Setup and starting with the DJI Flip is extremely fast and straightforward, and from the outset, the new propeller guard design makes a huge difference to my confidence in using this drone. This isn’t so much from a safety angle, but more from the fact of storage. If it is popped into the side pocket of a camera backpack, when you pull the drone out, it’s less likely that one of the props will get stuck or caught on the backpack as you pull it out. Likewise, as you flip out the propeller units, they all feel really good, strong, and robust. It just feels like this design is less likely to break if you have a crash. Over the years, I’ve gone through two DJI Minis due to a broken arms, whereas here, I’m pretty confident that had this drone been in the same situation as those Minis, it would’ve been absolutely fine.
So, for me, this drone guard design is a real evolution of the design, which has been around for several years as the company migrated from the iconic design of the Phantoms through to the Mavic and now to this Flip design. While it might not be so convenient for the larger versions of the DJI drones, it seems absolutely ideal for the mini version.
Due to this design, when it comes to setting up and taking off, there really is nothing to worry about. The propellers are already outstretched and ready to spin, and they’re less likely to catch on anything as you take off. When taking off, you draw the sticks down into the centre of the controller to start the propellers before pushing the left stick up to launch the drone into the air once all satellites are connected.

The initial takeoff is, as you’d expect, nice and smooth, and after doing a few quick tests before landing the drone, everything feels good and tight on the control and decidedly DJI in its flight characteristics. If there were anything to be said about the way that this small drone feels in the air, it would be that it isn’t quite as quick to respond or as positive as some of the other drones. However, it does feel nice and stable and is absolutely perfectly suited to anyone just starting out or anyone looking to use this drone for imaging.
A quick test of the sensors by flying it towards objects shows that the sensors do kick in, stopping the drone from flying into obstacles in front of its flight path. However, as the sensors are all forward-facing, anything to the side or back won’t be sensed. So, you still need to be quite careful about how you fly this, especially if you’re flying in an indoor location.
When flying it indoors without GPS, it does have those two sensors at the bottom, which help with takeoff and landing, but through my tests, I have to say that without a GPS connection, the drone was prone to drifting, whereas most other drones will just hover stationary. The Flip had a bit of a habit of ambling off in one direction or another.
Outside, with a GPS connection, it was absolutely fine. There is no drifting, and you have the usual static positioning that we’ve come to expect from drones. This makes it exceptionally easy to fly, and the brake function works well, holding the drone in the air nicely and quickly if you do get into trouble. On that note, if you are a complete beginner and you’re worried about losing the drone, the RTH (Return to Home) button on the controller will instantly bring the drone back to its takeoff point. So, if you are new, it’s always worth taking off from a point that you know you can access when you land. Especially with a drone that can fly for upwards of 20 minutes, you might have wandered quite some distance from the original RTH position, so it could be a long walk back if you don’t reset it or land on another occasion.
While the Flip is aimed at beginners and vloggers, where speed is not going to be an essential feature, when you switch the controller over to sport mode, you can pick up quite a rate of speed. As you get more experience with flying the drone, it’s nice that you have access to that faster flight so that you can experience what things are like when you take a step up to a larger drone. Each of the flight speeds can be accessed via the RC2 controller with the simple slide switch. This is always a really nice feature, as you can switch it over to sport mode to get your drone to the location you want and then switch it over to normal or cinematic mode in order to slow down the pace so you can capture the shot that you want.
When it comes to the actual camera options, these are all accessible through the touchscreen of the RC2 or the app if you’re using that. Again, it’s really nice and easy, and if you’ve used any of the DJI devices before, then this should make sense. Tapping on the camera icon will then give you the options for either auto or pro and then tapping on the screen will bring up all the options, which you can then quickly adjust. Over time, this interface has adapted so it’s more in line with that of the Osmo Action and Pocket, so anyone familiar with either of those two cameras will easily be able to find their way and navigate the options and settings of the DJI Flip.
One of the features that I wasn’t expecting was the fact that, despite this being an entry-level model, you still have access to the D-Log M colour profile. This means that you can produce or capture flat footage from the drone, which can then be matched and integrated with footage from other cameras, such as the DJI Osmo Action or Pocket. It also supports D-Log M which is a bit of a surprise and further closes the gap between this and the Mini 4 Pro.
Overall, from flight through to the quality of the camera footage, the DJI Flip is exceptional and ideal for anyone just starting, but also for anyone with more experience flying drones. Its simple-to-use design and the fact that it has reassuring guards around the propellers make it a great option for all sorts of users. What I really liked was that the quality of the footage is so good, just like the DJI Mini 4 Pro, that it is perfectly possible to integrate it with other workflows. And while the best image quality can be seen in bright sunlight conditions, the lower-light interior quality is still pretty good. However, one word of caution: if you are flying it indoors, it doesn’t have the positioning abilities of some of the more expensive drones. So, when it goes over to manual mode, it is close to full manual and will have a little bit of a tendency to drift. However, outside and under normal use, it’s absolutely fine.
One area I’ve been unable to test so far is connecting the DJI mics to the drone for a complete solution, but once I’ve solved this issue, I will bring you an update along with the sample footage from the drone.