Nifty Spark flies with a mind of its own,
You can feel like a magician, but education might take longer than expected
A drone controlled by hand gestures? On YouTube, the flawless demonstration videos for the breakthrough DJI Spark drone make for some pretty entertaining viewing.
Sadly, real life just isn’t as polished.
Over the weekend, I took the DJI Spark out to the beach, performing a series of exercises to control the $499 device that made me look like I was either Jedi master or Tai Chi practitioner.
With the force of my hand wave, I could control a digital device — a magical feeling. But not always.
Often, the Spark worked as advertised. At other times, it had a mind of its own. (Oh, if only the Spark could also have voice control, for those moments when I screamed “No, No,” when the drone starting lifting upwards, too high for my tastes, and I couldn’t get it back down. Until I just let the battery run dry.)
We’re used to operating devices via our fingers or voice commands, not hand movements. So learning just how and when to put up our palm in a stop signlike stance to move it around, or waving to have it circle you, is going to take some time.
That said, based on this early first look at a drone that won’t be in stores until June 15, the Spark is one of the most intriguing new products of the year. For a start, it’s the first drone to respond to hand gestures and could open the door to other gesture-controlled consumer devices.
And at $499, the Spark is half the price of DJI’s previous consumer drone, the Mavic Pro, which is also compact, but more full-featured. Other competitors include Yuneec’s Breeze, which sells for $399, and the GoPro Karma, which starts at $799 without the Hero 5 camera.
The Karma has better resolution and more features, the Breeze less, but neither are as consumer friendly as the Spark. Once you get it down, the Spark gets from power on to into the air faster and easier than any drone I’ve ever flown.
But if you want the full, cinematic image you’re accustomed to seeing in aerial photography, don’t expect to get it from your hand movements.
When you use the gestures to control it, the drone will only go 10 feet high.
I’m 6-2, so the Spark only sat above 4 feet over my head.
DJI has several modes on its Go 4 app to operate the drone more traditionally, but in the limited time I spent with it over the weekend, I didn’t get to fully explore them.
The unit has a battery that only lasts 16 minutes, at least on paper. It usually ran out for me after 12 minutes. Which means, you launch it, take some video clips, land it, and the next thing you know you’re out of juice and running to re-charge. (The Mavic battery runs for around 20 minutes.)
What you need to know:
PRICING
While the Spark starts at $499, if you actually plan to use it, you’ll spend $699. The Fly More Combo comes with an extra battery, charger, case and video-game like controller which allows you to fly the Spark at way higher altitudes. You’ll want the extra battery and controller.
SPECS
The Spark has a 12 megapixel camera and cellphone size image sensor for 1080p HD video. I expected it to be way inferior to the Mavic Pro, which I own, but was pleasantly surprised with crisp, colorful and well-exposed images. The Mavic shoots in 4K, but the Spark footage looks great.
HOW IT WORKS
When you’re ready to fly, you turn on the unit, hold the Spark in front of you with the lens facing your face, click the battery button twice and wait for it to learn about you. From there, the propellers start to twirl, and you throw it in the air, like a bird master. The Spark hovers by you, until you direct it with your palm for which way to go. You can also wave at the drone to have it follow you in a circle.
BOTTOM LINE
If you’re looking for a flying camera that can take fun group selfies or something so light (less heavy than a soda can, DJI says) you can easily walk around town with it, the Spark could be for you. It’s not that much smaller or lighter than the Mavic, but it is certainly easier to tote.
But as much fun as the hand waving is, remember that you won’t get those amazing cinematic drone sweeps that way, or be able to do simple things like sending the drone over a scenic overlook or panning an ocean skyline.
There’s an app for that. But before you open it up, don’t forget to stock up on extra batteries.