Finding Myself in the Frame with the DJI Flip

Exploring alone has always had one downside: it’s hard to capture myself in the moment. For years, the process felt like more hassle than it was worth. I’d ask myself “Do I want a photo of myself here?” and, if the answer was yes, I had to carry a tripod just in case. Once I reached the location, there came the awkward back-and-forth shuffle between the camera and the self-timer, repeating the dance until I got a shot I could live with. More often than not, I simply didn’t bother — and as a result, entire stretches of my travels went undocumented, at least from my own perspective.

The DJI Flip has completely changed that. Now, when I want to be part of the scene, it’s as easy as pulling the drone out of my bag, sending it skyward, and letting it capture angles I could never dream of achieving before. No setup, no second-guessing, no wasted effort. Just me, right there in the landscape, proof that I was part of the story.

Portability and Design

At first glance, the Flip is an awkwardly shaped little thing — a body that doesn’t fold down like the more traditional DJI drones. But any doubts about design disappear as soon as you pick it up. It’s incredibly light, almost surprisingly so, and it feels built for movement. The integrated prop guards have been a revelation for me. I can quite literally toss the drone into my bag without worrying about damaging it or bending a propeller.

That’s a huge shift from my short stint owning the DJI Mini 3. As much as I liked that drone, I always carried a little anxiety with it. The exposed propellers would snag on things in my bag, bending just enough to make to make my eyes water. The Flip’s built-in guards solve that problem completely — and while they may add a touch of extra flight noise and reduce flight time and speed slightly, the peace of mind they give me more than makes up for it.

Image Quality

When it comes to image quality, the DJI Flip is good — but it’s not perfect. For me, it hits the sweet spot for personal documentation. I can capture crisp enough stills and clips to relive the moment or share with friends and family, and in that sense it’s more than enough.

But I also need to be realistic: these files aren’t going to hold up if I wanted to sell an image as a print. For serious work, especially landscapes, I still rely on my Leica M11-D. The Flip simply doesn’t have the sensor size or resolution to compete at that level.

That said, there are tricks to squeeze the most out of it. I particularly love shooting bracketed exposures to merge later. This lets me pull out as much detail as possible, giving the images more depth and balance than a single shot could provide. It’s not about chasing perfection — it’s about making sure that the memories I capture feel complete.

Capturing Perspective

What the Flip lacks in ultimate image quality, it makes up for in perspective. My favourite moments come when I launch it from a tight, intimate view — maybe me sitting in a small clearing or resting on a rock — and then let it pull back, wider and wider, until it reveals just how far I’ve hiked, or how completely I’m surrounded by forest. It’s cinematic in a way that a static tripod shot could never achieve.

Those wide reveals don’t just show the landscape. They show scale, distance, and solitude. They capture the journey as much as the destination. And for me, that’s invaluable.

Final Thoughts on DJI Flip for solo traveler's

For anyone who explores solo, it’s more than just a drone. It’s a companion that makes documenting the adventure effortless. It's a way to capture yourself doing what you love when no one else is mad enough to get up as early as you do for that sunrise.