Most of the drones we consider at Drone Camera Work tend to be in the champagne category of price and performance. But there are a wide variety of drones available at a nearly every price point. What do you get in a drone in the “domestic wine” range? Maybe more than you’d think, but perhaps less than you hoped. Drone Camera Work reviews the Potensic T25 drone.
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At first glance, the Skyguage design simply looks different. But once you see it in action? Amazing. This drone can fly in ways that others cannot — which is precisely the point.
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There are few things worse than squinting at your phone or tablet in the bright sunshine. It’s bad enough when you’re just trying to scan Twitter, and immeasurably worse when you’re flying a drone. We’re going to explore an affordable solution.
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DJI recently released its folding DJI RSC 2 gimbal with some impressive upgrades over the original Ronin SC. Let’s take a look and see what all the fuss is about. DJI released the DJI RSC 2 on October 31 alongside the larger RS 2.
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We are fortunate enough, at this point in time, to have both the original DJI Mavic Mini, and the new upstart, the Mini 2, at the same time. So it seemed only logical that we should put them into the drone equivalent of The Octagon. Wait until you see the outcome!
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DJI released the DJI OM 4 smartphone gimbal in late August, with the big new feature being the magnetic mounting system. Let’s review it and see if the magnetic mount and other improvements are worth the $149 price tag.
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Yes, I realize I’m a little behind the curve to be writing about the Mavic Air 2. But, truth is, I received a loaner just recently, not long after joining Drone Camera Work. I’d done some indoor flying, but I finally got a chance to get out into the great outdoors. So this will be a relatively brief, “first impressions'” kind of review.
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When ND filters were first released for the DJI Mavic Mini, they didn’t have much use as the DJI Fly app didn’t let you change the shutter speed when capturing video, meaning the drone would automatically change the settings. After an update that fixed this, we got our hands on the Tiffen ND & polarizer filter kit for the Mavic Mini.
The DJI Digital FPV system caused a lot of hype for everyone when it originally came out. After flying for months with both digital/analog systems, it has become a lot easier to identify the pros and cons when it comes to analog video transmission and DJI’s new digital HD video transmission.
The Eachine LAL5 is one of the most unique looking drones I’ve ever flown. Its huge shiny gold motors, bright purple bumpers, and its dual-lens camera are all eye-catchers. But it isn’t just the way that this thing looks that is interesting. It has some features that make it truly one of a kind. You can connect to the LAL5 via Bluetooth on your phone to tune it. It will record 4K flight footage. This beast can fly on a 6S battery. Good luck finding this combination of features on a drone at a better price. The best part might be that the LAL5 is part of Banggood’s Black Friday Deals and you can pick one up for only $194.
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The Eachine Twig is an interesting 3″ FPV drone. It is a bit larger than a standard toothpick drone and is part of the growing “Twig” class. Think of the twig class as a slightly larger toothpick on steroids. Most toothpick quads are less than 50 grams and fly on 1S or 2S batteries. A twig will typically be heavier than 50 grams and can fly on a 2S-4S battery. This twig is different than most because you can get one with an HD camera. It is one of the many items that are part of Banggood’s 11.11 lucky sale. They have tons of great drones on sale from the Tello to ready-made DJI FPV drones. It’s definitely worth checking out.
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The HGLRC Parrot 120 is another twig class FPV drone. A twig is somewhere in between a toothpick and a micro FPV quad. Twigs are typically between 50 and 100 grams and can fly 2-4S batteries. This HGLRC Parrot is one of the better twig class drones I’ve flown.
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The new Emax Babyhawk R Pro 4″ drone is one of a few new products Emax has been working on. The company has been busy lately producing quality drones at seemingly every niche of the FPV market. Their Tinyhawk and Tinyhawk 2S are absolutely the best indoor FPV drones you can buy. The Tinyhawk Freestyle is one of the best toothpick style drones on the market. Now they have released a 4″ capable of competing with larger 5″ quads. And just for good measure, they decided to release two new 5″ drones. Let’s take a closer look at my new favorite FPV drone, the $179 Emax Babyhawk R Pro 4″.
