@@mikeselectricstuff Most incidents involving aircraft and drones have been in the drone exclusion zones around airports where aircraft are at low altitude.
I've made that point to regulators Mike and they choose to dismiss it. "Rules are rules" -- regardless of how stupid they can be in some situations, appears to be their perspective.
You make a great point, as the chief remote pilot I had to ground our drone operation here in Australia because the drone my employer bought (not my decision) was too automated and had no manual operation. I look at the neo, and if you just buy it for use without the controllers then it's the same thing. The difference between our drone and the neo is 1.3kg, the neo can't hurt anyone
But to adjust the sharpness and saturation you need to use the DJI Fly app which needs an RC controller so you're no longer talking about a $160 drone -- the total cost has suddenly got a whole lot higher and for that total cost the video quality represents even worse value for money.
I got my Phantom 1 twelve years ago for my 40th birthday. I shelved it when the regulations started coming in because the information was so unclear. Its such a shame as I do miss flying it.
Nice to see a video from Bruce but the rules we are not for safety, they are to clear the skies for drone delivery and to prevent you from seeing what the establishment is doing 😊
You know, Neo is not the only drone with autonomous flight patterns. And I did not see in any laws mentioning you can’t do circles around you, follow me mode etc. Locations are mentioned, distances, vlos etc. So Neo doesn’t break any rules, the pilot can. Plus, a good advantage is its compatibility (probably in future updates we’ll get more devices compatible with the Neo) you can fly it as a cinematic drone, FPV . Its not meant for professionals, camera …well… I have it and I don’t think its awfull, its just ok, and I don’t think average users will care that much. I think Dji did a good job with this one and its a totally FAIR price. A better camera means more money, more storage and not everyone is interested in a drone with higher cost. They will for sure attract more people into this hobby, because of this price. I showed this little drone to some people who have no ideea about drones and were impressed, and some considered buying one for themselves, or as a gift, or some waiting for Christmas. So this is a win. Honestly, camera is decent and usable. Me personally I love it just like I love my other Dji drones plus its far more portable.
Make it a sub 2Lbs or 1kg exemption as bird strikes of that size are pretty near harmless to manned aircraft and they should never be in the same airspace anyway with the altitude limits excepting around landing grounds. Good work Bruce with the video, Cheers
Ive had mine for a week or so and had fun learning what works and what needs to be worked around when using it. And I've mostly used it in Follow mode with me on foot and on a bicycle. And even though I live in Canada I've shot a couple of walks I'm leery of showing. Because I don't want to be a test case for drones cruising down the sidewalks. Or trails. Or around people.
Good to see you again Bruce, been missing your content, says it all on your T shirt, rules are for the guidance of wise men.... You have changed my mind on the NEO i'll wait for the next generation, ?? sorted that ADSB yet, that interests me more than having a new drone.
I might be wrong, but I heard the Neo sensor is 5k - specifically to allow for that very clever digital stabilisation in roll and yaw. As for why they chose the colour saturated "pop" look, as default, DJI claim that this is based on extensive customer research preferences. For a toy priced machine, I think the video quality is more than acceptable, though I'd prefer the option of 2.7k @ 60 as well.
As was obvious to me way back in 2015 with the Christmas Drone Apocalypse hype because I researched what the government was ACTUALLY worried about, it should now be obvious that regulators will never back off on drone regulations any more than they'd be likely to do so in virtually every country with their firearm regulations.
Why give them ideas of making rules down to 150g? When 250g is way too restrictive and authauritarian as it is? Next they will focus on 20g whoops. I think there should be no rules for up to a 450mm except the general common sense recommendations we had before all this nonsense.
Vlos is also ridiculous. Why do we have telemetry on drones, and screens? We need to fly them as toys. Same 💩 with the FPV stupid rules, most people fly FPV ALONE! I don’t see my wife or any other familly members, or ANY friend into this hobby. So to me, flying FFPV its basically illegal! I don’t give a 💩 , its my hobby and I will not allow dictators to destroy my hobby with ridiculous rules. Because they are too lazy to make SPECIFIC rules , they apply one law to everything. They are lazy.
@@cipri198zero Yeah, the rules across the board are crazy, not just based off of weight. Flying FPV is often safer as you have close visibility and don't have to judge distances and also have display warnings and OSD that you don't have to look down to see.
A manned aircraft flying at 30 meters? I would think you have bigger problems than getting the Neo out of the way. You can't fly it at 400 feet either unless you pair it with a controller. Agree that the cropping takes a lot from video quality. That's where a Mini 4 pro would make more sense. On Neo, turning sharpness and noise reduction down to -2 does help.
@@BlairAir Most drone vs aircraft interaction has occurred in airport exclusion zones where aircraft are at low altitudes. A drone was used by an assassin to plan his attack on a former president, this is what authorities fear and the FAA will use to restrict use.
You are 100% right about selective enforcement - and the rest of it, for that matter. I would support sub 250 exemption from everything, sub 150 is too low in my view. The question should really be how far above 250 such an exemption should apply.
Thanks so much Bruce. Out of curiosity, I remember you quoting the new head of the CAA saying something towards the point of: ‘leaning towards common sense (over the letter of the law)’ (or interpreting the heart of the regulations, not just the wording of the regulations). Have you seen this in action? And with your invitation for the CAA to fine you for flying fpv over the other side of your house - do you feel this is two tier regulation/law enforcement or highlighting the above new approach to drone regs in NZ?
