DJI Spark - their smallest and lightest drone yet

Mark Williams said:
Video recording bitrate seems low at 24 Mbps.
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Same as the C100 internal recording bit rate, which I think all of us agree, looks really good for being so compressed. Remember, this is for hobbyists and the video is definitely good enough quality for YouTube and social media. Take a look at some of the YouTube reviews, particularly Kai's review. Sure, there are some issues there but overall, this quality is more than acceptable for a lot of uses. Too bad about the weight thing, I too thought it was under. Maybe I will take a Dremel to mine and lighten it up a few ounces ;-) I want a toy dammit!


Link for lame mobile phones that won't display embedded video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zCuuvYX1PA
 
This thing looks promising. I like the image it produces for the most part, it just has a bit of oversharpening that knocks it down a bit for me. I looked in the manual but didn't see any way to reduce the sharpening. Shame as this thing is nearly perfect for my uses.
 
I think it looks perfect for me. I'm shooting mostly on my GH4 and some projects still on a Canon DSLR. So it's not like I need to match the footage to a Helium sensor or something. More important just to have some aerial footage at this quality than none at all.
 
I've actually downloaded some raw footage and put it on a 1080p timeline, next to GH4 footage, and those slight edge halos around high contrast areas give it away as being slightly lower grade footage. The colours are great, and the dynamic rage is pretty good. Just wish there was a way to dial down the sharpness. You can download footage here-- https://www.tomstechtime.com/dronefootage
 
roxics said:
...More important just to have some aerial footage at this quality than none at all.
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Nailed it. I occasionally hire drone ops with the big rigs but there are many more projects where it would be nice to just have a quick shot or two of a place or thing that only a drone could grab.
 
Batutta said:
I've actually downloaded some raw footage and put it on a 1080p timeline, next to GH4 footage, and those slight edge halos around high contrast areas give it away as being slightly lower grade footage. The colours are great, and the dynamic rage is pretty good. Just wish there was a way to dial down the sharpness. You can download footage here-- https://www.tomstechtime.com/dronefootage
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It uses the DJI Go app. Are there no camera adjustments for the Spark in the app?
 
Why would anyone buy this drone? It has not so good image quality, and you can't fly this thing in any city. It marketed as a selfie drone. Serious film makers will go for the Phantom 4 pro or an Inspire 2. I think a lot of people will buy this thing then be very disappointed they have to leave NYC to use it. Most people see the adds and click to buy without knowing anything about it. You would think DJI could have shอved off 0.02 ounces off it.
 
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Michael Thames said:
Why would anyone buy this drone? It has not so good image quality, and you can't fly this thing in any city. It marketed as a selfie drone. Serious film makers will go for the Phantom 4 pro or an Inspire 2. I think a lot of people will buy this thing then be very disappointed they have to leave NYC to use it. Most people see the adds and click to buy without knowing anything about it. You would think DJI could have shอved off 0.02 ounces off it.
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I ordered one simply because of the cost and the ease of use as a first time drone pilot. I doubt I will keep it very long, I look at it as a fun toy that I might get a few decent shots with. If I like it, I will buy the P4 Pro but still don't want to become a Part 107 pilot, at least at the moment. Too much work to study, hassle taking the test every two years. If you price out the Mavic Pro with case, extra prop guards, extra batteries, you are easily at $1,300.00 to $1,500.00. The Spark with a few extra batteries, case, props, prop guard is about half of that. I don't care about 4k because I am not going to be using this for professional work, I will still hire real drone pilots with the Inspires and better. I think the Spark has it's place and it is so small that I may leave it in my trunk, take it everywhere, you never know when it might be fun to get a cool shot of something from the air. it's mainly an expensive toy, what's wrong with that?
 
TheDingo said:
+1
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Like when I am driving down PCH and spot a pod of whales or dolphins surfing or a feeding frenzy out past the surf line. Or the dozens of guys out showing off their wind surfing skills at County line across from Neptunes Net. Having the Spark would be great for that.
 
I'm also impressed by the tech itself, being able to control the Spark with hand gestures is just so cool. ( so many products we use daily need better user interfaces, so it's great to see a company exploring this )
 
Pure Drifting, I get that. The problem is it is marketed as a selfie drone. Those of you with more experience will have fun with it, and know what the restrictions are. How many people will buy this unaware of the FAA restrictions?

Question, if I lived in NYC could I fly this thing, or is the flying restricted to a limited distance? Could I potentelly film a performance in side a concert hall or church, or once it's registered does it not permit me to fly within city limits?
 
Well, the problem with using the handy little Spark anytime you need a quick aerial shot, like when you are driving down the highway and see something cool, is that if it weighs over .55lbs (and it does) then it must be registered as hobby use or commercial use.
If you register it as hobby use then you cannot fly it within 5 miles of an airport and there are a LOT of airports around.

If you register it as commercial use then you have to be a licensed part 107 pilot plus be aware of all controlled airspace so you know when you need prior ATC clearance. This is a big pain in the neck because class B,C,D and E airspace are all over the place in addition to Military Operation Areas, Military Training Routes, Restricted Areas, Warning Areas, Prohibited Areas and etc...
If you are out in a rural area, it's usually not as congested with controlled airspace, but cities with airports are another story.

If the Spark was just a bit lighter it would be a dream come true, but as it is, it's just like flying a Phantom (or larger) as far as the restrictions go. It's just cheaper to get one.
 
firehawk said:
Well, the problem with using the handy little Spark anytime you need a quick aerial shot, like when you are driving down the highway and see something cool, is that if it weighs over .55lbs (and it does) then it must be registered as hobby use or commercial use.
If you register it as hobby use then you cannot fly it within 5 miles of an airport and there are a LOT of airports around.

If you register it as commercial use then you have to be a licensed part 107 pilot plus be aware of all controlled airspace so you know when you need prior ATC clearance.
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From what I have been reading it's damn near impossible to get ATC clearance it takes 3 months or something like that. If you want to shoot real estate videos and your client lives in a restricted area you might as well forget it.

Ive never even looked at drones, thought they were kinda silly. This week however, I came down with drone fever, and will get one and I'm studying up on the Part 107 certification, doesn't look to be that hard of a test. I've seen the future and the future are drones!

I see a lot of adds for certified drone piolits here in Santa Fe.

I'm moving to Thailand within a year, and found out that a Mavic comes in under the weight restrictions there. That's good news. But I'm going to get the Phantom Pro 4.
 
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Chinese company DJI made a pretty significant change to the process of buying and activating its drones over the weekend. Going forward, DJI drones will be severely limited in functionality until buyers register them with the company.

Failure to register with DJI means the drone will have a height limit of 98 feet (30 meters), a radius of 164 feet (50 meters), and the live video feed will be disabled. “This new step, to take effect at the end of next week, ensures you will use the correct set of geospatial information and flight functions for your aircraft, as determined by your geographical location and user profile,” the company writes. The change applies internationally.
 
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