DJI FPV - Review

DJI FPV is born today, the first drone of the Shenzhen specialists designed for specific use with FPV (First Person View) glasses and able to be piloted even by the less experienced. DJI FPV therefore inherits most of the features introduced with the Mavic series, but at the same time winks at even the most experienced pilots who are particularly interested in using it in manual mode.

The basic package, which strangely bears the wording "Combo", houses the drone, a battery, the classic remote control, the DJI Goggles V2 viewer with its external battery, cables and, finally, a set of additional propellers. A rather rich endowment available at a list price of 1349 euros. The more experienced can also purchase the “Fly More” package containing two additional batteries, capable of significantly extending the flight time, and a practical charging station.

Let's start talking about the batteries, at 22V (6 cells) of 2000mAh, capable of ensuring much higher flight times than those of a classic drone. In our tests, as experienced pilots of "classic" FPV 6S drones, we appreciated the battery life that allowed us to make several starts over its single life cycle. The 20 minutes of autonomy declared by DJI respect reality and taking advantage of all the available charge in FPV mode seemed rather challenging. Despite this aspect, the presence of an additional battery is always appreciable which, in case of trials and tests, is confirmed as the perfect accessory. The batteries of the remote control and googles are practically infinite and you will hardly need to charge them in the field, as long as you remember to turn them off on landing.

Three flight modes: Normal, Sport and Manual

In Normal and Sport mode this FPV drone flies exactly like a Mavic; the speed in these cases is limited respectively to 15m / s and 27m / s. Flight stabilization is ensured by GPS and on-board sensors, flanked in Normal mode also by the front and bottom "avoid obstacles" function.

Manual mode, however, which in "classic" drones takes the name of Acro or Airmode, is what makes this product a real FPV drone allowing you to fly in total freedom and with maximum control of the half. With this profile the speed can reach 39m / s, or 140km / h, with a shot from 0-100 in just 2s. Virtually more responsive than any hypercar on the square, even the Ferrari SF90.

Normal mode is disabled by default and it is necessary to enable it in the advanced settings by individually activating four different items in different menus. For a complete experience it is necessary to disable the self-centering of the throttle stick on the remote control: an incredibly simple operation that requires the screwing of two screws on the rear area of ​​the remote control and therefore a little manual skill in using a spanner. Allen key.

DJI Goggles V2

Updated to its second iteration, Goggles V2 boasts an incredible field of view and unprecedented definition. Those who, like myself, come from the world of analog FPV will almost certainly find themselves displaced. The work done by DJI to ensure maximum comfort by the pilot is commendable, devising an external power supply solution that avoids burdening the overall weight of the glasses and therefore the head of the lucky owner. Unlike other models, in fact, the battery is external and connected directly to the device via a cable equipped with a USB Type-C header; in this way the battery can be conveniently stored in your pocket and thus avoid unpleasant hassles.

Among the numerous functions of the glasses it is necessary to point out the presence of a local storage system, compatible exclusively with the 1080p streaming mode, capable of capturing all the most excited moments and operating as a real tool of backup . In addition, the Goggles take on the role that for any other DJI drone was dedicated to the app on the smartphone, allowing us to adjust all the settings of the drone, the camera and the remote control.

Recording mode

The 1 / 2.3 ″ sensor of DJI FPV allows recording in 4K at 60p and an almost flawless stabilization, ensured by the presence of a single axis gimbal (that pitch) and its relative anti-vibration silicone supports. Electronic image stabilization is also available (which will only be visible in the saved video, not in real time) capable of reducing vibrations and oscillations on the two axes not covered by the action of the gimbal; a decidedly well thought-out solution that allows an almost flawless result.

The only limiting aspect is the Manual mode which forces the pilot to give up some video functions; in fact, lovers of more expert driving and proximity flying will have to limit the recording to a single 1080p, reducing the latency from "high quality video" (40ms) to "low latency mode" (28ms). You will no longer be able to capture video in 4K at any frame rate, so not even in 30 fps. A rather important constraint that could leave some more demanding users with a bitter taste in the mouth.