DJI FPV Drone Combo with Remote Controller and Goggles

DJI has done it again! FPV drones are starting to pick up in popularity and DJI has taken an opportunity to create their version of an FPV drone. As someone who has not flown FPV, flying this drone has been a thrilling experience so far. Long flight time(for an FPV drone) and stunning pictures and videos are some of the features this FPV drone has to offer. This drone may not be for all FPV users but if you ever wanted to dip your feet into this hobby, this drone is an excellent starting spot. ========================================================== IN-THE-BOX/SET UP: The DJI FPV Drone Combo comes with everything that you need to start flying FPV. DJI even included extra propellers, control sticks, and a green top shell. Unfortunately, there is no carrying bag/case included for the drone. Carrying everything that is required to fly this drone is a bit of a hassle and having some type of bag included would have been nice. Set-up does take a while to do. The drone MUST be activated before anything else or otherwise it will not fly. Recent firmware updates must also be installed for the drone, goggles, and controller before taking off as well. This can all be done through the DJI Assistant App or the DJI Fly App. Fortunately, DJI made this process easy to do. The following links should be helpful in setting up your drone. I also recommend charging the drone, googles battery, and controller completely before flying. MANUALS, USER GUIDES, SOFTWARE: https://www.dji.com/dji-fpv/downloads VIDEO TUTORIALS: https://www.dji.com/dji-fpv/video DJI FLY APP: https://www.dji.com/downloads/djiapp/dji-fly Once you have activated your drone and all updates are installed, you should be ready to go! Also, note that this drone must be registered with the FAA since the drone is over 250g (weighs 800g), this can be done through the following website: https://www.faa.gov/uas/getting_started/register_drone/ There is a small fee of 5 dollars to register the drone. Not registering the drone can result in regulatory and criminal penalties. ========================================================== FEATURES: The drone contains plenty of features to help you get into FPV and to help maximize your FPV experience. Getting into FPV can be expensive since most people buy all the parts and end up building their drones. Getting into this hobby also requires knowledge in radio receivers/controllers, how to solder, how to safely charge LiPo batteries and more. DJI has made this hobby easier to get into by removing the middleman and providing everything that you need to start flying FPV. This drone offers three flight modes. N mode is where I recommend everyone starts. This mode offers all the traditional drone flight controls. The speed is capped and there is obstacle avoidance enabled. The drone does not have complete obstacle avoidance as the googles will warn you there is something close to the drone, but the drone will not stop you from running into a tree. S mode allows more freedom and allows for a more FPV immersive experience. In this mode, the drone is a lot faster, and obstacle avoidance is disabled. M mode is manual mode. This mode is disabled by default for safety. You will need to play around with a couple of settings to enable this mode. In this mode, the drone is a lot faster, the max speed in this mode is 87mph. I was a bit frightened when I first enabled M mode. I’m not too experienced in flying a drone manually and did have trouble controlling it for the most part. Fortunately, I did not crash the drone which inevitably could’ve happened if it weren’t for the emergency brake button on the controller. This button automatically enabled the brake and hover on the drone and switched me into N mode. Anyone experienced with flying drones manually would have probably had a better time in this mode. DJI offers a virtual flight app for practice flying in manual mode but unfortunately, this app is only available to IOS users as of 03/2021. I own an Android and will have to wait until the Android app is out to practice and hone my manual flying skills. There is currently no set date for when this app will be available for Android devices. The drone does have smart Return-to-Home (RTH) which can be activated through the controller. This feature is fairly accurate for the most part. From the various times, I’ve tested this feature, RTH almost always returns closely to the take-off spot. This feature is automatically enabled when your drone is at low battery as well as if the signal is lost for more than a couple of seconds. Not many people know this feature exists but the LED lights on the drone’s arms are customizable through the goggle’s settings. I recommend having them off when flying during the daytime to maximize battery life. ========================================================== GOGGLES/CONTROLLER: The DJI FPV drone comes with a newly designed controller and the DJI FPV Goggles V2. Both are extremely well built and designed. The Goggles need to be connected to the small battery pack to power them on. The battery pack does last a decent amount of time and should be sufficient for a couple of flights. The goggles provide high-quality video transmission from the drone even at high distances. There is little to low latency going on which allows for smooth video throughout the flight. This is due to the DJI OcuSync 3.0 transmission system. The goggles also have a couple of controls to allow you to navigate the settings. A 5D button to scroll through the menu, a back button, and a shutter/record button. (microSD card required) The new DJI controller is satisfying to hold. The controller almost reminds me of a PS4 controller with the layout of the buttons and overall design. The controller’s control sticks are stored on the inner sides of the handle. Some of the buttons are customizable through the goggle’s settings. On the right side of the controller, there is the camera/record button, a switch that moves the gimble to three different positions(this button is customizable but this is the default), and the cruise control button(available in S mode). On the left side, there is the emergency brake button/RTH (hold button to start RTH), the flight mode switch, and a manual