It comes down to a design choice between providing an unobstructed view and putting the camera in harm's way. On the Avata, this is still an issue, but only when the wide-angle modes are being used and the camera is pointing downwards.
One issue that the DJI FPV suffered from was that, in certain maneuvers, it was possible to see the blade tips in your videos. The placement of the power lights on the battery is something we’ve seen on other DJI designs recently, and it makes perfect sense.
This is another feature that's clearly aimed at making the battery more likely to survive a crash and less likely to damage other parts of the drone. The front of the frame also has an angled section, which should deflect the drone down if you flip the underside of a window or other horizontal structure.īatteries slide and lock into a cage on the rear of the drone and have a flexible connector that links the power lines to the drone. The inclusion of blade rings is also a significant advantage if the drone ever hits living things, even though the 410g Avata is much lighter than the 795g DJI FPV.Īlong with being lighter, the Avata is also much smaller at just 18cm square and 8cm high, enabling it to get through much narrower gaps. While we can’t confirm this currently, we’ve been told that the blade guard and main frame of the drone will be purchasable as replacements from DJI, allowing owners to replace them if they have an unfortunate accident. While we haven't been able to test it to destruction, the Avata looks like it was designed to handle a few obstruction encounters without rapid and unexpected disassembly. The design of the Avata is a radical departure from the original DJI FPV, as this design has no folding elements, placing its blades inside protective rings. It also doesn’t come with a USB-C charger, so you need to have one that can output at least 30W if you wish to charge the batteries rapidly. At launch, there is no bag or case available from DJI for the Avata, sadly. While not part of this specific launch, the DJI FPV Remote Controller 2 costs $139 / £139, and is a necessity if you wish to fly in manual mode. Once you have the drone, you can invest in the DJI Avata ND Filters Set (ND8/16/32) for $79 / £59, extra props for $9 / £9, a replacement Upper Frame for $19 / £19 and a replacement propeller guard for $29 / £25. That’s not a bad deal since the charging hub costs $59 / £49 and the batteries are $129 / £109 each, saving you £52 or $38 on buying them individually. To get more flying time out of these investments you'll need the Avata Fly More Kit, which comes with a four-battery charging hub and two additional batteries, costing £215 ($279, €249 or AU$339). This costs £989 ($1,168, €1,149 or AU$1,629), making this the 'budget' option for those without Goggles. You can also get the DJI Avata Fly Smart Combo that comes with the older and larger Goggles V2 instead of the Goggles 2. It includes both the new DJI Goggles 2 and the DJI Motion Controller, and it comes with a single battery. The DJI Avata Pro View Combo costs £1,229 ($1,388, €1,429 or AU$1,989) and is for those that don’t own the previous drone. It is possible to buy the DJI Avata on its own for £499 ($629, €579 or AU$799), and this doesn’t include Goggles or a controller, both of which you can repurpose from the original DJI FPV.
There are multiple ways to buy the DJI Avata FPV, though which of these you need depends on if you own the original FPV hardware and what Goggles you'd like to use it with.
DJI Avata drone laws: where and how can you actually fly DJI's new drone?.The DJI Avata is a better considered and more sedate entry to the world of FPV flying than its predecessor, but it falls into a space between camera drones and FPV hardware that might not satisfy either objective as effectively as more dedicated solutions.įor those that don’t get motion sick and have the open spaces to let the Avata off its leash, then it can be a blast to fly, but getting this experience also comes with a significant investment. If you discover that FPV flying isn’t for you, then this could be a very expensive mistake. The critical issue here is that this type of flying is a major departure from flying camera drones, and not all pilots will instantly enjoy it.