I finally got my hands on my first ever drone, the DJI spark. Another additional to my travel arsenal that opens up a new perspective in creating my travel videos. Dubbed as DJI’s selfie drone, Spark features most of DJI’s signature technologies.
Here are the top things I like about DJI spark.
Gesture Control
One of the cool features of DJI spark is its hand gestures capabilities. Without any remote, you can easily fly and control the drone just by using your hands.
Intelligent Flight Modes
DJI spark also have Intelligent Flight Modes just like any mid-high range DJI drones. Though it has limited number of flight modes compare to other mid-high range drones, you can still make awesome and creative shots. Below are the list of DJI spark built-in Intelligent Flight Modes:
- Active Track – The drone will follow a chosen subject throughout the shot.
- Rocket – The drone will fly upwards pointing the camera down, revealing the subject from above.
- Dronie – The drone will fly backwards and upwards locking the camera on the subject revealing a bigger perspective of the world around the subject.
- Circle – The drone will circle around the subject showing revealing all angles of the world around the subject.
- Helix – The drone will circle around the subject, however it will go upward and in larger circle creating a more dramatic feels to the video.
Camera
Spark’s captures images with its 12MP camera and records video in full HD at 1080p.
Portability
One of the best thing I like about DJI spark is its portability. Its size is just like any 5 inch smartphones. You can easily slip it on any bag that you will bring on your travel.
Range
The flight range of DJI Spark without a remote controller is only limited to a distance of 328 ft (100 m) with maximum height of only 50 m (164 ft) unobstructed, free of interference. When using a remote controller, Spark’s flight distance extends to 1.2 mi (2 km) with maximum height limit to 500 ft (152 m).
I got lucky to fly it on Bohol and capture its beautiful beaches during our trip over the weekend on another perspective.
The only downside of DJI Spark for me is its Flight Time. A fully charged battery will only have a 15-17 minutes flight time. For beginners like me, this flight duration maybe enough to capture stunning images and footage. You may need to buy additional batteries for longer flight time. But if you’re planning to buy a drone for commercial and business use, you should go for drones with longer flight time.
Overall, for it’s price, portability and features, I think DJI Spark is a good choice for those aspiring travelers and video makers who are planing to buy a drone with a tight budget.