gimble adjustment dial. On the front, there is a power button and a customizable button. The battery life on this controller is great, so far it has lasted me a couple of flights. ========================================================== FLYING EXPERIENCE/VIDEO & CAMERA: Now for the flying experience. I have truly enjoyed flying this drone in general. The FPV experience is simply breathtaking. This FPV experience helps you get that birds-eye view that our friends in the sky experience. Many FPV enthusiasts might not consider this drone a true FPV drone but the drone does have enough features to fully maximize the FPV experience. FPV is usually a lot of manual flying, while I could not test the manual flying to its highest capabilities due to my lack of skills, I seriously respect people who do this as a hobby. Flying manually is indeed difficult and one day I would love to be doing flips and rolls with the drone. One of my favorite things to do with this drone was to fully max out its speed. This drone is fast and seeing this first-hand was enjoyable. The video/camera quality on this drone is truly beautiful. The camera can take up to 4K at 60fps of HD video and take 4K photos. There is a 150-degree field of view which allows for an even more immersive experience. The camera does show the drone’s propellers in both the photos and video which did not bother me too much but may be a problem for those who are looking to use this drone for cinematography. I noticed that this drone does have electronic image stabilization which worked well as a lot of the video I recorded came out smooth and crystal-clear. The googles do also record video but this footage is at 810p at 60fps. ========================================================== CONCLUSION: Overall, flying DJI’s FPV drone has been an entertaining experience for someone who has never flown FPV. Flying FPV is truly breathtaking, and I would recommend everyone to experience it. Now, who is this drone for? I don’t know too much about FPV flying but I can see why this drone may not be for FPV enthusiasts. FPV drones are usually light and easy to repair. This drone is a lot heavier and can be significantly more expensive if it breaks. FPV enthusiasts may also find the safety features on this drone fairly restricting. On the other hand, if you have always wanted to dip your feet into FPV, I would think this is a great way to do so. Not only does this drone contain many safety features to prevent you from crashing but it is already completely built to fly in FPV without having extensive knowledge in the field. If this sounds good to you, I would highly recommend this FPV drone to you.

One of the first things they tell you in the instructions for the DJI FPV drone is that the device is not a toy. After a few days of fooling around with it, I’m not entirely sure I can agree with that. It’s true that the drone has the power, maneuverability, and advanced features you’d expect from a professional drone platform. But at the end of the day, the key objective with this drone seems to have been to build something fun rather than something practical. Usually I wouldn’t talk too much about the unboxing experience, but in this case I feel it’s worth it as it turned out to be far more involved than I initially expected. Since this drone is large and fast enough to require registration it’s not something you can just pick up and fly immediately. Before the thing will even work you need to create an account with DJI and permanently bind the drone to it, something which proved a lot more involved than expected since the version of the required DJI Fly app that you can download from the Google and iPhone app stores isn’t the one which supports the FPV drone. For all I know this is something that only early adopters like me will have to deal with, but in case it’s not I’ll try to save you a few hours and let you know that the correct version can be downloaded from DJI’s website. Once this was done and the drone was activated firmware updates were required for each of the three parts in the combo, a process which took about half an hour in total and drained a good chunk of the batteries for the headset and drone. Once I’d gotten the unit ready to fly though, the overall user experience improved dramatically. In what I’d assume was an effort to keep weight down, the FPV doesn’t use the folding prop design found in some of their other popular offerings. It opts instead for relatively stubby fixed props which, while quite powerful, feel noticeably more fragile and really need to be removed when the drone isn’t in use for their own protection. To make this as easy as possible they’ve adopted a toolless design that lets you pop them on or pull them off just by pressing down and twisting the rotor, making setup in the field a breeze. The controller is perhaps the most ergonomic drone controller I’ve ever used, opting for a streamlined ergonomic design closer to what you’d get from a high-end gaming console than the typical bricks that come with most RC vehicles. And all the controls are well textured and laid out to allow you to find them even with your eyes closed, a necessity given that you’ll likely be flying with the included FPV goggles on most of the time. The screens are sharp and bright, lag times are exceptionally low (though definitely still noticeable when the range opens up or you start pulling off complicated maneuvers) and it’s light enough to keep it from being a nuisance. And the image quality you get from the drone with DJI’s digital FPV system is a marvel to behold. I’ve tried a few FPV headsets like this before (almost all of which use analog signals rather than digital) and the difference between them and this is night and day. The image is clear, movement is crisp as can be, and the signal is rock solid. Unlike most of the drones which DJI has put out, which look built for level flight and hovering, the FPV has a distinctly angular built which makes it clear that its default mode is meant to be moving forward at high speeds. Don’t get me wrong, it can still hover when it needs to, but when you see it hanging in the air like that you can’t help but feel like it’s slightly disappointed in you for your choices. This more aggressive shape makes for an absolutely