How to Set a Timer in Photo Mode on the DJI Neo 2
Peter Leslie
21 May 2026
If you want a photo of yourself, a group, or a clean vibration-free still off the DJI Neo 2, the setting you are looking for is the photo timer inside DJI Fly.
It sits in the shooting-mode tray above the shutter, and the DJI Neo 2 offers a generous range of delays — 2, 3, 5, 7, 10, 15, 20, 30 or 60 seconds — so you can pick the one that matches the shot. Most drone pilots stick with 10 seconds for self-portraits and 2 or 3 seconds for vibration-free stills; the long delays come in for stage-managed compositions where the camera has to fire hands-off.
Quick guide
To set a photo timer on the DJI Neo 2, go to DJI Fly → Camera view → Photo mode → Shooting-mode icon above the shutter → Timed Shot → pick 2 / 3 / 5 / 7 / 10 / 15 / 20 / 30 / 60 seconds. Short delays damp vibration; medium delays cover self-portraits; long delays cover stage-managed shots.
Step-by-step: How to Set a Timer in Photo Mode on the DJI Neo 2
Follow these top to bottom the first time, and you will know the path off by heart the second time.
Switch DJI Fly to photo mode from the camera view
With the DJI Neo 2 powered on and connected, look at the shutter button on the right of the DJI Fly camera view. Tap the Photo / Video toggle directly above it so the shutter button turns white — white shutter is photo, red shutter is video. The DJI Neo 2 will not let you arm a timed shot in video mode.
Confirm the shutter button on the DJI Neo 2 is white
Glance at the shutter colour before you go any further — DJI Fly uses the colour as the at-a-glance confirmation of which mode is live. White means a photo will be taken on the next press; red means a video recording would start. The Timed Shot option only appears in the shooting-mode tray while the shutter is white.
Tap the shooting-mode icon directly above the shutter
DJI Fly stacks the photo shooting modes behind the small icon that sits directly above the shutter button. Tap it once and a tray slides out with the available shooting modes — Single, Burst, Auto Exposure Bracketing, and Timed Shot. This is the tray that holds the photo timer on the DJI Neo 2.
Select Timed Shot from the shooting-mode tray
Tap Timed Shot inside the tray. DJI Fly replaces the tray with a delay selector — a row of numbers covering every countdown option the DJI Neo 2 supports. The selector is the second-tier menu where you pick how long the camera should wait before firing.
Pick a delay between 2 and 60 seconds in the selector
The DJI Neo 2 offers nine delays: 2, 3, 5, 7, 10, 15, 20, 30 and 60 seconds. Tap the one you want. The highlighted value confirms the choice and the delay saves the moment you tap it; the panel does not need a confirm press.
Compose the shot in the DJI Fly viewfinder
With the timer armed, frame the shot in the DJI Fly viewfinder. If the DJI Neo 2 is hovering, settle it on the composition before the countdown starts; if it is sat on a flat surface for a self-portrait, point the camera and check the framing on the phone screen. The viewfinder updates in real time so the composition is locked before the shutter fires.
Press the shutter to start the countdown on the DJI Neo 2
Press the shutter button on the DJI Neo 2 remote controller or tap the on-screen shutter in DJI Fly. The countdown starts immediately at the delay you picked and a number ticks down on the screen. Hold the drone steady — or step into the frame — through the countdown.
Let the countdown finish or tap the shutter again to cancel
When the counter hits zero the DJI Neo 2 fires the photo and the still drops into the gallery. To bail out mid-countdown — someone walks into shot, the drone drifts off composition, the framing is wrong — tap the shutter button again and DJI Fly aborts the timed shot before the camera fires.
Switch the shooting-mode tray back to Single when you are done
DJI Fly leaves Timed Shot armed after a timed photo, so the next shutter press starts another countdown at the same delay. When you want the next shot to fire instantly, open the shooting-mode tray above the shutter again and tap Single. The DJI Neo 2 reverts to immediate capture.
Peter's tip
I default the DJI Neo 2 to 2 seconds for any hand-held still, even when I am not stepping into the frame, because the press of the shutter is enough to wobble the drone on a palm-rest launch. Two seconds is long enough for the drone to settle, short enough that the moment is not lost. For self-portraits I go straight to 10 — five is a sprint, 10 is a walk, and the drone pilots I shoot with always thank me for the extra five seconds.
