Have you ever been in a dilemma? Which device to use with your drone? Well it’s cool that you can use your IOS and Android device... but it’s just not the real thing. I know what you’re thinking now... “What are you talking about” “ I have my smartphone with me all the time.” Yes you were right... till now! I’m saying “till now” because from now on we have DJI’s latest and greatest little piece of hardware which eases our workflow and gives us extra confidence when carrying out a job.
I’ve been thinking about acquiring a DJI Crystalsky monitor because of its 1000nit brightness display. I tossed away the idea because I have enough gear to charge separately and carry around with me. It seems like DJI can read their customers minds because with the announcement of the Smart controller we have only one thing to charge. Yes I know that the phantom 4 pro+ comes with an inbuilt screen, but boy the smart controller is just in another league. In this quite extensive review I’ll show you why the smart controller is a must have in your inventory.
Tehnical specs:
Pretty sure you’re curios about what’s under the hood. The Smart controller has an 5000 miliamp battery that can be fully charged in 2 hours according to DJI. From 1% to 100% I managed to fully charge it in 1hour and 56 minutes. Depending on the usage it should last 2 hours easily. DJI Smart Controller runs android 7.1.2 powered by an ARM processor and Mali GPU. Regarding storage you have 16gb onboard memory and you can expend it with a micro sd card up to 128gb.
In the box you’ll find the Smart Controller, USB C charging cable,power brick, manuals and an extra pair of control knobs. I was surprised how little and compact the box is.
First use & linking
First step is to fully charge the battery. It’s totally up to you but I prefer looking for an update and updating it before doing anything else. I feel like being up to date with the software is the way to go, knowing that old issues and bugs are the thing of the past.
Linking the controller to your Mavic is a piece of cake. I was surprised how fast the process is. You just need to start the preinstalled DJI GO 4 application, tap on Enter Device and link controller.
The Smart Controller will make several beeping sounds and a blinking blue light then you need to press a little button on your Mavic 2 Pro or Zoom just under the micro SD slot to initiate the pairing process.
I can say that the Smart Controller and the Mavic 2 is the best option for all who travel a lot. I know how frustrating can be If you miss a moment because of the setup and startup time. I turned on the Smart Controller and my Mavic 2 at the same time. I took 25 seconds to be ready to fly.
Design
I’m going to use the smart controller with my Mavic 2 pro since for now it’s the the compatible devices are the Mavic 2 series (Pro and Zoom), to make a general idea about the size I’m going to compare it with the stock remote that came with my Mavic 2 Pro.
The best part is that I have an incredible case with which I’m super happy for my Mavic 2 pro. At first I thought that it won’t fit in the case, and I will need to make some modifications like cutting out the foam to make it fit. Fortunately the foam parts are already cut out and you just need to pull them out. Carrying around all your stuff separately is just not practical. Having all in one case is the way to go.
The smart controller has some weight...to be more precise 630 grams. It’s a little bit heavier than your standard RC and phone together. It just feels right to hold it in your hands not to mention the fact that I find it way more comfortable. Using my iPhone X as a display is OK-ish but I find it a bit wobbly and unbalanced.I really like the standard knobs and thought it would be necessary to compare with the ones of the Smart Controller. Basically and thankfully they are the same!
You get an extra pair in the box in case you lose them! As you can see on the picture they are placed just inside the antennas. Nice idea placing them inside the antenna compartment there by the way. Although being the same size as the standard Mavic 2’s RC knob, you can not use it with the Smart controller.
The button layout is the same, so you don’t need to re-learn the button scheme. I really like that we have bigger photo and recording buttons.
The 5.5” 1080p 320ppi display is more than enough to see what you need, you can also say goodbye to hoods you can clearly see the display in direct sun because of the 1000nit (almost twice the brightness of our smartphones) brightness. Additional screen settings are available in the menu depending on the situation. Sharpness and colours are great It’s just one of the best secreens I used so far.
If you planning to use the touch screen with regular gloves you’re out of luck. However you can use special ones made for touchscreens. For navigation you can use the control sticks the 5D button and the two dedicated back and ok buttons. Note: by default control stick navigation is only available in home screen file manager gallery settings etc. When the controller is connected to your Mavic 2 for flight safety they will be disabled including the 5D button.
There’s also a hidden light sensor just above the screen. Depending on the light environment it automatically brightens and dims you screen. I prefer setting the brightness level myself usually maxing out the settings.
I’m pretty sure a lot of people has been thinking about how to correctly position of the antennas for the best video feed.