Great to see you still fighting the fight against stupid establishment. Looking good too. I was thinking exactly the same as you, without a controller this not much different to a selfie stick so maybe treat it differently if it's used like that, with a controller it can still go high enough and far enough for them to get upset but in reality it is not dangerous at all, however I have had people complain about my 35g whoops when I fly at the park because they thought it was dangerous 😂😂😂😂..
I would like to react on your video. I live in Europe, so not subject to the FAA-ruling, but compliancy to EU drone regulation 2019/947. The Neo sports a "C0-label' (according to EU rules) and thus complies to some safety standards: the flying mode the Neo does is NOT an "autonomous flight" but a "free flight" under EU regulation. It means that in that solo flying mode (or with a smartphone connected) it only can go max. 50m away from the individual. It is like "tethered" to the person in all those "follow me" or "circle around me"-modes. DJI even restricts it to max 20 meters. It CANNOT go further away (legally binding) in those modes. When using a controller, they comply to the standard drone rules with "person + controller" etc. So the Neo is already compliant to our strict EU regulation, so I imagine also to your FAA. Also, the Neo recognizes geozones (No Fly Zones) and will refuse to take off.
Sadly gov. does two main things, extorts your money & makes rules and regulations. When they are involved those are the tools they have to work with. They are not going to get rid of their tools.
I would have thought that - should a full-size aircraft be 'following' you amongst the trees, the pilot has bigger problems than a 'Neo' plastic flying camera! 🙂
A bit off topic for this video--- but--- Many technologies from war have transitioned to civilian life, but the reverse is rare. I know of one; the FPV hobby drone (quad copter) stands out as a civilian invention, created and enjoyed by hobbyists, that has been co-opted for use in warfare.
Regarding the video quality, you can get better video quality by turning off EIS and then stabilise it in Gyroflow. Much smoother. ✌🏼 It does store the gyro data for stabilisation in post. Also, people say you get better video by turning off the sharpening for the drone via the DJI Fly app.
Yeah, but the DJI Fly app requires you to have an RC controller right? If you've only bought the drone then there is (as I understand it) no way to change camera settings, even if you use the Neo app on your phone. If you don't have a DJI RC controller then you'll have to buy the fly-more combo and that's more than doubling the price. I just want a B-cam follow-drone, I don't want to fly it like a normal drone (I have plenty of those already).
It's only $199! I didn't realize the video quality difference until I saw it next to the X1. Maybe my eyes are going, maybe my standards are lower, or maybe you want too much for the price. I would pay an extra $25 to bring the video up to par, but anymore than that and I'll just go with the Mini 3 or Mini 4k.
Thanks for your video Bruce, looking good and hope you're feeling good too. Sorry to say not many are up to start pushing the ball...we are mostly still flying as we always have, regardless of the increasing regulations because Unless we do something Very Stupid and Dangerous we are pretty much left alone...So day to day recreational flyers are not very motivated to put out much effort...
I disagree with the approach of relaxing the regulations on small drones. That will leave the regulations on larger drones in the crazy state that they already are in. Across the board, the regulations don't make any sense; regardless of weight class. I built my 1.5KG drone years ago before they even started working on the regulations. It didn't suddenly become unsafe, and I am not ok with throwing something away that I designed and built to fly some off-the shelf non-modifiable toy.
Selective enforcement.. Hahaha....... Ready to rock and roll yet? Lol. Almost there mate. Man I'm enjoying my time away.. ahhhhhhh. Hope you feel better quick! I'm fighting with ya! Mikey
There is truth to this but it is a matter of degree. It is problematic when everyone engaging in what is considered a legal activity is breaking some part of the rules.
@@brendonwood7595 The USA selective enforcement of traffic laws is problematic too. But it is somewhat different. Traffic laws are much more narrowly tailored to traffic safety. The drone rules are all over the place. Some is for safety but other things like RID or prohibiting FPV are not.
@@username7763 Traffic laws are much more narrowly tailored to traffic safety. Really? Have you actually read them? Also RID seems to be equivalent to registration and licences from where I'm standing.
I have a Mini3 Pro to make photos and videos and an Avata2 to fly for fun. I am starting to fly Manual with the Avata2 and bought the Neo to learn more before I try with the Avata2. Now just trying in the simulator As far as image quality (I am not too worried for what I intend to do) is concerned I believe that DJI will make firmware up grades like they did in all previous drones. Maybe things like a D cinelike profile will be added, on the app there is a place to it where now it only shows Normal. Anyhow, you can change to Manual instead of auto if you use the controllers RC2/RC-N3 or the Goggles3. Even you can change the sharpness. I agree with you that these type drones do not need any regulation but we know how burocrats are. Anyhow, EASA already covers this type of drones as autonomous flights as "follow" can be used up to 50 m from the controller. I bet that DJI made the drone to comply with the EASA rules on this matter. Even if I think that drones are over regulated, EASA rules are risk based and in my opinion better than the FAA. For example, in the US to fly a sub250gr drone for a job you need a Part 107 license. To fly a 2 Kg drone like a Phantom for hobby you just need the TRUST which is basically nothing. Within EASA to fly a sub250gr or C0 drone you don't need any license, to fly a C1 drone you need the A1-A3 CofC and to fly a C2 drone you need the A2 CofC (similar to Part 107) no matter if you fly for hobby or for work.