| Timer delay | When it works | Where it bites |
|---|---|---|
| 2 / 3 seconds | Vibration damping. Long enough for the DJI Neo 2 to settle after the shutter press, short enough that nothing in the frame moves between arming and firing. Good for hand-held stills and tight low-altitude compositions. | Too short to step into the frame. Anyone trying to use 2 or 3 seconds for a self-portrait will end up running into the shot. |
| 5 / 7 seconds | Solo self-portrait if you are close to the drone. Five seconds gets one person back into frame from a few paces; seven adds a buffer for the pose. | Feels rushed for groups. The last person into frame still looks like they are arriving rather than posing. |
| 10 seconds | The comfortable default for self-portraits and small groups. Long enough to walk into frame, settle, and breathe before the shutter fires. Use this one if you are not sure which delay to pick. | Overkill for vibration damping. Adds nine seconds of dead time to a hand-held still where two would have done the job. |
| 15 / 20 / 30 seconds | Larger groups, multi-camera sequences, or any scenario where people have to walk into position from off-camera. The longer values are also useful for long-exposure landscapes where you want to be sure no contact with the drone is influencing the final frame. | Easy to misjudge the wait — people drop out of position before the shutter fires. Cue the group at the halfway mark. |
| 60 seconds | Stage-managed compositions, hands-off long exposures, or a sequence where multiple cameras have to start at the same time. The maximum safety margin between arming the shot and the camera firing. | Tempting to fill the minute by adjusting the framing — which defeats the purpose. Arm it, walk away, leave the drone alone. |
Frequently asked questions
What delay options does the DJI Neo 2 photo timer offer?
Nine: 2, 3, 5, 7, 10, 15, 20, 30 and 60 seconds. The shorter values (2 and 3 seconds) damp vibration from pressing the shutter; the middle values (5 to 10 seconds) cover self-portraits and group shots; the longer values (15 to 60 seconds) cover stage-managed compositions, multi-frame setups, or long exposures where any contact with the drone would smear the frame.
Does the photo timer work for both Auto and Pro camera modes on the DJI Neo 2?
Yes. Timed Shot is a shooting mode, not a camera-mode setting, so it sits in the same tray above the shutter whether the DJI Neo 2 is in Auto or Pro. Pick the camera mode you want for exposure first, then open the shooting-mode tray and switch to Timed Shot.
Why is my shutter button red on the DJI Neo 2?
Red means the camera is in video mode, not photo. The DJI Neo 2 colour-codes the shutter — white for photo, red for video — so a glance at the button tells you which mode is live. Tap the Photo / Video toggle above the shutter to switch back to photo before the timed shot is available.
Does the DJI Neo 2 photo timer stay armed after the shot fires?
Yes. DJI Fly leaves Timed Shot selected after the photo is taken, so the next shutter press starts another countdown at the same delay. Switch back to Single in the shooting-mode tray when you want the next shot to fire instantly.
Can I cancel the DJI Neo 2 photo countdown once it has started?
Yes. Tap the shutter button again during the countdown and DJI Fly aborts the timed shot before the camera fires. Useful if a person walks into frame or the drone drifts off composition during a long delay.
When should I use the 2 or 3 second timer on the DJI Neo 2?
Use the short delays whenever you want to remove the tiny vibration of the shutter press itself from the photo. Most useful on hand-launched or palm-resting shots where any contact-induced wobble would soften the frame. A 2 or 3 second gap is enough for the drone to settle before the photo fires.
When should I pick the 10 second timer on the DJI Neo 2?
For self-portraits and group shots. Ten seconds is enough time to set the DJI Neo 2 down on a stable surface, walk into frame, and arrange the group before the shutter fires. The five second delay can feel rushed if you have to walk more than a few paces; 10 seconds is the comfortable default for any shot where you are in the frame.
What is the 60 second timer for on the DJI Neo 2?
Stage-managed compositions where everything has to be ready before the camera fires. Think a group of ten people walking into position from off-camera, a tripod-style hands-off long-exposure landscape, or a sequence where multiple cameras have to start at the same time. Sixty seconds is also the safety margin when you want to be absolutely sure no contact with the drone is influencing the final frame.
Does the DJI Neo 2 photo timer save between flights?
No. DJI Fly resets the shooting mode back to Single when the drone is powered off, so the timer does not carry over between flights. Worth a quick glance at the shooting-mode tray on the first shot of a session if you want a timed shot — the DJI Neo 2 will not assume your last setting.
The photo timer on the DJI Neo 2 is one of those settings that looks cosmetic until the day you need a self-portrait, a long exposure, or a shake-free still. Pick the delay deliberately for the shot rather than reaching for 10 seconds every time and the timer earns its place in the workflow.
If you want a second opinion on which delay to default to for the kind of shooting you do, drop the details to peter@hiredronepilot.uk and I will come back to you directly. The video version of this walkthrough is on YouTube and the comments are open.
References
Primary source material for this article is the official DJI Neo 2 documentation and DJI Fly. External links open in a new tab.
- DJI Neo 2 — Downloads (User Manual, Quick Start Guide, firmware notes) · Camera specifications, shooting-mode tray contents (Single, Burst, AEB, Timed Shot), and the full set of Timed Shot delay values exposed inside DJI Fly for the DJI Neo 2.
- DJI Neo 2 — Product page (UK) · Drone hardware overview including the camera the photo timer fires.
- DJI Fly — App download and release notes · The app where the shooting-mode tray above the shutter and the Timed Shot delay selector both live. Release notes record any menu reshuffles between versions.
Peter Leslie
Founder & GVC Drone Pilot
Peter is the founder of HireDronePilot. With thousands of logged commercial flight hours, he writes about drone technology, commercial surveying tactics, and UK aviation compliance.
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