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Sunday, January 19, 2025

a digital camera drone for newcomers and vacationers


The DJI Flip launched in January 2025, marking a game-changing addition to the world of compact drones. It’s design is a big departure from any form of drone we’ve seen earlier than, representing one thing like 4 huge wheels surrounding a digital camera. The DJI Flip drone is finest for vloggers, newcomers and journey fanatics — providing one thing of a mixture between the ultra-low value DJI Neo (which launched in late 2025) and the DJI Mini lineup.

With its foldable, full-coverage propeller guards, superior security options and a strong digital camera system, the DJI Flip is palm-sized drone that mix’s Neo’s ease of use with digital camera high quality that’s nearer to skilled grade (aerial photographs are the identical high quality because the Mini 4 Professional). I spent the previous month testing out this neat little drone to place collectively my DJI Flip overview. So with that, right here’s a deep dive into its options, strengths and weaknesses — plus an evaluation of the way it stacks up in opposition to different DJI drones.

Its beginning value? It is available in underneath $500, at $439 to be actual. Upgraded fashions embrace the DJI Flip with the upgraded RC 2 slightly than the usual RC-N3($639) and the Fly Extra Combo with RC 2 ($779).

DJI Flip drone: it hits the candy spot between high quality, portability and ease of use

Take a look at my unboxing video beneath, the place you’ll discover all types of key particulars (and see them for your self)! In any other case, learn on:

Who’s the DJI Flip finest for?

There are all types of digital camera drones available on the market. The Flip actually isn’t essentially the most highly effective, as different digital camera drones just like the DJI Air 3S and DJI Mavic 3 Professional can provide even stronger flight and better picture high quality. But it surely’s powerful to argue with a drone underneath $500 that’s this good.

  • Vloggers and social media creators: With vertical capturing capabilities and audio recording through smartphone integration, this drone is optimized for movies meant for platforms like Instagram and TikTok.
  • Newbie drone pilots: The foldable propeller guards, automated braking, and light-weight design (<249g) make it one of many most secure and best drones for first-time flyers.
  • Vacationers: As a result of it’s compact and transportable, it’s closely checks the comfort field in a rating of finest journey drones.

Key options of the DJI Flip

Design

Folding up the DJI Flip. (Picture by Hamilton Nguyen)

The DJI Flip takes the enclosed propeller guards that made the Neo a well-liked drone for youths (and a well-liked drone for newcomers, too). From there, it provides the foldable design first launched into DJI merchandise with the DJI Mavic manner again in 2016.

That makes the DJI Flip the primary DJI’s first drone to function foldable, full-coverage propeller guards. It’s environment friendly in design from a portability standpoint, but additionally far safer versus having propellers uncovered.

These propeller guards are made with conventional polycarbonate materials.

And naturally, this drone is extremely light-weight. It weighs underneath 249 grams. Any drone weighing underneath 250 grams is important because it’s not regulated by federal aviation companies in most nations. That features the U.S., the place the Federal Aviation Administration requires that pilots register drones weighing 250 grams or extra. Drones 250 grams or extra additionally have to be Distant ID compliant.

Digicam

An unedited picture of The Drone Woman, Sally French, shot on the DJI Flip.

The digital camera will get you principally the identical high quality because the Mini 4 Professional (but that drone begins at greater than $300). The picture above is an unedited model of a shot I took in nonetheless picture mode with this drone.

This drone’s digital camera additionally will get actually fascinating in that it’s designed to additionally alter for close-up photographs of individuals. When taking close-ups, count on the identical high quality as what you’d get on the Osmo Pocket 3, which is part of DJI’s hand-held lineup of cameras.

An unedited picture of The Drone Woman, Sally French, shot on the DJI Flip.

Faucet to give attention to the topic you need in focus (if it doesn’t robotically focus to the realm you need). From there, the drone snaps a photograph that pulls out particulars in faces whereas blurring out the background (that’s the place the f/1.7 aperture is available in). The picture above exhibits precisely what these close-up photographs seem like. I personally discover the standard of close-up photographs to be increased than even photographs taken from a medium distance.

