DJI Avata vs DJI FPV - Which one is right for you?

[@HighlanderMikeGolf]

Thank you, to you and your team for the comparison and review! A lot of great info! Great way to start my Friday morning with a cup of coffee and the Pilot Institute videos! Thanks, Greg!

[@travelparkzoo8160]

Team Dji FPV. If you fly for fun and the thrill of the fight, love power, and the ability to fly conservatively, out as for as 4 miles, and return home, then the FPV is for you. Outside is a big place lol so its size shouldn't matter because if performance completely makes up for it once you learn how to fly and realize what you can do with it. It's like comparing a Bugatti to an Audi.. I've gone as fast as 96 MPH with my FPV and got stunning videos. I don't think I'd like to go slower. The Avata would only matter if I was shooting film for Paramount, but still, the FPV camera isn't bad at all and can do just as great honestly.

[@GearZenChannel]

FPV colors look more natural. Seems Avata has a saturation boost.

[@MrEddieNunez]

Awesome comparing Greg. This is the video I was waiting for on KZbin.

[@usadroneflyer]

Thank you for the in-depth review. Being a GPS Camera Drone Guy I'm happy the Avata has that Hover and RTH feature. I had tried to go FPV with the Cetus Pro and all I could do was knock the pictures off my walls. I'll be getting this!

[@GregorPQ]

Very comprehensive comparison, thank you!

[@TheUnknowncaller12]

You know I don’t see a lot of people commenting on the fact that DJI basically is screwing everybody over that never owned the original FPV, Or has one in their possession. Not too many people know this until they buy it but the only way you get full access to all of the available power and probably more importantly maneuverability i.e. flips , Barrels , dives is with the original DJI controller 2 control. I mean people that already owned an FPV and already had the motion controller will remember that you do not have access to manual mode with the motion controller. You only have normal and Sport modes. Also the funny thing is When I was trying to explain this to my friend who was it the market for getting the Avata , That you’re better off buying controller 2 with the kit he told me that they didn’t have any in stock. He was right. Along with Amazon, eBay or anywhere else for that matter mysteriously the original $169 price for that particular controller skyrocketed to $200 at least if you could find it. Most places were out Of stock or listing as much. Complete bullshit. I mean the motion controller is cool In its own way but it’s fucking gimmicky as shit. It should Have always been an add-on option not the default controller scheme. I mean the fact that you have to buy an extra controller that you don’t even know that you need in order to access the full power and maneuverability of your drone is master class deception on the part of DJI. Personally I think they’ve Cover their ass for making too many of those things with the last release of the FPV drone. My guess is nobody wanted to spend $200 on another controller that did nothing but limit your abilities in a trade for A controller that reminds you of playing oculus rift more than flying an actual drone! I feel bad for all the people that bought the Avata without knowing that You’re only getting two out of the three available modes with that particular controller. Really shameless bullshit by DJI

[@desertdogfpv]

Avata video files now have gyro data embedded to allow gyroflow to stabilize footage. Dji fpv does not have gyro data.

[@fpvpilot7713]

I think they missed lots of sales by selling it without a controller. I probably would have bought one if not for that. No interest in a motion controller and it would be too expensive to buy it separately. Nice video. Thumbs up.

[@bunbunson27]

you can now buy just the avata itself now

[@Miki-mw2by]

Thanks for the comparison! I'm leaning more on the Avata for this one. The prop guards and its design where you can replace the parts when you need to. It's more like the usual FPV. You can take more risks on this drone.

[@jamesyates9057]

Both drones are great! I have flown the DJI FPV a couple of times and the flight experience and controls are amazing. I haven't tried the DJI Avata but features-wise I think the drone is pretty amazing too! More beginner-friendly and that's what users will like more about it

[@yiwu5397]

really great and detailed description, thanks!

[@Phrancis5]

Nice comparison review! Years ago I build and flew FPV quads and then switched to Tiny Whoops because I lived in a rainy urban area without a lot of wide open space to safely fly outside and the laws are only getting stricter. Your local flying location should be a big consideration between the two. I'm hoping the issues with the Avata will be resolved in the next version. The loudness might be hard to improve, since the need for small high RPM props are just an unfortunate reality...

