Okay, I'd just take a break from all my very personal blog (read: pregnancy) and spend this post entirely on my thoughts of the recent purchase we made, which is the DJI Spark.
I convinced Albert to buy this while the baby isn't out yet because I am sure that we might not get the chance to buy this on a latter part. He badly wanted to have a drone since, and at first we were contemplating whether to get the DJI Mavic Pro but since the price difference is big, we decided to buy the Spark instead. This became our material Anniversary gift that we can use for long term (as long as the blades still work lol)
I am not sure if until as of this writing though but since that time we decided to buy the drone, we realized that the fly-more combo was still not available in Singapore. We purchased this baby straight at DJI website and came in just a few days later we bought it online.
the first thing you'll see when you opened the box was the 16GB microSD freebie.
The actual box. It had a little dent on one of the corners but the plastic was still all sealed as usual. The manual booklets are found inside the DJI Spark bag which looked like the photo below:
(L-R): the bag and the drone hard case; actual look of the hard case
This was the actual drone looked like. The body is white by default since the rest of the colors were not available yet, but the cover can be changed and can be bought separately. When we were initially doing the research, I went to shops here in Singapore that sells the drone alone. The drone was just about the size of your entire palm when you do not extend the propeller blades. In fact, if you have a big pocket in your pants, this might fit.
Just like the DJI Mavic Pro, DJI Spark also have its own bag to store all the other accessories included. When we went out to do its very first test flight, we did not put the drone and other accessories in the bag since Albert was bringing his camera bag that could fit not only his personal stuff but also these.
What's good about the fly-more combo is the inclusion of the remote control for easy maneuvering. DJI Spark by the way can be operated by just a wifi connection from your smartphone that's why I knew a few friends that purchased the drone alone (because you could).
*Review will be done below.
the charger and battery dock chargers
VERDICT:
The drone performance for me is great. I am not that person who wishes to acquire a bigger, more expensive drone when I know that I am technically a newbie. As this is meant as a hobby, I do not need a 4K resolution like Mavic does. I know for a fact that I am not actually using the drone for business purposes. Spark gives this convenience that despite it's just a size of your palm, it gives you a decent 1080 resolution. Fair enough.
While I have not tested the hand gestures which is one of the drone's selling feature, the remote control makes life easier. I am actually not buying that hand-gesture thing, or maybe I am not used to maneuver it in an awkward way. Maybe let's just say that I am a little bit old-fashioned but nevertheless, having the remote control is convenient to navigate the drone properly. The screen on your mobile phone then is fully utilized as your monitor to see what the drone is doing, full scale.
Maybe I'll teach myself how to use the hand gestures soon. :)
Maybe I'll teach myself how to use the hand gestures soon. :)
Charging the drone with an allotted USB port to as simple as a powerbank is an advantage too. But that's minimal advantage. The downside of this drone was actually the duration that it can stay in the air. Meaning, the battery life isn't as strong as Mavic or DJI Phantom 4. One battery only lasts at around 16-17 minutes. I think that's why some people still contemplate on buying this little gadget because of the power that it could only make. If ever DJI releases a more sustainable or a longer lasting battery performance, it would really make a huge difference.
Distance wise, it was good. Given that Singapore sometimes gives off this unpredictable wind directions, it manages to lift itself decently too. As seen on my previous blog, we went and did our test flight at gardens by the bay. Since we were newbies, we can only manage to bring the drone this high.
I know, we need more practice. LOL
OVERALL THOUGHTS:
The drone is best for beginner level users, but you might be craving for something more if you aren't.
Pros:
Light, convenient, stealth
Easy to assemble, easy to store in a bag
Controller-able and controller-free too
Decent resolution, if only for a hobby
Cons:
Poor battery performance
Given that it's small, you may not reach a certain desired height for your shots
(if you're an advanced user), you may complain on the resolution
This may not be a very useful review for some, so I am posting some helpful links that could enlighten every bits and pieces of this drone.
I love Casey Neistat btw, and he made a helpful vlog about it too:
Additional info on where are the only areas that you could get the drone fly here in Singapore would be on this link.
Hope this helps. :)
xoxo
Posts
