A year ago, I wrote a comparison between the DJI M30T vs Matrice 4T.
DJI had just released the M4T, and the M30T was a drone I had used for some time.
I have continued to use both drones over the past year and have gained a good feel for how they respond to long-term use.
Today, I will be reviewing the M4T, where it excels, and what makes it a good drone, as well as some reasons why the DJI M30T excelled in some aspects.
The DJI M4T
Let’s look at the DJI M4T’s pros and cons.
Pros
Excellent Camera
One of the best things about the DJI M4T is its camera. It features a multi-camera system with Wide, Medium, and Telephoto lenses, offering excellent resolution up to 48 MP and zoom capabilities. Speaking from first-hand experience, the clarity you get from this drone, even when zooming, is quite impressive. Features like Dehaze also help achieve even better image quality in challenging conditions.
The inbuilt 1800 M rangefinder allows you to get the exact location of any object within that range. It also features the same thermal sensor as the one on the DJI M30T, but the night footage looks clearer, making it a better choice for clear inspection footage. In addition to that, it also comes with NIR-Auxiliary light, which, in addition to better night vision, makes it ideal for low-light situations
Extended Range
The DJI M4T features DJI’s OcuSync 4, an advanced transmission system that delivers up to 10 KM range and better performance in interference-prone areas. Having flown both drones in similar situations, you can clearly see the difference: the M4T can go farther than the M30T without losing signal or video feed. You can also extend the range using the D-RTK2 or by using another drone as a relay, making it ideal for flying in urban environments. This D-RTK2 device also works with the newer Agras drones, so you don’t need to purchase a separate device when you venture into agricultural drone applications.
Longer Flight Time
The DJI M4T can average 27 to 35 minutes of flight time, which is impressive and gives you enough time to conduct your mission. This, coupled with the extended range, allows you to cover more ground on a single battery.
AI Detection
The DJI M4T also comes with an inbuilt AI detection feature that automatically detects people, animals, and vehicles. The only issue with this feature has been that you have to fly really low for it to effectively detect anything. However, DJI allows you to customize this feature for greater capability.
More Waypoint and Automated Features
The DJI M4T comes with additional automated flight features that can be handy for various operations. These include;
- Cruise control – This feature lets you set a constant speed so the drone flies automatically, allowing you to focus on other tasks. However, be careful with this feature since if you are distracted, it may lead to crashes. For instance, if you descend,m the drone can maintain that rate of descent, and you could lose your drone.
- Fly-To – This feature allows the drone to take off and fly to a specific preset location. You can use this when the location is far away, and you don’t want to pitch forward all the way. Once at that location, you can set another point, and the drone will fly, minimizing pilot inputs.
SDK Availability
DJI has made it possible to customize and build specific software for the DJI M4T. This allows you to customize and extend its capability. For instance, software like CattleMapper has been built to work with the M4T to count cattle from drone footage.
Cons
Reduced Weather Resistance
This is the biggest drawback with the DJI M4T. For a drone built for search and rescue, you’d expect it to be more rugged, but that is not the case with the DJI M4T. It is not IP-rated and gets easily damaged when it comes into contact with moisture. This makes it difficult to fly in certain areas, and you have to be extra cautious when flying beyond visual line of sight.
Poor Arm Structure
The DJI M4T arms were also not designed for everyday use. The more you fold and unfold the drone, the arms become weaker and loose. After a while, they seem not to handle the weight of the drone, and you have to get creative by building custom landing gear or buying replacement parts you hadn’t accounted for.
Limited Camera Panning
One limitation that gets quickly frustrating is the inability to turn the camera left or right. If you’re used to seeing this feature in the M30T or the M350, it will take some time getting used to the M4T. You have to turn the drone to cover left and right, resulting in irregular flight paths.
Long Charging Time
The DJI M4T batteries take quite long to charge, up to an hour, making it difficult to run a continuous operation. The fast-charging mode on it doesn’t significantly reduce the charging time, either. For a continuous operation, you’d need to purchase extra chargers or more batteries, which adds to the cost.
Limited Room for Fixing
With most DJI drones, if an issue arises, you can repair it, calibrate the sensors using DJI Assistant 2, and continue flying. But with the DJI M4T, you can’t calibrate the vision sensors and have to ship the drone back to DJI. This is quite challenging since it takes a few weeks to send the drone and ship it back for an issue you could probably have fixed.
Low Noise
The DJI M4T is quieter than most enterprise drones. Now, this may be a good thing or a bad thing depending on your operations. In situations where the drone’s sound is a deterrent in itself, the DJI M4T isn’t the right choice. But if you’re into stealth operations where you don’t want the drone to be detected, then the DJI M4T will work for you.
RC Incompatibility
Since the DJI M4T controller comes with newer technology, it is not compatible with the DJI M30T or other drones. So if you are coming from the M0T, you can’t use it with the new controller.
Is the DJI M4T Still Worth it in 2026?
The DJI M4T is still a worthy drone, a year later. It fits perfectly in public safety, law enforcement, and any other situations that need clear aerial footage and automated drone systems. One can live with the lower weather resistance by being more careful and checking the weather before flying. The automated features, AI, and ability to customize it are also a plus. The drone and its accessories are also quite affordable. With the DJI M30T being discontinued, you may need to switch to the M4T. This will need some getting used to, but it will work.
DJI M30T vs M4T After One Year
In my initial comparison, I stated that the DJI M4T offered better image quality, greater portability, more advanced features, and longer flight times than the DJI M30T. After a year of using both platforms, I still stand by that assessment.
However, long-term use has also highlighted areas where the M30T remains the better drone. The M30T is significantly more rugged and better suited for demanding field operations. Its arm structure feels sturdier, and unlike the M4T, repeated folding and unfolding does not appear to affect it as much over time.
The M30T batteries also charge faster, which can make a noticeable difference during continuous operations. Another feature I continue to appreciate is the ability to pan the camera left and right without turning the aircraft. It may seem like a small feature until you spend hours flying surveillance or inspection missions, where smoother camera movements can improve both efficiency and situational awareness.
If image quality, AI features, and portability are your priorities, the M4T is the clear winner. If durability, weather resistance, and operational flexibility are more important, the M30T still holds its own despite being discontinued.
Why You Should Consider the M4TD
If the lower weather resistance is a deal-breaker, consider getting the M4TD. It is essentially the same drone as the M4T; the only difference is that the M4TD is designed to work with the DJI Dock 3, a drone-in-a-box system that automates surveillance and inspections. The M4TD is IP-rated and can fly in adverse weather, has a slightly longer flight time, charges faster, and has fixed arms, so you don’t have to worry about destroying the arm structure when folding and unfolding.
The DJI M30T Isn’t Dead
As mentioned earlier, DJI has discontinued the DJI M30T, but it’s still going strong. In some cases, it outshines the M4T when it comes to actual ground operations and versatility. However, it does have some battery issues, with one battery draining faster than the other, making it unsafe to fly. It’s difficult to find new spare parts for fixing some of the issues this drone has, but for the most part, it was, and still is, one of the best drones DJI has ever released. DJI would have at least released a newer version with better features, and I’m hopeful they will. But for now, the M4T and M4TD will suffice.