[@jmcjmc5587]

Great versus. My best sections is noise. 2:15 and 11:45

[@paolocolombo3160]

Great review, thanks for it! 😊

[@username-KA]

Thanks

[@runaway9492]

Great review! It's more tempting to pick the Avata over the DJI FPV because it's more compact and more travl-friendly to be honest. But it's great to know where they are alike and where they differ!

[@SameHat88]

Great video and good overview... I just received my Avata today and very excited about trying it out tomorrow... Colours between the 2 I would say the Avatas saturation ever so slightly pops in your footage over the FPV but has a lighter HDR.. My 2 cents.. here in Australia BTW.. P.s had an annoying popup getting it ready to fly for tomorrow came up with a "No country location " issue which was fixed by re-freshing all the firmware for the goggles and controller.. powering the drone off and back on..

[@GregorPQ]

Both.

[@jimhatch5873]

I think this opens up the FPV community. Lots of applicability to the real estate and construction industries. Ease of entry is much higher than the whole "build your own and be a real FPVer" community argues. I expect this is going to drive a large increase in FPV flight the way DJI expanded the drone community by having GPS stabilization way back when the alternative was build it yourself and flight controllers were much less forgiving. Not everyone is going to spend hundreds of hours to get their bird in the air and be able to fly it well just to see if they like the hobby.

[@ChrisParayno]

At the end of the day, it's still based on the pilot and his ability to fly in these situations. I highly doubt a beginner or even a pro "camera platform" drone user would be able to get the smooth flowly flights we see in today's market

[@tfsbuilds93]

Well said

[@aaron6516]

Looks really nice!! Great for those close in ops... I feel I can trust this to get a job done vs. Other whoops just based on reliability you know... great penetration and smooth footage... very nice.

[@indiafromabove-q3p]

I live in an area with a lot of eagles. On a regular evening, I can see 30-40 eagles flying out. DJI avata is low weight and as a result are prone to eagle attacks and some eagles can carry the drone away. Whereas for the fpv, eagles dont come near it as often. So if you live in an area with a lot of birds, dont choose the avata

[@OmarRoo]

Thanks!

[@checkeredflagfilms]

excellent comparison...thanks

[@hadjsalemhazem4464]

Thnk you for the review 👍🏼😊

[@alexanderschmitz737]

I don't want to make Films.. Just have Action and fun in the Air and Close to the ground... Which one would you take?

[@FlyZoneFpv]

Great review Greg . 👊🏻👊🏻👍🏼

[@TheDroneAngle]

Excellent review. I rarely get to fly my DJI FPV drone because of that VO push. I just don't have one available.

[@linkiny]

How do you think the smaller propellers and power will handle weather conditions in mountains compared to the DJI FPV? The DJI FPV obviously handles it very well considering its weight and the amount of thrust it can pull off, so I am able to do almost any shot I want even on strong-ish winds. How does the Avata compare? I'm debating whether to buy it or not, and this is a big factor for me.

[@silverspork86]

the avata is lighter, has more surface area that the wind will catch (eg prop guards) and has less power, and is roughly 30 mph slower in manual. So it won't handle strong winds nearly as well as the fpv. The max vertical speed on the avata is also very low, whereas the fpv is very fast vertically (just try taking off full stick in manual mode).

[@stringsattached67]

After flying both I'll stick with my porker 😁 the new goggles are uncomfortable fog up and just not what I expected. The Avata was loud not good at all in the wind and easy to loose. The FPV drone is the better of the 2 offerings from DJI in my opinion at the moment.

[@PilotInstitute]

Two different drones with two different purposes. For what you mention, the FPV is indeed more appropriate.

[@jeancm7]

hello Greg , nice review. this avata is a nice drone . do i need registration with faa , do i need put put numbers on drone with faa ID ?do i need remote ID for it ?

