DJI Spark
The DJI Spark is DJI’s first real foray in to the mass market with a drone that offers a very low barrier to entry to operate. Not only is the Spark DJI’s smallest drone with a body the size of a smartphone, it is also their most affordable. The Spark can be launched from your hand with its facial recognition take off and it can be controlled through the DJI Go App. It can fly up to 100 metres away, this can be increased to over 1.2 miles (1.9km) with the DJI remote control (sold separately).
One big difference between the Spark and its bigger brother the Mavic Pro is its lack of 3-axis gimbal and ability to record 4k video. Instead it shoots full HD 1080p video using a 12 megapixel camera setup on a 2-axis gimbal. This is not a drawback for a lot of people this drone is aimed at because they likely do not have the ability or space to edit 4k video and just want a simple way to shoot and share their footage.
Spark has a 16 minute flight time and can fly up to 31mph (50kph) with the optional remote when in the sports mode setting. Its DJI flight autonomy includes GPS / Glonass, forward facing 3d vision sensing and vision positioning that all keep it flying stable. A nice feature of the Spark is that it supports direct charging over Micro USB, but also has a removable battery.
Spark is packed with gesture controls for taking photos and video. Its intelligent flight modes include QuickShot, ActiveTrack, Tap Fly and Gesture. A wave of the hands can take a photo, it can follow your hand making you look like some kind or Jedi master and even land safely on your hand. QuickShot is for creating cinematic movements and includes rocket, dronie, circle and helix, each creating a stunning style of video movement. TapFly allows you to simply tap where you want the drone to fly and it will use its front-facing sensors to fly there safely. ActiveTrack is perfect for following a moving subject. For photo it packs in pano and shallow focus modes for professional looking shots.
The Spark drones software can record video clips and edit them down in to video for you. Fly, Create, Share is the mantra of the Spark and the idea is to just have fun with it and share what you make without having to download it all and use edit suites before sharing. You can launch Spark from your hand using facial recognition, use some of the video features and have it return to home all with very little effort.
In many respects the DJI Spark is a good drone to build on as it has the option to buy the additional remote and first person view goggles. The price tag of $499 (£519) is much more widely affordable than the newer Phantom and Mavic Pro series drones. It does take the best features from the two series, combining all the portability of the Mavic Pro with the fixed body design of the Phantom as well as integrating all the intelligent flight modes and even adding a couple.
The DJI Spark is available in 5 colours direct through the DJI Store for £499 ($519) or you can upgrade to the ‘Fly more bundle’ for £699 ($699). This bundle is currently reduced by £196 ($154) at the time of writing this.
Scroll down for the official specs, video and click the links below to see the latest prices.
DJI Spark Launch Video
Specs
AIRCRAFT
Max Ascent Speed | 9.8 ft/s (3 m/s) in Sport Mode without wind |
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Max Descent Speed | 9.8 ft/s (3 m/s) in Auto Landing Mode |
Max Speed | 31 mph (50 kph) in Sport Mode without wind |
Max Service Ceiling Above Sea Level | 13,123 feet (4,000 m) |
Max Flight Time | 16 minutes (no wind at a consistent 12.4 mph (20 kph)) |