striking profile both in the air and on the shelf and is made even more impressive by the translucent gray fairing it ships with allowing you to see the tightly packed electronics inside.I almost immediately swapped out this fairing for the more visible bright green one that shipped in the box so that my spotter would have an easier time seeing it at a distance, which gave me the opportunity to look at the interior though, and I very much liked what I saw. As far as I could tell all the electronics within the drone are split into discrete and replaceable modules rather than assembled into a single board, with all those modules being held together by screws rather than glue or fragile plastic tabs like you’d get with most electronics these days. Fortunately, I have not yet crashed spectacularly enough to need to put this to the test, but I get the sense that it wouldn’t take a ton of effort to effect even major repairs to the unit if required. The drone also is where you run into a few of the potential weaknesses. The 4K camera mounted here is very good, producing sharp images and video even at speed, but you can’t help but get the sense that it’s there first and foremost to give you a better experience as a pilot rather than to take pictures. With other DJI drones you typically get a gimbal with 3 axes of rotation. This has only one – and it only allows for vertical adjustment. What’s more the 150-degree field of view it offers can’t help but make the images it captures look a bit fish-eyed compared to what you’d get from a Mavic or Phantom, and will catch the props in the frame if it’s pointed straight forward. To be clear I don’t necessarily think this is a bad decision. Given how fast this thing goes it’s probably not a smart idea to make it easier for the pilot to look away from where they’re moving. But it is something anyone looking to use this as a filming platform should consider when choosing which drone to go with. So, now that we’ve gotten all that out of the way, let’s talk about arguably the most important aspect of the FPV: How is it to fly it? Turns out there are three different answers for this, one for each of the flight modes the drone supports. N mode is tailored for beginners or anyone who wants to be sure they don’t end up embedding the FPV into a tree. Speed is held down, navigation aids such as automatic obstacle detection will do their best to stop you from doing anything too reckless, and the drone will handle the more complicated maneuvers on its own. It does feel a little bit like you’re flying with training wheels on at times, but if you’ve never tried FPV flight before this is probably the best way to do it while you get used to orienting yourself without being able to actually see the drone. I also found this to be the best mode to use when taking snapshots, as it was easy to take my time adjusting the drone and its gimbal to line up the shot I wanted. S Mode offers a punchier experience for more confident flyers who’d prefer not to have their hand held. Speed is still limited to about 2/3rds of what the aircraft can manage but most of the other safety features are turned off, giving you the freedom to do something a bit ill advised if you really want. This was probably the most fun mode to fly in for me as everything felt extremely responsive and the footage I got in the goggles was thrilling, but you definitely need to be a lot more aware of environmental factors such as wind and it drains the battery quite fast. While I managed to avoid smashing the drone there were definitely a few close calls that made me acutely aware of how easy it would be to do, particularly if you let yourself wander into tight quarters. It seems like it would be great for shooting video, but unfortunately I can’t really attest to the results as I ended up losing the clip I shot to file corruption brought about by me pulling the battery a little too soon after landing. And then there is M mode – which offers full manual control. M mode turned out to be a lot scarier than I expected going in. I’ve flown drones on manual before, but never one with this kind of raw speed at its disposal. I did not crash or destroy anything, which I consider to be a small triumph (and a great testament to how useful the built-in emergency brake on the drone can be,) but afterwards I was more than ready for the drone to go back to holding my hand for a bit. In the hands of someone more competent than me, the kind of high-speed acrobatics you can pull off with full manual control is probably one of the biggest selling points for this drone. But I think I’m going to be spending a bit more time in the simulator to brush up my skills before I try this again. So, now that all is said and done, who’s this for? I suspect that a lot of hardcore FPV enthusiasts aren’t going to be exceptionally interested in this. Not because there’s anything wrong with the drone for that purpose, but because so much of the hobby is based in this DIY approach where the drones are constantly being modified and improved on by their pilots/support team. And as easy as the FPV appears to be to work on, it’s all so carefully engineered and laid out that I don’t see it being particularly easy or even plausible to graft entirely new parts on. And as mentioned it’s a little too pilot-focused for me to recommend it primarily as a filming platform. Which means, unfortunately, I must contradict the instructions and say that this is mostly a toy. Or perhaps a starting point for something bigger. This drone probably isn’t going to be able to compete with purpose built racing drones. But I don’t think there are all that many people who would ever consider sticking with FPV drones if that was the only way for them to get into the hobby either. The DJI FPV is basically a showcase for how good this tech can really be and seems to be built to be just as approachable for a brand-new pilot as it is for someone who’s been flying drones for years. As a toy it will offer you all manner of thrilling, visceral experiences and fantastic views that can delight all ages in twenty-minute increments. There really is something majestic about being able to experience the great outdoors from a bird’s eye view, and if that’s all you want this is a fantastic way to get it.

