I dont really trust the gestures but in tight areas I want to take off from my hand using the RC. Can I just do the slide to take off? I am assuming it will jump up 4 feet as it does when you use that feature and then maybe drop back down once you move your hand away. Anyone done this?

Yes, I did a hand launch using the RC and yes it went up about 4 feet from my hand.

Why you don't start with double tap the powerbutton from your palm and when the spark hovers you click in the app under flightmodes "normal" and control it with your RC?

Spark can take off from your hand with facial recognition software. You may want to check out the product page to see for yourself. http://www.dji.com/spark

DJI-Mark Posted at 2017-6-21 12:55
Spark can take off from your hand with facial recognition software. You may want to check out the product page to see for yourself. http://www.dji.com/spark

Yes I know but I don't want to use it that way. I want to use it with the RC. I will try the 2 above suggestions.

Dirk52 Posted at 2017-6-21 12:47
Why you don't start with double tap the powerbutton from your palm and when the spark hovers you click in the app under flightmodes "normal" and control it with your RC?

This seems like the best suggestion. Spark lets you take over with the remote after use of the gesture mode.

I've done an auto takeoff out of my hand.  I think it would work but hard to have it in your hand and manually start the motors and then takeoff.   The double tap is easy and easy to get back into normal mode.

If you move your hand away quickly after launching in gesture mode, it won't climb too far, as long as the remote is connected and has a green light, it will move when you tell it to anyway, just make sure you change it to rc mode straight away. Also, I am starting to like gesture mode, waving it away is very cool

fans3c3673db Posted at 2017-6-27 22:23
I've done an auto takeoff out of my hand.  I think it would work but hard to have it in your hand and manually start the motors and then takeoff.   The double tap is easy and easy to get back into normal mode.

That is possible but it won't take off if the thing isn't level, landing in your hand is actually much easier than I first thought. Just fly it into a hover near you and pull down on the altitude stick for a few seconds with your hand below it, it will auto land straight into your hand

May I, PalmLaunch may be the most safe way to launch from your hand. The control program is designed to prevent Spark from harming your face. You 'd better not launch from your hand with rc. Things can go wrong having one hand handling Spark and another do rc operation. Very dangerous.

Doobry Posted at 2017-6-27 22:42
That is possible but it won't take off if the thing isn't level, landing in your hand is actually much easier than I first thought. Just fly it into a hover near you and pull down on the altitude stick for a few seconds with your hand below it, it will auto land straight into your hand

I've got to try this out...launching from hand sounds good...landing on hand sounds harder.  Need to figure out a way to launch from the kayak and feel confident to get it back on board in a tight space like on a river, while I may be moving slightly.  May try and rig up my landing pad to be positioned at the front of my cockpit.

Doobry Posted at 2017-6-27 22:42
That is possible but it won't take off if the thing isn't level, landing in your hand is actually much easier than I first thought. Just fly it into a hover near you and pull down on the altitude stick for a few seconds with your hand below it, it will auto land straight into your hand

I've got to try this out...launching from hand sounds good...landing on hand sounds harder.  Need to figure out a way to launch from the kayak and feel confident to get it back on board in a tight space like on a river, while I may be moving slightly.  May try and rig up my landing pad to be positioned at the front of my "dash" on my kayak.  

Cravenfan Posted at 2017-6-28 04:44
I've got to try this out...launching from hand sounds good...landing on hand sounds harder.  Need to figure out a way to launch from the kayak and feel confident to get it back on board in a tight space like on a river, while I may be moving slightly.  May try and rig up my landing pad to be positioned at the front of my "dash" on my kayak.

You just hand launch like normal by pressing the home button twice. It scans your face and then hovers in place.  Now you can hand control or simple start flying with the RC. You can always take over with RC so long as you are connected.  

CDSpark Posted at 2017-6-28 05:37
You just hand launch like normal by pressing the home button twice. It scans your face and then hovers in place.  Now you can hand control or simple start flying with the RC. You can always take over with RC so long as you are connected.

I hear ya...it's not the takeoff, it's the landing.  The, "grab it and flip sideways thing" doesn't sound like a good option in a kayak either.  I'll have to try some dry runs on the ground, in my 'yak and report back.  

DJI-Mark Posted at 2017-6-21 12:55
Spark can take off from your hand with facial recognition software. You may want to check out the product page to see for yourself. http://www.dji.com/spark

As some have reported, you better be ready to duck.

R&L Aerial  Posted at 2017-6-28 07:14
As some have reported, you better be ready to duck.

Sounds like prop guards are in order...last time I tried this, it immediately "sank" when I took over with remote and crashed off my deck.  Will need to do some practicing...

Haven't completely tested, but I believe when you launch from hand in gesture mode and then continue to fly with remote all pictures you take will be low resolution.  I don't understand why they force low resolution on gesture mode.  Perhaps they figured people would want low res to quickly share, but we should be able to choose.  I never want to capture images at low res, so I'm always taking off from ground, though think I will start doing a normal takeoff from hand using the controller.
Also is it possible to put it in gesture mode or recognition mode after flying with controller, it would be nice to be able to have it auto land in my hand like gesture mode.  Have had a couple close calls with the grab and flip side ways method I'd like to avoid if possible.

Cravenfan Posted at 2017-6-28 07:18
Sounds like prop guards are in order...last time I tried this, it immediately "sank" when I took over with remote and crashed off my deck.  Will need to do some practicing...

Can't you just launch it off your kayak?

R&L Aerial  Posted at 2017-6-28 07:14
As some have reported, you better be ready to duck.

I've never had a problem, launched it off my hand in gesture and Rc mode many times and it's never worried me.. a stupid person might launch it in a tailwind...

