DJI Inspire 2 Review: Hands-On Testing & Honest Verdict

With today’s craze for content creation, specifically videos and film, innovation has brought out the best in the industry. Gone are the days of helicopter cinematography and cumbersome boom arms, thanks to modern drone technology.

The DJI Inspire 2 is the product of the contemporary filmmaker’s vision, decked with the latest and greatest features that makes quality drone cinematography viable again, getting rid of the need to jerry-rig your own custom creation, and keeping the whole process seamless.

With that said, let’s head over to a quick rundown of the specs before we dive into the full DJI Inspire 2 review, shall we?

Quick Specs

Weight Unloaded weight: 7.58 lbs (3.44 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 9.37 lbs (4.25 kg)
Size Length: 16.81 inches (42.7 cm)
Height: 12.48 inches (31.7 cm)
Width: 16.73 inches (42.5 cm)
Speed 58 mph (94 km/h)
Max ascent speed: 19.7 ft/s (6 m/s)
Max descent speed: 13.1 ft/s (4 m/s)
Signal Range: 4.3 mi (7 km)
Operating Frequencies: 2.4 GHz, 5.8 GHz
Latency: ~220 milliseconds
Battery Flight time: ~27 mins
Capacity: 4280 mAh per battery pack
RecordingFPV camera: 720p/1080p

Find the latest price of the DJI Inspire 2 drone here.

DJI Inspire 2 Drone
  • Efficient workflow
  • Sense and avoid
  • Spotlight Pro; Compatible with 5.2K Gimbal Cameras
  • Intelligent flight modes. Obstacle Sensing Range : 0-16.4 feet (0-5 m)
  • Smart return to home.Operating Temperature:-4° to 104° F (-20° to 40° C)

DJI Inspire 2 Features

Obstacle Detection

The Inspire 2 is able to detect obstacles within a 30-meter radius while coasting at speeds of 34 mph (54 km/h) and an altitude angle of 25°. The Inspire 2 is also able to detect objects above it within a 16-foot (5 meter) range. All of this is possible with the vision system, proximity sensors, and processing algorithm working together.

Spotlight Pro

Spotlight Pro takes the cake when it comes to object tracking, focusing on your desired subject with eerie precision. The Inspire 2 even goes to lengths like rotating itself towards the shot focus when the gimbal runs out of rotating space, without altering the shot or affecting flight control at all! 

TapFly

Tapfly gives you the ability to split the onboard camera into the Main View and Flight view, giving you the option to set a flight route for the Inspire 2 to fly along on, allowing you to focus more on camera work.

ActiveTrack

ActiveTrack lets the Inspire 2 map and recognize objects in the surroundings. You can customize the tracking profiles to enhance precision during operation.

Return To Home

Return to Home is an intuitive mode that records the Inspire 2’s takeoff point. This becomes handy in the event of transmission loss, low battery, and unavoidable errors, where the Inspire 2 will follow the original route, safely returning to the pilot. The obstacle avoidance drone system kicks in when this mode is activated, ensuring the Inspire 2 is safe from crashes.

Redundant Systems

Reliability is improved in the Inspire 2 with the dual systems built for fail-safe countermeasures. This includes dual batteries, dual inertial measurement units, dual barometers, which are tied together by its intelligent flight control system.

Satellite Connectivity

The Inspire 2 makes use of GPS and GLONASS technology for satellite connectivity, giving it greater signal capabilities.

Battery Life

The Inspire 2 also packs a better flight time thanks to its dual battery setup, and is rated for 27 minutes of flight power, though this may vary when paired with cameras or when the drone’s subsystems are active.

The batteries charge for an hour on average for full replenishment, and the included charger can hold four modules at a time, making it handy when you buy an extra pair for added flight juice.

Camera

The Inspire 2 doesn’t come with a filming camera out of the box but is designed to be compatible with Zenmuse cameras, especially the X5S and X7. The X5S has a 20.8-megapixel sensor for extra detail capture and better color reproduction and can film at 5.2k resolution at 30 frames per second, 4k at 60 frames per second, and can even scale down to 720p, if needed.

