MINI TESTS
One of the main gripes is that Follow mode doesn’t give a particularly high speed of flight, so if your subject is riding a bicycle briskly the Neo will struggle to keep up. With no obstacle avoidance sensors, riding through tree-lined trails means the drone can crash into branches as it tries to keep up. But for moving subjects of up to around 13mph, it’s not too bad. Shoot someone jogging and it’ll do just fine. The Neo will go as fast as 35.8mph if you revert to manual control and pair it with either a smartphone alone or a smartphone linked to the DJI RC-N3, RC-N2 or RC 2 controller. This means you take full control of the drone, like on any other DJI product. If you want the FPV experience by splashing out on DJI Goggles 3 and RC Motion 3, you have a decent small FPV drone. But then you’d be paying almost four times the price of the basic drone to make it work, when you’d be better off looking at different options. With 22GB internal storage, the Neo can save up to 40 minutes of 4K/30fps video or 55 minutes of 1080p/60fps video and it will transfer the footage by Wi-Fi. Otherwise, plug it into your computer using USB-C. Yes, it has limitations in image quality and frame rates, but for the asking price and super-quick start-up time with preset moves, it can record unique footage to spice up your project. PRO MOVIEMAKER RATING: 8/10 A super-compact drone that’s fast to start and can fly by itself Pros: Small, lightweight, affordable Cons: Image quality, speed
SPECIFICATIONS
Sensor: 1/2in CMOS Lens: 13mm equivalent Maximum aperture: F/2.8 ISO: 100-6400
Recording format: MP4. EIS Off: 4K (4:3) 3840x2880 30fps, 1080p (4:3) 1440x1080 60/50/30fps. EIS On: 4K (16:9) 3840x2160 30fps, 1080p (16:9) 1920x1080 60/50/30fps Still images: 12-megapixel JPEG Memory card: None. 22GB internal storage
Stabilisation: Single-axis mechanical gimbal (tilt)
Maximum horizontal speed: 16mps/35.8mph in M mode Maximum ascent/descent speed: 3mps/6.7mph Maximum wind speed: 8mps/17.9mph Maximum flight time: 18 minutes GNSS support: GPS, GLONASS Maximum operating distance: 7km/4.3 miles Sensors: Downward 0.5-10m range Battery: 2150maH Connection: 1x USB-C port Dimensions (wxhxd): 130x157x48.5mm/ 5.1x6.2x1.9in Weight: 135g/0.3lb
have these so-called Quickshots, and they are very useful when in a rush. They can also be set via phone app, which recognises voice commands. Follow mode is self-explanatory, with the drone tailing the subject at shoulder level from around 3m behind. Dronie mode keeps the camera pointed at the original position, while flying backwards and up to reveal the scene. It then reverses direction and returns back to the original position, all while filming automatically. Circle mode keeps the camera facing the subject as the drone does a circle around at a preset distance. Rocket is when the drone flies directly upwards, with the camera pointing down, to reveal the location. And, lastly, Spotlight means the drone takes off and points the camera at the subject, but moves around to keep the subject in frame. In Direction Track, you can walk towards the drone and it flies backwards to record you approaching. To stop this, the subject pauses for a second and the drone returns to land on an outstretched hand. These might not be technically groundbreaking moves, but they can be done in a matter of seconds and you don’t need to link up your phone, wait for GPS and do any manual controls. It’s a seriously fast, simple way to get some cool shots to add to your film. There are limitations and image quality is not the best, but it is 4K in up to 30p or HD in 60p. There are no fancy Log settings or high-bit-rate options, but for a quick shot it’s a top addition. It may only have a single-axis gimbal, but electronic image stabilisation smooths things out.
ONE PUSH IS ALL IT TAKES Pressing the menu button is all you need to get going
IT’S BEHIND YOU! Follow mode means the clever drone tails your subject automatically
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