Listed here are some key digital camera specs:

  • 48MP photographs with excessive dynamic vary and 4x zoom.
  • 1/1.3-inch CMOS sensor.
  • Twin Native ISO Fusion.
  • f/1.7 aperture.
  • 2.4μm 4-in-1 pixels.
  • 4K/60fps HDR video, 10-bit D-Log M colour mode, and gradual movement at 4K/100fps.
  • AI-powered instruments like SmartPhoto and clever capturing modes (e.g. Dronie, Circle, Helix).

Flight time and management

I desire controlling the DJI Flip with the DJI RC 2. (Picture by Hamilton Nguyen)

This factor is tremendous simple to fly. DJI offers you a number of choices, together with the choice to fly it handsfree purely through the use of voice management by means of the DJI Fly app.

You may additionally decide to make use of it with only one hand by means of the DJI Fly app through Wi-Fi direct, which helps you to change between totally different capturing modes in a brand new vertical display screen interface.

After all, your different possibility is to go the standard route through distant management. You should utilize the cheaper DJI RC-N3 (included with the $439 DJI Flip), or go for the upgraded RC 2 ($639 together with the Flip), which I desire.

Learn extra: DJI RC 2 vs RC-N2: ought to Mini 4 Professional pilots improve?

Anticipate 31 minutes of max flight time with the Clever Flight Battery.

If you are going to buy the $779 Fly Extra Combo, you get two spare batteries (three complete) plus the Parallel Charging Hub, which expenses two batteries concurrently.

The DJI Flip provides 31 minutes of flight time with the Clever Flight Battery.  Cost it up through the DJI Flip Parallel Charging Hub, which expenses two batteries concurrently. (Picture by Sally French)

Security and ease of use

Listed here are some key security specs:

  • Foldable propeller guards comprised of carbon fiber for minimal weight and most safety.
  • Automated braking and impediment sensing for secure flying through DJI Flip’s 3D ToF sensors.
  • Return-to-Dwelling.

Designed with social media in thoughts

Sally French, The Drone Woman, flies the DJI Flip. (Picture by Hamilton Nguyen)

It’s not simply the vertical mode that signifies this drone was designed for social media. There’s the brand new emphasis on close-up photographs, so content material creators can get higher aerial photographs of themselves.

And for those who’re doing a standup, you are able to do that too. When linked to your telephone, the DJI Fly app really can seize audio. Even when there’s a slight whirring of propellers within the background, the app can robotically filter out propeller noise.

Listed here are another key specs:

  • Vertical capturing with a 4:3 CMOS sensor for high-quality content material creation with out cropping.
  • Built-in audio recording with noise discount.

DJI Flip: execs and cons

The DJI Flip in its folded up type. (Picture by Hamilton Nguyen)

Professionals

This drone is a simple, secure to fly entry level to drones — notably for individuals whose precedence isn’t a lot flying drones however extra documenting the opposite facets of their lives. Listed here are the highest 5 “execs” of the DJI Flip:

  1. Security First: Full-coverage propeller guards and automated braking are unmatched for newbie security.
  2. Compact and Moveable: Light-weight and foldable for on-the-go creators.
  3. Excessive-High quality Output: Glorious picture and video high quality with clever modes to simplify complicated photographs.
  4. Ease of Use: Intuitive controls with app and voice command choices.
  5. Reasonably priced Entry Level: Beginning at $439, it’s moderately priced for its function set.

Cons

However whereas I do love the Flip, it’s not for everybody. Listed here are some causes you may skip it.

  • Restricted Skilled Options: Lacks superior impediment avoidance and bigger sensor sizes seen in higher-end DJI drones.
  • Flight Time: Whereas enough for newcomers, 31 minutes could really feel limiting for extra intensive shoots.
  • Wind Resistance: The light-weight design could wrestle in windy situations in comparison with heavier DJI fashions. My prime general journey digital camera drone, the DJI Air 3S, simply surpasses the Flip by way of flight energy.

