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DJI Avata Pro-View Combo Review

An indoors-friendly model that's great for learning how to fly in FPV
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DJI Avata Pro-View Combo Review
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Price:  $1,317 List
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Manufacturer:   DJI
By Zach Lovell ⋅ Review Editor  ⋅  Mar 12, 2024
70
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#6 of 9
  • Video Quality - 45% 6.8
  • Flight Performance - 35% 6.8
  • Portability - 10% 9.0
  • Ease of Use - 10% 6.5

Our Verdict

The DJI Avata Pro-View Combo is the most approachable FPV drone we've found yet in our extensive drone research and testing. With flight modes that mimic standard drones, you can ease into the deep end of first-person-view as you gain confidence. While we wouldn't recommend this drone for the veteran pilot, newer users won't outgrow this model for a long time. With propeller guards and downward obstacle sensors, this is an excellent indoors drone, and can even get unique outdoors shots that have tight clearances. While the dynamic range of the onboard camera isn't the best, it still offers 4k video and 48mp to capture your scene or photo in excellent definition. Don't miss our article on best drones to see how the Avata stacks up to its competition.
REASONS TO BUY
Excellent for indoors use
Great portability
Amicable first person view
REASONS TO AVOID
Low light camera performance
No intelligent flight modes
May require another remote purchase

Compare to Similar Products

 
Awards Top Pick Award
Best Learning FPV
Editors' Choice Award
Editors' Choice Award
Best Drone Overall
Top Pick Award
Best for Traveling
Best Buy Award
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Price $1,317 List
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Overall Score Sort Icon
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Bottom Line A fun and capable option that makes FPV drones more approachableThis compact drone offer fantastic video, responsive controls, and great programming, making it a go-to for serious drone cinematographersThe is a great do-it-all drone that has 5K video, a highly capable sensor, and user-friendly controls making it one step below the prosumer classA travel-friendly drone that's small enough to take on almost any tripA perfect low cost introduction to flying or incredibly entertaining toy for the kids
Rating Categories DJI Avata Pro-View... DJI Mavic 3 DJI Air 2S DJI Mini 3 Pro DJI Tello
Video Quality (45%)
6.8
9.8
9.6
7.8
4.2
Flight Performance (35%)
6.8
9.4
9.2
8.0
3.0
Portability (10%)
9.0
8.0
8.0
10.0
6.5
Ease of Use (10%)
6.5
9.1
9.0
8.2
3.8
Specs DJI Avata Pro-View... DJI Mavic 3 DJI Air 2S DJI Mini 3 Pro DJI Tello
Video Resolutions 4k, 2.7k, 1080p 5.1K, DCI 4K, 4K, FHD 5.4K, 4K, 2.7K, FHD 4k, 2.7k, FHD, Slow Motion 720p
Weight .9 lbs 1.97 lbs 1.31 lbs .54 lbs .17 lbs
Maximum Speed 60.3 mph 42.5 mph 42.5 mph 35.7 mph 17.89 mph
Maximum Claimed Flight Time 18 minutes 46 minutes 31 minutes 34 minutes 13 minutes
Diagonal Size (no props) 8.25 in 8.75 in folded
16 in unfolded
11.9 in 6 in 8.12 in
Video Format MP4 MP4 / MOV MP4, MOV MP4, MOV MP4
Maximum Video Bitrate 150 Mpbs 200 Mbps 150 Mbps 150 Mpbs
Camera Sensor 1/1.7" CMOS Hasselblad: 4/3 CMOS
Tele Camera: 1/2" CMOS
1" CMOS 1/1.3" CMOS

Our Analysis and Test Results

The DJI Avata Pro-View Combo offers a less intimidating way to get into FPV drone piloting, and with protected propellers you're less likely to damage the drone, yourself, or your flying environment. Historically, switching from a standard to first-person-view drone has been a significant leap, but this model offers effective self-stabilization and intuitive flight controls, allowing you to enjoy the immersive flight experience of FPV without stressing as much about crashing.

Performance Comparison


dji avata pro-view combo - this drone offers the friendliest fpv flying we've ever found, and...
This drone offers the friendliest FPV flying we've ever found, and it's a capable content creator.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Video Quality


Video quality is arguably the most crucial criterion of any drone purchase, so we weighted it at 45% of the total score of the DJI Avata Pro-View Combo. We tested this metric by capturing nearly identical photos and video with every drone, comparing them side-by-side on identical monitors indoors. We examined each camera's detail, highlight retention, dynamic range, and low light performance to objectively score each drone. Overall, the Avata landed in the lower-middle of the pack, offering good, but not great, metric scores.


The DJI Avata Pro-View Combo offers excellent resolution, performing similarly to our other award-winning drones. This is particularly impressive given that the camera is the same one transmitting the live video feed to your headset. We loved the high level of detail we got to experience in real-time, but we especially appreciated it when we got to the editing booth.



The highlight retention and dynamic range of the Avata Pro-View Combo left something to be desired in testing. When shooting scenes with diverse lighting, it handled the clouds well, but the shadows were extremely dark, lacking detail. With the high level of noise and graininess in low light conditions, the time of day you're shooting a scene with this drone is more crucial than normal, but well-lit scenes will turn out beautifully.

