5 Best Uses for DJI's Tripod Mode Intelligent Flight Mode in Drone Video Projects

What is Tripod Mode?

Tripod Mode is an extremely versatile intelligent flight mode available on the DJI Spark, Mavic Pro, Mavic Air, Phantom 4, Phantom 4 Pro, and Phantom 4 Advanced. It enables fine control of your drone by limiting the maximum speed and reducing the braking distance. By giving you more control of your drone, Tripod Mode makes it easy to record smooth footage and cinematic shots for a variety of projects and applications. Watch the video below to learn how to enable Tripod Mode and how to use it for filming residential real estate projects, commercial properties, time-lapses and hyperlapses, and even for flying indoors!

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What does Tripod Mode do?

Tripod Mode gives you enhanced control of your drone by throttling the maximum flight speed and reducing the braking distance. On the DJI Spark, Mavic Air, and Mavic Pro, the maximum flight speed is limited to 2.2 mph, while on the DJI Phantom 4, Phantom 4 Pro, and Phantom 4 Advanced, the maximum flight speed is limited to 5.6 mph. Tripod Mode also engages the 3D Visioning System on the Phantom 4 Pro to assist in obstacle avoidance.

The 5 Best Uses for Tripod Mode

Limiting the maximum flight speed of your drone doesn’t sound fun at all, but Tripod Mode proves to be extremely useful in a wide variety of applications because of its enhanced control and smooth motion. Here are the five best uses for Tripod Mode that we recommend you try:

1. Avoiding Obstacles

The limited flight speeds and reduced sensitivity of the controls in Tripod Mode gives you more control of your drone for avoiding obstacles in tricky situations. Using Tripod Mode can be particularly beneficial while filming residential real estate projects with trees, bushes, or other obstacles on the property.

2. Filming Close to the Ground

Tripod mode is excellent for getting smooth, cinematic footage while close to the ground. This is ideal for showcasing a property from lower angles, something not every drone pilot considers. The 3-axis gimbal stabilization combined with the slower motion produces some really nice shots, and it can be great mixing this footage in with some higher altitude clips. This is definitely something fun to play around with. And again, with the added control you can more easily avoid trees, telephone poles, and other obstacles.

3. Flying Indoors for Commercial Projects

Not only is tripod mode great for capturing storefront locations and the exterior buildings, but it is perfect for flying indoors. Many companies like to showcase the operation of their equipment and machinery, their assembly line process, or just the interior of a large space, and tripod mode is ideal for this kind of application. The slower movements and added control make it easy to capture smooth footage while keeping the drone a safe distance away from the machinery.

4. Filming Aerial Time-Lapses and Hyperlapses

Tripod mode is actually so stable and smooth, you can hit record and fly your drone in a single direction to for creating beautiful time-lapses or hyperlapses. Drone time-lapses and hyperlapses are visually stunning, and it can be awesome to explore creating these kinds of videos using Tripod Mode.

5. Anything Else

The flexibility and versatility of Tripod Mode makes it ideal for a wide variety of projects and applications. It is easy to use because the controls for the drone stay the same, it just moves slower and in a more controlled fashion. Using Tripod Mode is a great way to explore creative new shots and for making your drone footage slow, smooth, and cinematic.

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5 Best Uses for DJI’s Tripod Mode Intelligent Flight Mode in Drone Video Projects