Professional Review of the DJI Inspire 1 V2.0 Drone

The DJI Inspire 1 V2.0 is a high-quality advance drone with many excellent features not available in less expensive models. Currently selling in the $2500 – $3000 price range, it weighs a heavy 6.5 lbs and measures 11.9 in. x 17.2 in. x 17.8 in. It can fly up to 50 mph and has a 393 feet altitude limit as its default setting (under the FAA regulation 400 feet) This feature can be overridden, at which point it can fly up to 1640 feet.

The camera shoots 12 MP photos with a f/2.8 aperture lens. Photos can be saved as JPEG or DNG raw or both at the same time. It can record video at 4 K resolution up to 30 fps. Burst-shooting and time-lapse photography are also possible. Video is saved as either MOV or MP4. The carbon fiber arms on the DJI Inspire 1 V2.0 are able to move in flight and the landing gear is retractable, meaning you won’t see any unwanted hardware in your footage.

A Zenmuse x3 gimbal supports the camera. It utilizes data from the flight controller and auto-corrects every millisecond to compensate for motion. It can do a 360° rotation and can tilt from – 90° to 30°. This drone is for adults that take their flying and experience more seriously.

Battery and Controllers

The rechargeable battery is a 4500mAh 22.2V LiPo 6S high voltage model. The remaining battery power is shown live and it also keeps track of the total lifetime charges and discharges as well as monitors the battery’s overall health. On the downside, this battery only provides 18 minutes of flight time in ideal conditions and takes an hour to recharge. A higher-power battery is available for purchase which will provide up to 22 minutes of flight time.

The controller can power the drone up to 3.1 miles (5 km) away. The DJI Inspire 1 V2.0 offers dual operator support which allows you to fly with a friend. One controller is dedicated the Master and is in charge of piloting the aircraft while he Slave controls the camera. The two devices are connected via password, and both remotes receive live data and video on your attached mobile device. You can purchase this drone with two controllers or buy one separately. Each controller comes with its own 6000 mAh LiPo 25 rechargeable battery. With the GPS lock feature on, the drone will auto-hover if you let go of the control sticks. Without that feature, the drone will keep flying in its current direction.

With the exception of a somewhat shorter flight time, this all sounds great, so what is the problem? Well, there are not many problems but the few reported have been firmware update issues, crashing easier than expected, and poor customer service. If you have $3000 burning a hole in your pocket, you will be satisfied with this drone.

Other drones we recommend at a lower cost than the DJI Inspire 1 V2.0, but still advanced and high quality, are the 3D Robotics Solo Aerial drone (review) and the DJI Phantom 3 Professional (review).