Here’s what Reddit thinks of the forthcoming DJI FPV drone

Everyone, it seems, has an opinion on the new DJI FPV drone. And you won’t find a more talkative crowd than on Reddit’s DJI section. One post in particular has triggered a lot of chatter.

It’s always an interesting time, just prior to an impending product release. This is especially true when we don’t have all the details yet, and only a few images on which to base hypotheses. That’s certainly the case right now, with a DJI FPV drone around the corner. Some people are excited, even in the absence of any deets. Some people hate it, even in the absence of deets.

And some people just want to debate.

Reddit’s DJI group

We’re a member. And it’s a great spot to check out some really great videos, photos and stories. You can find the group here.

One of the recent posts, however, really has people talking. It’s this one:

This initially caught our eye because the image came from our website – lol. But, in truth, we were more interested in reading what people had to say.

Pilots weigh in on DJI’s FPV drone

Okay. So what do people have to say?

The first commenter suggests that maybe this machine would have a GoPro camera. Ain’t gonna happen. Not with the camera expertise that DJI already has. But here’s the comment:

DJI maybe has access to the GoPro Hero 9 in camera stabilization or “Hero mode” but licensed that the camera is tied to the drone and not detachable. I think that could provide an interesting application for fast drone footage without a gimbal so a drone thats durable and crash damage resistant.

Kekafuch, Reddit user

How much will the DJI FPV drone cost?

That was also the topic of a few posts. One user suggested the “Combo Box” offer would be about $1000, while another accurately pointed out that with DJI’s FPV goggles already priced at $529 it would likely be well over the $1000 mark:

Hmm..maybe.

Figure it’s using MM2 parts/tech and that’s going for $450 combined with the FPV goggles going for $529 and you come out right around $1000 for a “base kit”. I guess a “fly more” combo would have to be more than $1k.

NonyaDB, Reddit user

How much do we think it will cost?

Well, that’s not in the Reddit thread. But it is something we’ve thought about. A lot.

This drone is definitely targeted toward consumers, rather than Enterprise users (though there may be some use-cases where an Enterprise user really wants FPV). We also believe that DJI is hoping to attract not only existing drone pilots, but also those who’ve never flown and consider the knowledge and skill required for FPV Racing drones too high a barrier to entry. So DJI is not going to want to price this in the stratosphere.

So then we start calculating, based on the $529 retail of the goggles. The combo comes with a transmitter as well as the drone, so that has to be factored in as well.

Truth is, we really don’t know what the price will be. But our informed decision is that the combo will retail for somewhere between $1199 and $1499. We’d be surprised if it’s priced beyond $1500, as there’s a bit of a psychological barrier there. Plus, DJI wants to sell a ton of this product.

What about Line of Sight?

That’s a popular question. It has surfaced in comments on our own site, and it’s here as well:

FPV Racing is hard to learn

We’ve been thinking about this issue ever since the first leaks. That’s why we’ve written, at length, about why we believe this drone is not intended as an FPV racer, but as an FPV drone with graduated flight modes. A total beginner will be able to fly this like a standard DJI product. As their skills improve, they’ll be given options that align with their skill level – up to and including full-blown manual flight.

And it’s on this issue – what kind of ‘training wheels’ DJI will include with this drone – that the debate is most pointed. Rather than paste each post into a quote, we’ll just put the thread up here for you to peruse:

What modes will the DJI FPV drone have?

Well, we’ve engaged in some thoughtful speculation here and here. And, as we’ve stated, we believe this will be a new type of drone. In other words, it will be as easy to fly as any other DJI product, if desired. But it will also have modes that bring you closer to it being a full FPV freestyle machine.

Will this be a racer? No, not unless you’re racing other DJI FPV drones.

But it will shake up the industry. Of that, we’re convinced.