so ive been going back and forth on this for a couple weeks now. found a used DJI FPV combo for like $550 with the motion controller and everything, the guy says he flew it maybe 4 or 5 times and it shows, looks basically mint. but then theres the Avata 2 sitting right there at full price doing its thing.

my situation is i mostly want to do cinematic low and slow stuff through trees, maybe some light racing lines in open areas, not really trying to go full freestyle or anything crazy. i know the FPV drone is faster and has that more locked-in fixed wing feel but the Avata obviously has obstacle avoidance and the ducted props make it way less sketchy around people and branches and whatever.

the thing thats bugging me is the O3 vs O4 difference feels pretty significant when you actually look at the footage side by side, but at $550 used vs $1100 new its hard to justify unless the image quality gap is actually that noticeable in real world use. anyone gone from the original FPV to the Avata 2 or running both?

had the original FPV for about 18 months before i picked up an Avata 2 and honestly the gap is bigger than i expected. its not just the video link quality, its the whole feel of it. the Avata 2 sits in the air differently, way more planted even in moderate wind, and the stabilization on the camera is just better for the kind of flying you're describing. slow cinematic pulls through a treeline look genuinely good out of the box.

that said if the guy is asking $550 and it really is mint condition that is a solid deal for what it is. the FPV drone is still a capable machine, O3 footage holds up fine for most stuff people actually publish. i just wouldnt buy it expecting to be happy with it long term if youre already eyeing the Avata 2, youll end up upgrading anyway and spend more total.

ducted props on the Avata are a game changer if youre flying near anything. i clipped a branch with my FPV drone last summer and it was not a fun recovery situation lol. the Avata just kind of bounces off stuff and keeps going which sounds dumb but it matters a lot when youre threading gaps