My friend, you are in NEW ZEALAND. EVERYTHING IS ILLEGAL. There's no real point in wondering if X Y or Z breaks some rule, yes it does, if it's cool, fun or funny; it's illegal in some way or another.
We can have autonomous EV cars/trucks on our roads that pose a greater magnitude of danger to the public than any drone could even come close too the same level of destruction as an EV.
Sorry Bruce, but by reducing the weight limit to 150g (for exemption from regulation), as you're suggesting, it may be OK for multirotor models (with FPV), but it won't be possible to fly LOS fixed wing models freely, because 250g is just enough, IMO, for small park flyers, or perhaps, a small nitro plane.
@@jakthebomb This is the attitude we all should take,as long as those who it it responsibly and not be fools,im certainly not stopping my long range flights ever......my hobby my life period......
U kinda forgot about 30m flying over people rule . Going be very hard for people to resist getting a selfie in the crowds qhile the dangerous craft is being flown ( or auto flown ) near people.
The Neo has a camera. In Europe you have to register yourself if your drone has a camera. Cameras are really dangerous. All cameras should be banned. Hopefully DJI will make a drone that can paint or do sculptures.
New DJI Neo, dummied down for the casual user. Considering how good most phone cameras these days I can't accept potato cam quality in 2024. Most likely the FAA will treat Neo class drones the same as larger drones, the FAA has no motivation to ease restrictions.
There needs to be a dividing line somewhere to class these ridiculously lightweight, very safe, advanced 'toy' drones that happen to have a camera and autonomy features, and larger drones that are actually capable of hurting people and property.
@@olsonspeed again, significant difference between 150g toys and 1kg long range racing drones with payloads. And the average consumer isn't making drones, and it's certainly not cinewhoops being used to fight, this is an automatic cinewhoop, with a garbage camera. There's a huge reason to allow the sale and use of these drones, it's called taxes, and drones like this will be the kind of drones that change opinion. Not this one, the camera is a potato and the noise is like a drone from 6 years ago, it's a brochure of what the neo2/pro will be, that's going to be the game changer. Needs two way gimbal and all round avoidance sensors, then it will be perfect.
The Air 1 is a flying camera with a short range, no controller, not a drone, which category, toy? Toy drones (for kids) fall under toy regulations, these are not drones, can be used in no-fly zones, very short range, prop guards. Drone regulations are for drones, non-toy specs. The term Toy should not be used for a drone just because it's small. The Neo is a drone per definition even though the autonomous mode is similar to the Air 1, however, with a large range. Now, the new Air models have controllers and more range. True, any such camera drones cannot be used in public places, thank you for pointing this out. Verdict: Due to these new developments, now a flying camera has turned into a drone, regulations apply.
Here in Australia we can't even fly it outside while looking at the phone, we need to maintain eye contact so FPV through any electronic device is banned, in houses or buildings its allowed just not outside, silly rules
But what is the benefit to the regulators/authorities of bringing in common sense, why would they bother or care? ..... we could point out so many US laws that are crazy and affect peoples lives that desperately need common sense applied.
I'm from the almighty government and I'm here to help you be safely protected. Because I'm making my edicts based on the worst case scenarios you and everyone else will have to wear these straitjackets at all times outside your homes. Within your homes you'll be free to interact with the items that we have deemed safe.
How is this different from the DJI spark, the autonomous flying that is? I haven't seen other videos on the neo but they seem similar based on this video, Neo looks a fair bit safer naturally but dropped the ball in the video department by the sounds of it.
Just goes to show that you should never trust people who have been given the product for free - Like Shaun Geeksvana who was curiously silent about the video quality
What about the small coaxial helicopter "balls" you find in discount stores all over the country? I can easily send one of those across the street at head height before it self disarms or hits the ground. Those things don't even have prop protection. Kids need to be focused on tiktok, not outside playing with these deadly flying vehicles! ;)
If people in the United States, want something bad enough the rules will get changed. I used to have to have a firearms license cause I was a gun collector. But those rules they got changed. In United States, if you wanted to carry a gun you had to have permit to carry. But the rules they did get changed. You don't have to have a license, just put on your holster and go for a walk. So the rules they got changed if there's enough money enough demand the rules will get changed. ( Because in the United States, the rules can and will be changed.)
I'm sorry Bruce but you have really amazed me with the first half of this vid. Your criticism of the Neo is unfair. Firstly ITS £170 drone with ai features and a camera WHAT !!!!!! point a drone at that price with the specs please. Also you are not stupid and you know as well as I do that new software always gets updated and improved, this unit is brand new. Also let's go back to the days when you taught me how to put together TX RX systems in my Zugon frame. these were the old analogue days. wow wouldn't we have been pleased then to have a drone with 2K and 18mins runtime. So `please let's give it a break here. it has potential to be great at beating the regulations and allowing first time flyers to enter the hobby at a good price. No where do DJI say its a Pro drone with Pro camera. The camera vids can be improved through settings available through remote.
