WELCOME

 

🚁 Nemesis – DJI Mavic 2 Pro

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Full Description: Nemesis is the Clarkson of the crew — big, loud, and doesn’t care much for subtlety. This flying beast rocks a Hasselblad camera that’s sharper than a sarcastic tweet, and with adjustable aperture and 10-bit colour, it could film a documentary about gravel and make it look like Oscar bait. It doesn’t just avoid obstacles — it sniffs them out like a bloodhound with a diploma in cinematography. If drones had egos, Nemesis would be parked in a mirror polishing its gimbal.

Role: The Cinematic Commander

Nemesis is the professional heavyweight of my fleet. With a Hasselblad L1D-20c camera mounted on a 3-axis gimbal, this drone is made for elite aerial content creation. It’s perfect for landscapes, real estate, cinematic projects, and anywhere lighting conditions get tricky.

Detailed Specs:

• Camera: Hasselblad L1D-20c with 1" CMOS sensor

• Lens: 28mm equivalent, f/2.8–f/11 adjustable aperture, 77° FOV

• Photo Resolution: 20MP (5472 × 3648)

• Video Resolution: 4K at 30fps, 2.7K at 60fps, FHD at 120fps

• ISO Range: Photo 100–3200 (auto), 100–12800 (manual); Video 100–3200

• Bitrate: 100Mbps

• Color Profiles: Dlog-M (10-bit), HLG (10-bit HDR)

• Image Formats: JPEG, DNG (RAW)

• Video Formats: MP4/MOV (H.264/MPEG-4 AVC, H.265/HEVC)

• Shutter Speed: 8–1/8000s

• Gimbal: 3-axis (pitch, roll, yaw)

• Max Flight Time: 31 minutes (no wind at constant 25 kph)

• Max Hover Time: 29 minutes

• Max Flight Distance: 18 km (in optimal conditions)

• Max Speed: 72 kph (Sport Mode)

• Max Altitude: 500m (software limit)

• Max Wind Resistance: 10.5 m/s (Level 5)

• Obstacle Avoidance: Omnidirectional (Front, Rear, Top, Bottom, Left, Right)

• GPS Systems: GPS + GLONASS

• Transmission System: OcuSync 2.0, 1080p live view up to 8km

• Storage: MicroSD up to 128GB

• QuickShot Modes: Dronie, Circle, Helix, Rocket, Boomerang, Asteroid

• Usability: Ideal for pro filmmakers, real estate, slow cinematic passes, and HDR stills

 

🎯 Zoom – DJI Mini 4 Pro

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Full Description: If Nemesis is Clarkson, then Zoom is James May on a double espresso. Light as a digestive biscuit and cleverer than a trivia night at Cambridge, Zoom fits in your pocket yet thinks it's Spielberg. Vertical shooting? Check. Cruise Control? Absolutely. It'll dodge obstacles like a squirrel in a laser maze. With Zoom, you can shoot cinema-grade footage in your slippers, which is exactly the vibe we’re going for.

Role: The Agile Social Media Star

Zoom is light, fast, and brilliant for spontaneous adventure flying. Its vertical shooting mode is tailor-made for Instagram reels and TikTok shorts. Despite its ultra-light weight, it punches far above its class.

Detailed Specs:

• Weight: 249g

• Camera: 1/1.3" CMOS sensor with Dual Native ISO Fusion

• Lens: 24mm equivalent, f/1.7 aperture, 82.1° FOV

• Photo Resolution: 48MP (8064×6048) and 12MP

• Video: 4K at 60fps HDR, 4K at 100fps (slow-mo), 2.7K, FHD at 200fps

• ISO Range: Photo 100–3200, Video 100–6400

• Color Profiles: D-Log M (10-bit), HLG

• Image Format: JPEG, RAW (DNG)

• Video Format: MP4 (H.264/H.265)

• Shutter Speed: 2–1/8000s

• Gimbal: 3-axis mechanical (tilt, roll, pan)

• Max Flight Time: 34 minutes (battery), 45 minutes (Plus battery)

• Max Hover Time: 30 minutes

• Max Flight Distance: 20km (Plus battery, in optimal conditions)

• Max Speed: 57.6 kph

• Max Wind Resistance: 10.7 m/s (Level 5)

• Obstacle Avoidance: Omnidirectional (360° avoidance)

• GPS Systems: GPS + Galileo + BeiDou

• Transmission: OcuSync 4.0, 1080p live view up to 20km

• Storage: microSD up to 512GB

• Advanced Features: ActiveTrack 360°, MasterShots, Cruise Control, SmartPhoto, Waypoints, Return to Home (RTH)

• QuickShot Modes: Dronie, Rocket, Circle, Helix, Boomerang, Asteroid

• Usability: Perfect for vloggers, content creators, spontaneous travel shots, and stealthy social storytelling

 

⚡️ Twitch – DJI Spark

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Full Description: Twitch is the Stig's underfed cousin — twitchy, twitching, and always up for a quick sprint. It’s the drone that introduced me to the sky, and while it’s not packing a film crew's worth of specs, it’s got bags of charm. Perfect for a cheeky flight over the garden hedge or an impromptu selfie, Twitch is the drone equivalent of a Ford Fiesta: humble, faithful, and surprisingly fun when no one's looking.

