It’s not on the market yet, but DJI has taken the covers off of a new commercial drone in the Matrice line, this is the M200 series quadcopters. Specifically marketing to the drone professionals in the pilot community, the M200, M210 and M210 RTK include some of the best features we’ve seen yet from DJI, plus a measure of water resistance.

The new drones have multiple accessory options each, making the M200 series one of the most versatile flying options around.

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At the root of the new drones, the M200 series comes in one frame design, the difference between the models relates to the accessories, features and camera capabilities. Unlike the naked frame approach of previous Matrice drones, the M200 series has a slim covering that adds an IP43 certification to the drone. This may not get you safely through a heavy rain, but a little drizzle is no problem.

The M200 series is a quadcopter design with a total wingspan of about 88cm, 35-inches, across and a tad longer in length. If that means nothing to you, this is a fairly large drone, nearly double the size of the Mavic Pro. Folded down for transport, you’re still looking at a big machine, good thing it comes with a carrying case.

Two battery options change up the device weight and flight time. The M200 series accepts two batteries at a time, making for a 3.8KG, 8.4lb, drone with the TB50 batteries, 4.53KG, 10lbs with the TB55 batteries. That makes for a max flight time of 27 minutes on the lighter batteries, 38 minutes on the big ones. These numbers are before equipping a camera, though, a fully loaded unit will drop down to about 13 minutes and 24 minutes on the two battery options.

For those looking for some fun, the M200 series can soar through the sky at up to 51MPH. More importantly, the unit self heats, like the Inspire 2, so you can fly in sub-zero temperatures.

The true value of the M200 series is in the camera options. The drone supports almost all of the currently available cameras in DJI’s stables, what changes here is the mounting configuration. Hang one camera below like normal. Put a camera on the top of the drone for better shots when you need to look upward. Finally, you can maximize your travels with the new dual camera hanger – a gimbal system that allows two cameras to hang below the M210 drones.

We wish you could combine the top and bottom mounting options at the same time, but I suppose this is a good start. Regardless the main camera choice, the M200 series borrows from the Inspire 2, adding a dedicated FPV camera for the pilot of the drone. The icing on the cake for the commercial market is safety features. The M200 series are equipped with multi-direction obstacle avoidance sensors, including upward facing sensors. The M210 RTK has hover accuracy most drones can only dream of and advanced connectivity to withstand radio interference and electromagnetic fields.

Best of all, the M200 series comes with an ADS-B receiver, informing you of advisory traffic information from nearby manned aircraft.

DJI is not yet releasing pricing or exact availability dates, aside from announcing Q2 2017 delivery. Stay tuned for more details as they become available.

As one of the most versatile and advanced flying drones around, we hope the M200 series is offered up at a price that we consumers can afford, but for now, we’ll keep dreaming of the Inspire 2.

Are you in the market for a 5lb payload, advanced flying drone for your business needs?

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