We were able to capture quality content with the Avata Pro-View Combo, as long as the scene was well-lit.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Many FPV drones don't have a gimbal, but the Avata Pro-View Combo offers a pitch gimbal, offering more flexibility with shot composition. The built-in “Rock Steady” stabilization offers smoother footage, but post-processed image stabilization works even better. As with any FPV drone, the footage quality will rely on your piloting skills, though the effective horizon steady mode is a great tool if you don't mind the video getting cropped.

dji avata pro-view combo - we appreciated having a pitch gimbal on the avata pro-view combo...
We appreciated having a pitch gimbal on the Avata Pro-View Combo, where many other FPV drones don't have any gimbal.
Credit: Abriah Wofford


Flight Performance


Coming in as our second most important metric, flight performance is worth 35% of the total score of the Avata Pro-View Combo. We tested this category by going on flights of all shapes and sizes, examining take-off/landing, responsiveness, flight modes, hover stabilization, and features such as return home. We took extensive notes every step of the way, staying as objective as possible in a category that frequently comes down to the pilot's preferences. This drone offers decent flight performance, but most of the competition posted top-notch scores in this metric.


The Avata Pro-View Combo gifted smooth take-offs and landings with stability that inspired confidence in more complex settings. While there aren't intelligent flight modes available, this drone does offer multiple flight settings including “Normal, Sport, Acro, and Full Manual”. This allows for very different piloting experiences depending on your needs and ability level, with the normal setting being the most friendly option and the fully manual setting offering serving up the greatest challenge. We were also impressed with the return home function of this drone, smoothly returning home within two feet of its take-off location.

We greatly appreciated the smooth flight performace of the Avata Pro-View Combo.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

When testing the ride quality itself, we loved the hover stability of the Avata Pro-View Combo, though such a small drone is easily impacted by windy days. In addition to stability, the propeller guards allowed us to fly indoors, which we weren't comfortable doing with many of our other drones. Initially, the responsiveness felt very touchy, but after we adjusted the control rate, we got the exact feel we wanted from our remote control, allowing us to fully enjoy the flying experience this FPV gifts. Our tested max flight time came in at only 18 minutes, so extra batteries are recommended depending on the number of flights you need in a session.

This is one of the only models we'd feel comfortable flying indoors, offering a whole other world of content creation.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Portability


Portability is worth 10% of the total score of the Avata Pro-View Combo, examining its weight, diagonal dimensions, and case. This drone came in near the top, making for an excellent option if transport capability is a priority, especially for a FPV drone.


Weighing only 14.5 ounces, the Avata Pro-View Combo is one of the lighter drones we tested, making for a great companion on long days traveling or shooting. While this drone doesn't fold, its diagonal size comes in at 8.25 inches and should fit in most packs or camera bags. This option doesn't include a case, but with built-in propeller guards, you won't need to worry as much about how it's stored in your pack.

dji avata pro-view combo - this featherweight drone doesn't fold up, but its dimensions are...
This featherweight drone doesn't fold up, but its dimensions are modest and you'll likely be able to fit it in your camera bag.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Ease of Use


How easy a drone is to use can make or break a purchase, so we included this metric in our review, weighing it at 10% of the total of the Avata Pro-View Combo. The scoring of this metric was based on several factors, such as out of box setup, remote control intuition, flight learning curve, and video quality on your headset. This drone didn't score the best in this metric, but for an FPV drone, we found this to be one of the easiest models to use.


The best part of the Avata Pro-View Combo in this metric is its beginner-friendly learning curve for flying in FPV. In normal mode, its GPS positioning works like a standard drone, so you can let go of the sticks and it'll just hover in place, whereas a typical FPV drone would need your constant piloting. As a new first-person view drone flyer, you might get disoriented initially, but the pause button allows you to take a breather if you become disoriented.

One of the standout components of this drone is it's ease of use for new FPV pilots.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

The Avata Pro-View Combo has a complicated setup out of the box, with a new menu structure requiring at least a half hour to adjust settings on your headset, and you even have to tether your phone to it. The DJI Fly App also isn't the most friendly device app and further lengthened the binding process. Having said this, once you're up and running, you won't have to go back into any of the set up processes unless you're changing out the remote.

The remote that comes with the Avata Pro-View Combo is the Motion 2 controller, which is a unique pistol grip design where your hand and wrist movements/position steer the drone. Unfortunately, this fun and interesting remote doesn't offer the same control or performance as a more classic, gamepad-style controller such as the DJI remote 2, so you may need to buy another controller depending on your needs.

dji avata pro-view combo - the motion 2 controller is fun to use, but less practical than a...
The motion 2 controller is fun to use, but less practical than a traditional controller.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Should You Buy the DJI Avata Pro-View Combo?


This model is an excellent option for those seeking a friendly way to learn how to fly an FPV drone. It's also a great choice for indoor drone use, though you should practice piloting it outside beforehand. There are many standard drones that are easier to use or offer better video quality, but FPV offers an unparalleled, immersive experience.

What Other Drone Should You Consider?


If you are looking for a budget-friendly drone that's portable, check out the DJI Mini 3 Pro, which has a similar flight feel to the Avata Pro-View Combo, though it isn't FPV. The Mavic 3 Pro is our top-of-the-line option if you need the best from your drone flights. If you're looking for a more advanced first-person view drone, take a look at the DJI FPV Combo.

Zach Lovell