Role: The OG Workhorse

This little chap was my first taste of real drone agility in a compact package. Though semi-retired, Twitch still takes to the skies for light jobs and nostalgia flights.

Detailed Specs:

• Camera: 1/2.3" CMOS sensor

• Lens: 25mm equivalent, f/2.6, 81.9° FOV

• Photo Resolution: 12MP (3968 × 2976)

• Video Resolution: 1080p at 30fps

• ISO Range: 100–3200

• Shutter Speed: 2–1/8000s

• Gimbal: 2-axis (pitch, roll)

• Max Flight Time: 16 minutes

• Max Speed: 50 kph (Sport Mode)

• Max Wind Resistance: Level 4

• Obstacle Avoidance: Forward only

• GPS Systems: GPS + GLONASS

• Transmission Range: 2km (with remote controller)

• Live View: 720p at 30fps

• Gesture Controls: PalmLaunch, PalmControl, Selfie, Beckon

• Flight Modes: QuickShot (Dronie, Circle, Helix, Rocket), TapFly, ActiveTrack

• QuickShot Modes: Dronie, Circle, Helix, Rocket

• Usability: Great for short scenic flights, fast setups, close-up selfie shots, and showing off with gestures

 

🥿 Sneaker – DJI Neo

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Full Description: Sneaker is the drone equivalent of Richard Hammond on a scooter — small, plucky, and likely to surprise you. It weighs less than your average sandwich but still manages to fire off 4K footage like it's been to drone university. Sure, it's not built for hurricanes or Oscar-winning documentaries, but when you're halfway up a fell with nothing but a flask of tea and a sunset, Sneaker is your trusty sidekick with rotors.

Role: The AI Smart Scout

Sneaker is compact, reliable, and a great travel buddy for simple scenic flights and casual footage. While not as feature-packed as its big siblings, it more than earns its spot in the fleet with its ease of use and portability.

Detailed Specs:

• Weight: 135g

• Camera: 1/2.3" CMOS sensor

• Lens: Fixed focus, f/2.8

• Photo Resolution: 12MP

• Video Resolution: 4K at 30fps, 2.7K at 60fps, 1080p at 120fps

• Image Format: JPEG

• Video Format: MP4 (H.264)

• Gimbal: 3-axis mechanical (pitch, roll, yaw)

• Flight Time: ~24 minutes

• Obstacle Avoidance: Downward sensors only

• Max Speed: ~46.8 kph

• Wind Resistance: Level 4

• Transmission Range: Up to 10km

• Live View Quality: 720p at 30fps

• Storage Support: MicroSD up to 128GB

• QuickShot Modes: Dronie, Rocket

• Usability: Ideal for casual users, relaxed flying, and basic video content. Lightweight, quick to deploy, and perfect for grab-and-go moments.

 

✨ Bonus Gear

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All of my drones — from Nemesis down to Sneaker — are upgraded with Master Airscrew propellers, ensuring quieter flights, improved efficiency, and slightly longer airtime. Whether it's for stealthy countryside swoops or controlled urban passes, these props make every takeoff smoother and every landing quieter.

• Litchi App: Waypoint missions, orbit flights, panoramas

• Master Airscrew Stealth Props: Quieter flying, improved performance

• ND Filters: For controlling exposure in bright skies

• 64GB U3 SD Cards: Class 10, UHS-I U3 V30 for flawless 4K recording

• Landing Pads: Protects gimbal & sensors from debris

• Spare Batteries: Extended sessions, double the flight time

This ever-evolving fleet brings together old legends and new tech, precision and playfulness. Whether it’s for breathtaking landscapes, close-up action, or smart tracking, there’s a bird in the hangar ready for launch.

Watch the skies—you might just see Nemesis circling Cannock Chase or Zoom diving over Cornish cliffs. Follow my flights at johnsdrones.net or catch the latest footage on YouTube at @johnnickolls.

Ready for takeoff? Always.