Previously FPV drones were something enthusiasts had to build for themselves from parts, mount GoPro on and learn how to fly absolutely manually with no GPS. FPV drones are extremely agile and maneuverable and can fly super fast and perform aerobatic tricks. Until now. DJI came up with this super exciting FPV drone that makes transition to FPV flying available to anyone! If you ever flown a GPS stabilized drone before - like a Mavic - you'll know that they are easy to control, they would hover in place on their own and won't drift away. DJI FPV can do it all just like a GPS drone and it can gradually put you into FPV world where you have ultimate control. What do we get in the box - Drone itself, 2 full sets of propellers (8 total), goggles, controller, flight battery, goggles battery, charging adapter and cables to connect it all. You'll get spare controller sticks, 2 allen wrenches and a spare head shell for the drone (to improve visibility if you want). Allow yourself at least 2 hours startup time when you just get the drone - you'll need to charge 3 batteries (flight battery, goggles battery and controller), thankfully DJI power adapter has 2 USB-A ports to charge it all at the same time. When everything is charged - you will neet to connect your phone to the goggles using the included USB-C OTG cable or just a regular USB-C to Lightning (Apple) in order to update all firmware and activate your drone. Make sure you've got a compatible micro SD card (drone needs a fast card!) and all is ready to take it outside for the 1st flight! NOTE: while it's possible to fly it inside - I would not advise doing it. You will need a large enough room and the air flow is so strong that it will most likely blow stuff all over your floor. Anything paper in the room is pretty much guaranteed to fly around... take it outside instead! Drone has 3 flight modes that can be selected pretty much at any phase of flight. Normal mode - made for a cinematic flyovers, top forward speed is limited to 15 m/s (~33 mph) and obstacle avoidance system (forward and downward) is active. Sport mode - this turns obstacle avoidance off and boosts you forward speed to 27 m/s (~60mph) for dynamic flying, sports mode also enables 'cruise control' - sort of an auto-throttle system that would keep your forward speed constant. And of course a full manual mode with a crazy 87 mph top speed! Manual mode is almost equivalent to the self-built hobby FPV drone, it has to be enabled in the controls section, then you need to turn the controller over, pop up the cover and adjust 2 screw tension to remove auto-center of the left stick to give you a complete control over aircraft throttle. It's also advisable to practice flying the drone in manual mode using DJI Virtual Flight app in advance. When you feel good in the Manual mode - there is a way to kick things up a notch - you can go into controller settings and disable aircraft's attitude control which will allow you do a full 360 rolls with it, and in any time you feel uncomfortable or in trouble - you always have a life saving pause button on the controller - drone will automatically stabilize, hover, and go into the Normal mode with just a single button click. There is an ability to fine tune your controller's stick center sensitivity, max rate and expo. Any mode also has automatic Return To Home ability by long pressing the pause button. Return to Home altitude can be customized in settings and should be set above highest obstacle in the area as your dron will default to return to home in case of a low battery or loss of communications. Camera footage that this drone captures is pretty spectacular - 1/2.3" CMOS 12MP 4K/60 fps sensor with ISO range from 100 to 12800 guarantees you a crystal clear footage with wide dynamic balance and high low light sensitivity! Camera feed looks just amazing in the goggles - it's a complete immersion into reality from up above, like you are actually seeing the world from the drone's perspective! DJI's OcuSync 3.0 communication system works flawlessly - there are no hiccups, artefacts or delays - you see everything exactly as the drone sees it with almost no delay, I was able to fly about 4000' away in the suburbs before I've noticed any signal drop-outs, pretty sure it will be way better out of the city. Camera is mounted on the singe axis gimbal that allows for aircraft pitch correction but it does not remove any bank or yaw from the footage. D-Cinelike and Normal color modes are supported to allow for a post color correction. Goggles are pretty lightweight and comfortable (way lighter than let's say Oculus Quest), I'm not really a fan of the external battery. I understand that external battery enables longer use time (by swapping the battery out) but it's not very comfortable to deal with the wire all the time. Inter-pupillary distance is adjustable so anyone can fly, I was able to keep my prescription glasses while wearing DJI goggles as well. Both eyes screens have 1440x810 resolution. Safety - what I did appreciate a lot is that drone has ADS-B receiver built in so if it senses a real aircraft nearby - you will get a warning in the goggles. If you ever crash your drone (btw - DJI has an extended care plan just in case you want extra insurance) - you can view the last 30 seconds of what drone seen in the goggles (or even the whole flight if you installed an SD card into goggles as well). What is missing in my opinion is auto tracking functions just like in any other DJI GPS stabilized drone. FPV drone won't do any tricks like circle around an object, spiral, rocket and other effects - you'll need to fly those yourself. There is also no way to mount the phone on the controller, this is not a big deal for FPV flights, but just in case you wanted to take a break or flying alone (no Visual Observer) - you'll need to be creative on where to put the phone at. Phone shows drone camera feed, but no menu or warnings. What I think overall - if your desire is just aerial photography - get one of GPS stabilized drones with 3 axis gimbal. This drone if mostly for the fast dynamic flying and immersive flight scenes at high speeds and bank angles. Absolutely get it if you enjoy adrenaline rush! I would also recommend getting DJI FPV fly more kit that includes 2 extra flight batteries and a sequential charging adapter - which would allow you to just connect all 3 batteries. Another fun accessory to get is the DJI motion controller which I don't have just yet.

