The New DJI Flip Vlog Camera Drones Have Landed

DJI today released a new family of palm-sized drones for vlogging, called Flip, with a dedicated privacy mode and other features, starting at $439.

Thanks to a feature called Local Data Mode, you can operate your Flip while disconnected from the internet so that all data stays on-device. The drone sports foldable propeller guards and weighs only 249 grams, or about 0.55 pounds, so you can take it anywhere.

DJI Flip boosts your drone videography by combining “the simplicity of DJI Neo with the stunning photo capabilities of DJI Mini to make both aerial photography and close-up portraits accessible for everyone,” said Ferdinand Wolf, DJI’s Product Experience Director. The new drone is equipped with a 1/1.3-inch camera sensor rocking an aperture of f/1.7, a pixel size of 2.4μm, and 4x zoom (probably optical, though DJI didn’t clarify).

The camera captures 48MP photos and shoots HDR video at 4K resolution and 60 frames per second (fps), which should be more than enough for not only everyday vlogging but a bunch of other use cases, too. For slow motion scenes, the Flip can shoot video at 100fps and 10-bit D-Log M color to more easily color grade your footage.

DJI Flip provides several video presets, including Mastershots for complex cinematic movements, four Hyperlapse modes (Free, Circle, Course Lock, and Waypoint) for footage at up to 4K horizontally or 2.7K vertically, three ways to follow your subject with FocusTrack, and wide-angle, vertical, and spherical panoramas. In addition, you get six shooting modes: Dronie, Circle, Rocket, Spotlight, Helix, and Boomerang.

Drone makers continue to invest heavily in computer vision and related technologies, and DJI is no exception. For example, the Flip has Dual Native ISO Fusion technology, meaning the camera supports two native ISO value levels to capture images with less noise and the widest possible dynamic range, as we saw with DJI’s Mini 4 Pro.

Another camera feature borrowed from Mini 4 Pro and other DJI drones is 4-in-1 pixels, which combinew four pixels into one (except when shooting 48MP photos) for better low-light sensitivity. There’s also the SmartPhoto feature, which combines HDR imaging and scene recognition while taking multiple photos continuously for image synthesis (like Smart HDR on your iPhone’s camera).

The new drone has a built-in infrared sensor to map its surroundings in 3D. It enables features commonly found on other DJI drones, like intelligent object avoidance and automatic braking (even at night). The Flip is rated for a 31-minute flight time, and you can fast-charge two Flip batteries at once to reduce downtime.

DJI claims the Flip transmits 1080p/60gps video up to 13 kilometers (about 8.1 miles) when paired with its RC-N3 or RC 2 remote controller. You can also operate the drone with voice commands and through the DJI Fly app, which can transfer your footage at up to 30MB/s. When flying in the app, the Flip can capture audio while filtering out propeller noise.

The drone uses an infrared sensor to map its surroundings in 3D, enabling features commonly found on other DJI drones, like intelligent object avoidance and automatic braking (even at night), AI subject tracking, and more. The new DJI Flip is offered in the below three configurations.

You can order your Flip from the DJI web store and authorized retail partners. DJI also offers its extended coverage, called Care Refresh, for the Flip for accidental damage (including flyaway) coverage, as well as collisions and water damage. The coverage includes two replacements for the 1-year plan and four replacements for the 2-year plan “for a small additional charge.”

DJI makes other products, not just drones, and we’ve tested a few here at HTG, including its 2-in-1 audio solution, Mic 2, and its smaller brother, Mic Mini, plus a dedicated power station for charging DJI drones with 2 AC ports and 2,200W output and other accessories.

Source: DJI