DJI gave us the answer depending on the your Mavics position in the air now you exactly know how to point them.
Ports
DJI Smart Controller has a USB-C port just below the display for charching . A USB port that supports USB hard drives/flash drives / card readers. The DJI Smart Controller keeps surprising me. I knew that android supports external peripherals so I thought I would plug in my wireless mouse in the USB socket. Guess what it works!
This feature comes handy when you’re connected to an external monitor or TV and you need to have access to the menu from a distance without carrying out the task directly from the Smart controller.
The micro SD slot supports cards up to 128gb. It turns out the Smart Controller is a real media powerhouse and its also capable to take out some pretty cool tasks. Big thumbs to DJI for using a clean as possible android as an operating system. During the years I have used several devices android and IOS based tablets and phones. To be sincere because of DJO GO 4’s stability I sticked with IOS devices it just worked flawlessly but it had its limitations. A big problem I had was that I was unable to transfer RAW files to my iPhone and iPad because DJI GO APP’s share function allows transferring only .jpg via WIFI. Now with the DJI smart controller I can simply take out the Micro SD card and plug it in the controller. I’m able to show my client what I have done and I can edit raw photo files with third party apps. Snapseed is a great free app that also handles editing raw .dng files.
HDMI port
A long awaited feature for me... You can output video up to 4k resulotion to several screens and broadcast tools that support HDMI connection. I really like the fact that I can hook up the controller to my TV and access the created content instantly.
We also have the option to adjust the size and the borders of the transmitted image depending on our TV model.
Features
Quick menu:
You can access the quick menu or by swiping down from the top of the display or by using the button combination which is the back button and D-pad down combo. By pressing down back button for 1 sec you’re shown „the button combination diagram guide.
In the quick menu you can directly access the WIFI settings, SRE setting which come very hand when you need to set your display mode depending on on the environment to enhance dark or bright parts.You can also capture your screen with just a press of a button and also start video recording your screen. I find the recorded footage a little bit choppy, I don’t reccomend you to rely on it when editing comes into account. Note: It also records sound!
Go Share function:
If you want to transfer your photos captured by you Mavic series drones to your smartphone Go Share is the best method to do so. You just need to connect to your Smart Remotes Wifi, open DJI GO 4 APP under Editor Tab you access the Share Tab.
Apps:
By default you’ll get preinstalled the DJI GO 4 APP, Flight Restriction Info,Tips, File Manager and Lightning browser. Lightning browser is pretty default but it doesn’t mean you can’t install another free third party browser. I managed to install Facebook Pages, Instagram and Firefox.
File Manager:
It’s obviusly the app that lets you organize your files. You can move your files from one place to another. I usually buy my tech with a specific goal and idea in mind. I like to maximize the potential of the given device so I would like to share with you a scenario in which I find myself quite often. Thanks to the Smart Controllers USB and Micro SD ports you’re able to backup and share your content on the go. I’ve been in siutations where I needed to deliver only raw footage and my client wanted the material just after carrying out the job. Now I just pop out the micro SD card from the drone, insert it in the Smart Controller than pop in an external HDD into the USB port and voila. I can copy and paste instantly the files in the file manager. Backuping your work is also a good idea and also time-saving. Update: With the latest firmware you’re able to format your Micro SD and external HDD inserted into the smart controller under the settings menu.[size=12.000000953674316px]
Note: Before plugging out under storage settings be sure to eject your external HDD and SD card to avoid data corruption and damage!
Usage in direct sunlight:
The DJI Smart Controller is just incredible, believe me real life results are much better. As I have said earlier till now I have been using my iPhone X. I have been satisfied with the stability of the DJI Go App on IOS and that’s all. In direct sunlight the display of my iPhone is barely visible not to mention my never-ending all-time problem. As you all may have experienced when your iPhone starts overheating the brightness of your display is dimmed. Smart Controller has some seriuse cooling under the hood never leaving you in total darkness. I tested the Smart Controller in direct sunlight 1000nit is more than enough to see just every detail.
Who is it for? Being a premium product DJI targets the professionals but not only. Yes, you might find the its price a bit high „650” euros but it’s not just a simple Controller! The Smart Controller is also a media powerhouse with tons of features. Occusync 2.0 delivers flawless 1080p rock solid video feed on a gorgeous 1000nit display. In my opinion it’s a must have accesory for those who take drone photography and videography seriously. Designed to be used in harsh weather conditions from -20 to 40 celsius degrees the Smart Controller just won’t let you down.
This thread will be constantly updated! Please ket me know if you need any kind of info or request/idea so I can test it out!
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