FPV drones prior to this drone were custom built drones meant for racing and one of a kind video footage. The video captured from an FPV drone is much different than that of a regular drone. The problem with FPV drones prior to this release is that they had to be custom built, and you needed skill to fly them because there were no safety features built in. Another downside was that the battery life of these drones normal was only a few minutes of flight time. With the release of DJI’s FPV drone it is a game changer. It allows just about anyone with drone experience the capability to fly an FPV drone. This is done through DJI’s intuitive flight modes. The first mode is N mode which offers a traditional drone control and includes obstacle avoidance safety feature. The next mode is S mode which is more of a middle ground which offers great FPV footage, faster speeds, cruise control, and many other great features without getting too crazy. The last mode is M mode which is like the traditional FPV experience and offers the fastest speeds, and limitless ability to fly. Another great feature is that DJI has built in flight simulators which really let you get comfortable flying in any of the modes without crashing your drone. A few other safety features included with this drone are an emergency brake and Return to Home (RTH) function. The emergency brake is something that I have never seen on any drone. Essentially if you get into trouble you can push the button and the drone will stop and hover stably. Depending on how fast you are flying will depend how long it takes to stabilize itself but with some testing it appears to function extremely well. I believe this will save a lot of drone from crashing during FPV flight. Return to Home functions just like any other DJI drone and allows the drone to return to its original location it took off from if the battery is low or if you press the button. This could be useful if you lose sight of your drone or simply would like it to return to home for any reason. One plus to this drone is that it has a rated 20-minute battery life which is unheard of in FPV drones. During my testing, the battery lasted plenty long enough and makes this the perfect drone for content creators looking to get FPV footage. DJI’s OcuSync 3.0 allows the drone to fly up to 10km away while keeping crystal clear transmission. This distance is plenty more than I was even comfortable flying it. The video is crystal clear up to 4K 60 fps and has a super wide-angle view. This makes it easy to see what is around while flying FPV. My only gripe is that the front propellers are always in the view of the camera. It is simple to crop them out in post and it also gives it a very FPV perspective. I am looking forward to using this drone more often mainly while doing outdoor activities. I do believe that this drone is better suited for an intermediate to advanced drone user who is looking to up their game with FPV footage. Although it is made that even a beginner could easily use this drone it lacks many features that a standard drone would have such as active tracking or the ability to fly and control settings from your phone. You can plug your phone into the goggles which allows you to have someone spotting you while flying FPV and they are able to see the video transmission. Regardless this is an amazing drone and I believe it will allow many more people to get into FPV drones that would not otherwise be able to fly them. I would highly recommend this drone to content creators and outdoor enthusiast looking to get the best drone footage possible. I have attached some screen captures from video footage that are unedited straight from the drone.

