DJI goes tiny with new easy-to-fly Spark drone

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The Spark is so tiny!
The Spark is so tiny!
Photo: DJI

The drone geniuses at DJI are making it easier than ever to get into aerial photography with the unveiling of the company’s smallest drone ever called Spark.

DJI unveiled the new Spark drone at an event in NYC this morning where the tiny flying camera impressed watchers with some innovative new features like the ability to be controlled without using a remote.

Watch it in action:

The Spark packs a 1/2.3” CMOS sensor that captures 12 megapixel photos and shoots stabilized HD 1080p videos so you can get super smooth shots. It also comes with new shooting modes you won’t find yet on the Mavic or Phantom 4: Pano and ShallowFocus.

Pano Mode allows you to capture wide angle shots by snap pictures while panning vertically or horizontally as it automatically adjusts the gimbal and stitching shots together. Shallow Focus is kind of like Portrait Mode on the iPhone 7 Plus. It creates a shallow depth of field to make subjects stand out more.

Pre-orders are open starting today, with units expected to ship by mid-June. DJI partnered with Apple for the launch of the Mavic Pro, so you might be able to find the Spark at your local store soon too.

Flight time on the Spark is around 16 minutes per battery with a range of 1.2 miles. Pricing for the basic kit starts at $499, or you can get the Fly More bundle with two batteries, extra propellers and prop guards and a carrying case for $699.

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