Let me quote directly from DJI's product page for the Neo: quote -- Uncompromised Image Quality DJI Neo sports a 1/2-inch image sensor for snapping 12MP stills. Combined with DJI's powerful stabilization algorithms, it can produce 4K UHD stabilized videos straight out of the camera --- endquote and from the FAQ page: quote --- DJI Neo is a vlogging drone ideal for capturing everyday life, leisure activities, family moments, and pets. If you need a portable drone to instantly capture travel, camping, cycling, skateboarding, hiking, or important memories, DJI Neo is the perfect choice --- endquote Now I don't think, based on those quotes, it would be too much to expect a camera that provides results at least similar to a regular vlogging camera. After all, they do say *_"Uncompromised Image Quality"_* which is clearly not true. Significant compromises have been made. You say _"the camera vids can be improved through settings available through remote"_ and that may be true... but for a first-time buyer it's no longer a 170 quid drone if you have to buy the remote as well and if you do go for the flymore package to get that remote you're going to be paying pretty much twice as much at 300 quid. For that price you can buy some of the DJI Mini series and then you really get a much better camera than the Neo offers anyway, whilst still remaining under 250g.
@@xjet once again Bruce you have proved your prowess in the field of logic. thanks for the reply and thanks for all your work in the field of flying over the years. however I have to say that advertising in famous for stretching the facts. I would also like to say let's give the software a chance for updates on this. there is a great video of an fpv flight with this drone and it seems great. this little machine has the ability to use the DJI controllers to take the Neo into the realms of fpv etc. its a drone you can build on. and you still didn't show me a drone for £170 with the same specs. I have to be honest that, even though I have a mountain of rc stuff from tx to rx I gave up when all the regulations went nuts, and you were right all those years ago. but even so I am tempted to go with this little machine to get back into the hobby and gradually invest in the goggles and tx. I thank you again for all you have done for the hobby and ask to to look a little more into this craft, keep an eye on it. Stay safe and healthy.
@@johnnewns3445 Yes, I'll be keeping a close eye on how this develops. If they can deliver decent video then I'll put the wife back to work on the streets and buy one in a heartbeat because, like the Osmo Pocket 3, it would be a great tool for video making 🙂
I see why they are trying to establish a presence in the autonomous arena but at this juncture it's a big mistake for them to try and sell them in the US, the biggest consumer and driver of the tech. They have guaranteed that the array of entities that don't want them around are going to double down. Their arrogance will be their downfall.
sub250g or bust, don't fragment the hobby, personally subkilo is where i'd like it, but i have a sub250g and its plenty for me. sub150g would exclude almost all except toothpicks and smaller.
If a manned aircraft comes within range of a drone taking selfies, regs are the last of your problems!
I'd say the aircraft has bigger regulation worries at that point :)
In that case I'd say... RUN TO THE HILLS!
@@mikeselectricstuff Most incidents involving aircraft and drones have been in the drone exclusion zones around airports where aircraft are at low altitude.
I've made that point to regulators Mike and they choose to dismiss it. "Rules are rules" -- regardless of how stupid they can be in some situations, appears to be their perspective.
@@xjet Bureaucrats, doing what they love.
Good to see you active Bruce. Stay healthy, stay safe.
I don't think it's a real person that's talking, it's definitely an AI generated person
You make a great point, as the chief remote pilot I had to ground our drone operation here in Australia because the drone my employer bought (not my decision) was too automated and had no manual operation. I look at the neo, and if you just buy it for use without the controllers then it's the same thing. The difference between our drone and the neo is 1.3kg, the neo can't hurt anyone
Yeah, for once the Canadian "just don't do anything stupid" rule is sensible and appropriate for drones under 250g.
Yes, DJI has turned the sharpness and saturation way up for some reason, but once you turn this back down it is much better
But to adjust the sharpness and saturation you need to use the DJI Fly app which needs an RC controller so you're no longer talking about a $160 drone -- the total cost has suddenly got a whole lot higher and for that total cost the video quality represents even worse value for money.
I got my Phantom 1 twelve years ago for my 40th birthday. I shelved it when the regulations started coming in because the information was so unclear.
Its such a shame as I do miss flying it.
Nice to see a video from Bruce but the rules we are not for safety, they are to clear the skies for drone delivery and to prevent you from seeing what the establishment is doing
😊
You know, Neo is not the only drone with autonomous flight patterns. And I did not see in any laws mentioning you can’t do circles around you, follow me mode etc. Locations are mentioned, distances, vlos etc. So Neo doesn’t break any rules, the pilot can. Plus, a good advantage is its compatibility (probably in future updates we’ll get more devices compatible with the Neo) you can fly it as a cinematic drone, FPV . Its not meant for professionals, camera …well… I have it and I don’t think its awfull, its just ok, and I don’t think average users will care that much. I think Dji did a good job with this one and its a totally FAIR price. A better camera means more money, more storage and not everyone is interested in a drone with higher cost. They will for sure attract more people into this hobby, because of this price.
I showed this little drone to some people who have no ideea about drones and were impressed, and some considered buying one for themselves, or as a gift, or some waiting for Christmas. So this is a win. Honestly, camera is decent and usable. Me personally I love it just like I love my other Dji drones plus its far more portable.
Make it a sub 2Lbs or 1kg exemption as bird strikes of that size are pretty near harmless to manned aircraft and they should never be in the same airspace anyway with the altitude limits excepting around landing grounds. Good work Bruce with the video, Cheers
Yes! A 1kg exemption would also enable the fixed wing pilots to easily fly their small nitro models.
