- Available for pre-order from DJI.
- This is a fantastic drone from a company that is way ahead of the competition.
- Avata 2 has a steeper learning curve than traditional drones and is not intended to capture cinematic shots.
To me, drones are more than just a gadget. They are the perfect flying tools designed and built to nail the perfect shot, be it a photo or a video clip. Each flight is planned, ensuring that when my hands are on the controller, my thumbs are on the sticks, and the drone is in the air, I can easily execute the maneuvers needed to capture that magical moment. , can perform accurately and calmly.
DJI Avata 2 FPV Drone has completely flipped the script for me, turning what was once a complicated activity into an absolutely exhilarating ride. It felt like I was Wile E. Coyote, strapped to an ACME rocket, hurtling across the landscape in a desperate pursuit of the Road Runner.
Typically when you fly a drone, you’re doing it with the controller in your hands and your eyes on the screen, seeing both what the drone’s camera is capturing and the bigger picture of your surroundings. And there are pretty much ubiquitous rules that say you must place the drone where you can physically see it — meaning it must be within your visual line of sight (VLOS). There are exceptions if you have certain abilities that allow you to fly outside the drone’s visual line of sight (BVLOS), but that’s not something most hobbyists will have.
With FPV (First Person View) drones, it’s like stepping into another league. You pop on a pair of goggles, and suddenly, it’s like you’re sitting in a drone, zooming through the sky. Since you’re only seeing what the drone’s camera sees, it’s easy to lose track of everything around you. That’s why most countries have rules that say you need to have a friend — a spotter — to watch the drone and everything around it so that if there’s a threat, like an airplane. Or if someone enters the drone, you should be alerted. The area you are flying into.
DJI Avata 2 Tech Specs
- Take-off weight: 377 grams
- Maximum climb/descent speed: 6 m/s in normal mode, 9 m/s in sport mode
- Maximum horizontal speed: 8 m/s in normal mode, 16 m/s in sport mode, 27 m/s in manual mode (limited to 19 m/s in EU regions)
- Maximum flight time: About 23 minutes
- Maximum wind speed resistance: 10.7 m/s (Level 5)
- Internal storage: 46 GB with microSD card support up to 512 GB
- Image sensor: 1/1.3 inch image sensor
- Effective pixels: 12 MP
- Lens: 155° field of view, 12mm equivalent, f/2.8, focus range 0.6m to ∞
- Maximum image resolution: 4000×3000 (4∶3)
- Maximum video resolution: 4K (4∶3): 3840×2880@30/50/60fps
- Video format and bitrate: MP4 (H.264/H.265) at 130 Mbps
- Color modes: Standard and d log m
- Sensor: Downward and backward visual positioning
It’s pretty clear that DJI is to drones what the Rolls Royce is to luxury cars, Lego to toys, Apple to technology, and Rolex to watches. best of the best. The company is light years ahead of the competition in both the consumer and professional drone arena, knocking it out of the park with innovative releases for several years in a row. Avata 2 is no exception.
For the past few weeks, I’ve been putting the DJI Avata 2 Fly More Combo through its paces. The kit comes with the drone, three batteries, the Motion 3 controller, and a pair of Goggles 3. I was also sent a regular controller to use.
Despite not spending as many hours of flight time as I would have liked — thanks to the changing weather from rain to gusty winds and vice versa, I wasn’t about to risk a new drone in such difficult conditions. To get a solid feel for the quality of the drone and its accessories, to see how well the specs hold up to reality, and to get an idea of its overall flight characteristics, fly it around. .
Everything in the kit is exactly what I expect from DJI — top notch quality. The drone itself feels sturdy, which was a bit of a surprise since it’s not much heavier than DJI’s sub-250g ultralight drones. The prop guards look like they can take a hit or two, and yes, I had to put it to the test.
Granted, I only bumped into things at a fairly low speed, but that same bump would have literally sent another drone crashing to the ground. But remember, this is a drone that can head for hills at 60 mph, and there’s no money to spare, so build your skills slowly.
The camera is also in a safe place, tucked neatly into the drone’s nose, keeping it well protected.
The Avata 2 has binocular fisheye sensors that cover both the bottom and rear views, giving it the ability to simultaneously detect obstacles hidden below and behind the drone, but are intended for low-altitude and indoor flights.
Goggles 3 looks a little weird to me because I’m not used to wearing anything like them, much less flying in them. And yes, there’s quite a bit of setup and customization involved, not to mention a pretty steep learning curve if you want to make your first flight anything but your last.
Just mastering basic tricks like setting things up and taking off with glasses takes patience. But trust me, the effort pays off big when you land in the front-row seat of Avata 2.
The Motion 3 controller is another fresh piece of the puzzle, and it comes with its own learning curve. It’s incredibly intuitive and sits comfortably in your hand, with all the buttons and controls easy to navigate, even when you’re sporting glasses. But here’s some advice: dive into the lessons before you jump into high-speed flight and maybe a few hours on the simulator.
Since I know I’ll get a lot of questions about batteries, let’s tackle the most common questions right off the bat.
First, real-world battery life will always be slightly less than advertised. After taking the drone out for a few flights, I’ve found that the average flight time hovers around 17 minutes.
Another hot topic when it comes to drone batteries is how safely they fit into the drone’s body. In the past there have been concerns about batteries separating mid-flight. The great news with the Avata 2 is that its battery is securely locked into the body of the drone, so much so that I can’t imagine it popping out during flight.
Finally, there’s been some chatter among drone enthusiasts — especially its users Money 3 And Mini 4 Pro — About the plastic clips when the battery breaks. The Avata 2 has similar battery clips, but in all my years of using batteries with these clips, I have yet to encounter any issues. I suggest handle the clips carefully, squeeze them lightly when attaching or detaching the battery, and avoid rough handling.
Flying this drone offers an unparalleled experience. I’ve piloted drones through some incredible locations around the world, from abandoned copper mines to the volcanic edges of active volcanoes, but this one — it is in a league of its own.
Feeding the drone’s camera directly into my goggles gives me a view that’s second to none. It’s like stepping into a video game, except it’s the real world, and I’m capturing it all — crystal-clear footage in stunning 4K at 60 frames per second, just as easily as anyone. An action camera can.
The DJI Avata 2 is an absolute joy to fly. Its accuracy and responsiveness are supreme, giving pilots the confidence to really push the drone to its thrilling limits.
ZDNET’s shopping advice
gave DJI Open 2 It’s an impressive setup, and with a starting price of $999 for the single-battery combo pack, it’s surprisingly competitive. It gives you the drone, goggles, and all the accessories you need to dive into the world of FPV drones.
However, it’s important to keep in mind that this is not a plug-and-play experience. Don’t expect to unbox it and master it in minutes. There is quite a learning curve involved, and it will take some time to develop the necessary skills and hand-eye coordination to take full advantage of this platform.
Also, it’s important to remember that this is an FPV drone. So, if you want to capture cinematic footage or do detailed shots of buildings for a realtor, this might not be the best choice. Think of it as more of a flying action camera than a traditional camera. This difference really shapes the kind of results you can expect from it.
Credit : www.zdnet.com