Main points
- DJI Avata 2 offers a larger sensor for low light, professional aerobatic stunts, and 4K video at 60 fps.
- Extended battery life to 21 minutes, lighter weight, safety features, and more affordable price.
- Extended 8-mile range video transmission, in-flight picture-in-picture view, and up to 90 minutes of video storage.
DJI’s original Avata drone brought first-person flying to the drone giant, but the second-generation FPV series adds aerial stunts at the touch of a button. DJI Avata 2, released on April 11, provides the drone with a larger image sensor and longer battery life, as well as updated goggles and controllers. Despite these changes, the new drone is more affordable than its predecessor, with package options starting at $999.
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The drone itself is equipped with a 1/1.7-inch sensor instead of 1/1.3-inch, a slight increase in size that should enhance low-light capture capabilities. However, the upgraded sensor doesn’t offer higher resolution. It can shoot 12-megapixel still photos and 4K video at up to 60 frames per second. Still, the upgrade should make the FPV drone’s video quality comparable to a similarly specced DJI Mini 4.
The maximum vacuum time jumps from 18 minutes to 21 minutes. Despite the longer battery life, the second version has lost weight. This is thanks to a lighter propeller guard that adds a layer of safety and an overall design update to the quadcopter. However, unlike pricier drones, obstacle detection is limited to downward and backward sensors.
New flying skills
Like its predecessor, the Avata 2 uses DJI’s Motion series of controls, which are more like joysticks than video game controllers. DJI RC Motion 3 uses the same wrist controls and maneuvering capabilities, but adds buttons for pre-programmed stunts, including flips, rolls, and 180-degree drifts. Turtle mode can also flip the drone upside down. As a drone designed more for content creators and new drone pilots than professionals, these one-click lens tricks bring some of the appeal of the pre-programmed cinematic flight modes of DJI’s non-FPV drones to In the Avata series.
The bundled DJI Goggles 3 also includes a critical security update – Picture-in-Picture. This allows pilots to both have a first-person view from the drone and observe their surroundings while wearing goggles. A new fisheye view option also helps pilots see obstacles in tight spaces through micro-OLED goggles for indoor flying.
The upgraded O4 video transmission allows flight up to approximately 8 miles (13 kilometers) from the controller. While regulations in many areas require line-of-sight, enhanced transmission range helps prevent loss of connectivity in high-interference areas.
Avata 2 has 46GB of built-in storage and can record up to 90 minutes of video without adding a microSD card. Wi-Fi connectivity allows live footage to be captured from a nearby smartphone and edited using the LightCut app without having to unmount the memory card, which includes one-click editing capabilities.
But perhaps one of the biggest features content creators are most excited about is the price drop. The DJI Avata 2 bundle that includes Goggles 3 and Motion 3 controllers is nearly $400 cheaper than the original version. (The price of the original Avata has since dropped, and it’s now $829 bundled with the older controller and goggles.) A combo with three batteries is $1,119, and those who already own the controller and goggles only The drone can be purchased for $10. $489.