After achieving action camera success, Insta360 invaded DJI’s turf with the first mass-market panoramic drone, the Antigravity A1. It had instant appeal for drone pilots, offering 8K 360 video and features like subject tracking, obstacle detection and FPV flying.
Though beaten to the punch, DJI has responded quickly with the Avata 360, aided by its drone experience and camera tech from the new Osmo 360 action cam. It has a lot in common with its rival, but it’s safer to fly around people and offers single camera 4K footage on top of 8K 360 video.
To find out how the Avata 360 stacks up against the A1, I tested it both indoors and out, around people and even “stunt” horses. The Avata 360 isn’t perfect, but it is far more polished than its rival. As with other DJI drones of late, though, US availability remains unclear.
How the Avata 360 works
The 360 camera makes the Avata 360 different from any other DJI drone. It features two ultrawide cameras with f/1.9 lenses and 1.1-inch 64-megapixel sensors, with one pointing up and the other down for unobstructed 200-degree views. Those are then stitched together by software to create 360 degree video at up to 8K 60 fps.
This setup fundamentally changes the way you pilot a drone and capture video. Since the 360 camera records everything around it, you can focus on flying and reframe shots later in DJI’s Studio app. That 360 view is also handy when piloting in FPV mode. With the head tracking on DJI’s Goggles N3, you can look all around you simply by turning your head.
Unlike the Antigravity A1 that only shoots 360 video, the Avata 360 supports regular single-camera shooting as well. When you switch to that mode, the camera rotates forward and shoots 4K video at up to 60 fps with a 28mm field of view. DJI’s drone also works with a regular controller, which isn’t an option on the A1. You have to use the Insta360’s goggles at all times.
Design
Because of the chunky 360 camera, the Avata 360 is slightly bigger than the Avata 2. It’s also quite a bit heavier at 455 grams (one pound) and so, unlike the 249-gram Antigravity A1, you’ll need a permit to fly one in most regions.
The Avata 360’s propellers are shielded to protect the drone and keep it safe indoors or around people, unlike the open-prop A1. For additional protection it has two omni obstacle sensors on the side, a Lidar sensor up front, landing sensors on the bottom and, of course, a camera that points in all directions. To keep the lenses off of bare ground, it comes with a foldable 18x18-inch landing mat.
DJI’s Goggles N3 (available with the RC Motion 3 controller as an option) are comfortable and allow you to wear eyeglasses. Unlike the Goggles 3, though, there’s no external camera to see outside. If you’d rather pilot conventionally, you can get the Avata 360 bundled with DJI’s RC 2 screen controller in another kit.
Performance and features
As an FPV drone, the Avata 360 is fast and agile. It can hit speeds up to 40 MPH in sport mode (without obstacle avoidance) or 35 MPH in normal mode. When used with the optional FPV Remote Controller 3, you can do flips, rolls and other “cinewhoop” style maneuvers. Once you get used to flying it that way, it’s incredibly fun.
The 38.7Wh batteries have 26 percent more capacity than the Avata 2’s cells, but rated endurance is about the same at 24 minutes. I never got more than about 18 minutes in real-world flying though, so it’s a good idea to buy the Fly More kit with three batteries and a fast charger that can replenish them all in about 100 minutes.
Samuel Dejours for Engadget
Part of my testing of the Avata 360 was capturing “trick riding” horses, so it was important that the drone noise didn’t spook them. At 81db the Avata 360 is louder than the Mini 4 Pro (67 db) and less banshee-like than the Neo 2 due to the larger propellers, so the horses weren’t alarmed.
Video is transmitted to the Goggles N3 and RC Motion 3 controller (or the RC screen controller) at 1080p 60 fps via DJI’s OcuSync 4.0+ system. The maximum flying range is 20 km (12.4 miles), double that of the Avata 2. This is an impressive distance for an FPV drone.
The 45GB of internal storage (42GB usable) can fill up quickly when you’re shooting 8K video, but the drone also has a microSD slot. To get your footage onto a PC or smartphone, you can transfer it via the USB-C port or over Wi-Fi using DJI’s Fly app.
The Avata 360 has DJI’s usual tracking and obstacle detection features, but they’re available only with the RC 2 controller and not the Goggles N3. To follow a subject, simply draw a box around them on the controller to enable Focus Track and its three modes: Spotlight, Point of Interest and ActiveTrack. The latter tracks a subject automatically and lets you control the drone’s position via an on-screen “steering wheel.”
Steve Dent for Engadget
To test that, I biked in a narrow forested lane and walked around a bamboo-covered obstacle course. When using Focus Track, the drone dodged most obstacles and was only confused by small leaves and branches. If it did contact one of those, it sailed right through without crashing thanks to the propeller guards.
Subject tracking works in both 360 and single camera modes, but when using the latter, The Avata 360 can’t see and avoid obstacles behind it. It contacted branches several times during my testing, but fortunately the prop guards prevented crashes. Other automatic features include Dronie, Rocket and Quickshot modes that let you capture clips for social media.
