The DJI FPV has officially landed – and this ‘First Person View’ brochure is promising to be an exciting cross between a racing drone and a sky-based cinematic camera like the DJI Mavic Air 2. (Do you want to skip to our first impressions? Go to our practical DJI FPV drone review)
The DJI FPV differs from the company’s other drones in a fundamental way – instead of flying it through a video feed on the controller screen, you get an on-board view thanks to some goggles built into the head. This promises to give you the experience of flying like an eagle or being in the cockpit of an airplane in Microsoft Flight Simulator.
In this sense, the DJI FPV resembles racing drones, which have become increasingly popular with the emergence of professional competitions such as the Drone Racing League (DRL). But DJI’s new ‘ready to fly’ drone is less focused on racing and more for beginners who want to experience the FPV experience while shooting 4K aerial videos.
Although the DJI FPV is unable to reach the top speeds of 120 mph for professional racing drones, it is more agile and agile than any Mavic drone, thanks to a maximum speed of 87 mph and the zip capacity of 0-62 mph in just two seconds.
What is an FPV drone?
FPV (or first-person view) drones are those that fly using a set of goggles, which provide the pilot with a live video broadcast of the drone as it flies across the sky, in addition to a controller. This differs from traditional drones, which send their video to a controller or smartphone screen.
It is the combination of these speeds with DJI FPV’s strong cinematic talents that promise to make it a unique drone. It can record 4K / 60p video with RockSteady image stabilization and a decent bit rate of 120 Mbps, all through its 150 degree wide-angle lens.
The DJI FPV’s 1 / 2.3-inch CMOS sensor is smaller than those found on the DJI Mavic 2 Pro and DJI Mavic Air 2, but the same size as the DJI Mini 2 chip. This means you can expect video and images from decent quality with good light, albeit through a very wide-angle lens.
But DJI FPV’s USP is really that ability to get an elevated view of landscapes and scenery through the included DJI Goggles V2, and also the ability to control it using DJI’s new optional one-handed motion controller, which allows you fly the drone using your hands movements.
Under control
In the standard DJI FPV Combo package, you get the drone, a standard remote controller, FPV Goggles V2 and all the other accessories in the images above. But DJI is also selling that optional motion controller, which promises to allow you to fly the drone using your hand movements – making it function more like a VR headset than any previous DJI drone.
The Motion Controller (below) is an intriguing accessory that aims to make FPV drones more intuitive and user-friendly for beginners than ever before. It includes some useful safety features, including a brake button – press it once and the drone will make an ’emergency brake and hover’, while a long press activates the ‘come home’ function.
Whether you are using this motion controller or the standard pad, you will always need the FPV Goggles V2 to see where you are flying. They show a live video feed of the drone in 810p quality at 60fps or 120fps, depending on the quality mode you choose. And up to 10km away (if you are in the USA), or 6km for aviators anywhere else in the world.
The biggest technical challenge for FPV drones has always been latency – in other words, a delay in the transfer of data between the drone and the glasses. Even a small delay can mean that the drone is actually a few feet away from the position the pilot sees in his headphones, but DJI claims to have solved this with the latest version of its Ocusync technology, called O3. This promises to send a high-bit rate 50Mbps feed to Goggles and apparently brings a new anti-interference technology to ensure you get a reliable feed.
Safety first?
Despite these O3 reliability promises, there will naturally be safety concerns about the prospect of beginners flying in an 87mph drone using a video headset to guide their movements.
But DJI again believes that the combination of its safety features and drone laws will be sufficient to ensure safe flight. To begin with, these drone laws mean that in most regions, including the US, UK and Australia, you will need to legally be accompanied by an observer or ‘observer’ when flying on the DJI FPV, as it is not possible to maintain a direct line of vision when wearing glasses.
In addition, along with the ‘Emergency brake and hover’ function on the motion controller, DJI included its custom GPS-based geofencing warnings and ADS-B receiver system, which alerts you when another manned aircraft is nearby.
If this legal requirement to be accompanied by an observer while you are flying the FPV drone does not discourage you, then it promises to offer a spectacular flying and filming experience that few rival drones can match.
You can buy the DJI FPV drone starting today in a few different packages. The standard DJI FPV Combo (which includes the FPV drone, remote control and FPV Goggles V2) is priced at $ 1,299 / £ 1,249 (about AU $ 2,240).
If you need a little more reach, however, you can buy a DJI FPV Fly More kit (which adds two extra batteries and a dedicated charging hub) for an extra $ 299 / £ 259, while the optional Motion Controller is available for an extra $ 199 / £ 139 (about AU $ 249).