DJI Mavic 4 Pro WEIRDEST Accessory, BUT I LOVE IT!

Okay, I must admit this looks quite ridiculous, but trust me, there’s a good reason why this accessory even exists. So, in today’s video, I’ll show what can be done with this accessory called the Tilta Mavic 4 Pro handle mount. Let’s check it out. Inside the box, there are all the necessary components to put this together, and it can be customized depending on taste. Putting all of this together might seem a little intimidating, but trust me, it’s really not. No tools or extra hardware are needed. Everything is assembled and tightened by hand. Everything needed is in the kit.

What’s in the setup

The main idea is to build a small frame that holds the drone and the remote controller together with a few different components that easily attach to each other. The whole rig can be customized depending on taste—whether to have two handles on the sides, mount the remote controller on the left or right of this contraption, or add the top handle so the whole thing can be carried for extra stability. It’s up to the user to decide how to mount this. The installation takes about 3 to 4 minutes. The only thing that’s not great is the closing mechanism that holds the drone—it’s a little fiddly, and a simple clamp that opens and closes would be preferred instead of the twist pin. Other than that, it’s really easy to assemble. Now that the system and how it works are familiar, let’s see what it can do.

Why use it

So, what are the pros of using a system like this? There are a few. First, no-fly zones: usually, when arriving at an unfamiliar area that turns out to be a no-fly zone, the drone becomes dead weight. In this case, the drone and its camera can still be used even where takeoff isn’t allowed. For example, here there was a low-flying helicopter nearby, and it’s obviously not a good idea to fly around in this area right now, but footage can still be captured with the Mavic 4 Pro camera.

And speaking of the camera—actually cameras—there are three different sensors on the DJI Mavic 4 Pro, and let’s be honest, they are amazing. The Mavic 4 Pro cameras are currently favorites to grade footage from because it’s possible to seamlessly transition between the three different lenses, use exactly the same color profiles, and keep the same settings. You can shoot in 6K on the main sensor and 4K on the other two sensors, so there’s a lot of flexibility to achieve different-looking shots. This, in many cases, beats some mirrorless cameras, especially if multiple lenses aren’t available. Here, everything is built in. There’s no need to swap lenses—just adjust settings and start shooting.

One thing that stands out is that the top handle is extremely comfortable if carrying the whole system like this and shooting low to the ground. The remote controller can also be tilted, so when placing the whole contraption close to the ground, there’s a good viewing angle of the screen while still keeping the drone low. Visibility is great thanks to the high brightness of the RC Pro controller with the Mavic 4 Pro.

Another big advantage: if flying a lot with the DJI Mavic 4 Pro and wanting to seamlessly integrate ground shots with aerial shots, this makes it super convenient and easy because it’s basically the same camera. Using multiple different cameras can be a pain—constantly balancing different looks, color profiles, and trying to match footage. Here, that problem doesn’t exist.

Also, for wildlife shooting where it’s important not to disturb animals, this is a very convenient setup. Everything stays quiet without prop noise, so birds or other animals are less likely to be bothered while filming.

The trade-offs

Now, this isn’t a perfect, no-compromise setup. There are some caveats. First, this is basically a Frankenstein-type setup—it won’t behave like a traditional camera. It doesn’t move the way a traditional camera would. The gimbal is very active horizontally and moves a lot, so keeping the shot super steady, especially when using the zoom lenses, can be tricky. It’s not ideal, and it takes practice to get used to the drone’s movement to extract the most from these lenses.

Second, it’s only compatible with the Mavic 4 Pro. If using another drone, it won’t work. The clasp mechanism that keeps the drone in place is also annoying—it’s not the best. A latch that opens and closes would be preferred instead of this bolt that needs twisting. And since everything is tight and secure, swapping batteries requires disassembling the whole thing to remove the drone. The legs need to be opened, the battery removed and replaced, and then everything reassembled to start recording again. It’s cumbersome and not ideal.

When first posting a story about this setup, there were many messages about overheating—whether it would be bad for the drone to stay like this without flying and without airflow. After filming with it for a while, there have been no overheating issues. No problems at all. Tilta was asked about the same topic, and they also reported no overheating issues after their testing. So, no problems in that regard.

One more note: if relying on the 6x zoom lens, which is one of the most impressive lenses on the drone, keep in mind the minimum focus distance. Even objects that aren’t super close might not be in focus. That’s something to consider—if shooting something a bit closer, it might be out of focus, and switching to another lens may be necessary.

That’s pretty much it for this product from Tilta. It’s a very interesting accessory. It’s not perfect and not ideal, but it definitely has its place. It’s worth trying if filming a lot with the Mavic 4 Pro and looking to achieve interesting results from the ground as well. That’s it for today’s video on the Tilta handle mount for the Mavic 4 Pro. Let me know what you think in the comments below, and see you in the next video very soon. Ciao.