m.

The Matrice 4T has three daylight cameras, all 48 MP: a 24 mm wide-angle with a fast f/1.7 lens on a 1/1.3" sensor, a 70 mm medium telephoto and a 168 mm telephoto. Together they give 16× optical and 112× hybrid zoom. The 640×512 thermal camera supports a high-resolution mode of 1280×1024. Another addition missing from the Mavic 3T is the NIR auxiliary light: a near-infrared illuminator, invisible to the naked eye, that lets the daylight camera see in the dark at up to 100 m. A built-in AI module recognises vehicles, vessels and people in the frame. The Matrice 4E swaps the fast wide-angle camera for a 20 MP 4/3 sensor with a mechanical shutter, while its two telephoto cameras and rangefinder are the same as on the 4T.

Compared directly with the Mavic 3T, the Matrice 4T gives you, for similar money, a rangefinder, NIR illumination, a longer telephoto with a larger sensor, four more minutes in the air and greater link range. In the catalogue the Matrice 4T costs 185,000–200,000 UAH, or 185,000 UAH as Open Box. The Matrice 4E sells for 130,000 UAH, or 120,000 UAH as Open Box.

Matrice 30T: when the drone has to fly in any weather

The Matrice 30T is heavier (3.77 kg with batteries) and noticeably more rugged than the compact models. Its body is rated IP55: the first digit means protection against dust to a degree that does not interfere with operation, the second means resistance to water jets from any direction, i.e. flying in rain. Its operating temperature range is −20 to +50 °C. For comparison, DJI specifies −10 to +40 °C for the Matrice 4E, so in frost the M30T has a margin.

The M30T camera assembly combines four sensors: a 12 MP wide-angle camera, a 48 MP zoom camera with 5–16× optical and up to 200× hybrid zoom, a 640×512 radiometric thermal camera, and a laser rangefinder working from 3 to 1,200 m. The drone flies for up to 41 minutes on two TB30 batteries that can be swapped without powering down (hot-swapping), so after landing it is ready to relaunch within minutes. The BS30 station charges batteries from 20% to 90% in about 30 minutes. O3 Enterprise transmission works at up to 15 km, and an onboard ADS-B receiver warns of crewed aircraft nearby. Folded, the M30T fits in a backpack.

In daylight camera quality the Matrice 4T is newer and stronger, and its rangefinder reaches further. The M30T is chosen for other reasons: a weatherproof body, operation in frost, and two hot-swappable batteries. If the drone will mostly work in bad weather, these parameters outweigh the rest.

A new Matrice 30T costs 300,000 UAH. The catalogue also lists several Open Box units with stated flight hours: 10 minutes for 260,000 UAH, 2 to 9 hours for 230,000 UAH, and 10 hours for 220,000 UAH. For a professional platform with a service life of hundreds of hours, a few hours of flight have practically no effect on wear, while the saving over a new unit is 70,000–80,000 UAH.

Matrice 300 RTK with Zenmuse H20T: a platform for interchangeable payloads

The Matrice 300 RTK belongs to a different class: it is a carrier for payloads of up to 2.7 kg, with up to three gimbals mounted at once (two below and one on top). Rated flight time is up to 55 minutes; with a gimbal fitted it is lower and depends on payload weight. The body is rated IP45, and the operating temperature range is −20 to +50 °C. OcuSync Enterprise transmission works at up to 15 km, carries up to three 1080p video feeds simultaneously and encrypts data with AES-256. Obstacle sensors cover all six sides.

The most common gimbal for the M300 RTK, the Zenmuse H20T, is similar in composition to the M30T camera block: a 20 MP zoom camera with 23× optical zoom, a 12 MP wide-angle camera, a laser rangefinder and a radiometric thermal camera. The point of the M300 lies elsewhere: the gimbal can be removed and replaced with another one for a specific task while the platform stays the same. It makes sense where a single camera block is not enough, or where something heavier than a built-in camera needs to be lifted.

In the catalogue the Matrice 300 RTK without a gimbal costs 500,000 UAH, and 700,000 UAH as a kit with the Zenmuse H20T.

Open Box and flight hours: reading the catalogue labels

The Open Box label means the aircraft has been unpacked and may have flown. In the Astreia catalogue flight hours are stated right in the item name, as in the Matrice 30T listings, so you can see exactly what the discount is for. For Enterprise equipment, Open Box often offers the best balance of price and remaining service life: these drones are built for intensive professional use, and a few hours of operation do not materially change their condition.

Items marked "aircraft only" include just the drone itself. They suit buyers who already have a compatible controller and batteries, for example when replacing a lost drone.

Choosing a model for the task

For daylight photo and video, reporting, and area monitoring in good light, the consumer line is enough. On a minimal budget that means the Mavic 3 Classic. For 75,000–80,000 UAH the Mavic 4 Pro offers the most: three cameras, 51 minutes of flight, the longest transmission range among the compact models in the catalogue, and non-GPS return-to-home.

Mapping, construction monitoring and land surveying require a mechanical shutter, i.e. an E version. The Mavic 3E covers basic photogrammetry tasks. The Matrice 4E costs 30,000–40,000 UAH more and adds 48 MP telephoto cameras and a rangefinder, which is useful when, besides the map, objects need to be inspected remotely.

Night work, search for people and vehicles, and observation require a thermal camera. The Mavic 3T is the cheapest entry into this class. The Matrice 4T, at a similar price, adds a rangefinder for target coordinates, NIR illumination and longer optics. The Matrice 30T is the one to buy if the drone will fly in rain, in frost, and in a pattern of frequent sorties with hot-swapped batteries.

The Matrice 300 RTK is needed when the task goes beyond a single camera block: interchangeable gimbals, several payloads at once, or loads of up to 2.7 kg.

Summary table

Video transmission ranges in this article are given under FCC rules. Prices are current at the time of publication; check the product page for final pricing and availability.