If you have ever wondered what it would be like to fly around like a bird, well you no longer have to wonder. DJI FPV Combo drone that made that a possibility and let me tell it is truly an experience. I have always been a drone enthusiast and loved flying drones around but never had the opportunity to fly one like this and I can’t even begin to tell you how amazing the experience was, and to soar to new heights. The DJI FPV Combo with the goggles allows you to see what your drone’s camera captures and lets you experience everything from a bird’s eye view. Let’s go over some of the features, PROS and CONS of the DJI FPV Drone. Unboxing and Setup: The DJI FPV Combo includes everything you need for your out of this world experience. The combo includes the FPV drone, the DJI Goggles, and the DJI remote control. The kit comes with extra propellers and extra controller sticks, charging cables, charging brick, and a USB cable to connect to your phone or computer. The setup process is rather simple. Before you begin the setup process, you will need to download the DJIFLY app. The app will guide you through the setup and activation process. ***THE DRONE WILL NOT FLY WITHOUT THE ACTIVATION PROCESS***. Once the setup, installation and activation process are complete you are ready to fly. Features: Flight Modes- So, like I had mentioned before I have some experience flying drones, but this was my first time operating an FPV drone and it does take some getting used to. DJI has made this drone so that even a novice can safely operate the drone without crashing into things. The drone has 3 intuitive flight modes. The N or Normal mode allows for more traditional controls along with obstacle sensing, which has actually saved my drone a couple of times, is ideal for even beginners. The S for Sport, and M for Manual are the other two modes of flight. These modes offer limitless control, allowing you to perform stunts or anything you can think off all while getting the dynamic look of FPV. Emergency Braking and Hover Mode and Safety Features- This FPV drone comes equipped with an Emergency Brake and Hover mode, a feature I personally love. While operating this drone things do tend to get a bit out of hand, you just want to take this thing full speed and see this baby can do. At any point if things start to get overwhelming, or feel like your losing control, just press the hover button. Pressing the Hover button will stop and bring the drone to hover mode, and if you press and hold the Hover button it will automatically bring the drone back home and land the drone safely. This button has saved my drone a couple of time. I can’t even begin to tell you how much I love this feature. The DJI FPV drone has tons of security and safety features built-in to ensure safe operation. Some of the other safety features include Smart Return to Home, Low Batter Return to Home, Forward and Downward Obstacle Avoidance, Emergency Braking and Hover and Auxiliary Light which turns on automatically during low light flights. Video Quality and Transmission- The FPV drone records video at 4K/60fps up to 120 mbps with built-in auto gimble, and transmits crystal clear image to the googles from a very impressive distance of up to 6 miles. The camera on the drone has a built-in auto gimble, but also allows for manual control from the remote. The drone and the google both have a micro SD slot so that you can capture and store stunning imagery. The FPV drone offers rock steady stabilization and distortion correction allowing you to record the perfect image. PROS- Multiple Flight Modes Emergency Braking, Hover, Obstacle Avoidance and RTH – Best options in my opinion FPV via the Goggles 4K Video Quality Clear image over long distance Solid Build Quality 9 hour battery on remote 3 hour batter on goggles CONS- 20 Minute Battery Life for the Drone So, in my opinion this is just an amazing drone that offers a First-Person View that is suitable for anyone from a beginner to an expert, from a video content creator to someone just looking to fly for fun. My experience with this drone has been awesome. I would recommend anyone in the market for a drone to definitely give the DJI FPV Combo a shot. You will not be disappointed. I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND WATCHING THE VIDEO BELOW FOR A TUTORIAL. Tutorial Video: https://www.dji.com/dji-fpv/video

TL;DR This thing can really fly! Great for those interested in FPV but more accustomed to flying other DJI drones. Amazing video live feed and recording. I recommend the upgraded foam for the googles and extra batteries. Also be sure to assign turtle mode to a custom button if you fly in M mode. Minor firmware update to maintain video recording through failsafe would be appreciated. It has a nice modern design and cutting edge features, as you would expect from DJI. It is very easy to pilot in N (normal) mode which offers forward and downward obstacle avoidance and uses the gimbal to maintain a consistent, level point of view. When you want to step it up a notch you can forgo the obstacle avoidance in S (sport) mode in exchange for a top speed of ~60MPH. S mode still maintains the easier flight controls of N mode with blended yaw/bank turns and altitude hold. If you are already experienced with FPV piloting, or are just feeling really brave, you have the option to flip it to M (manual) mode and take full control over all aspects of flight. While chasing side by sides in the desert I was able to hit 86MPH in this mode! The speed available coupled with the amazing picture quality really make for an amazing experience. And if you ever get too enveloped in the HD experience and find yourself in a tricky situation there is an emergency brake function that works in all modes! This thing stops amazingly fast and switches to N mode to hold altitude. I'm sure this feature will save more than a few drones, especially as I imagine this will be a few peoples first foray into FPV. Other great features that will be appreciated by veteran and newbie pilots alike include a very reliable failsafe return to home as well as an augmented H icon over your home location. This