An Affordable Videographer in a UAV Package Begins Shipping October 8th

DJI unveiled the Neo, a light weight, palmtop camera operator to give creators a streamlined way to capture 4k UHD video on the go.

The Neo is hyper-focused on video creation, ensuring that it keeps extraneous design features to an absolute minimum. It's designed to be small and portable, so creators can tuck the Neo away and break it out to film without the usual song and dance that comes with calibration. That's indicative of the Neo's mission as a close-up videographer: Neo wants to orbit its operator, and it has little interest in straying away from them to see what else is going on around them. Standard mods include 'Follow, Expanse, Circle, and more', all selections that will prove useful for those looking to get the perfect shot. Videographers will be content to see videos recorded in full 4K, 'UHD' resolution, thanks to its 1/2-inch image sensor. Stills can be snapped at any time, resulting in a 12-megapixel resolution. Whether 4K is enough for true professionals is up to the user, but for easy, breezy work like short-form internet content and family video content it's a good enough choice.

As befitting its packable footprint, the Neo can only offer about 18 minutes of flight time on a single charge...which is actually quite impressive, all things considered. The unit comes in at a surprisingly affordable pricepoint, particularly in 2024 terms. Entry cost sits at $199 from DJI direct, which provides the tiny 4.8-ounce drone, a single battery, and some propeller guards. Buyers should note that the $200 price tag doesn't account for a remote control, which leaves operations dependent entirely on the DJI phone app. For the Neo's intended purpose, however, that's just fine - one less gadget to take on the go, and it's much easier to have it operate in one of its standard 'follow me' modes. DJI included provisions for voice control, too, reducing the bar in terms of piloting skill for those who really only use it for Neo's recording capabilities.

Unfortunately for those eager to get their hands on the affordable unit, there are still a few more weeks to go until they ship. Upon announcement, some buyers (okay, one ANN staffer) absentmindedly hit 'add to cart' without noting that the official DJI Neo release in the USA is on October 8th, and not September 8th. It's not the longest wait in the world, but it's always exciting to play with cutting edge consumer toys.

FMI: www.dji.com