Ive had mine for a week or so and had fun learning what works and what needs to be worked around when using it.
And I've mostly used it in Follow mode with me on foot and on a bicycle.
And even though I live in Canada I've shot a couple of walks I'm leery of showing. Because I don't want to be a test case for drones cruising down the sidewalks. Or trails. Or around people.
Good to see you again Bruce, been missing your content, says it all on your T shirt, rules are for the guidance of wise men.... You have changed my mind on the NEO i'll wait for the next generation, ?? sorted that ADSB yet, that interests me more than having a new drone.
I might be wrong, but I heard the Neo sensor is 5k - specifically to allow for that very clever digital stabilisation in roll and yaw. As for why they chose the colour saturated "pop" look, as default, DJI claim that this is based on extensive customer research preferences. For a toy priced machine, I think the video quality is more than acceptable, though I'd prefer the option of 2.7k @ 60 as well.
Love how down to earth you are! Paranoia is so 2024!
Som vanligt Bruce, så har du mycket intressanta samtalsämnen,
As was obvious to me way back in 2015 with the Christmas Drone Apocalypse hype because I researched what the government was ACTUALLY worried about, it should now be obvious that regulators will never back off on drone regulations any more than they'd be likely to do so in virtually every country with their firearm regulations.
Very interesting discussion indeed, Bruce... Let's see what happens.
Anyway, stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊
Why give them ideas of making rules down to 150g? When 250g is way too restrictive and authauritarian as it is? Next they will focus on 20g whoops. I think there should be no rules for up to a 450mm except the general common sense recommendations we had before all this nonsense.
Vlos is also ridiculous. Why do we have telemetry on drones, and screens? We need to fly them as toys. Same 💩 with the FPV stupid rules, most people fly FPV ALONE! I don’t see my wife or any other familly members, or ANY friend into this hobby. So to me, flying FFPV its basically illegal! I don’t give a 💩 , its my hobby and I will not allow dictators to destroy my hobby with ridiculous rules. Because they are too lazy to make SPECIFIC rules , they apply one law to everything. They are lazy.
@@cipri198zero Yeah, the rules across the board are crazy, not just based off of weight. Flying FPV is often safer as you have close visibility and don't have to judge distances and also have display warnings and OSD that you don't have to look down to see.
A manned aircraft flying at 30 meters? I would think you have bigger problems than getting the Neo out of the way. You can't fly it at 400 feet either unless you pair it with a controller. Agree that the cropping takes a lot from video quality. That's where a Mini 4 pro would make more sense. On Neo, turning sharpness and noise reduction down to -2 does help.
@@BlairAir Most drone vs aircraft interaction has occurred in airport exclusion zones where aircraft are at low altitudes. A drone was used by an assassin to plan his attack on a former president, this is what authorities fear and the FAA will use to restrict use.
What happened to the 500 foot rule with manned aircraft? I’m English and have no time for this metric rubbish!
You are 100% right about selective enforcement - and the rest of it, for that matter. I would support sub 250 exemption from everything, sub 150 is too low in my view. The question should really be how far above 250 such an exemption should apply.
Looking good man, amazing what a little nice weather can do! Cheers
Thanks so much Bruce.
Out of curiosity, I remember you quoting the new head of the CAA saying something towards the point of: ‘leaning towards common sense (over the letter of the law)’ (or interpreting the heart of the regulations, not just the wording of the regulations).
Have you seen this in action?
And with your invitation for the CAA to fine you for flying fpv over the other side of your house - do you feel this is two tier regulation/law enforcement or highlighting the above new approach to drone regs in NZ?
Great t-shirt. One of my favourite quotes.
Great to see you still fighting the fight against stupid establishment.
Looking good too.
I was thinking exactly the same as you, without a controller this not much different to a selfie stick so maybe treat it differently if it's used like that, with a controller it can still go high enough and far enough for them to get upset but in reality it is not dangerous at all, however I have had people complain about my 35g whoops when I fly at the park because they thought it was dangerous 😂😂😂😂..
Awesome video, new subscriber👊😎 the Neo is so much fun to fly in manual 😊
Harry Day, total and utter legend. 👍
Thanks for the heads up Bruce.
I would like to react on your video. I live in Europe, so not subject to the FAA-ruling, but compliancy to EU drone regulation 2019/947. The Neo sports a "C0-label' (according to EU rules) and thus complies to some safety standards: the flying mode the Neo does is NOT an "autonomous flight" but a "free flight" under EU regulation. It means that in that solo flying mode (or with a smartphone connected) it only can go max. 50m away from the individual. It is like "tethered" to the person in all those "follow me" or "circle around me"-modes. DJI even restricts it to max 20 meters. It CANNOT go further away (legally binding) in those modes. When using a controller, they comply to the standard drone rules with "person + controller" etc. So the Neo is already compliant to our strict EU regulation, so I imagine also to your FAA. Also, the Neo recognizes geozones (No Fly Zones) and will refuse to take off.
its got nothing to do with safety its the fact that the public can look at things the man don't want you to look at
Indeed. It always was about censorship.
Move to a less fascist country/state lol
@@samholdsworth420 Where's that? The principality of Sealand?
@@williwonti you can't fly your drone at SeaWorld... But you can fly your drone over SeaWorld
Great video and I totally agree with what you say.
