This blog post is NOT sponsored by DJI and all opinions are my own. The drone is paid for out of pocket (although I'm looking for sponsors and gear providers - wink wink!)
Here we are! In my last blog post I was discussing some of the frustrations of current drones (including FPV systems) and how the current line up from DJI was addressing those issues, and how excited I was for this particular drone. Well the time has finally come where I had the opportunity to put my hot little hands on the DJI Avata and fly (as well as crash!) this new drone. How did it perform and did it meet my expectations? Read on!
Hello There! First Impression
First thought right out of the box is how small yet rugged this drone felt. This looked like it could truly go places I didn't dare to go before (afraid I would break or lose the drone). The drone frame looked tough and seemed to protect all the essential equipment really well, and the drone still looked pretty sleek.
There are a few bundles available but I opted for just the drone because it could be paired with existing FPV goggles and controllers (savings of $700 if you do it this way). This is recommended if you're on a budget like I am and from what I read the hand controller does not allow for FPV flight.
The package included a battery and charger which seemed to take forever to charge, but that could be due to the charging hub I was using. Once the battery was charged, it was time to take to the skys!
This drone handles like a dream and I was blown away at how easy it was to get into the air and zip around some trees and other obstacles with little problem. The drone was very responsive and I have to admit I could not stop smiling as it cut between trees in the back yard with ease. This was so much fun to fly!
Turn & Burn, Mav! Flight Testing
For the initial flight I wanted to see how the Avata behaved around a common household yard, flying it down the driveway and back up over the house and eventually through the woods behind the house. The drone was extremely responsive, zipping down straight pathways quickly and banking sharply around every obstacle without a noticeable loss of speed. The transmission to an older version of the flight goggles was still really sharp and clear, giving me the sense I was sitting in the drone and I was actually flying.
The one thing I have to admit I did was lose mental focus and in that split second I crashed the drone into a tree! Normally this is where panic would set in, but I had read the Avata has a special "Turtle" mode that can flip the drone off its back and be prepped for take-off in a matter of seconds. Well luckily (or unluckily) for me, the drone fell on its back and I had the opportunity to test out this mode...It worked! The drone flipped right side up and I was off again in seconds, with no loss of control and no signs of damage (just a collection of grassy bits stuck to the drone!)
The Good & The Bad (& The Ugly)
The Good: The ease of setup with this drone to get you up in the air when compared to other FPV systems is fantastic. Just a quick connection to the controller, goggles and you'll be up before you know it. It's a rugged drone with excellent image quality and you'll be extremely happy with any video or photos you shoot using this drone.
The backwards compatibility with existing FPV controllers and goggles can save you some money when compared with current Avata bundles (the DJI Avata alone is $700 while the bundle that also includes FPV goggles and a hand controller costs $1388).
The peace of mind this drone gives you when you hold it and eventually fly it is priceless. It feels solid and almost indestructible. I had no worries when I crashed my drone into a tree because it did feel THAT solid.
So what's the bad? Price wise, comparing this to similar sized drones like the Mavic Mini 3 Pro is on the high end. The Mavic Mini 3 Pro is $759 and this includes the controller, where $700 only gets you the Avata drone. Supply was also a concern as this drone seemed to take longer for delivery.
One thing that pops up when flying very high up and you decide to come back down to earth and rotate the gimbal so it points down, you WILL see the brackets on each side of the camera. There is no way to avoid this because this is how the drone is built in order to give maximum protection to the camera. Post production to crop this distraction out of the final shots can be done, but it can be a hassle.
These are the three glaring issues I've had with this drone so far.
The Ugly - I would like to see some company in the future develop a skin or sell colorful replaceable frame parts as a way to add color and personalize the drone. Right now it's just basic back and gray.
Final Thoughts -
As stated in my last blog post :
"If a drone is easy to set up and fly then there will be more enjoyment from the overall experience"
and the DJI Avata checks all the boxes and then some, making this drone a lot of fun to fly!
The understanding that this is a solid drone that can take some impact does a lot to ease the stress away from a beginning drone pilot and reduces fear of making mistakes. At the same time it makes beginner pilots bolder than they might normally would be and fly more fearless.
If you are looking for a good starter drone consider the mini lineup from DJI, especially the Mini 3 Pro, but if a good first FPV drone is what you're after, strongly consider this model.
The easy setup that gets you up in the air quickly as well as the fun experience flying this drone makes it a winner in my book and glad I was able to get my hands on one. I would give this a 4.5 out of 5!
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