Our favourite drone brand, DJI, is keeping the ball rolling after their smash-hit DJI Mini 3 Pro hit the market earlier this year. The DJI Avata is the brand’s latest sub-$1000 AUD first-person drone and provides a great stepping stone for beginners while also satisfying semi-professionals with quality cameras and smooth flying. By combining the Avata with the new DJI Goggles 2 and the Motion Controller you’ll be put in the driver’s seat while racing through the sky.
Related: We tested the DJI Mini 3 Pro to see if it’s the best beginner drone money can buy.
Image: DJI
The DJI Avata Drone in a Nutshell
We’ve outlined the camera details and safety modes below, but in terms of flying modes, the DJI Avata utilises the brand’s familiar three-mode setup that has been modified to better suit the FPV drone.
Normal (N) Mode: Operates similarly to other DJI drones, hovering in place with the use of satellite navigation and/or visual positioning systems (VPS) on the bottom of the drone.
Manual (M) Mode (only with the DJI FPV Remote Controller 2): Fly in M mode for complete, limitless control and the full FPV immersive flight experience. Experienced users can customize parameters and enjoy flight and footage unlike anything else.
Sport (S) Mode: A new hybrid blend of M and N mode, that offers some of the dynamic movement capabilities that come with M mode along with some of the key safety features of N mode. S mode is the middle step between the three modes and was developed to give pilots more room to explore their skills as they get accustomed to the drone.
Image: DJI
What Camera Does the DJI Avata Use?
DJI Avata might be fun to fly but the imaging system is the key advantage over any other dedicated FPV racing drone.
- 1/1.7-inch 48MP Photo CMOS sensor with f/2.8 aperture and ultra-wide-angle lens with a viewing angle of up to 155°.
- 4k/60fps video, as well as slow-motion footage at 2.7K/100fps.
- D-Cinelike colour mode (10-bit) that’s perfect for post-production.
- 20 GB of internal storage space
The flight time for the DJI Avata is approx. 18 minutes.
Image: DJI
Is the DJI Avata Safe to Fly?
The Avata takes advantage of propeller guards to avoid any serious damage during flight, while also making use of a dedicated emergency brake, hover feature, and return to home function.
We’ll also remind you that different jurisdictions have different rules around flying FPV drones (which can be quite an attention grabbing and intense experience) so before you purchase we’ve linked the relevant Australian laws below, and if you want to fly FPV outdoors, you must either:
- Be a member of a model aircraft association that has the approval to fly FPV
- Apply for CASA approval to fly FPV recreationally
- Apply for CASA approval to fly extended visual line of sight (EVLOS) commercially
We also recommend bringing a visual observer to act as a spotter whenever flying FPV.
Image: DJI
DJI Goggles 2
The DJI Goggles 2 are an improved pair of FPV goggles that now include a clearer Micro-OLED screen with adjustable diopters for people who wear glasses. Low latency is taken care of with DJI O3+ transmission that offers video at 1080p/100fps with H.265 decoding. The transmission delay is approximately 30 milliseconds, and the longest transmission distance is 10 kilometres. There’s also a wireless streaming function for monitoring on a computer in professional settings.
Image: DJI
DJI Motion Controller
The DJI Motion Controller is essentially everything it says in the title. This controller will allow you to fly the drone based on the movements of your hands with fluid motions. Check out this tutorial from DJI to get an understanding of how this works.
Image: DJI
Where to Buy the DJI Avata
The DJI Avata is available now via the link below from a starting price of $799 AUD (no controller). We highly recommend checking out the DJI Avata Pro-View Combo to give you the most immersive experience from the get-go as it includes a handful of the accessories below, but most importantly, the DJI Goggles 2 and DJI Motion Controller.
These are the DJI Avata accessories on offer.
- DJI Avata Intelligent Flight Battery
- DJI Avata Battery Charging Hub
- DJI Avata Propellers
- DJI Avata Upper Frame
- DJI Avata Propeller Guard
- DJI Avata ND Filters Set (ND8/16/32)
- DJI 65W Portable Charger
- DJI 65W Car Charger
- DJI Goggles Carry More Backpack
To take some of the anxiety out of the flying equation, DJI now offers DJI Care Refresh that will repair or replace (for a small charge) you drone if any accidents occur with flyaways, collisions, and water damage.
Image: DJI
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