Video
The Avata 360 prioritizes FPV freedom and flexibility over pure video quality. Though the specs promise 8K, that only applies to the full 360 degree video — your final, flat video will actually be 4K or less after processing. And the 360 camera zooms digitally (not optically), which further reduces resolution. On top of that, you can often see a “seam” in the video where stitching occurs, and dewarping (used to output flat video) can create softness at the edges. With all that, video is less sharp than DJI’s regular Mini, Air and Mavic drones.
Because the camera is fixed when shooting 360 video, the Avata 360’s gimbal can’t smooth out jolts or correct for roll. Instead, it uses action cam-style electronic stabilization. What’s more, that type of smoothing causes motion blur and artifacts in low light due to the lower shutter speeds — something I also noticed with the Osmo 360.
Steve Dent for Engadget
With that said, video quality was as sharp and color-accurate as the Osmo 360, and a touch better than the Antigravity A1 when filming in daylight. For tricky, contrasty conditions like a shaded path on a sunny day, the D-LogM option boosted dynamic range, helping me bring out shadow detail and tone down overly-bright highlights. However, the cityscape I shot at night was soft and occasionally blurry due to the aforementioned stabilization issues.
In exchange for this lower video quality, the 360 camera provides incredible flexibility. For a vlog style tracking shot, for instance, I usually need to film twice to show the forward and backward directions. With the Avata 360, though, I was able to get both POVs from the same shot and output an overhead view too for good measure.
DJI Studio is where you go to select your desired framing and output the flat video. It’s not quite as versatile as Insta360’s app, but it allows you to reframe shots and create smooth transitions between camera angles. And to save time, you can use the Intelligent Tracking feature to center your subject. The app also offers color correction and other features, but I found it easier to export the final shots to DaVinci Resolve for any additional work.
Flat video a mixed bag. Sharpness is mildly better than the 360 video, but the lack of a gimbal roll axis means that the camera can’t level itself when the drone banks into the wind. As a result, most of my footage was tilted and often unusable.
Wrap-up
Steve Dent for Engadget
With the Avata 360, DJI has a surprisingly sophisticated drone that offers better video quality and more features than its only rival, Insta360’s Antigravity A1. It can do everything you’d expect from a DJI FPV drone like tracking, obstacle avoidance and acrobatics, while operating safely around people (or horses).
DJI also managed to undercut Insta360 on price, with the Avata 360 starting at 459 euros (approx. $530), or 939 euros ($1,089) in a kit with a screen controller, three batteries and a charger. It’s also available with the extra batteries and charger, DJI’s FPV Goggles N3 and the RC Motion 3 controller for 939 euros ($1,089). As mentioned, there’s no word yet on US pricing, but the Avata 360 has been approved by the FCC so it could appear in the US soon.
Like 360 action cams though, this is a niche product. If you’re a vlogger, extreme action shooter, FPV pilot or solo filmmaker who wants speed and flexibility, the Avata 360 is a great choice. If it’s pixel perfect image quality you want, however, you’re better off with DJI’s Mini 5 Pro, Air 3S or Avata 4 Pro drone.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/dji-avata-360-drone-review-360-video-hits-new-highs-120014666.html?src=rss
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The kernel exploit for two security vulnerabilities used in the recently uncovered Apple iOS exploit kit known as Coruna is an updated version of the same exploit that was used in the Operation Triangulation campaign back in 2023, according to new findings from Kaspersky.
"When Coruna was first reported, the public evidence wasn't sufficient to link its code to Triangulation — shared
President Trump on Thursday called on the Iranian regime "to get serious soon" in negotiations with the U.S. "before it is too late."
Why it matters: The Trump administration through a group of mediators — Pakistan, Egypt and Turkey — has asked Iran to hold a high-level meeting this week to discuss a U.S. proposal for ending the war.
Trump's five-day pause on strikes against Iranian energy infrastructure expires Saturday, and a dramatic military escalation will grow more likely if no progress is made in diplomatic talks, particularly if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed.
Some U.S. officials think a crushing show of force to conclude the fighting would create more leverage in peace talks or simply give Trump something to point to and declare victory.
ThePentagonis developing military options for a "final blow" in Iran that could include ground forcesand a massive bombing campaign, Axios reported.
Driving the news: Iranian state media reported Wednesday that Tehran rejected Trump's 15-point plan to end the war.
A senior Iranian official told Iran's English-language Press TV the U.S. terms were "excessive," called the negotiations "a ploy," and said the war would only end "on Tehran's own terms and timeline."
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt played down Iran's public posturing and said talks remain "productive."
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Iranian state TV on Wednesday that Iran is not negotiating with the U.S. and stressed messages are being delivered through third countries.
He claimed the U.S. proposal is being reviewed by Iran's top leadership.
What he's saying: "The Iranian negotiators are very different and strange. They are begging us to make a deal, which they should be doing since they have been militarily obliterated, with zero chance of a comeback, and yet they publicly state that they are only looking at our proposal. WRONG!!!" Trump wrote on Truth Social.
"They better get serious soon, before it is too late, because once that happens, there is NO TURNING BACK, and it won't be pretty!" he added.
What to watch: A source involved in the efforts to launch negotiations between the U.S. and Iran said Pakistan, Egypt and Turkey are still trying to organize a meeting between the parties.
"But mistrust is the problem. The commanders of the IRGC are very skeptical," the source said, referring to the powerful Iranian military force. "But the mediators haven't given up."