[@tonygee3284]

I have the DJI FPV awesome comparison I also tried out the DJI avada was keen to buy one but found it not the best to fly in the wind . So I went out and bought another two batteries instead for my drone . So now I have five batteries , Loving my drone in manual at 140kph wooooooow

[@jmel81]

I had the same problem with the RC Controller 2 it would not rebind each time. I then down loaded DJI Assistant 2 (Consumer Drones Series) and updated the controller to the newest version, and that fixed the problem. Best bet would be to update Drone and Goggles also just to be sure.

[@puckpusher98]

after the update are you still able to bind the goggles and controller back to the DJI FPV drone?

[@aeriallagu]

Im going to buy the older dji fpv since I can grab the fpv combo (goggles, controller + drone) for under 700€, whoch sounds pretty good imo.

[@IAMbeowulfx]

Do you have a link?

[@360vt2]

Thanks. DJI Avata has a Pano Shooting Mode, can choose from Sphere for size panorama 360°x180° or only manually shot?

[@PilotInstitute]

No pano shooting on the avata.

[@andreschapero3615]

Excellent video. Love my DJI FPV but battery life a rip off 7 /10 minutes (I own 6 new batts). I need my FPV to get to real 25 minutes to truly enjoy it. Do you think this endurance will ever happen ?

[@allthenamesaretaken2]

Don't expect your brand new car to get 30mpg when you're constantly flooring it.

[@PilotInstitute]

All depends on how you fly it.

[@dwen5065]

Are the batteries the same / interchangeable between the FPV and Avata?

[@PilotInstitute]

No.

[@canyonblue737-8]

not mentioned is one of the only advantages of the DJI FPV at this point which is speed. the FPV goes to 60 mph in sport mode and 90 in manual, the avata goes to 30 mph in sport and 60 in manual. for long swooping, cinematic passes the speed is really something on the FPV. in your cons you really understate the difference in durability... the FPV just doesn't survive crashes, you simply "can't" crash it and for a fpv style drone that's nearly an unforgivable sin since flying low and close to gaps is almost a reason for them existing. the videos on the avata out show it crashing over and over and over and I have yet to see one single one that shows it breaking in such a way it needs repair to continue flying, and as you said parts for those rare repairs are both cheap and doable at home. its a HUGE plus for avata and the single biggest con of the FPV. that said in summary, 95% of circumstances the avata is better. better camera, light years ahead in durability, better size and more. I wish it wasn't quite so pricey and I can't believe they launched it without a package containing the FPV controller that allows manual control (and those are SOLD OUT on DJI.com right now even though the avata remains available for immediate purchase!). fortunately I have the DJI FPV and will use my controller with the avata when it arrives next week. as always good work and a useful review.

[@silverspork86]

the dji fpv is not only faster, it is much more agile. Look at the max vertical speed on the avata,. The dji vertical speed has no limit. The avata is also somehow louder than the fpv. Yes, the camera is better on the avata but the flight performance on the fpv is better in every way. For someone like me who doesn't care much about footage, the avata is a no go.

[@Geeios1]

Can't one just up the speed in post edit?

[@hknight007]

Great video as always! May I ask which battery did you guys used to power the Bones?

[@PilotInstitute]

We used a 500mA 4S battery.

[@hknight007]

@@PilotInstitute thank you so much 👍

[@vanicawoken1020]

Do you know if and when dji will make sell the avata with the standard fpv controller?

[@PilotInstitute]

We have not received any information about that.

[@andrewchan9925]

Thanks for the review, it does help my decision on purchasing the new Avata or not since i already own the FPV. I did notice the color is richer in the Avata vs. the FPV. I'm curious however if the new goggles will work with the FPV and if so, would the head motion will work with the FPV also?