is very helpful as it can be easy to get disoriented on the longer flights this craft is capable of achieving. While chasing friends off-road and generally exploring the area I was able to travel over two miles away before the return to home suggestion popped up in the goggles. At this range I had no issues with video feed or responsiveness of controls. I averaged about 10-12 minute flight times while chasing and closer to 18 minutes just cruising. This is a great drone for long range FPV and doing mountain surfing/terrain exploration flights. The goggles are generally comfortable enough for these flight times but I do recommend getting the upgraded foam interface for added comfort and a better seal if you have issues with light leak, this fit will obviously vary person to person. Extra batteries are also a must. The drone batteries charge fairly quickly but flying is addicting and waiting sucks! Other items of note include features related to the controller and a couple of things I would like to see updated in firmware. There is an option to disable the spring on the throttle stick for M mode but I decided to not use this feature as I change modes in flight often and it's easier to fly manually with the spring activated that it is to use the assisted flight modes and manual throttle. Another feature on the controller is hidden in the menus much like enabling M mode and that is turtle mode. When enabled this allows you to right the drone by spinning two of the motors in reverse in the event you 'land' upside down. The firmware items I would like to see change have to due with the fact that the drone and DVR will automatically stop recording if they failsafe and do not auto resume on reconnect, I would prefer both to continue recording or at least the drone to record as long it's still in the air. I would also like to see a less sensitive setting for ground detection when in M mode, the on screen indicator is appreciated but the beeping is annoying while proximity flying. Definitely very happy with the drone overall This was the type of experience I really wanted when I bought a Phantom back in 2015 and was hoping for when I got the original DJI goggles for the Mavic. I ultimately turned to hobby grade FPV in the four year interim for that unique flight experience. While I still do enjoy flying whoops indoors and in tight spaces, the convenience and ease of flight the DJI provides means it will likely become my primary exploration and long range drone.

Theres a lot to talk about so lets get right in! If your interested in being able to get an immersive feeling while flying through the sky like a bird then you should give this new DJI FPV Drone a look! The Drone This new drone by DJI is an amazing accomplishment. It features different modes in order to suit any level of experience and helps those interested in transitioning into FPV a smooth process. First there are 3 modes to accommodate any type of flyer. N Mode In this mode you will have all of the safety features turned on and will assist new flyers to enjoy a safe and controlled flight. The drone has front ahead sensors to detect obstacles and will slow the drone down to a speed which will enable you to maneuver around or prevent a crash. The downward vision sensors and infrared will detect obstacles beneath the craft and also map the texture of the ground in order to keep the drone stabilized along with GPS lock. These features are found on most intermediate to expert drones and instill confidence in the flyer to have a more enjoyable flight. This mode caps out at 31mph and will help you learn how the drone reacts to the controller inputs. This is the mode that many will stay with if they are just looking for a relaxed immersive experience. ( There is also an auxiliary light on the bottom of the drone to assist the downward vision sensors in low light conditions ) S Mode This mode will give you more control and speed capping out at 61mph. You will get more thrills and speed but at the cost of the safety features mentioned above. This mode should only be used by experienced drone flyers who have been flying for a few months and should take note that S mode will turn off your sensors and the aircraft will not be able to detect anything infront or below it. S mode will be the primary flying mode for a lot of people, including myself. M Mode This is the mode that you will switch to for FULL MANUAL MODE. **NOTE BEFORE SWITCHING TO THIS MODE YOU SHOULD DOWNLOAD THE DJI VIRTUAL FLIGHT APP** The DJI Virtual Flight App is designed so that you can use the controller and goggles in connection with your smartphone and practice and get to know your drone before flying in the real world. This simulator is a MUST if you have never flew a FPV drone before and will help you understand what is required to fully stabilize the drone and fly it. I have used this simulator throughout the week and I still have a very difficult time keeping the drone level and flying it. The Manual mode truly is for highly experienced flyers. I think it will be a long time until I turn on this mode in the real world and for now Im perfectly happy with the S mode. The drone has 4 fixed propellers that are removable for storage. it also has heavy duty motors which make it very powerful and agile, responding to your every input. The build is nice and solid and DJI has made it so that you can repair most parts yourself without sending it in for repair should you choose to do so. The battery for the drone is quoted to last about 20 minutes max, but real world flying I was able to get about 14-15 minutes which is plenty for me and is a real upgrade from traditional FPV drone batteries. It also charges very quickly in about 50 mins from empty to full. Goggles The goggles are well built and truly amazing. You need to use a power cable that connects to a small battery pack that you can keep in your pocket. When I first put the goggles on I was amazed at how clear the video feed was. Not once did I experience a hiccup in the transmission and with DJI's new Occusync 3.0 you will have confidence knowing you have a secure connection to the drone