Looking at buying a drone after speaking with a friend who has the neo, mini 3 and avata what would peoples recommendations be.
I like getting out taking photos on my phone but want a new angle so something ideal for photos but also being able to use FPV if i upgraded further down the line without buying a new drone
The Neo is a good start and you can then add goggles and motion controller 3 to it for that FPV style of flying. Get the fly more combo setup with the regular control to start with and have a load of fun then when you can always upgrade with goggles / controller later.
The Avata 2 can only be flown with goggles and motion or FPV controller 3 - I believe you can use your phone and the FPV controller but my understanding is that you lose some of the overlays about hight / speed as that is displayed in the googles so not ideal.
Keep in mind that there is a different set of rules around FPV and drones over 250g ( the Avata/Avata2 will fall into the over 250g rules along with the need for a spotter for line of site ( yes yes not everyone follows that - its upto you to judge the risk around that one )
The mini 3 is also great but I think its only the Mini 3 Pro / 4 Pro that you can use the googles on and not all bits of hardware are compatible with each other so be sure to work out what you want to do in the future.
Oh another thing to keep in mind is the Neo is a great starter but it does lack in features such as the camera / video quality / sensors / gimbal but it does support the newer goggles / controllers for future proof over what the mini 3/ 3 pro or orignal Avata has.
Yup its confusing and basically DJI want you to spend your money !!
If you’re primary goal is photography then I’d suggest the mini3. But if your mate has all 3, then why not get them to take you out for a spin with each? Then you can make up your own mind.
The Neo is a good starting point if you don’t want to splash the cash too much at the start, but will need more spending, on goggles and smart controllers, to do all you want. It can be flown straight out of the box once it’s charged up, simply by pressing buttons on the fuselage, but only for set-piece pre-programmed stunts of course. It can be controlled more fully with the GoFly app on your smartphone, but smartphone screen ‘joysticks’ are not as responsive or have the same finesse as RC ones.
The Mini 3 is a better equipped sub-250g (makes a difference to the flying rules) camera drone, which will give better pictures than the Neo and be able to fly in higher winds. It would be my choice out of your alternatives if I had the money.
The Avata is over 250g so is more restricted in terms of where you can fly it, and requires a higher degree of competence certification. It’s an FPV drone and I really don’t know much about those as it’s not the sort of flying I’m into, so I can’t really comment much about it.
Ultimately, none of us can tell you what drone you should buy, that’s down to your personal preference; the above are just my opinions, other opinions are avaialble and may suit your needs better. I’d suggest giving more thought to what you want your drone to do and how you are going to fly it, though, before spending any of your beer vouchers…
I have all three. If you were just into photos/video I would say the Mini 3 or Mini 4 Pro if funds allow.
But as you are wanting FPV then you might want this Neo Motion combo. £399 for drone, Goggles N3 and motion controller. The Goggles N3 are compatible with the Avata 2 if you want to upgrade later.
We have both the mini 3 and the Neo. The mini 3’s gimble moves in all directions so a picture is pretty stable. The neo is just up and down so a bit juddery. Our preference is the mini 3 but we have fun with the neo too.
ini 3 Pro / 4 Pro that you can use the googles on and not all bits of hardware are compatible. FYI the 3 Pro is not compatible with any goggles, the 4 Pro can be used with goggles 3 only. Both being Occusink 4.
Integra work on the Mini 3 Pro with motion controller 2
And Goggles 2
I don’t think the Neo could ever be a bad choice for a first drone, but as I said earlier it will require more spending to allow the FPV capability that you want. It is a versatile little thing, and will still come in handy if you ‘progress’ to an Avata or Mini 3; small enough to live in your pocket or glove compartment and you can* fly it with just your phone!
Of course it come down to how much you’ve got to spend, how much of it you are going to actually spend, and which drone you prefer out of the alternatives you’ve come up with. No drone will tick all the boxes, some are more capable as camera drones, some as stunt/selfie social media drones, and some as FPV whoopers, but the Neo makes a tolerable fist of all 3. The ‘protected’ props are a bonus for a crash-prone newbie and re-assuring for indoor and ‘close quarters’ work.
At the cost of less wind resistance and (I’m told) an annoying noise…
*see next but one post.
You really can’t though.
Its limited to 50m distance and 30m height, and is a proper bitch to control.
(I do have one)
Ok, I’ll rephrase that. It can be contollled by your phone if you really have no alternative, but not very well…
50m distance would be probably about as far as I could clearly see it from anyway, and 30m height is not very impressive I agree, but you can still get some good shots from up there. What is the problem with the phone app virtual sticks, Chris, no proper graduated control or just ‘they’re rubbish’, like the ones on my cheapo were!
If I win competition 28, I’ll go for the vouchers and get a Mini 4 Pro, and possibly a Neo for the reasons stated! It must be my turn to win something soon, surely…
With a proper controller (and or goggles) its very capable.
The virtual sticks are just that, no real feel unless you want to fly it straight up, take a look around and bring it back down.
Ultimately its made for either social media stuff or whooping around with properly.
Have you any experience with the Neo?
Thought so. Straight up, take a squiz at the veiw and maybe some vid or fots, then back down again is a fairly common type of flight for me, though!
No, only what I’ve read in DJI’s blurb and comments here. It could be pricey if you wanted to do anything more than the push-button social media stuff with it. I have no interest in FPV, not opposed to it, just not my thing. I want to take my, enjoy the view, and take video or fots…
Then why comment? The OP wants first-hand experience
Because he wanted opinions and advice to help him choose which of three fundamentally different drones he should buy, so he has my opinions and advice for what they are worth, along with my explanation that I don’t really know much about FPV. I’m sure first-hand experience would be useful to him, bit he didn’t specify that in the original post so I feel quite justified in my comments on the matter. Read his original post; nowhere does he mention that he requires reccommendations from people with first hand knowledge of those particular drones.
Mini 4 pro.
Neo is great for a pocket sized blogger device
Avata 2 great for FPV, googles3 aren’t cheap.
Plus if you want to immerse yourself in photography the mini 4 is the way to go.
Or the last of the Air3’s