Well i have and use multiple dji drones and the Neo. I certainly dont mind the video ? Maybe buy and try first ?
Superb analysis! Thanks for posting some common sense and for the humour.
I wonder how the authorities would cope with someone flying a paper airplane in a crowd at a stadium?
At this point you wonder how they cope with the ball…
Indoors a paper plane is okay, outdoors the FAA has jurisdiction.
Our NZ drone rules are archaic! Time for a refresh with sensible rules that make sense.
Absolutely 100 percent agree! Sadly, there's nothing in the pipeline and when the new CAA Act comes into effect next year, things will only get worse.
Sadly gov. does two main things, extorts your money & makes rules and regulations. When they are involved those are the tools they have to work with. They are not going to get rid of their tools.
@@xjet What is the betting if they ever do review the rules they will just make them tighter?
I would have thought that - should a full-size aircraft be 'following' you amongst the trees, the pilot has bigger problems than a 'Neo' plastic flying camera! 🙂
A bit off topic for this video--- but--- Many technologies from war have transitioned to civilian life, but the reverse is rare. I know of one; the FPV hobby drone (quad copter) stands out as a civilian invention, created and enjoyed by hobbyists, that has been co-opted for use in warfare.
Regarding the video quality, you can get better video quality by turning off EIS and then stabilise it in Gyroflow. Much smoother. ✌🏼
It does store the gyro data for stabilisation in post.
Also, people say you get better video by turning off the sharpening for the drone via the DJI Fly app.
Yeah, but the DJI Fly app requires you to have an RC controller right? If you've only bought the drone then there is (as I understand it) no way to change camera settings, even if you use the Neo app on your phone. If you don't have a DJI RC controller then you'll have to buy the fly-more combo and that's more than doubling the price. I just want a B-cam follow-drone, I don't want to fly it like a normal drone (I have plenty of those already).
@@xjet - true. Alternatively, you could try going for the Hover X1 Pro instead of DJI. ✌🏼
It's only $199! I didn't realize the video quality difference until I saw it next to the X1. Maybe my eyes are going, maybe my standards are lower, or maybe you want too much for the price. I would pay an extra $25 to bring the video up to par, but anymore than that and I'll just go with the Mini 3 or Mini 4k.
Sub-250 should be free from regulation other than altitude and no-fly areas such as airports.
Black background.
Looks nice 👍
It took some work but I think it was worth it 😛
Drone laws have been ridiculous for a long time, hopefully they change but I can’t see it happening soon.
Thanks for your video Bruce, looking good and hope you're feeling good too. Sorry to say not many are up to start pushing the ball...we are mostly still flying as we always have, regardless of the increasing regulations because Unless we do something Very Stupid and Dangerous we are pretty much left alone...So day to day recreational flyers are not very motivated to put out much effort...
I disagree with the approach of relaxing the regulations on small drones. That will leave the regulations on larger drones in the crazy state that they already are in. Across the board, the regulations don't make any sense; regardless of weight class. I built my 1.5KG drone years ago before they even started working on the regulations. It didn't suddenly become unsafe, and I am not ok with throwing something away that I designed and built to fly some off-the shelf non-modifiable toy.
DJI sent you one, but the council intercepted and confiscated it. (Joking, maybe.)
As always Bruce is bang on right
Hi Bruce, hope your health is doing well. Hope you’re getting outside in the kiwi sun and flying.
Selective enforcement.. Hahaha....... Ready to rock and roll yet? Lol. Almost there mate. Man I'm enjoying my time away.. ahhhhhhh. Hope you feel better quick! I'm fighting with ya!
Mikey
Talking sense as usual - thanks dude 😎
I like your optimism but the reality is all laws are written with wide reaching power and selectively enforced.
There is truth to this but it is a matter of degree. It is problematic when everyone engaging in what is considered a legal activity is breaking some part of the rules.
@@username7763 Everybody driving is probably breaking some part of the traffic regulations. Have you even read them all? I haven't.
@@brendonwood7595 The USA selective enforcement of traffic laws is problematic too. But it is somewhat different. Traffic laws are much more narrowly tailored to traffic safety. The drone rules are all over the place. Some is for safety but other things like RID or prohibiting FPV are not.
@@username7763 Traffic laws are much more narrowly tailored to traffic safety.
Really? Have you actually read them?
Also RID seems to be equivalent to registration and licences from where I'm standing.
I have a Mini3 Pro to make photos and videos and an Avata2 to fly for fun. I am starting to fly Manual with the Avata2 and bought the Neo to learn more before I try with the Avata2. Now just trying in the simulator
As far as image quality (I am not too worried for what I intend to do) is concerned I believe that DJI will make firmware up grades like they did in all previous drones. Maybe things like a D cinelike profile will be added, on the app there is a place to it where now it only shows Normal.
Anyhow, you can change to Manual instead of auto if you use the controllers RC2/RC-N3 or the Goggles3. Even you can change the sharpness.
I agree with you that these type drones do not need any regulation but we know how burocrats are.
Anyhow, EASA already covers this type of drones as autonomous flights as "follow" can be used up to 50 m from the controller. I bet that DJI made the drone to comply with the EASA rules on this matter.
Even if I think that drones are over regulated, EASA rules are risk based and in my opinion better than the FAA.