when in flight. The goggles have 4 antennas that screw on and maintain this connection. They are also very lightweight and comfortable when your using them and the adjustable head strap is very easy to adjust. You have the ability to insert a Micro SD card into the goggles to record the Goggle view when in flight. The Controller Lightweight and great battery life, this controller also has a great design for button layout. You can switch between video recording and taking photos by pressing the camera button for about 1 second and on the left side you have a Return to Home/ Pause button. This button is very important as you can tap it once at anytime in any mode at any speed and it will immediately come to a stop and hover. This feature was designed incase you loose orientation to panic while flying the drone and to help you avoid any potential hazards. **NOTE the faster your fly the more time needed for the drone to come to a complete stop! The joysticks are also fully customizable and in Manual mode you will need to use the included hex wrench to remove the spring tension on the left stick so that it is in the down position by default. There is also a camera view angle button that will automatically adjust the view up or down depending on the speed your flying. The battery life on the controller is still full and dived used it a few times this week which follows suit with DJI's other controllers. The Drone also has customizable features such as camera correction which will remove the fish eye look in the goggles and your footage, LED colors can be changed on the drone body itself, the video codec, format and resolutions and much much more. For video resolutions you have 4K: 3840×2160 at 50/60fps FHD: 1920×1080 at 50/60/100/120fps and the maximum bitrate is 120mbps. To switch between videos and photos you can hold down the camera button on the goggles or controller for about 1 second. DJI also has some tutorials on their site to help you learn about the drone. Here are some links : Tutorial https://www.dji.com/dji-fpv/video FAQ https://www.dji.com/dji-fpv/faq Android Users visit here to get the latest app https://www.dji.com/downloads/djiapp I will have a video review on my YouTube channel soon and you can visit here to subscribe and hit the bell to be notified when that video is released. www.youtube.com/aluziontv Once subscribed you can comment and any questions you have I will try to answer for you. The only negative I can think of is that I wish DJI included a case or backpack with this combo package. When carrying the drone and goggles and controller and batteries and wires, its very difficult moving everything around and because the drone is so new case manufacturers won't have anything available until next month. Not a deal breaker but something to be aware of. Final Thoughts So I think this drone is truly amazing and the way DJI incorporated all of these features which allow anyone from a newly to an experienced flyer to be able to pick up this drone and go is awesome. I think they nailed it and I would recommend this to anyone looking to fly like a bird!

When you’re in the market for drones, its hard not to hear the name DJI. They seem to be the company that is always innovating and releasing products that are the best in the industry. The new FPV drone is no exception. I am new to the world of drones and have little experience, but the DJI FPV made me feel like I’ve been flying for years. -Unboxing and Set-Up- Out of the box, the entire FPV system was fairly simple to get set-up. Before flying, you need to update the drone, controller, and goggles. I did it through the DJI Fly app on my iPhone, but you can download the DJI Assistant 2 for Mac and PC and update through there (I did have issues doing a “refresh” of the drone firmware on my Mac, but PC worked fine). In the box, DJI also includes an extra set of propellers in case something happens while flying. Everything you need to get in the air as soon as possible is included. -Flying- If you are brand new to flying drones, make sure to check your local laws and airspace. You may need to register with the FAA and get clearance to fly in some areas. On my first flight I was extremely nervous. Using N-Mode to control the drone made it very easy. Watching the videos provided by DJI also made it a very easy experience. The controls and controller feel very good. With the goggles, you experience a whole new way of using a drone. There are no distractions and you can focus completely on flying with a clear video signal. For those with experience, S and M Mode are more at your level. The DJI Virtual Flight app is a great way to practice those modes without using the actual drone. A feature that I really like is Return to Home. If I lose connection or if the drone knows the battery is getting too low, then it will automatically return to its launch point. What I was really surprised about was that it landed always within 1-2 centimeters of its take-off spot. Very impressive and makes for stress-free landings. -Video/Picture Quality- Video quality is amazing. I’ve been shooting in 4K 60 and video is smooth, stable and clear. Something to note is that you need a “fast” MicroSD card to be able to capture video. Pictures come out fairly nice as well, but in lower light situations, there does seem to be a bit of noise and degradation to the quality. Overall, great camera system on the FPV drone. -Cons- The FPV drone has around a 20 minute flight time, so having additional batteries is something to invest in. Also using the goggles every time to fly the drone can be a bit annoying. Sometimes I just want to go out and start flying without having to set-up the goggles with wires dangling down. You can use your phone to watch the Live Feed of the drone, but the “instrument panel” does not show up on it and you still have to have the goggles with you. I’m sure this can be further improved with firmware updates. -Final Thoughts- The DJI FPV is not only marketed as a racing drone, but can easily be used by anyone. For those looking to purchase their first drone, this is it. Easy to use out of the box and fun to fly.