Description

Buy DJI Avata In Stock Online

DESCRIPTION

The DJI Avata is a high quality drone for photography and video professionals. It offers advanced features to capture incredible aerial images.

The photographers and video creators I’ve shown this drone to have been blown away by the ease of use, quality of the video transmission, and the immersive flying experience of the Avata.

Key Features

• 410g (0.9 lbs.) total weight
• 180×180×80mm
• Type 1/1.7 (7.6×5.7mm) 48MP CMOS image sensor
• 12.6mm equivalent lens (155º FOV)
• Ability to capture photo and video on the same flight
• 4K/60p and 2.7K/100p flight at 150Mbps (with new Goggles 2)
• H.264 and H.265 video codecs
• Emergency brake and hover
• Downward obstacle sensing
• DJI’s O3+ transmission system for 10km range, dual frequencies, 50 Mbps bitrate
• 18-minute max flight time
• 97 kph (60 mph) max speed
• Turtle mode that corrects drone’s orientation before take-off

It’s DJI’s second iteration of a ready-to-fly, first-person-view drone. The Avata is aimed at newcomers and professionals alike for indoor and outdoor FPV flying, preferably moving through a window. Here is our review of DJI’s Avata from someone that has flown FPV drones for years.

For people who have never flown FPV, a quick brief: It’s the closest thing to being a bird. It allows for unparalleled drone control and, until recently, had a steep learning curve.

The short review: the Avata is the only FPV drone that I could hand off to a total newcomer and have that person fly confidently around a room, out the window, and back again within a minute of instructions. The resulting 4k footage is stunning and buttery smooth.

If DJI’s goal was to “open up the excitement of flying an FPV drone to a broader audience,” they have succeeded, hands down.

I was fortunate enough to get the Pro-view combo from DJI for this review. The combo contains two boxes, one for the Avata and the other for the Motion Combo, which includes the Goggles 2 and the motion controller remote. I was also sent a spare battery. The kit, as reviewed, would set you back $1,517. Not cheap, but if you are starting from scratch, you are getting a lot for your money.

Luckily I was in Europe when I received the Avata, which allowed me to test it in different situations and check out local regulations. At my first stop, Paris, I got to familiarize myself with all the components.

The Avata

The Avata came in its own box with a flight battery, single battery charger, two spare props, a screwdriver for the props, and manuals. Bought on its own, it would set you back $629. Not a bad option if you already have compatible remote and goggles.

The drone is tough, with a hard yet flexible exoskeleton that protects the props, camera, and electronics. The battery makes up a significant weight of the system at 162g. I love how easy it is to slide the battery into the frame – no more fidgeting with velcro straps and unsightly slippery connectors. Charging the battery was a breeze. The flexible power cable easily connected to the single charger, and the battery reached a full charge in about four hours.

The take-off weight is a hefty 410g. If this is your first drone, in addition to taking the TRUST test, you must register the drone to comply with FAA rules and regulations for drones over 249g.

The camera has a 1/1.7-inch CMOS sensor at an “effective” 48MP with a wide 155-degree field of view. The video tops out at 4K at 60fps, and all camera settings are controlled from the menu on the goggles or the DJI fly app.

DJI Avata ease of use and the first flight

After updating and binding all the components taking a quick look at where I could fly outdoors in Paris (nowhere I could see) on the DJI app, I tried the Avata indoors.

With a double tap on the motion controller’s only red button, the motors roared to life. One long press, and the Avata rose straight up as if on rails. Tilting the motion controller left or right rotates the drone left or right. When I pitched the motion controller forward and back, I could see the camera lowering and raising itself, but the drone stayed absolutely still. Once I put the goggles on, everything became crystal clear.

DJI Avata durability

Unlike the original DJI FPV Drone, the Avata is a survivor. With its rugged yet flexible propeller guard/ducted fan configuration, the Avata can take a hit and keep flying. In my testing, I’ve had two notable incidents where the drone crashed hard enough to cut off the engines.

The first was during a hand-off where the drone came too close to a wall of foliage and crashed to the ground on soft vegetation from about 12 feet with no damage whatsoever.

The second was a bit more dramatic. The Avata was flying ridiculously low to the ground on an open farm field at full speed in S mode, roughly 30 mph, when it hit a lone rock and cartwheeled across the field. I didn’t want to try turtle mode before inspecting it for damage. Turtle mode is engaged through the goggles menu. Upon retrieval and some dusting off, the only damage I could see was a tiny crack on the front left propeller guard. I also noticed that all the propellers left a small mark on the inside of the propeller guard but were otherwise undamaged.

I put the Avata back on the ground, restarted it, and went for another flight with no issues.

Range

DJI claims in outdoor environments clear of interference, the Avata will go up to 10 km or 6.2 miles in the United States, FCC, 2 km or 1.2 miles in Europe, EU, and finally 6 km or 3.7 miles in China, SRRC. This might be true in the middle of nowhere without a power line or cell phone tower in sight. However, I found that the environment and its interference, including concrete buildings and deep canyons, will significantly impact how far you can actually fly. The Avata automatically adjusts regions while connected to the DJI Fly app.

I also ran into a brownout trying to test the drone’s range. That’s where the goggles’ video feed suddenly drops off, leaving you with all static or blue screens.