[@tatlas6420]

They do not work with the fpv drone atm it might in the future but it is not confirmed

[@clarkjamesdigital]

​@@tatlas6420 it's ridiculous that it doesnt work, when the fpv and avata are similar but different enough to not only feasibly own both, but to maybe bring both out with you on a trip, a long range drone and a proximity drone- i'm sure there's an fpv 2 in the works with an upgraded camera and that will be compatible with the goggles 2, but it's truly a testament to DJI's complete hatred of backwards compatibility to not even support their own 1 year old FPV drone, imagine if they shared batteries, 2 drones for different uses and you only need 1 set of goggles, 1 controller, 1 set of batteries and charger- we have that in the DIY FPV hobby but not so much with DJI

[@medienmond]

so the avata is loud, expensive, allways needs to rebind, you van't get it with the optimal controller, the framerate is only 100Hz and itis not fully compatible with existing goggles. Did i miss something? For me that is not a good thing to think of ever wanting to buy, more likely a reason to run away from as fast as i can...

[@PilotInstitute]

Actually no. Yes it's loud but about the same as any other cinewhoops. It is fully compatible with the old goggles, and the old controller. And you can buy it without any controllers.

[@scotthines5834]

Thank you. I was hoping with someone would do that comparison. I'm a huge fan of the original fpv drone and have two of them. I'm assuming that the new goggles 2 will bind to the original fpv drone?? Wondering if the image quality would be that much better with the OLED screens?

[@PilotInstitute]

It says so in the documentation. I think it needs a software update at the moment.

[@ronlowery114]

Great review, however I'm very interested in shooting still photos. It states 48 megapixels but indicates image size of 4000 x 3000. That computes to only 12 megapixels. Also what is the purpose of SD card for the googles?

[@kurtzFPV]

The sd card is for a backup and to review the end of the flight and help to find the drone if you crash.

[@likeableman]

Can you male s video with the startup sounds

[@ruimask]

Another great video. Congrats! Basic question from someone that doesn’t own a drone (sigh!) but wants to dabble soon: what about the pic quality for the avata? I’ve understood that the 48mb means different pixel size but is it a quality shot? Or not worth for that kind of thing? Cheers and thanks!

[@PilotInstitute]

I'm sure the quality is decent but this is not what the drone was designed for. It's kinda like taking pictures with a goPro. It gets the job done but that's it.

[@ruimask]

@@PilotInstitute thanks. Totally get it with the gopro example 😀

[@ruimask]

@@PilotInstitute also, side question: with this weight , we definitely need to register the drone, right ? And have that free training and certificate, just to be safe …

[@PilotInstitute]

@@ruimask Yes you do need to register and do TRUST. trust.pilotinstitute.com TRUST is required for any drones, regardless of weight.

[@patricknejad6779]

In terms of image quality is the new Goggles 2 way better than DJI FPV Goggles V2?

[@PilotInstitute]

I'm not sure about "way" better, but it is definitely better.

[@notlkk]

Do the goggles (v1) and controller that came with the DJI FPV drone ( not DJI FPV goggles v2) work with Avata?

[@PilotInstitute]

The DJI FPV came with the V2 goggles, which work with the Avata.

[@jmcjmc5587]

v1 is not compatible with avata and gamepad controller

[@notlkk]

@@PilotInstitute That’s too bad. For an early adopter like me on DJI FPV drone, the v1 goggles and controller are now obsolete to all the new DJI drones. Sounds like a punishment for early adopters.

[@PilotInstitute]

@@notlkk Let's be careful here with language. The DJI FPV shipped with the V2 goggles, not the V1. So if you bought the DJI FPV, the goggles you received will be compatible with the Avata. The V1 DJI Goggles were totally different.

[@notlkk]

@@PilotInstitute omg, you’re totally right. These versions are so confusing. I bought DJI FPV drone with its goggles and controller so the version should be v2, not v1. Thanks for the clarification.

[@adyszel]

Anybody know if the Avata is good to go for sustained flights over people (assuming the operator has remote id firmware)? It appears to have shielding around the rotating parts and is under 250 grams and has remote id certification.

[@PilotInstitute]

The Avata is over 250 grams so it doesn't qualify for Category 1

[@bcfmef]

sounds like to me , its better off to buy the FPV ($1000), then buy the Avata by itself for $629 and use the controllers, goggles from the FPV.

[@PilotInstitute]

Yep! You get two drones, goggles and a controller. Although you get the old goggles but they are still good!