R&L Aerial  Posted at 2017-6-28 07:14
As some have reported, you better be ready to duck.

I've never had a problem, launched it off my hand in gesture and Rc mode many times and it's never worried me.. a stupid person might launch it in a tailwind...

Doobry Posted at 2017-6-28 12:15
Can't you just launch it off your kayak?

Ya, it's not the launching, it's the landing, while sitting in a possibly moving boat, on the water.  

fans5ebab6ef Posted at 2017-6-28 07:53
Haven't completely tested, but I believe when you launch from hand in gesture mode and then continue to fly with remote all pictures you take will be low resolution.  I don't understand why they force low resolution on gesture mode.  Perhaps they figured people would want low res to quickly share, but we should be able to choose.  I never want to capture images at low res, so I'm always taking off from ground, though think I will start doing a normal takeoff from hand using the controller.
Also is it possible to put it in gesture mode or recognition mode after flying with controller, it would be nice to be able to have it auto land in my hand like gesture mode.  Have had a couple close calls with the grab and flip side ways method I'd like to avoid if possible.

Is there not an option to switch modes in the app to get better photos?

fans5ebab6ef Posted at 2017-6-28 07:53
Haven't completely tested, but I believe when you launch from hand in gesture mode and then continue to fly with remote all pictures you take will be low resolution.  I don't understand why they force low resolution on gesture mode.  Perhaps they figured people would want low res to quickly share, but we should be able to choose.  I never want to capture images at low res, so I'm always taking off from ground, though think I will start doing a normal takeoff from hand using the controller.
Also is it possible to put it in gesture mode or recognition mode after flying with controller, it would be nice to be able to have it auto land in my hand like gesture mode.  Have had a couple close calls with the grab and flip side ways method I'd like to avoid if possible.

Is there not an option to switch modes in the app to get better photos?

Cravenfan Posted at 2017-6-28 07:18
Sounds like prop guards are in order...last time I tried this, it immediately "sank" when I took over with remote and crashed off my deck.  Will need to do some practicing...

And that is how I broke a prop. If you think it's bad when the craft dips and lands on the deck, imagine it landing in water.

A useful tip - don't HOLD the Spark after double tapping the power button. Let it go, let it SIT on your hand. It will take off, let it hover for a couple of seconds above your hand, THEN remove your hand.

Also, I recall DJI mentioning something about the downward sensors not entirely playing well with surfaces like water, so if you're just a couple of feet above water, you might want to be careful

I always take off from my hand using the remote, fly it using the remote, return it to me, switch to gesture control and auto-land it on the hand again. After a bit of practice this works very well and the Spark never has to touch the floor.

TechPreacher Posted at 2017-6-29 02:36
I always take off from my hand using the remote, fly it using the remote, return it to me, switch to gesture control and auto-land it on the hand again. After a bit of practice this works very well and the Spark never has to touch the floor.

If you take pictures after taking off from your hand what resolution are you getting?

fans5ebab6ef Posted at 2017-6-29 04:02
If you take pictures after taking off from your hand what resolution are you getting?

Nevermind, I see you are launching with remote.

TechPreacher Posted at 2017-6-29 02:36
I always take off from my hand using the remote, fly it using the remote, return it to me, switch to gesture control and auto-land it on the hand again. After a bit of practice this works very well and the Spark never has to touch the floor.

How do you switch from rc mode to gesture mode?

Gesture mode is under the intelligent modes (?), its the bottom button on left side of the screen above the map. You can turn on the gesture mode while its flying, and then start to control it with your palm and land it.  Make sure you bring it low enough so you can do the gesture control obviously.

fans5ebab6ef Posted at 2017-6-28 07:53
Haven't completely tested, but I believe when you launch from hand in gesture mode and then continue to fly with remote all pictures you take will be low resolution.  I don't understand why they force low resolution on gesture mode.  Perhaps they figured people would want low res to quickly share, but we should be able to choose.  I never want to capture images at low res, so I'm always taking off from ground, though think I will start doing a normal takeoff from hand using the controller.
Also is it possible to put it in gesture mode or recognition mode after flying with controller, it would be nice to be able to have it auto land in my hand like gesture mode.  Have had a couple close calls with the grab and flip side ways method I'd like to avoid if possible.

That's an interesting point. Does anyone know whether the resolution returned to high if you switched away from Gesture mode to Normal/Quick shot?

How do I check the resolution of the image? I can test that out by taking similar picture with 1) taking off with my phone 2) taking off with gesture mode and switch back to Normal mode.

random.si Posted at 2017-6-29 13:54
Gesture mode is under the intelligent modes (?), its the bottom button on left side of the screen above the map. You can turn on the gesture mode while its flying, and then start to control it with your palm and land it.  Make sure you bring it low enough so you can do the gesture control obviously.

I'm now palm launching, taking over and flying via remote, reversing it (I'm now behind it) and pull down on the left stick while putting hand under. It then lands in my hand. I don't know how to palm launch, remote fly and land with palm control however.

Apart from the slight gymnastics of performing the sticks-to-bottom-closest point to start the motors, using a single hand and holding the Spark in the other, why not launch directly from the hand while in RC connected mode? And for landing back in the hand, what happens if you simply come to a hover 5 feet or so off the ground, gently take hold of the spark from below, then do the left-stick-down move to cut the motor? Won't this work?

Brian

Take off from hand using the R/C.

Hmmm

Only if you have 3 hands,

I have one of the programmable buttons on the RC set to take off/land. I always hand catch using this button and Spark shuts off automatically after a couple of seconds.
No need to roll it over on its side. I also launch it the same way if I don't have a clean surface available to take off from. Works great.