Tello vs. Spark
- Thread starter Willy Will
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Depends on what you want to do and how much money you want to spend.
The Mavic Air is a significant step up from the Spark (and in my opinion the best value ‘serious’ drone in DJI’s range) and so on.
The Tello is very much at the ‘toy’ end but a seriously good drone for what it is. Certainly would rather a Tello than a Spark if flying mainly indoors.
If you are planning to fly outside most of the time and / or want to undertake some moderately serious filming then the Spark (or better Air) would be the route to go.
Ansia
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Agreed, but the Air is twice the price of the Spark
Also, don't fly the Spark indoors. That is really dangerous.
I know that feeling! It was more to highlight that the more you spend the better the drone. The Spark is very considerably more expensive than the Tello so I would hope it was a significant step up.
Indeed the two drones are hardly comparable such is the difference.
Ansia
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That is why I went all the way up in the consumer side of drones and got the Phantom. Wife still uses me spending $1,500 without consulting her, to win a losing argument. WITCH!
My wife doesn’t even know about my M2P
. She also told me not to by the Tello for my little boy for Christmas but I ended up with the Boost package. No point skimping on his first drone 
Ansia
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My advise to you is negotiate with your dog on the sleeping arrangements inside the dog house. You will spend a lot of time when the boss finds out.
Chrislaf
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I have both a Spark and a Tello. Just got the Tello a couple of weeks ago so am still trying it out.
There is a huge difference between the two drones. The Spark is a portable fully featured drone with GPS, VPS, obstacle avoidance with a camera on a 2 axis gimbal that shoots 12MP photos and 1080p video at 30fps. The Spark can fly a lot farther and can handle much more wind than the Tello.
That being said, the Spark is 4 times more expensive than the Tello. I bought my Tello for indoor flying (would never fly my Spark indoors) and use in the backyard and in situations where a fully featured drone, no matter how portable, is not practical. Although, the Tello generates pretty good photos and the video is OK (electronically stabilized), camera quality does not compare to the quality of the Sparks camera.
What you decide depends on what you want the drone for and how much you are willing to spend.
Good luck,
Chris
Just remind the wife that 1. It keeps you home more. 2. Prevents you from going to bars. 3. Keeps you more in her company than being around other women. 4. Is good for your health. 5. Keeps your mind sharp. 6. Makes you a better lover with all that inspiration and excitment from flying. ........7. Is better than playing poker with a bunch of guys and drinking a lot. Get my point? You can do it. Put out that good ol' propaganda that works.
Ansia
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I have the Spark (my first drone) the Tello and now a Mavic Air and I fly all three.
With the Spark the ability to fly outside in some significant wind, the better camera(especially in lower light) and the stabilized gimbal allowing you to point the camera from the horizon to directly below will be a major upgrade that I think will be totally worth the cost for you. The Spark is incredibly sturdy and an amazing piece of tech.
I bought a Mavic Air because I wanted a three axis gimbal and a better camera and it's just a little beast but I'm glad that I started with the Spark and learned with it and since DJI lowered the price so much it's a great next step from the Tello.
--Important point--
The Tello weighs in at 80 grams and is legally a toy
The Spark weighs 300 grams and is considered the world over as an "aircraft" and will need to be registered (in the US, $5, super easy through the FAA website)and you must pay attention to Airspace regulations
I say step up and get the Spark, just remember that once you realize how much fun it is you'll want at least one more!
Ansia
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@SleepyRobo contacted the FAA and they indicated that if it flies in airspace, then it must follow the rules of airspace, even if it’s a toy drone.
malta1
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Tello is my first drone and i'm hooked. What a great beginner aircraft. I know there must be other great drones out there but because of the Tello and all of the positivity surrounding DJI, i'm convinced that DJI is the only way to go. Being an old school r/c enthusiast with a lot of cars/trucks in my garage, i'm ready for an upgrade. I was also thinking the next natural step up from the Tello would be the Spark, from what I watched and read its sounds like a Tello on steroids. But I think I'm going to go straight to the Mavic Air as my second drone, that just seems like the best all around drone for the $$$. Then by that time there will be a Tello 2.0 on sale and i'm sure it will be a significant upgrade from the original i'll pick one of those up as a third toy. I'm sure Ryze is still blown away by the crazy popularity of the Tello and will make sure the next one is killer.
So @sleeprobo calls ATC and every heliport within 5 miles every time he flies? Did you register your Tello with the FAA?
Ansia
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Yes, that would be the procedure to fly with 336. As for registering, you are not required as it doesn’t meet the minimum .55 lbs requirement.
I understand is almost impossible to enforce this and it would be annoying to have to call all of those heliports to fly a Tello, but if you are flying and get approached by law enforcement, the “I didn’t know” will not protect you.
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