Drone & Aerial Photography — 2026-07-23
The FCC has escalated its crackdown on DJI by targeting nine companies suspected of selling rebranded DJI drones under their own brand names. Meanwhile, professional drone photographers continue to rely on established platforms like the DJI Mavic 4 Pro, which remains the top choice for aerial imaging despite the broader regulatory pressures on the manufacturer.
Drone & Aerial Photography — 2026-07-23
Regulation Watch
The FCC has moved to ban nine companies it suspects of acting as fronts or white-label resellers for DJI technology, retroactively revoking device approvals they had previously received.
According to reporting from PCMag on July 22, 2026, the FCC is revoking approvals from companies including Skyrover and Xtra, which have been identified as making DJI clones. The agency expects these products to land on the federal "Covered List"—effectively banning them from US import and sale—within approximately one month.
The enforcement action reflects the government's ongoing effort to restrict Chinese-made drone technology in the US market. As one regulatory observer noted, the FCC is taking a retroactive approach to removing devices it had already approved for sale, raising questions about enforcement procedures.
Gear News
For professional aerial photographers, the DJI Mavic 4 Pro remains the top choice in the consumer-to-prosumer segment. The drone combines a three-camera system headlined by a Hasselblad 4/3-inch main sensor with a 51-minute flight time and is priced around $2,099.
For budget-conscious photographers and videographers new to the hobby, the DJI Air 3S offers automated obstacle avoidance, dual high-quality cameras, and overall ease of use—making it an accessible entry point for learning aerial photography.
The availability of these models remains uncertain for US consumers due to the ongoing DJI restrictions, though used and previously imported units continue to dominate the secondary market.
Note on DJI Availability: New DJI products, including the highly anticipated Air 4 and Avata 360, remain inaccessible to US buyers under current import restrictions, despite their release in other global markets.
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