[@VictoryAviation]

Really wish I could do this but with the new goggles

[@BlueDroneBlues]

Wish I thought of that a few days earlier. I might have totally gone that route and have 2 different drones for 2 different kinds of jobs. Of course, you'd be buying 2 separate sets of batteries for each drone, but probably be worth it.

[@robripingill4897]

Great video..do you know if we're able to use the new Avata goggles-2 with the DJI FPV Drone, will they link-up..? It would be nice to have a smaller pair of goggles with my DJI FPV Drone. 🕹🚁👍

[@PilotInstitute]

Not sure yet, we are waiting to hear.

[@BlueDroneBlues]

Sadly, at the moment the Goggles 2 is only compatible with the Avata. I hope they fix this and make it compatible with so many other drones. I hope soon there will be a better antenna setup to get us all a better signal. These new goggles are pretty bad a$$ and a range reduction is a pretty hard hit on them when they do so much more than the previous goggle set.

[@robripingill4897]

@@BlueDroneBlues Yeah..I would love a pair of these smaller sized Avata goggles-2 for my DJI FPV Drone, it sucks there not compatible, Come-on DJI get your S**T together🙄👎I won't be buying the Avata because my DJI FPV is faster & it already comes with external lights for low light conditions & night operations. Thanx for the reply.🕹🚁👍

[@AbbasAli-mw7xt]

@@robripingill4897 Hi Rob. I'm willing to buy a DJI FPV drone but couldn't decide which one to buy. I'm a newbie. Both have their own pros and cons. I love the first dji fpv coz of its size and thrust/power and the speed but hate it's vulnerability to get damaged if it crashed. Will it be ok for a newbie to get the 1st dji fpv or should I go for the second one?

[@robripingill4897]

@@AbbasAli-mw7xt Hi Abbas I guess it depends on what your going to use your drone for, the DJI FPV has a longer range it's better in stronger winds it has a much faster top speed, I use it as a fun super fast cinematic drone, I don't do the flips & barrel rolls or fly it in tight places like buildings, they say the Avata has a better camera image wise but I think the FPV Drone still gives me great 4K/60 video, for me I fly very conservatively & careful in open spaces because it is fragile if your doing 60+ MPH & hit a tree or something it's done, I love flying my FPV low & fast in Sport mode over water & the ground inches from the surface, It's Sooo Fun. If you want to fly your drone indoors like your house & around tight places the Avata is definitely the way go, FYI Too the Avata looks like it has overheating issues because it has no built-in fans, the FPV Drone does, If had the choice right now I still would go with the FPV drone. Good Luck.🕹🚁👍

[@malanalan1]

Dude, Goggles 2/Integra are no mach to Goggles V2 screen clarity.

[@Eazidosit]

I get 12 to 13 minutes on DJI FPV drone in manual flight mode.

[@forgewire]

I have’t got any problems with mini 3 pro, but Avata was giving me all sort of problems and I eventually returned that piece of junk due to a fault for full refund

[@garymbuck1]

I'm a real estate photographer, I recently purchased the mini 3 pro and also own the Mavic 2 pro. Do you think the Avata is a worthwhile purchase or would it be overkill in my situation?

[@PilotInstitute]

Depends on what you would use it for. In your case it might be an indoor drone for video presentations of your houses, but the Mini 3 Pro might work well too depending on how often you do it.

[@samjulian579]

I'm always fascinated by DJI's innovative ideas to push boundaries in the drone industry. What pisses me off though, is how quickly they release products with newer and far better features/technology for the sake of you shelling out that much more cash. They intentionally release drones with some severe limitations and then release something a lot better right after to make you dish out that much more money to upgrade. I bought my FPV drone only a few months ago and now they release the Avata thats pretty much better in almost every way minus the speed. Screw you, DJI. You greedy af.

[@labroomes]

I think the same way, only thing is I got the fpv drone with goggle’s etc. for £900 all in. Which is cheaper than this new drone. Also I feel fpv drone will do better outdoors as it has more weight and more power. And also those front sensors! That’s a big difference because with this new drone, collisions are guaranteed where as with fpv at least you have some preventative options. Annoyed cos I only bought the fpv drone on sales last month, but aside from the image quality difference in this video (avatar looks sharper, more dynamic range but way too saturated) initially I’m not disappointed.