For example, in the US to fly a sub250gr drone for a job you need a Part 107 license. To fly a 2 Kg drone like a Phantom for hobby you just need the TRUST which is basically nothing.
Within EASA to fly a sub250gr or C0 drone you don't need any license, to fly a C1 drone you need the A1-A3 CofC and to fly a C2 drone you need the A2 CofC (similar to Part 107) no matter if you fly for hobby or for work.
Great video thank you.
My friend, you are in NEW ZEALAND. EVERYTHING IS ILLEGAL. There's no real point in wondering if X Y or Z breaks some rule, yes it does, if it's cool, fun or funny; it's illegal in some way or another.
We can have autonomous EV cars/trucks on our roads that pose a greater magnitude of danger to the public than any drone could even come close too the same level of destruction as an EV.
Sorry Bruce, but by reducing the weight limit to 150g (for exemption from regulation), as you're suggesting, it may be OK for multirotor models (with FPV), but it won't be possible to fly LOS fixed wing models freely, because 250g is just enough, IMO, for small park flyers, or perhaps, a small nitro plane.
I hope this is fully covered by the regulations : Flying Tinkerbell Toy
Agreed…wait for the next NEO with the upgrades. This one will be a couch stuffer after a few weeks
The FAA can get bent, they have done nothing for actual safety. They killed a hobby that actually got me to go outside.
Keep doing the hobby you love....dont stop please.
@@jakthebomb This is the attitude we all should take,as long as those who it it responsibly and not be fools,im certainly not stopping my long range flights ever......my hobby my life period......
I have heard the Neo is a 5k sensor but when cropped in for stabilizing it reduces it to 4k
U kinda forgot about 30m flying over people rule . Going be very hard for people to resist getting a selfie in the crowds qhile the dangerous craft is being flown ( or auto flown ) near people.
I got one and find no issue with footage cheers
The Neo has a camera. In Europe you have to register yourself if your drone has a camera. Cameras are really dangerous. All cameras should be banned. Hopefully DJI will make a drone that can paint or do sculptures.
Well, there's definitely no LOS when the drone is following you from behind.
Yet another rule broken.
"There is no drone"
Hi Bruce. Best wishes
New DJI Neo, dummied down for the casual user. Considering how good most phone cameras these days I can't accept potato cam quality in 2024. Most likely the FAA will treat Neo class drones the same as larger drones, the FAA has no motivation to ease restrictions.
There needs to be a dividing line somewhere to class these ridiculously lightweight, very safe, advanced 'toy' drones that happen to have a camera and autonomy features, and larger drones that are actually capable of hurting people and property.
@@BadwolfFPV Recent events in Eastern Europe have convinced authorities that they don't what citizens to have drone capability.
@@olsonspeed again, significant difference between 150g toys and 1kg long range racing drones with payloads.
And the average consumer isn't making drones, and it's certainly not cinewhoops being used to fight, this is an automatic cinewhoop, with a garbage camera.
There's a huge reason to allow the sale and use of these drones, it's called taxes, and drones like this will be the kind of drones that change opinion.
Not this one, the camera is a potato and the noise is like a drone from 6 years ago, it's a brochure of what the neo2/pro will be, that's going to be the game changer.
Needs two way gimbal and all round avoidance sensors, then it will be perfect.
@@BadwolfFPV You missed my point; those in power do not want citizens to have aerial recon and surveillance capabilities.
I’ve heard it’s a 5k sensor cropped to 4k
The Air 1 is a flying camera with a short range, no controller, not a drone, which category, toy? Toy drones (for kids) fall under toy regulations, these are not drones, can be used in no-fly zones, very short range, prop guards. Drone regulations are for drones, non-toy specs. The term Toy should not be used for a drone just because it's small. The Neo is a drone per definition even though the autonomous mode is similar to the Air 1, however, with a large range. Now, the new Air models have controllers and more range. True, any such camera drones cannot be used in public places, thank you for pointing this out. Verdict: Due to these new developments, now a flying camera has turned into a drone, regulations apply.
Hi Bruce thank you for that, on another when will we see some more flying.?? 👍👍
Video quality of the Neo is fine for me.
Here in Australia we can't even fly it outside while looking at the phone, we need to maintain eye contact so FPV through any electronic device is banned, in houses or buildings its allowed just not outside, silly rules
I think it's meant for social media influencers who don't fly, since you won't see the lack of quality on Instagram or Tic-tok
First one to like it thanks for the great videos Bruce
They never sent me one either ! I didn't even get a free scooter, LOL.
Neo it’s a test drone for the Ai to learn to track you. More real world information and DJI is very smart, the Ai can access internal memory.
Yes, as a society we've completely lost the ability to quantify and prioritise risks, so we just forbid everything. Next it'll be wet noodles.
Maybe create a separate branch of the FAA and call it the UAV department.
But what is the benefit to the regulators/authorities of bringing in common sense, why would they bother or care? ..... we could point out so many US laws that are crazy and affect peoples lives that desperately need common sense applied.
what & where can we go as a community to help change the laws?
It’s not safety.
It’s power and control.
We Canadians are respectfull!
I think they should have had a higher pricepoint and put an 03 in it. Yeah the quality seemed to really take a hit for the pricepoint.
Japan has similar 250g rules as long as you are not in high population density areas
Lol was the shirt made for this video? Thnx for the video btw.
