15-Mar-2021, 10:17 AM
My Honest DJI FPV Review
I have owned the DJI FPV Drone for a little over a week now, and I am quite impressed by everything that it offers. If I may, I would like to share my opinion about this product, both the good and the bad.
Coming in from flying primarily cinematic drones like the Mavic and Mavic Air, I can certainly see the similarities between these and the DJI FPV Drone. The learning curve to understanding the layout of the DJI Fly App as well as of the controller is not that steep, although setting controls using the goggles can be a little disconcerting at first.
![[Image: DZF8nVodv77blwN5f3eVd_LmaUXLudGqg2IWIJ1K...WMWwS2GOZC]](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/DZF8nVodv77blwN5f3eVd_LmaUXLudGqg2IWIJ1KfKsTIk6PGPbrBpOPAVsZT3y30cLj4QNeEQDl9jOE9ZKHrO1Zm3DrRAWUnm3kAbhspRBRW8e4zquNGqLbjpcy55WMWwS2GOZC)
After a few hours of flight, I was already able to fly under Normal Mode pretty well. The drone handles like your usual Mavic also I can feel that there’s a lot of power under the hood. The FPV aspect of the drone was also different, but in a very pleasant way. Flying FPV is a brand new experience compared to flying using a controller and a phone as the former is a completely immersive experience. It’s laughable that I find myself turning my head in the direction that I want my drone to go while doing the same thing with my controller.
I got around 18 minutes of flight time in my first full charge under Normal Mode. As I charged up, I reviewed some of my footage and I was amazed. Since the DJI FPV is not a 3-axis gimbal like, say, the Mavic Air 2, I was surprised that the footage I got was not bad. While my live goggles view where a bit shaky and wobbly, the footage recorded by the drone was quite a lot better. The Rocksteady EIS feature at work. The video was quite good and, with some grading, I think that the DJI FPV drone has a lot of filmmaking potential in succeeding modes. Of course, it can’t quite beat the cinematic quality of drones built for such a purpose like the Mavic 2 Pro.
My second flight was under Sport Mode. Battery lasted around 16 minutes but I was really ripping it. I was able to top out at around 60 miles per hour. In comparison, the Mavic Air 2 tops at around 42 kph, but that is not even the DJI FPV drone’s final form. Under Sport Mode, you still fly your machine like a Mavic, with the distinction that it will “tilt” as you turn, giving the pilot a glimpse of the drone’s potential in freestyle.
It is in Manual Mode that the DJI FPV Drone truly shines. Switch to M Mode and loosen the screws on the back of your controller to turn your drone into a freestyle quad. Don’t expect speeds and maneuverability at par with traditional racing drones, though, but this thing can accelerate from 0 to 60 is 2 seconds and can top speeds in the high 80s, although some have reported reaching 90mph. That’s pretty awesome in my book.
![[Image: Zyi12cIaCXd84Mid9jL9mnTjgO75QGK8GdhP3pFW...CFusKyqhJs]](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/Zyi12cIaCXd84Mid9jL9mnTjgO75QGK8GdhP3pFWDG-D2sUiFSv0fdPN7saJFocnCHyZ9Yh0iOlUqGpcZSzR_CJH8JxEZ83e3fe-vXSGooL3ovdqirL1vLyugHR5N2CFusKyqhJs)
Battery life also suffers when you “rip it” as you can probably get around 6 to 8 minutes, but that is still better from the usual batteries that you can find that will give you 3 to 5 minutes of flight time. That, plus there is a much smaller risk of explosions and handling lots of batteries. If the flight time is not sufficient for you,
DJI also offers the Fly More Kit where you get two extra batteries plus a multi-battery charger. While you’re at it, get the motion controller too, as it provides a whole new experience in controlling your drone especially if the whole RC thing has already become stale for you.
I was able to do some freestyle moves a week after getting the DJI FPV Drone. I was by no means an expert, but the Panic button available in both controllers can really save the day. I do recommend that you record some major time in simulators before going full acro, though, because it will only be inevitable before you crash.
Speaking of which, I can fully understand why FPV purists dislike this drone with a passion. It is not as durable as a build made up of carbon fiber, nor is it as maneuverable or fast as a three-inch quad. Some may even say that cinewhoops are better in terms of video quality, plus it can even record sound (btw, the GOGGLES can record audio as per DJI, although I have not tried this yet).
![[Image: tcbFTV5EWVZyi0y19oaC4BKZr85f-HtMTJQUva7k...Myd93FuBiE]](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/tcbFTV5EWVZyi0y19oaC4BKZr85f-HtMTJQUva7k7HJ8aUa2Lsfu0XzjQIGek4bCtGsM_Db_1DBRDWMsc7GIHAz9VNo0rBuFgKTQ_l6eUztB4CcnOUHiPXT2dV0UOUMyd93FuBiE)
However, I firmly believe that the DJI FPV Drone is NOT meant for these types of people simply because this drone is not targeted to those who want to BUILD their own quads. Much like PC Master Racers vs. those who support Macs, these are two different markets who aim to do similar things. While PC guys want to be able to customize their setups, a Macintosh is ready and able to do everything from the get go. It may not be perfect and it may be rigid for some, but it is that convenience that people are paying a premium for.
Aside from that, I would like to say that OcuSync 3.0 is simply AMAZING! I was able to fly pretty far out in all modes and the view was absolutely magnificent albeit with a few pixelations here and there. I will choose this over a staticky perspective any time. It also provides a much more stable connection that minimizes breakups in signals. OcuSync is an amazing piece of technology that I hope can be adapted by all drones moving forward. Of course, if signals do get terminated, at least we know that DJI FPV Drone’s safety features will be there to save the day.
![[Image: AAuSw16T1Dgs25jgcvfEfUO3mf6Q3T-SA3nivrl6...ky5misObbk]](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/AAuSw16T1Dgs25jgcvfEfUO3mf6Q3T-SA3nivrl6--LluocR4dE-PwqK8qNx9RIxsWspnGxKSIT35gPv0aGjbL0xGrkorz1t1Nqa-_u55TW2v4scFILAUp6WLobeIAky5misObbk)
So all in all, I can honestly say that I really like this drone because it has something for everybody, plus it has features that makes it safer and less likely to crash (also, the composition of the DJI FPV Drone is much tougher than in looks on paper). Some say that it’s a Fisher Price FPV drone, but I like to think that it’s more of a compliment than an insult. An EASY TO USE FPV drone that you can use to make your way up to full freestyle or racing quads? I’m definitely all in.
Will I eventually start to learn about ESCs and AUs and Li-Pos and all that? Definitely, probably within two years or so. But for now, I’m perfectly happy with this drone until I am inevitably ready, skill and experience-wise, to take things to the next level.
![[-]](https://intofpv.com/images/collapse.png)
