DJI Air 4S: The Consumer Drone That Made Pro Shooters Nervous

Professional drone operators have a stock response to consumer drone comparisons: “the operator makes the footage, not the drone.” It’s largely true, and it’s becoming less true with every DJI product cycle.

The Air 4S ships with a one-inch CMOS sensor — the same sensor class that was, until recently, exclusive to DJI’s Mavic 3 Pro, a drone that costs $2,199. The Air 4S costs $1,099.

Footage from the Air 4S in flat light is, under blind assessment, indistinguishable from Mavic 3 Pro footage in our testing panel. Three professional videographers, shown matched clips, correctly identified the Air 4S footage two out of six times.

The limitations are real but specific: it struggles in high winds above 25 mph, has a fixed aperture, and internal NDs don’t match aftermarket glass quality. But for a travel shooter, wedding videographer, or content creator, the Air 4S is a disruptive product at a disruptive price.