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.

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!

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

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.

>> Bottom Line Up front: << ====================== The DJI FPV Combo drone offers you a feature packed, easy to use, and immensely enjoyable option in the “First Person View” segment. The FPV Combo’s Wireless Controller and Google User Interface works really well together and provide a really immersive flying experience that you just can’t get using a traditional drone without them. Factor in DJI’s rock solid software and support, excellent video tutorials on their web site, and the immersive 3rd party/aftermarket support – and its clear the FPV Drone is tough beat. Keep in mind, that even though the FPV drone has several safety features such as obstacle sensing and “emergency brake & hover” (at the touch of button) baked into the “Normal” mode – some though and consideration should be taken prior to throwing it “Sport” or “Manual” mode, especially if you are newer to flying or have never used a FPV style drone before. >> Packaging/Unboxing: << ====================== From the moment you start peeling off the protective plastic tabs on outer packing, its clear that DJI did an excellent job packing the whole drone system up for you unboxing enjoyment. The first thing you notice when you pull the top open, is a nice presentation of the Drone and the FPV goggles sitting securely packed into the foam cushioning layer inside. Under that, once you pull the foam padding up and out of the box, you a good clean look at the wireless controller surrounded by all the smaller boxes that contain your power supply packs, USB, and connection cables, goggle straps, etc, etc… – pretty much everything you’re going to need to get up and going. It nice to see DJI provided you with a couple extra plastic propellers AND a solid color plastic canopy for the main unit housing in there just in case you need a spare down the line. All in all, it looks like DJI really put some though into how the unboxing experience would be when you got it home. The actual components, such as the FPV drone and the wireless controller – feel super solid and have nice weight to them. This is something that is tough to gauge on just words or picture alone. Needless to say, just based off of the time I spent handling it and setting it up this past week – it feels like the FPV drone is going to last as long as you’re going to try to take normal care of it (i.e. not abuse it/physically torture it on purpose). Once >> Personal Observations flying around for a week: << ========================================== Chances are if your ready this, your probably at least a little familiar with the basics of drone flight controls and operations. If you’re not that OK too, because if you weren’t already aware, DJI has a plethora of resources available to you online. Everything from basic tutorial videos, product FAQs, and product support is just a few clicks away and very well though out/easy to access. Prior to taking this DJI FPV drone for a spin, I had been using a different less known/off brand “standard” (read NON-FVP) drone to help me with aerial photographical trail route presentations for my fitness groups. Basically, I rely on the footage to capture route terrain overlay, variations in vegetation, and topographical overlay… but mainly – as a content creation tool to help me create a presentation to submit for approval of proposed hiking route/activity. I know my personal use case for the FPV drone may be very unique – but I could have asked for a better product in any regard for I need a drone to do. For starters, although I have a couple of years of drone flight experience under my belt, I have never really had the opportunity to fly something that as agile, sensor laden, and fast as this DJI FPV drone. I feel this is in large part due the 3 different flight modes that the DJI FPV offers for control: “S” / Sport Mode, “N” / Normal Mode, and “M” / Manual mode. Between these 3 modes, I think almost everyone is going to find the appropriate level of control they feel comfortable to get the most of their flight experience with the DJI FPV drone. I could literally write volumes about all the nuances available within each mode, but I came away with a couple of big take always. First, you can’t just put it into “Manual” mode – which is where you can pretty much have free reign over all of the built-in flight control and hit the top rated speed of approx. 