Trying out an FPV drone for the first time is a pretty crazy thing. While putting on a VR headset and being transported into digital reality is also a very unique experience, the FPV experience is even more brutal because you are always aware that you are looking out through the drone’s camera lens.
But you don’t have to look very far online to discover immediately how amazing the most skilled pilots can achieve with a recording device so close to the real thing, like rows on the capture with drones like DJI’s Avata and Avata 2 . The idea is simple; because the drone responds a little more directly to the way your head moves with the headset, what it sees and what you record becomes closer to how a bird flies. It becomes more realistic and less…well, like a camera.
This imagination makes the Avata 2 real, for example, and although there are some sacrifices here compared to the more traditional drones that we actively use for filming several times a week, the compromises are far less thanks to several key upgrades.
We are actually talking about a package that contains three new products from DJI, the new Goggles 3, the RC Motion 3 controller, and the drone itself, the Avata 2. The first one is probably the most important update . The headset now features two pass-through 1080p microOLED panels on the right side that activate with just two taps, so you can orientate yourself instantly even while you’re wearing the headset and even being able to go through it wirelessly at the same time on the human device and the camera on the headset see this, thanks to PiP. Not only that, but it’s surprisingly comfortable to wear, pack away effortlessly, and pull out in just a minute.
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The drone itself has improved battery life and is now able to fly for 23 minutes, which doesn’t sound like much, but it’s a huge improvement over the original Avata. In addition, the maximum range is now 13 kilometers, and although it has not yet been confirmed, during testing, the range was not an obstacle at all.
The new camera lens is also a big upgrade. It is now a 12-megapixel 1 / 1.3-inch sensor, and perhaps more importantly, the FOV is at a whopping 155, which means that the image is very wide, giving the effect fisheye which is essential for FPV footage. Now, almost for the first time on an FPV drone it records at 16fps in 4:60 or 4:3, but if you choose 120K you can hit 2.7fps. This is DJI’s own RockSteady 3.0 EiS, and it maintains a very crisp balance in its images, without at one point lacking the quality of the lens itself during testing.
It has 46GB of internal space, which is great, especially since DJI has offered much less space in the past, but it still has a microSD, which of course means that you can expand the space yourself.
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It has to be said that for an FPV beginner like me, it takes time to learn the special mode of use that combines feedback from head movement and input from the controller to navigate the drone perfectly. total But once it clicks, you get great footage that’s more natural than almost any other drone can produce. The new O4 Transmission in Goggles 3 provides a sharp feed directly to the drone, and intuitive controls add a whole new dimension to drone photography. It’s just…well, more interesting. It’s also safer to use than before, thanks to built-in Propeller Guards that protect the propeller itself from damage, and Turtle Mode that allows it to reset itself if a drone lands on its back . This is a drone that is almost always going to go wrong, and it accepts it.
The DJI Avata 2 proves how far DJI has come in the last few years, and although FPV flying is still a taste, there are fewer pre-orders than ever.