The X7 is a recent upgrade in the camera department, and supports up to 6k resolution with its Super 35 sensor, and also boasts better signal to noise ratio and exceptional detail with its 24-megapixel CMOS sensor.

The X5S and X7 can be outfitted with different professional lenses as well, giving you the freedom to switch up focal lengths or bump up the resolution whenever desired.

Its CineCore 2.1 image processing system allows CinemaDNG and RAW formats to be captured in 5.2K and 6K. RAW stills are color-inaccurate when transferred into digital image workstations, however, and may require some tweaking to achieve close to real-life accuracy.

Ease Of Use

The Inspire 2 is controlled by a remote that makes use of a powerful antenna, offering either 2.4 GHz or 5.8 GHz control frequencies.

The controller of the DJI Inspire 2

Though the controller doesn’t include a screen to see what your Inspire 2 is recording, you can hook up your Android or iOS smartphone via a wired connection and the DJI GO 4 app.

The app gives you control over a plethora of features, like camera calibration and toggling its intelligent modes. Just like the Spotlight Pro mode mentioned earlier, these make the Inspire 2’s operation customizable and easy.

Keep your DJI app updated at all times though, as the Inspire 2 will refuse to be operated once it detects a new version but is not allowed to update.

Design & Build Quality

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

DJI stands by that principle with the Inspire 2, because it takes inspiration (pun intended) from its older brother, the original Inspire model.

Using the same sleek quadcopter layout of the Inspire 1, the Inspire 2 takes it up a notch by replacing the plastic body from the previous model and opting for a sturdier, yet relatively light magnesium-aluminum alloy protection.

The Inspire 2 retains the carbon fiber arms, giving it impressive strength in supporting the overall weight of the drone. Though the quick release propellers are still made from plastic, they are easily replaceable should they be damaged. The propeller mounts are a bit loose, however, and may require shimming modification for a tighter fit.

The most notable change in the Inspire 2 is arguably the brand new, forward-facing FPV camera and two laser rangefinders, which are packed in a nose-mounted sensor system.

The fixed camera provides a live feed to the pilot/s via Lightbridge Technology, while the rangefinders make to the obstacle avoidance system of the Inspire 2 more effective, autonomously preventing crashes while operational.

Performance

Due to the Inspire 2’s healthy size, initial acceleration is a bit slower than those of its smaller counterparts, but once it gets primed, the Inspire 2 can go toe to toe with even the nimblest of crafts. 

Sporting an impressive 58 mph speed, the Inspire 2 is perfect for fast-paced filming purposes like car chases. If you plan on using the intuitive obstacle avoidance features though, you will be limited to 45 mph, which is a significant cut from its top speed, but still capable enough to perform.

This gives the Inspire 2 the ability to be flown by a single pilot, but can also be flown by 2 pilots with its master-slave remote controller configuration that independently controls the drone and camera. 

Final Thoughts

With all of this covered, it’s impossible to deny that the DJI Inspire 2 is an absolute beast of the skies. More than its improvements from its predecessor’s design, the intuitive technology and safety features packed into the Inspire 2 is more than enough to pique the interest of creatives seeking new ways to add flavor to their brand of content.

Specially designed for professional filmmakers and content creators, the Inspire 2 has all the bells and whistles to make your next filming endeavor a productive one. With a price that hefty, you’re sure to get the end of your bargain satisfactorily with the Inspire 2.

Find the latest price of the DJI Inspire 2 drone here.

DJI Inspire 2 Drone
  • Efficient workflow
  • Sense and avoid
  • Spotlight Pro; Compatible with 5.2K Gimbal Cameras
  • Intelligent flight modes. Obstacle Sensing Range : 0-16.4 feet (0-5 m)
  • Smart return to home.Operating Temperature:-4° to 104° F (-20° to 40° C)

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