How to Set Up and Use DJI Spark (Guide)

The first thing that comes to your mind when you think of DJI and its drones is the hefty price tag. Even though it produces some of the most powerful drones out there, their drones are bound to burn a rather big hole in your pockets. Thankfully, DJI recently announced their cheapest as well as their most compact drone – the DJI Spark. The DJI Spark, priced at$499is a new ‘lifestyle’ drone or mini-drone that can fit in any bag and be flown without a controller or phone. The little brother to DJI Mavic Pro, the Spark features a 2-Axis Gimbal and a 12MP camera for still shots. It can also record videos at Full HD (1920×1080) at a frame rate of 30fps. While this all sounds great, DJI does not provide a manual in their packaging. So, if you’ve recently bought the DJI Spark and are wondering how to hook it up and get things rolling, read on as we bring to you our guide on how to set up and use the DJI Spark:

Set Up DJI Spark With Your Smartphone

NoteBefore proceeding, make sure to completely charge all the batteries of the Spark.

Controlling the DJI Spark

1. Taking Off

Before taking off the drone, make sure that there is ample space around the drone to ensure proper flight. Also, this step refers to simply hovering the device above the ground. You can take off the drone by following either of the three steps:

2. Controlling the DJI Spark Using Gestures

The main USP of the DJI Spark is the fact that it can be used simply with the help of gestures, without the need for any smartphone or remote controller. With the help of a sensor on Spark, you canlaunch the device from your hand, make it follow you, take simple selfies and make it land back on the palm of your handas well. Do note that in this mode, the drone will not go far off and should always be facing you. Overall, the gesture mode works really well and is simple to use for clicking simple selfies. Take a look at the picture below for the various gestures you can use to control the DJI Spark:

Note:The gesture mode should only be used in windless or areas with a low-velocity wind, otherwise, the camera may be unstable, rendering it impossible to control the drone.

3. Controlling DJI Spark with the DJI GO 4 App

The DJI GO 4 App can be used for a variety of functions to make the most of your flight time. The main screen of the app houses options for theaircraft status, take-off, landing, compass, camera shutter button, and the settings page. Also, during flight, the main screen also shows a battery bar, depicting the flight time left according to the drone’s battery.

The DJI GO 4 App can be used tocontrol the movement of the deviceas well, which basically simulates the remote controller’s sticks on the device’s screen. You can use it maneuver the device and fly it straight from your smartphone. The app allows you to move the drone as well as rotate. It also allows youmove the camera up and down, changing the area of focus.

The“Aircraft Status” pagecan be accessed by tapping on the“In-Flight(vision)”option on the top left, which shows you a lot of options related to the aircraft. You can check theoverall status, flight mode, calibrate your compass, modify the Inertial Measurement Units (IMU), modify the Electronic Speed Controller (ESC)and more. It can also be used to configure the remote controller, as well asre-program the ‘Fn’ and ‘C’ keys on the controller.

Tapping on the 3-dot menuin the top-right corner of the main page in the app shows theGeneral Settingsfor the app. The settings page comes with a sidebar of its own which allows the user to access the Main Controller Settings, Visual Navigation Settings, Remote Controller Settings, WiFi Settings, Aircraft Battery Info, and the Gimbal Settings. These settings can be used toconfigure the max distance, max height, turn Beginner mode on, change the Measurement Units, select the Live Broadcast Platform, allow for audio to be saved with the video cache on the device and more.

Located below the camera’s shutter button is thecamera’s advanced settings page. With the help of this menu, you canadjust the shutter rate, change the shooting mode from single shot to burst shot, adjust the ISO, exposure, white balanceand more. You can also use this menu to format the SD card, show the Camera’s On-Screen Display and more.

Lastly, the DJI GO 4 app also comes bundled withDJI’s own video editing softwareas well, that allows the user to easily edit the videos captured by the drone. You can combine multiple clips, crop them, add transitions and effects and much more, just by the help of a few taps. Do note that these videos are saved in the app’s video cache, and need to be exported first in order to view them from the device’s gallery.

4. Controlling the Drone Via Remote Control

Alternatively, if you’ve bought theFly More combo, you would get the Remote Controller for the DJI Spark included in the package. The DJI Spark’s Remote Controller can be used to control the device while in flight, and take pictures and record videos as well. Each button has a specific function associated with it, as mentioned in the list below.

SEE ALSO:7 Best DJI Spark Alternatives You Can Buy

Set Up And Use The DJI Spark Drone With Ease

Overall, the DJI Spark is a great device and proves to be handy for beginners as well as professional users. The ease of use combined with the plethora of features make it a compelling drone that someone can quickly get accustomed to. As a parting note, I’d like to mention that while flying drones might be a lot of fun and open the gateway to a whole new photography world, make sure to always fly with proper permission. Flying drones in some areas can be illegal, so do keep a note of that. Once that is sorted, take out your DJI Spark, and capture the world in a different view. Share with us your favorite ideas for drone shots and how you intend to use your DJI Spark in the comments section below.

Varun Mirchandani

This isn’t an interview! Why am I being asked to tell you about myself? :P Well, if you really wanna know, I’m currently trending worldwide on #BeingMirchi. Buy me a beer if you like my work. Cheers!

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