87mph….which is probably a good thing as it seems like the sheer amount of speed and agility you would have access to in this mode can be overwhelming for the un-initiated. To get there though- you’ll have to actually go into the menu system in the goggles themselves to enable it, and confirm it again on the wireless controller. “M” is seemed to be the only mode where I could pull off a couple of loops and minor acrobatics. With all that being, I found the normal mode to be the best place to start right out the box so that I could figure out all the nuances to the controls and how the menu systems accessed the features available to the drone. For what I need the DJI FPV drone to help me with regarding helping me to make cinematic trail routes and presentations – “S” or Sport Mode, is it. In “S” mode, you get to experience a lot of the additional “freedoms” and advanced features afforded to “M” mode, like increased speeds and lean angles – but not so much that you’re going to lose control if you’re not on your “A” game on the controls. I couldn’t get the DJI FPV drone to go faster tan about 63 MPH in S mode, and the added agility really helped to create more interesting and dynamic “First Person Views” of trail routes and locations that was missing from my older off branded standard drone. Controlling the DJI FPV was a straight forward affair. Nice little details like textured metal accent flight sticks coupled with logically laid out and sized buttons made this super easy to just pick up and fly in you’re a previous seasoned pilot. As the name implies – the FPV is pretty much depended on the googles to fly and access all the features. If you have yet to experience an FPV drone, you’re in for a treat. There are so many ways to describe it, but to me it, the FPV drone really captures a dynamic sense of movement that is simply not possible on a standard style drone. I say that as someone who regularly jumps out of planes with a “go pro” strapped on. In my opinion, the DJI FPV is right up there and in some way even better as you can actually control both vertical and lateral movement simultaneously. The FPV relies on DJI’s O3 (OcuSync 3.0) to beam all those imaged straight into your headset for your viewing pleasure. The entire I have been using the goggles I have had nothing but crystal-clear images the entire time. There are more than a few options to dig through when you’re setting up your controls to pick out the resolutions and transmission details to ensure your capturing everything the way you want it. The DJI FPV drone is capable of providing breathtaking images and videos thanks to its 150° field of view and DJI familiar suite of technologies that have been used in some of their other drone product lines. I think one of the key reasons for such a smooth playback experience is likely due to the FPV’s electronic image stabilization, or “RockSteady” as DJI calls it. Worth mentioning again, if you get mildly motion sick, or gets uneasy with the high speed/sense of maneuvers – even with the added electronic image stabilization - you’ll definitely want to take note. On the subject of controls, safety goes a long way in many of the things the FPV drone does. One of the things I really, really … really liked about the FPV’s controls was the “Emergency Brake and Hover” button. It is super easy to activate on the upper shoulder of the controller, and afforded me a comfort knowing if I got into any kind of bad situation or maneuver – I could at least tap that button, and within seconds, put it into a hover before I cratered it. On a side note, I noticed anytime you did actually use the emergency brake and hover button, it kicks you back into “Normal” mode – which is think is a good thing because chances are if you hitting that point where you feel you loosing your control on the drone – its best to let the FPV sensor suite kick in and assist you. Speaking of the FPV’s sensors. They do a decent job of helping the drone with basic obstacle avoidance and even provides you color coded feedback in your goggles so that you can better gauge your distance from anything that could bring it down or cause damage. There is even an auxiliary bottom light for when you need that extra bit of visibility. The DJI FPV drone offers some other nice touches such as “Smart” Return to Home (RTH) and low battery RTH. I found the latter to be particularly useful to me, because it throws up a notification in your FPV goggle’s field of view, and helped to keep me in check when I was getting lost in the fun for too long. Regardless, if you use the RTH feature or not – take offs and landing are super smooth >> Closing thoughts: << =================== The DJI FPV drone provided me an incredible experience like nothing I had previously used before. The standard drones just seem so tame in retrospect. The DJI FPV drone combo system knocks it out of the park for what I use it for, and then some. I think it actually made flying more fun and immersive. Thanks to the amount of safety features and sensor options DJI built into the FPV, it really can be used by pilots of all skill levels. I would recommend the FPV Combo drone even if you already have a standard, as it provides you a perspective you simply can find anywhere else.

