With optional FPV goggles: Parrot Anafi FPV
It doesn't always have to be DJI. With the Parrot Anafi FPV we finally found an alternative. The abbreviation "FPV" hides a special feature that gives the pilot the feeling of flying directly in the drone.
Parrot Anafi FPV
The Parrot Anafi FPV impresses in terms of flight behavior and video quality and, thanks to FPV goggles, brings the pilot virtually into the cockpit.
"FPV" is an abbreviation for "First Person View". Through special glasses, into which the smartphone is clamped, the drone pilot sees the world from above through his own eyes. He no longer has to look at the smartphone display that is wedged into the controller. Since the Anafi exceeds the 0.25 kilo limit at 315 grams, according to the legislator, a second person is required for FPV flights to point out the dangers of flight operations to the controller. In addition, the flight altitude of 30 meters must not be exceeded.
Of course, the Parrot Anafi can also be controlled as a classic drone. If you can do without the FPV mode anyway, you should use the Anafi Base, which is 100$ cheaper.
Just like DJI's Mavic models, the quadrocopter is designed with fold-out arms. When folded, it is 218 x 69 x 64 millimeters, unfolded it grows to 241 x 315 x 64 millimeters. In terms of quality, the aircraft cannot quite keep up with industry leader DJI. With Parrot, everything seems a bit more unstable, the camera's mounting plate, which is suspended from rubber, takes some getting used to. Cumbersome: In order to change the MicroSD memory card, you have to remove the battery. On the other hand, it is useful that the propellers do not have to be dismantled when the drone is folded up.
The Anafi is equipped with GPS and Glonass, barometer, magnetometer, vertical camera and ultrasonic sensor for exact positioning. It flies at speeds of up to 55 kilometers per hour. According to Parrot, with the remote control, the Skycontroller 3, transmission distances of up to 4 kilometers are possible. The digital zoom camera has a 1/2.4-inch CMOS sensor and shoots photos with up to 21 megapixels. It is filmed with a maximum of 3,840 x 2,160 pixels and 30 full frames, in Full HD mode there are also 60 full frames.
The maximum data rate for video recordings is 100 Mbit/s, the ISO range covers values from 100 to 3,200. Photos can be saved in JPG and RAW format. A two-axis gimbal is used for image stabilization. Surprising: With the Anafi, Parrot does without all sensors for obstacle detection, which are now standard with DJI even with the cheaper models.
The remote control is quite heavy at 283 grams. After unfolding the smartphone holder, it switches on automatically. Mobile devices with a maximum display size of 6.5 inches can be inserted. With Apple devices, the battery lasts up to 5 hours and 30 minutes, with Android smartphones it's a whopping three hours less. The controller and mobile device are connected to each other via a USB cable.
With the Skycontroller 3 you can steer the Anafi in all directions, take off and land independently, tilt and zoom the camera and take photos and videos. The handling is good, the operating concept is well thought out.
The commissioning of the drone is simple. A first flight is even possible without a smartphone and only with the controller, but then you don’t have a live preview. For the full range of functions, you must therefore install the free »FreeFlight 6« app on your Android or Apple device. Here you can choose, among other things, between the modes "Film" for a slow and smooth flight, "Sport" for a faster pace and "Cinematic", where the camera follows the incline of the drone in curves. In addition, you can set the tilt of the copter, vertical and rotation speed, maximum height and distance and set whether, for example, overexposure should be displayed.
The start is either from the ground or from the hand by gently throwing the anafi in the air. After just a few seconds, it becomes clear that the drone is very still in the air, at least on windless days. In stronger winds, DJI has the edge. The flight behavior of the Parrot is very good-natured in "Film" mode, even beginners are not overwhelmed here.
The Anafi reacts reliably to every control command, turns cleanly around its own axis, brakes leisurely and behaves really exemplary in the air. The drone also takes care of landing itself if you press the corresponding button on the remote control. In our test, we flew within a radius of 150 meters, but the drone quickly became relatively small. The connection was always very stable here, and the preview image was sharp.
The recordings with UHD resolution of the drone are convincing. We like the cleanly coordinated, natural colors. Overall, the picture appears very homogeneous, but is tuned somewhat softer. DJI emphasizes the sharpness a little more in film recordings, details are not worked out quite as precisely by the Parrot. Nevertheless, there is nothing to complain about in terms of quality. Also not because the flights are very quiet, the drone glides through the air. Pans therefore look like they were produced with a camera crane, the propellers are not visible in the picture. Here the drone acts at a very high level.
In the highest resolution, the drone collects an enormous amount of data, a 3:30 minute recording occupies around 2.5 gigabytes on the memory card. A bit annoying: the "Follow Me" function, to have people or moving objects such as cars tracked with the drone, as well as the option to define destinations on Google Maps, have to be purchased separately. 1.09$ each is not much, but at a purchase price of almost 800$ for the drone, the features should be included. Fortunately, this applies to the dolly zoom, the 360° panorama and the "Little Planet" to display the shot as a globe.
JPG photos lack dynamics and brilliance, and the sharpness is also a bit poor. However, this can be corrected in a flash with an image editing program. If you photograph in RAW format, you get even more out of the photo when developing the image anyway.
Let's get to the feature that makes the Parrot Anafi FPV so special: the cockpit goggles. To get straight to the point: you have to like this kind of perspective and wearing glasses. Some people get sick of it quickly. We prefer conventional flying, also because the 450 grams of the special glasses and a large Samsung smartphone are noticeable on the nose after a short time. The wearing comfort is not outstanding.
The mobile phone is placed in the front of the glasses and connected to the remote control. The interpupillary distance can be adjusted using a slider. If you put on the glasses, you only see what the drone's camera captures. This is spectacular and conveys a completely new sense of space and flight. Whether this fun is worth the extra charge is a matter of taste. A drone can be controlled more safely and comfortably, at least for us, if you always have it in focus and can switch between the view of the smartphone display and the view of the sky at any time.
Incidentally, menu settings can also be made when the glasses are on. The menu can be called up via buttons on the visual aid, navigation via the control stick on the remote control, which is then briefly not responsible for steering the drone.
Our conclusion: The Parrot Anafi FPV convinces with control, flight behavior and video quality. In addition to the drone, the controller and the glasses, the complete package also includes a practical backpack for transport. However, the cheaper Parrot Anafi Base would be enough for us, since we would not use the FPV function.
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