[@PerryPlatapussi]

@@labroomes well the front sensors are useless on the DJI FPV if you aren't in normal mode

[@danielhornback]

You should be able to pair old goggles and controller to the avata

[@PilotInstitute]

We can now after the latest update.

[@ChrisParayno]

Different tools for different jobs but honestly, if you're not into fpv you shouldn't start with these period. These are too expensive to start with. Start on a sim.

[@jakesdronelife6307]

You can buy the goggles 2 by themselves now at a steep price of 759$ us

[@PilotInstitute]

That is high but the other goggles were expensive too!

[@jakesdronelife6307]

@@PilotInstitute yes very high higher than my grandmother with glaucoma !!! 😂

[@PilotInstitute]

@@jakesdronelife6307 hahaha

[@jakesdronelife6307]

@@PilotInstitute so the new goggles guess that’s the price with the motion controller gosh Dji really is trying to get rid of old stock lol

[@GregorPQ]

You have the old, faulty comparison footage in here.

[@PilotInstitute]

What do you mean?

[@GregorPQ]

@@PilotInstitute @4:39

[@darmawan4936]

Drone Dji FPV jauh lebih kencang

[@eastskate639]

DJI fpv

[@PilotInstitute]

Are you sure? Have you flown the Avata?

[@YarosMallorca]

DJI Avata vs DJI FPV?

[@joehiatt1992]

Battery life sucks on both in real time

[@PilotInstitute]

Compared to a traditional FPV, the battery is amazing.

[@malanalan1]

not much freedom to choose. You are stuck with DJI bundles.

[@Cinoo90]

potato or vaccum :D

[@deanmicheljunioralexis2817]

Too much $$

[@fpvbilal]

Fpv better than avata.

[@BlueDroneBlues]

Greetings. Question: I am new to the world of FPV and was wondering if people knew how to get a 3rd party RC radio that would be compatible with some DJI drones, much like both the FPV drones or even some of the normal DJI drones. At a price of over $200 to $300 bucks I could buy a pretty sweet 3rd party controller that would last me years.

[@Tlavite]

neither build your own

[@PilotInstitute]

You might be surprised.

[@Tlavite]

@@PilotInstitute got me interested now lmao 🤣

[@hernandez-perezandroid5983]

@@PilotInstitute Does the Avata comes remote ID ready just in case?

[@VictoryAviation]

Building your own is a fantastic option, but also doesn’t come with the same GPS capabilities that DJI offers. It’s a huge selling point for many of us, especially with the new goggles.

[@PilotInstitute]

@@hernandez-perezandroid5983 We don't know yet but we assume it will be available via software update.

[@PropPhotographyAZ]

Neither, real drones are home built.

[@PilotInstitute]

Yikes. Elitist much?

[@Tlavite]

@@PilotInstitute he isn't wrong though. dji not letting the goggles connect to vista air units and the older air units at launch just proves how out of touch the are with the true fpv community. walksnail and fatshark are going to dominate them if they don't make the goggle backwards compatible.

[@PilotInstitute]

@@Tlavite They will. I don't think the air unit is available yet but it has been rumoured, unless I missed that announcement.

[@Tlavite]

@@PilotInstitute I’m talking about the original air units from the goggles v2. The same goggles that came with the original DJI FPV not the new air unit. If they fail to make it backwards compatible with them the fpv community will write DJI off.

[@VictoryAviation]

What, by definition, is a “real” drone?

[@BlueDroneBlues]

Just to upsell us a damn joystick in a package instead of just including the common controller and making the joystick an option is freaking ridiculous. Of course, this is my own opinion, but I doubt I am the only one that feels this way. Now because of this small little quark, I am forced to pay an additional $200 plus dollars for a controller that should already be included with my new Avata. I wish it had the quick swap with the props like my Air 2S and the 1st DJI FPV.