DJI Avata 2 vs. Custom built FPV Drones: A 5-Year FPV Pilot's Perspective
After five years filming FPV, primarily shooting cars, bikes, and building interiors with custom built drones, I transitioned to the DJI Avata 2 this year. Here's a breakdown of my experience comparing it to my custom built FPV drones.
Positives of the DJI Avata 2:
Durability: The Avata 2 has proven surprisingly robust, surviving crashes that would have damaged my freestyle drones, including incidents that previously led to fires – a risk I now consider unacceptable given DJI's safety features.
In-Flight Convenience:
Maneuverable camera gimbal allows for changing drone speed in the air, as the more angle of the camera means fast and less angle is slower.
On-demand recording start/stop.
Real-time adjustment of camera settings (resolution, frame rate, exposure).
Seamless switching to standard drone mode for hovering.
Crucially, it features a reliable return-to-home function, absent in my custom built drones.
Integrated and Convenient Kit:
Simple battery charging system.
User-friendly batteries with charge status indicators.
Eliminates the hassle of managing separate GoPro cameras for the drone, including charging and SD card management, freeing up my GoPros for other mounting options.
Negatives of the DJI Avata 2:
Limited Tuning Capabilities: Unlike the highly customizable PID settings on custom built freestyle drones that allow for precise adjustments to handling, wind resistance, speed, and smoothness via the flight controller, the Avata 2 only permits flight characteristic adjustments through remote controller settings.
Restricted Weight and Size: The Avata 2's fixed camera and size limit its versatility. My freestyle drones offer specialized builds, such as a Cinewhoop for indoor flying and other configurations specifically designed for GoPro use (a necessity for certain client projects where using the Avata's integrated camera isn't an option).
Repairs: Custom-built drones offer the advantage of on-site repairs, unlike the DJI Avata 2 which requires sending the drone back to the manufacturer in case of a crash.
Learning Experience: The Avata 2 provides a plug-and-play experience, which some may find limiting. Custom builds offer a deeper understanding of drone technology through hands-on experience with components like ESCs, flight controllers, and PD boards, as well as soldering, fixing, and customization. This hands-on learning aspect is lost with the Avata 2.
Recommendation: For FPV filming, the Avata 2 is recommended. However, for those primarily interested in the pure experience of flying FPV and learning about drone mechanics, a custom-built drone is a better choice.