No, all my flying shirts have that quote on them. Without it, I simply could not fly under the rules as they stand.
Awesome video
For sure getting. Being anti government is a badge of honor at this point.
I'm from the almighty government and I'm here to help you be safely protected. Because I'm making my edicts based on the worst case scenarios you and everyone else will have to wear these straitjackets at all times outside your homes. Within your homes you'll be free to interact with the items that we have deemed safe.
How is this different from the DJI spark, the autonomous flying that is? I haven't seen other videos on the neo but they seem similar based on this video, Neo looks a fair bit safer naturally but dropped the ball in the video department by the sounds of it.
DJI is going the way of GoPro.
TC is being sensible for once. Public nuisance laws are more than sufficient regarding sub-250g craft.
Would a 20ft selfie stick need to be regulated 🤔
Just goes to show that you should never trust people who have been given the product for free - Like Shaun Geeksvana who was curiously silent about the video quality
What about the small coaxial helicopter "balls" you find in discount stores all over the country? I can easily send one of those across the street at head height before it self disarms or hits the ground. Those things don't even have prop protection. Kids need to be focused on tiktok, not outside playing with these deadly flying vehicles! ;)
You don't have LOS when the NEO flies behind you either. In direct violation of the FAA.
*So, 15 metres = 3.5 acres?*
If people in the United States, want something bad enough the rules will get changed. I used to have to have a firearms license cause I was a gun collector. But those rules they got changed. In United States, if you wanted to carry a gun you had to have permit to carry. But the rules they did get changed. You don't have to have a license, just put on your holster and go for a walk. So the rules they got changed if there's enough money enough demand the rules will get changed. ( Because in the United States, the rules can and will be changed.)
The USA needs to do what Canada does - stop regulating sub 250g aircraft. The FAA is so muddy minded.
Does it need to be?
Paper darts can be more dangerous.
I'm sorry Bruce but you have really amazed me with the first half of this vid. Your criticism of the Neo is unfair. Firstly ITS £170 drone with ai features and a camera WHAT !!!!!! point a drone at that price with the specs please. Also you are not stupid and you know as well as I do that new software always gets updated and improved, this unit is brand new. Also let's go back to the days when you taught me how to put together TX RX systems in my Zugon frame. these were the old analogue days. wow wouldn't we have been pleased then to have a drone with 2K and 18mins runtime.
So `please let's give it a break here. it has potential to be great at beating the regulations and allowing first time flyers to enter the hobby at a good price. No where do DJI say its a Pro drone with Pro camera. The camera vids can be improved through settings available through remote.
Let me quote directly from DJI's product page for the Neo:
quote --
Uncompromised Image Quality
DJI Neo sports a 1/2-inch image sensor for snapping 12MP stills. Combined with DJI's powerful stabilization algorithms, it can produce 4K UHD stabilized videos straight out of the camera
--- endquote
and from the FAQ page:
quote ---
DJI Neo is a vlogging drone ideal for capturing everyday life, leisure activities, family moments, and pets.
If you need a portable drone to instantly capture travel, camping, cycling, skateboarding, hiking, or important memories, DJI Neo is the perfect choice
--- endquote
Now I don't think, based on those quotes, it would be too much to expect a camera that provides results at least similar to a regular vlogging camera. After all, they do say *_"Uncompromised Image Quality"_* which is clearly not true. Significant compromises have been made.
You say _"the camera vids can be improved through settings available through remote"_ and that may be true... but for a first-time buyer it's no longer a 170 quid drone if you have to buy the remote as well and if you do go for the flymore package to get that remote you're going to be paying pretty much twice as much at 300 quid. For that price you can buy some of the DJI Mini series and then you really get a much better camera than the Neo offers anyway, whilst still remaining under 250g.
@@xjet once again Bruce you have proved your prowess in the field of logic. thanks for the reply and thanks for all your work in the field of flying over the years. however I have to say that advertising in famous for stretching the facts. I would also like to say let's give the software a chance for updates on this. there is a great video of an fpv flight with this drone and it seems great. this little machine has the ability to use the DJI controllers to take the Neo into the realms of fpv etc. its a drone you can build on. and you still didn't show me a drone for £170 with the same specs. I have to be honest that, even though I have a mountain of rc stuff from tx to rx I gave up when all the regulations went nuts, and you were right all those years ago. but even so I am tempted to go with this little machine to get back into the hobby and gradually invest in the goggles and tx. I thank you again for all you have done for the hobby and ask to to look a little more into this craft, keep an eye on it. Stay safe and healthy.
@@johnnewns3445 Yes, I'll be keeping a close eye on how this develops. If they can deliver decent video then I'll put the wife back to work on the streets and buy one in a heartbeat because, like the Osmo Pocket 3, it would be a great tool for video making 🙂
I see why they are trying to establish a presence in the autonomous arena but at this juncture it's a big mistake for them to try and sell them in the US, the biggest consumer and driver of the tech. They have guaranteed that the array of entities that don't want them around are going to double down. Their arrogance will be their downfall.
DJI customer drones were always build to be bought - not to be used. So that's right what you'd expect?
That is total BS!
sub250g or bust, don't fragment the hobby, personally subkilo is where i'd like it, but i have a sub250g and its plenty for me. sub150g would exclude almost all except toothpicks and smaller.