Which Drone should I buy? DJI Spark or GoPro Karma

DJI Spark or GoPro Karma: check out our comprehensive comparison to find out which drone model is the best for you.

Both Spark and Karma models are suitable for beginners because of the controls and flight modes that make piloting easier. While Spark is gesture-controlled and reaches distances of up to 2 km, the Karma offers foldable design and longer battery run-time.

Design

The design of Spark and Karma are highlighted separately. The Spark is a mini drone with 14 cm x 5 cm and weight of 300 g. Karma, with 1 kg, is practically double the size with 30 cm x 11 cm, but with foldable pieces to store and carry in any backpack.

Camera

When comparing drones, one of the highlights is the camera used on each device. Unlike DJI's advanced models like Mavic Pro and Phantom 4 , Spark only shoots up to Full HD (1080p) with photos up to 12 megapixels.

Karma can work with GoPro Hero 5 Black, Hero 5 Session and Hero 4 Black. Among these compatible options are updated models with up to 4K video, water resistance, voice commands and high-quality microphones.


Despite the differences, it is important to note that both models offer built-in gimbal for stabilization of the captured images, which should avoid tremors in the videos during the most radical maneuvers.

Battery

One of the most important specifications in a drone is the battery life, which will ensure the time of the quadricopter in the air. In the case of DJI Spark, the flight can last up to 16 minutes and an intelligent system of the device makes an autonomous landing when the load reaches 10%. With a little more time, the GoPro Karma has autonomy of up to 20 minutes.


Range

The range of each drone indicates the maximum distance the aircraft can fly. The DJI robot comes out at the front and can reach up to 2 km at speeds up to 50 km / h, ideal for making images in larger environments. Meanwhile, the Karma has the limit of 1 km of distance with 56 km / h of speed.

The maximum sea level height that each quadricopter can reach is 4 km for the Spark and 3.2 km for the GoPro model.

Control

The most attractive feature of Spark is the ability to control by gestures. All you have to do is move your hands to fly the quadricopter as you like, as well as take pictures and start or stop videos. For this the device uses a sensor similar to Microsoft's Kinect to read the user's body.


If you prefer, you can also maneuver and launch Spark commands with a wireless remote sold separately, or with the DJI Go app for Android and iOS (iPhone). For immersive experiences, the model is also compatible with the new Goggles, VR glasses from the manufacturer to pilot the drone without hands.

Karma offers a special wireless control for the device. In addition to displaying all the captured images at the top in real time, the accessory allows you to simulate flights before, in fact, you begin to pilot the drone (ideal for beginners).

With Karma, it is possible for friends to control the quadricopter separately via smartphone application. For example: while one person pilots the device, another does the camera settings.


Extra Features

DJI is a company specializing in drones, so it's no surprise that you stand out (quite a lot) in the "extra features" category with the flight modes. In addition to Spark's special functions for taking off and landing in the palm of the hand and communicating with lights to indicate video and photo capture, the model offers obstacles avoidance technologies and user-follower options, as well as other handsets from the manufacturer.

Spark also offers Rocket mode to take the drone vertically while recording the video with stabilization technology and QuikShot to define a flight path to be covered.

In this regard, the GoPro quadricopter is more basic. In addition to the separate simulator and control, mentioned in the previous topic, the model works with GPS to glide over a specific height without changes for still images.

Price

The most basic mini drone, Spark, is on sale in the United States market start from $ 499 while the most basic version of Karma is on sale in the US for $ 799.

Conclusion

The DJI Spark is the best choice for anyone who wants to buy a drone for casual, home use - only loses in the issues of battery autonomy, with four minutes less than Karma, and the camera, which only records up to Full HD.

For those who don’t need 4K images, Spark can be a great investment for high resolution photos and videos and gesture control, which can also provide fun during use, as it is still compatible with New Goggles, VR glasses.

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