Good day folks, Shawn here from Air Photography. The DJI Neo 2 has been out for almost a year now. It launched in mid-November of last year, and I like to do these follow-up reviews sharing my user experience after using a product for the past year. This is a user experience review, not a technical one. If you want to know everything about the Neo 2, my original review covers all of it.
Over the past year I’ve made several videos about the Neo 2: tutorials, demonstrations, and of course a full review. In those videos I talked a lot about how this has become one of my all-time favorite drones from DJI. It is not the most technical drone. There are better, higher-performance drones when it comes to capabilities and video quality. But the Neo 2 is very flexible in how you use it, and it is so convenient to bring along with you. For me that matters, and it is probably why I’ve flown this drone more than any other drone I own.
The Neo 2 Fits Where Bigger Drones Never Get Packed
Traditional drones are big and bulky. They need a proper bag, a controller, spare batteries, and a plan for using them. The Neo 2 is different: because it flies autonomously without a controller, the drone itself is all you need to bring along on a hike or a day trip.
If you’re out exploring or on vacation, you pull the Neo 2 out of a small bag, capture a quick orbit, do a quick dronie, or use your smartphone for a more traditional shot. Whether you use it or not, it’s easily at hand.
A bigger drone you have to plan for. You need the right kind of backpack, and it isn’t something you bring along if you don’t intend to use it. When you’re out exploring, you don’t want to lug equipment you won’t touch. The Neo 2 is quite different in that respect, and that’s the whole reason it gets so much airtime with me.
Tracking Works Autonomously, by App, or With a Full Controller
The Neo 2 tracks in a few different ways, and all of them work well. Set the mode selector to tracking, launch it from your hand, and it locks on instantly. Connect a remote and you unlock full ActiveTrack for vehicles, longer distances, and different angles.
One of the nice upgrades over the original Neo is the ability to adjust the tracking parameters with the buttons on the side, and this generation gives you a visual preview so you know exactly what those parameters are set to. That makes it very convenient for tracking on a bike or on a hike. I compared both drones side by side in my Neo 2 vs Neo 1 video when the new one launched.
The small, sturdy build makes it extremely durable. Even if it does come into contact with an obstacle, the chance of damage is minimal. It also has obstacle avoidance: LiDAR at the front and basic sensors on the bottom and top, so it does a pretty good job of staying clear of things, and that’s not usually something you have to worry about.
When you have it connected to the app during autonomous tracking, you can change the direction it tracks you from on the fly. Have it tracking you from the rear, then select on the dial to track from the front or side, and it keeps recording while it moves to the new position. That produces some really dynamic footage. You can also use hand gestures to push it off to the side, bring it in closer, or move it back, which I demonstrated in my gesture and voice control guide.
For a more traditional tracking experience, connect it to a remote and you get the full ActiveTrack, which lets you track vehicles as well as track from higher and from different angles. I think this is one of the best drones for tracking, period. The build and the size give you worry-free tracking shots.
One Drone Covers Palm Launch, Controller Flights, and FPV
Flexibility is the big reason I call this an incredible drone. It takes off from your palm and lands back in it when the task is done. Connect a remote and you get a traditional flight with more precision, more range, and cinematic footage. Add goggles and you have FPV.
So you get the best of both worlds: quick, easy shots autonomously, or more cinematic shots when it’s connected to a controller. On top of that, you can connect the Neo 2 to FPV goggles and an FPV controller for a more immersive flight.
It is not a high-performance FPV aircraft by any means. If FPV is the main thing you want to do, this is not the drone to choose. But it’s fun, and you can still capture some beautiful FPV-style shots. That range of ways to fly it and use it is why it has become one of my favorites and the drone I’ve probably flown the most out of everything I own. What I fly changes with what I’m doing on a given day, but the Neo 2 keeps winning that decision.
Firmware Updates Added Apple Watch Control and New Shot Modes
DJI kept adding to the Neo 2 over the past year. A December firmware update brought Apple Watch control, and in June two new automated shots arrived, Highlight Slow-Mo and Helix Close-Up, alongside the usual fine-tuning. The drone I own today does more than the one I unboxed last November.
I covered the Apple Watch update when it landed, and it fits the way I actually use this drone: hands-free, phone in the pocket, on a bike or on a trail. The two new modes came with firmware v01.00.0700, and DJI fine-tuned a few other things along the way as well.
Battery Life, Sensor Size, and Storage Leave Room for a Neo 3
No product is perfect and the Neo 2 is no exception. Four things could improve on the next generation: flight time, especially in FPV; the half-inch sensor; the lack of a memory card slot; and compatibility with the RC 2 Pro, which DJI still has not added.
Flight time first. I know there’s only so much you can do with an aircraft this small. The battery can only be a certain size before the drone gets too big and heavy. But flight time can be limiting, especially in FPV. Flying FPV takes a lot of power. You get up and flying in sport mode, and the next thing you know it’s warning you the battery is low and you need to come home. When you’re using it autonomously and grabbing little shots here and there, it’s not so much of an issue. Hopefully the next generation squeezes in an extra few minutes.
The sensor could use an upgrade. The footage isn’t bad and I don’t have many complaints, but it is only a half-inch sensor, so video quality is limited. You’re not going to get Mini 5 Pro quality from a sensor that small. A larger sensor next time around would lift the video quality noticeably.
The Neo 2 also has no memory card slot, only internal storage. To be honest, that has not limited me the way I use it. I have never been out flying and filled the memory, and the files from the Neo 2 don’t tend to be large, so you can capture quite a bit on the internal storage. If you’re flying all day, it might be an issue, and the option to expand with a card would be a nice upgrade.
And then the RC 2 Pro. It’s overkill for a drone like this, but if I’m out with a couple of different drones and bring this one too, I’d like to connect them all to one remote instead of carrying several. I was hoping DJI would add it. They haven’t yet.
The Neo 2 Earns Its Place at $229
Price is the bonus. The drone-only kit, for anyone flying it autonomously, runs about $229, which is pretty incredible for the technology and capability you are getting. A full kit with extra batteries and a controller comes in around $399. That puts a capable, reliable drone within reach of beginners.
I’ve had a lot of fun with this drone over the year, for personal flying and for work. If you’re a regular on my channel, you’ve probably seen the Neo 2 at work in the background without realizing it. A lot of the B-roll in my e-bike reviews comes from it. I’ve even used it in Spotlight mode with the camera just floating there to grab B-roll. It has become a genuinely valuable tool, which is what I said after 30 days and again when I named it my all-time favorite drone at the end of last year. A year in, that still holds.
For beginners who don’t want to spend a lot to get into the hobby but still want a fully capable and reliable drone, this is it. Those are my thoughts after flying the DJI Neo 2 for the past year. I’d love to hear about your experience: if you picked up a Neo 2, let me know in the comments. Hopefully you enjoyed this video and found it had value. Thanks a lot for watching, and we’ll see you in the next one.
This article is based on a video from Air Photography’s YouTube channel. You can find more of Shawn’s coverage on his DroneXL author page.