Max Hovering Time | 15 minutes (no wind) |
Operating Temperature Range | 32° to 104° F (0° to 40° C) |
Satellite Positioning Systems | GPS/GLONASS |
Hover Accuracy Range | Vertical: +/- 0.1 m (when Vision Positioning is active) or +/-0.5 m Horizontal: +/- 0.3 m (when Vision Positioning is active) or +/-1.5 m |
Transmitter Power (EIRP) | 2.4 GHz FCC: 25 dBm; CE: 18 dBm; SRRC: 18 dBm 5.8 GHz FCC: 27 dBm; CE: 14 dBm; SRRC: 27 dBm |
Operating Frequency | 2.400 – 2.483 GHz; 5.725 – 5.825 GHz |
Takeoff Weight | 300 g |
Dimensions | 143×143×55 mm |
Diagonal Distance (propellers excluded) | 170 mm |
3D SENSING SYSTEM
Obstacle Sensing Range | 1-16 ft (0.2 – 5 m) |
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Operating Environment | Surface should be larger than 20×20 cm and enable diffuse reflection, with reflection rate >20% (eg. wall, tree, people) |
CAMERA
Sensor | 1/2.3″ CMOS Effective pixels: 12 MP |
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Lens | FOV 81.9° 25 mm (35 mm format equivalent) f/2.6 (shooting range: 2 m to ∞) |
ISO Range | Video: 100-3200 Photo: 100-1600 |
Electronic Shutter Speed | 2-1/8000 s |
Image Size | 3968×2976 |
Still Photography Modes | Single Shot Burst Shooting: 3 frames Auto Exposure Bracketing (AEB): 3 bracketed frames at 0.7 EV bias Interval: 2/3/5/7/10/15/20/30/60 s |
Video Resolution | FHD: 1920×1080 30p |
Max Video Bitrate | 24 Mbps |
Supported File Systems | FAT32 |
Photo Format | JPEG |
Video Format | MP4 (MPEG-4 AVC/H.264) |
REMOTE CONTROLLER
Operating Frequency | 2.412-2.462 GHz; 5.745-5.825 GHz |
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Max Transmission Distance | 2.412 – 2.462 GHz (unobstructed, free of interference) FCC: 1.2 mi (2 km); CE: 0.3 mi (500 m); SRRC: 0.3 mi (500 m) 5.745 – 5.825 GHz (unobstructed, free of interference) FCC: 1.2 mi (2 km); CE: 0.18 mi (300 m); SRRC: 0.7 mi (1.2 km) |
Operating Temperature Range | 32° to 104° F (0° to 40° C) |
Battery | 2970 mAh |
Transmitter Power (EIRP) | 2.4 GHz FCC: ≤26 dBm; CE: ≤18 dBm; SRCC: ≤18 dBm 5.8 GHz FCC: ≤28 dBm; CE: ≤14 dBm; SRCC: ≤26 dBm |
Operating Current/Voltage | 950 mAh @3.7 V |
Supported Mobile Device Size | Thickness range: 6.5-8.5 mm Max length: 160 mm |
INTELLIGENT FLIGHT BATTERY
Capacity | 1480 mAh |
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Voltage | 11.4 V |
Max Charging Voltage | 13.05 V |
Battery Type | LiPo 3S |
Energy | 16.87 Wh |
Net Weight | Approx. 0.2 lbs (95 g) |
Charging Temperature Range | 41° to 104° F (5° to 40° C) |
GIMBAL
Controllable Range | Pitch: -85° to 0° |
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Stabilization | 2-axis mechanical (pitch, roll) |
VISION SYSTEM
Velocity Range | ≤22.4 mph (36 kph) at 6.6 ft (2 m) above ground |
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Altitude Range | 0-26 ft (0 – 8 m) |
Operating Range | 0-98 ft (0 – 30 m) |
Operating Environment | Surface with clear patterns, enables diffuse reflection with >20% reflection rate Adequate lighting (lux>15) |
WI-FI
Operating Frequency | 2.4 GHz/5.8 GHz |
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Max Transmission Distance | 100 m(Distance), 50 m(Height) (Unobstructed, free of interference) |
CHARGER
Input | 100-240 V; 50/60 Hz; 0.5 A |
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Output | 5 V/3 A; 9 V/2 A; 12 V/1.5 A |
RECOMMENDED MICRO SD CARDS
Model | Sandisk 16/32 GB UHS-1 Micro SDHC Kingston 16/32 GB UHS-1 Micro SDHC Samsung 16/32 GB UHS-I Micro SDHC Sandisk 64 GB UHS-1 Micro SDXC Kingston 64 GB UHS-1 Micro SDXC Samsung 64 GB UHS-I Micro SDXC |
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