The DJI Avata 360 from DJIUSA records every direction at once. That single change shifts how you think about shooting aerially — instead of aiming the camera in flight, you position the aircraft and decide the final framing in post. Here’s the workflow to get the most out of 8K 360° capture.
Before Your First Flight
Storage: The Avata 360 includes 42GB of built-in storage, holding roughly 30 minutes of 8K panoramic footage. For longer shoots, offload files between takes or add a microSD card. Wi-Fi 6 enables transfers up to 100 MB/s to the DJI Fly app under supported conditions — downloads continue in the background while you switch apps.
Battery: Maximum flight time is up to 23 minutes under laboratory conditions, and real-world flights vary with wind, cold and how aggressively you fly. Plan your takes around this and budget for return-to-home reserves.
Camera settings: Lock exposure and white balance manually before takeoff. Auto adjustments mid-shot can create problems in post. Shooting in D-Log M preserves dynamic range for color grading.
360° Mode vs. Single-Lens Mode
Understanding when to use each mode determines whether you get the footage you need.
360° mode (8K): Activates both sensors to record the full horizontal sphere. This is the only mode for 8K/60fps video and 120MP stills. Nightscape Omnidirectional Obstacle Sensing — powered by forward-facing LiDAR — is exclusively available in this mode.
Single-lens mode (4K): Rotates one sensor forward for conventional FPV flight, maxing out at 4K/60fps. Obstacle sensing in this mode is forward-only. Use it when you want a traditional fixed-perspective shot.
If 8K is your target, shoot in 360° mode. Single-lens mode serves a different purpose.
Flying for Reframing
Because you record every direction simultaneously, framing decisions happen in post. Your focus in the air shifts from “where is the camera pointing” to “where is the aircraft relative to my subject.”
A straight-line pass alongside a building can become a lateral tracking shot, a flyover or a reverse dolly depending on your post-production reframe. The 360° virtual gimbal lets you rotate and tilt the view in editing, even from footage shot while flying straight, but it can’t invent coverage you didn’t fly. If you want a low-angle shot, fly low.
Use Spotlight Free to lock onto a moving subject, or ActiveTrack 360° to track automatically. FPV gimbal mode tilts the image with the aircraft’s attitude for a first-person aesthetic, and you can also apply this effect in post if you prefer.
Editing in DJI Studio and DJI Fly
You can edit fully in DJI Fly or DJI Studio, with DJI Studio providing rich tools for a seamless workflow. In both apps you can add camera movement effects with a single tap, and both can lock onto and track people, vehicles, boats and more, even in 360° footage.
For quick social media turnarounds, the DJI Fly mobile app’s GyroFrame feature lets you move your phone to find and lock a specific angle, then export it with a single tap. You can also apply the FPV gimbal effect in post.
Footage can be exported directly or reframed in post, and a Premiere Pro plugin is also available for 360° editing. 8K files are computationally demanding, so check DJI Studio’s official system requirements and the Avata 360 manual for current hardware compatibility before planning an edit-heavy workflow.
Practical Limits to Plan Around
Multiple batteries are essential for complex scenes. 42GB covers roughly 30 minutes of 8K, so you’ll need to offload between takes on longer shoots. Omnidirectional sensing requires at least 1 lux of ambient light and surfaces with discernible texture — it won’t work reliably over calm water or in near-darkness.
Editing 360° footage is a different workflow from flat video, so give yourself time to learn the tools before a deadline. The payoff is the ability to extract multiple distinct shots from a single flight.
The full DJI Avata series — including the Avata 360 and Avata 2 — is available at DJIUSA, your authorized retailer with manufacturer warranty. Browse the complete DJI drone lineup to see every current model.