Been running M3E RTK for 2 years, works great. DJI just released the Matrice 4 Enterprise and I'm trying to figure out if it's worth upgrading.
Specs look similar - same 20MP 4/3" sensor, similar flight time. M4E has faster speed and zoom lenses but I'm not sure those matter for mapping work.
Anyone actually flown both for survey/mapping? Is there a real difference or just marketing refresh?
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Sign inGot to demo an M4E last month. Quick impressions for mapping:
Honestly for pure mapping work, I don't think it's worth upgrading from a working M3E. The M4E shines when you need mapping + inspection in one aircraft.
Agree with Amy. If your M3E is working well, keep it. The upgrade path I'd prioritize:
M3E to M4E for pure mapping is a lateral move.
The speed improvement is actually meaningful for larger sites though. I calculated it out - at max cruise speed, M4E covers about 40% more area per battery than M3E. For 200+ acre sites that's fewer battery swaps.
Not saying upgrade immediately, but it's not nothing.
For what it's worth, DroneDeploy already supports M4E fully - flight app and processing. So if you do upgrade, the workflow transition is seamless.
Appreciate the real-world input. Sounds like I'll keep the M3E running until it dies or DJI releases something more significant. Maybe put the upgrade budget toward training or software instead.