How the DJI Flip suits into DJI’s lineup

When folded, the DJI Flip is sort of an identical in measurement to the DJI Neo, which launched in late 2024. (Picture by Hamilton Nguyen)

The DJI Flip is positioned as a hybrid between the DJI Mini sequence and the Osmo Pocket sequence, mixing the portability and affordability of the Mini with the vlogging and vertical video options of the Osmo Pocket (and naturally, potential to fly).

It’s additionally price contemplating the DJI Neo, one other tremendous tiny drone, versus the DJI Air 3S, which is a much more highly effective digital camera drone.

DJI Flip vs. Neo vs. DJI Mini 4 Professional vs. DJI Air 3S vs. DJI Osmo Pocket 3

So how do these drones (and, effectively, the Osmo Pocket) examine side-by-side?

The Flip is principally a candy spot product between the Air 3S and Neo. It’s fairly much like the DJI Mini 4 Professional however with what I usually think about upgraded options (e.g. enclosed propellers, simple flight modes) that I’ll be curious to see if the Flip finally ends up canabalizing the Mini 4 Professional in recognition.

Function DJI Neo DJI Flip DJI Mini 4 Professional DJI Air 3S DJI Osmo Pocket 3
Weight <249g <249g 249g 724 grams N/A (handheld)
Digicam Sensor 1/2-inch CMOS 1/1.3-inch CMOS 1/1.3-inch CMOS 1-inch CMOS 1/1.7-inch CMOS
Picture Decision 12 MP 48MP 48MP 50MP, dual-camera system 64MP
Video Decision 4K/30fps 4K/60fps HDR 4K/100fps HDR 4K/120fps 4K/120fps HDR
Flight Time 25 minutes 31 min 34 min 45 minutes N/A
Propeller Guards Sure Foldable, full-coverage None None N/A
Worth (Beginning) $199 $439 $759 $1,099 $529

get your palms on the DJI Flip

You don’t even must be affected person. When you order at this time, you gained’t have to attend lengthy as delivery begins at this time. Once you order, you’ll have the selection of some totally different configurations, that are:

  • DJI Flip with RC-N3 controller: $439
  • DJI Flip with DJI RC 2 controller: $639
  • DJI Flip Fly Extra Combo: $779

Once you buy the Fly Extra Combo, you get a number of extras past what’s included within the DJI Flip with DJI RC 2 controller equipment. You do get that upgraded RC 2 versus the standard RC-N3, in addition to:

  • Two extra batteries (3 complete)
  • Parallel Charging Hub
  • 2 extra propellers
  • Shoulder bag

You even have the choice so as to add on DJI Care Refresh, which is DJI’s personal safety plan. It’s fairly complete and even covers unintended injury, together with flyaway, collisions and water injury. The catch? Paying for DJI Care Refresh doesn’t robotically get you a brand new drone. You’ll must pay a small extra cost, to have your broken product changed if an accident happens — which is DJI’s manner of guaranteeing you will have some pores and skin within the recreation.

DJI Flip: is it price it?

The DJI Flip. (Picture by Hamilton Nguyen)

The DJI Flip is a superb entry-level drone for aspiring content material creators and newcomers on the lookout for a secure, easy-to-use system. Whereas it lacks a number of the superior options of higher-end DJI drones just like the DJI Air 3S, its foldable design, clever capturing modes, and integration with social media platforms make it a standout selection for vloggers and vacationers. It would even push out the DJI Mini 4 Professional as any form of contender for drone decide.

Its safety-focused design makes it perfect for newcomers, whereas its superior digital camera options attraction to creators in search of high-quality content material with out professional-level complexity. If security, simplicity, and social media content material are your priorities, the DJI Flip provides great worth.


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