To put it simply: I had an absolutely great amount of fun flying this new DJI FPV multirotor "drone" and I think you probably would too, almost regardless of what your existing experience with multirotor drones and FPV might be. I say "almost" only because if you are a complete beginner, you may want to learn what "FPV" is and how it differs from using a different drone like the Mavic before making a decision. (And if you're an extremely experienced quad pilot, you probably can decide for yourself if you're interested in this product.) I was provided with the DJI FPV Drone that I'm reviewing by DJI, but the thoughts and opinions are completely my own. As a bit of background, this is the first DJI product I've used, but I have built and fly my own analog FPV "drones." Nonetheless, I consider myself only an intermediate skill-level pilot, at best. DJI made waves with the launch of this DJI FPV Drone. This is partly because DJI drone designs are effectively synonymous with consumer drones to most people, and so any new product of theirs garners attention with drone enthusiasts of all backgrounds. At the same time, this product is also a significant move from DJI beyond their consumer-oriented, aerial-photography-platform drones and towards a higher performance, more acrobatically capable machine. DJI has already built some solid credibility coming into this product launch among serious drone enthusiasts with the DJI Digital HD FPV system, and it is very exciting to see how they've integrated that FPV video technology with their famously beginner-friendly and stable drone technology platform. This drone comes packaged very well, fitting with DJI's reputation. The packaging is reminiscent of pretty much any premium consumer electronic device (such as an Apple or Samsung smartphone.) Being my first DJI product, I was impressed with this. DJI included all the necessary cables, though it would be nice to have two USB type A to type C cables supplied instead of just one, so that you can charge both the transmitter and goggles battery simultaneously out of the box (there are two USB type A ports on the charger). I ultimately used another standard USB A to C cable that I already had, and it worked just fine to complete the initial charging. The initial set-up process is a little involved. You will need to download at least the mobile app for your smartphone or tablet and create an account with DJI to activate all of the new devices. DJI helpfully does include a USB type C to USB type A OTG female adapter so that you can basically use your device's charging cable to complete the set-up. (I used an iPhone, but have no reason to believe the Android experience would be any different.) It was all fairly easy to figure out, and I'm sure it will be a familiar process to anyone that has previously owned DJI equipment. Out of the box, there was a firmware update to apply and for me this did take a few tries before it successfully completed on all three devices in the combo (drone, goggles, and transmitter). DJI has a number of tutorial videos and even an optional simulator program you can download for your PC to get a feel for drone flight before attempting it for real. I'll admit that I skipped over these things as I had some experience already and was eager to see this drone in action. Once everything is activated and updated, it comes time to power it all up and get your first glimpse of the HD video in the goggles. (Of course, you should leave the propellers off during this whole set-up period.) If you have experience with the quality of analog video that FPV goggles have traditionally displayed, it is really quite amazing to see DJI's HD video display. The video and OSD are very crisp. The goggles aren't exactly lightweight, but do fit comfortably. I noticed some "light leak" from around my nose and temples, but for me it was minimal enough to not be distracting. (I did find there are aftermarket solutions for a tighter fit.) You can also connect the goggles to your smartphone and display a live video feed from the drone through the DJI Fly app - similar to the way other DJI drones have worked with mobile devices. Getting in the air is not at all difficult because the drone always starts off in "Normal" mode, which benefits from all the typical DJI position- and altitude-holding technology. (Even if you take off with the transmitter in Sport or Manual modes, it appears to override that and start in Normal - requiring you to flip the switch to Normal and back again to actually change to your desired mode.) It's really impressive experience to see how much DJI's automation trivializes take-off and hovering, and the object proximity warnings at the edges of the FPV feed can be helpful without being distracting. At any time, it's easy to start recording video by pressing a button on the transmitter (there's also a less-convenient button on the right side of the goggles), though you can also enable a setting to begin recording video automatically whenever you take off so that you don't miss any footage. By default, both the drone (at 4k) and the goggles (same picture, but what is broadcast at 1440x810) record video The DJI FPV Drone is enjoyable to fly even in Normal mode due to how stable it is. It behaves pretty much like a Phantom or Mavic would, with the bonus of FPV. Once you have sufficient comfortability flying in Normal mode, the "Sport" mode is a natural step up. This mode raises a lot of the performance limits and enables a "cruise control" feature that keeps the drone flying at a constant speed while allowing you to steer in the other directions. The cruise control feature actually seems like a potentially useful training aide for new pilots. Although there is still an attitude limit to enforce a top speed in Sport mode, that speed limit is about 60 miles per hour, so it has some reasonably zippy performance. Beyond Sport mode, the DJI FPV Drone allows you to enable a full Manual mode that behaves like "acro" mode on a typical hobbyist drone. To unlock Manual mode, the third position on the transmitter's mode switch has to be configured, and a last remaining attitude limit also has to be disabled if you want to be capable of maneuvers that invert the drone. Manual mode definitely has a steep learning curve for inexperienced drone pilots, but opens the door to capturing unique footage at the highest speeds the drone allows (87mph). Of course, the riskier you get with maneuvers, especially in Manual mode, the more likely you'll crash eventually. The DJI FPV Drone does include an "Emergency Brake" feature that works regardless of mode. It works uncannily well, but it won't prevent all crashes since the pilot must still manually trigger it safely in advance of losing control or colliding with an unnoticed object. The risk of damage due to a crash is perhaps the Achilles heel of the this drone. Unlike a typical hobbyist (or even professional) drone that is made of a strong carbon fiber frame often designed with replaceable components, the DJI FPV Drone contains many streamlined plastic parts that do not feel exceptionally robust. DJI has not made all parts available for user replacement yet, so a crash could become very expensive if non-user-replaceable parts are damaged. My own fear of crashing and damaging this drone limited how much I tried to do in Manual mode with this drone, but proficiency and comfort with Manual mode is a goal to work towards. Ultimately, FPV in HD is a joy to experience regardless of the mode. One thing that is notable about the DJI FPV Drone Combo is that the included goggles are compatible with the DJI digital HD "Air Unit" camera and video transmitter system that can be used in any drone, including DIY and non-DJI ones. This is a nice value boost if you are a hobbyist that is considering adopting the DJI HD Digital FPV system, as one of the big pieces of this kit is not limited to just working with the DJI FPV Drone. On the other hand, the included transmitter in this combo is *not* currently compatible with the stand-alone Air Unit, only with the DJI FPV Drone itself, which could be a bit of a disappointment. The goggles also have to be booted into one of two modes - either compatible with the DJI FPV Drone or compatible with the general Air Unit - and not all features are supported in both modes. For instance, live video out to the mobile DJI Fly app appears to be an exclusive feature to the DJI FPV Drone, though it seems like a feature that would only require software support to add. In neither mode does it seem possible to mount the goggles as a mass storage device via USB in order to copy video files off the Micro SD card, which stands out because the drone itself supports this for accessing the onboard 4k recordings. I'm holding out hope that DJI might release software updates to expand support for these features, or even release a 2nd generation Air Unit that includes the hardware improvements of this drone (such as 4k recording). The bottom line, in my opinion, is that this drone is just ridiculously fun to fly and should have broad appeal to almost anyone with interest in FPV. The renowned DJI stability features make it approachable even for inexperienced pilots interested in getting into FPV, and the higher-performing modes open up dynamic flight experiences as a pilot's skills grow. On top of that, the DJI HD FPV technology is amazing to fly with, and the fact this combo's goggles can work with the existing Air Unit system is a nice value addition.