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The Happymodel Larva X is another fun little toothpick drone. Like most toothpick quads, it is a small but powerful little quad capable of acrobatic moves and FPV racing. It won’t compete with the big 5-inch race quads, but it can do a lot of what they can do, just on a smaller scale. I personally prefer flying these small little FPV quads to their bigger counterparts for a handful of different reasons. They are easier to pack and go, they typically withstand crashes better, and they don’t draw attention when you are flying. Let’s take a look a the Lava X and see if this quad is worth your hard-earned $97.
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The Visuo Zen K1 is a foldable drone with a 4K camera that was built to look like a DJI Mavic. It has GPS and a handful of intelligent flight modes and can be purchased starting at just $169.99. Typically drones in the sub-$200 price range have had their issues. What about this one? Is it finally the answer or is it too good to be true?
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The new Diatone GTB229 is an excellent toothpick-style drone. This is a 2s version with 2.5-inch props and was a collaboration with KababFPV, aka the inventor of the toothpick class. The carbon fiber frame is a box-style frame and is surprisingly rigid. The components inside are top-notch. This little quad is a micro FPV beast. At $129.99, is it worth it over the Emax Freestyle? Let’s take a closer look.
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The Eachine Tyro69 is a low-cost brushless toothpick-style quadcopter. It comes as kit that is fairly simple and is nearly plug-and-play. If you haven’t built a drone before, the Tyro series are probably the easiest to learn on. While the Tyro 69 is typically a low $69, right now it is on sale for just $60. Is that too good to be true?
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We have flown a handful of different cinewhoop style drones. The Eachine Cinecam stands apart from the Beta85x HD, Mobula HD, and the iFlight Cinebee. It uses a similarly small and compact form but packs both a 4K camera and a dedicated FPV camera. It is most definitely the top dog when it comes to tiny little cinematic whoop style drones.
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Emax makes some of the best FPV drones on the market today. The Emax Tinyhawk Freestyle is no exception. It is a smaller, toothpick style drone with some serious power. If you are looking for a fun drone to practice freestyle or racing skills but don’t like the crowds that show up when you break out the big and loud standard 5″ quad then you should take a look at the Emax Tinyhawk Freestyle.
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The Eachine Tyro 129 is a low-cost, do it yourself GPS drone kit. This 7″ quadcopter is easy to put together and ideal for anyone that is looking to try their hand at drone building. The Tyro 129 is $129 and comes with all the components you need to put it together. You’ll have to add a battery, receiver, and use your remote to get it off the ground. I found it to be a smooth flyer and swapped out the camera for a RunCam Split 3 to capture smooth HD video.
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The Eachine Red Devil is a fun drone for beginners and experts alike. It is a toothpick style drone which is gaining popularity quickly. They are small, ultra-lightweight drones that fly a lot like a full-blown 5″ freestyle quad. You can do flips and rolls with a toothpick like the Red Devil but because it is smaller and quieter it won’t draw a crowd. If you are looking for a fun drone that won’t break the bank then you will want to take a look at the $93 Eachine Red Devil.
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The UVify Draco is a slightly different take on FPV race quads. UVify is a company with deep roots in racing, and they know the frustrations that come with flying (and crashing) FPV drones. Breaking into the FPV hobby isn’t always easy. A lot of people get into the hobby with high hopes but are often let down by either faulty components or the tedious nature of repairs. On top of that, the build and setup process can be confusing and tiresome. UVify has looked to address all of these issues with their top-of-the-line Draco FPV race drone. Think of the Draco as the big brother of the OOri.
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The FT Aviator is a joystick that was designed by NASA astronaut Scott Parazynski. He believed that there was a better and easier way to fly than the traditional two-joystick controller. This unique remote will connect to most DJI drones and gives the pilot a whole new experience in flying. I was incredibly skeptical, but after I got my hands on one, I understood exactly why Parazynski developed it. Keep reading to learn more about this one-of-a-kind $349 remote control.
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The Eachine Wizard has been around for a while, but this is an upgraded version. The Wizard x220S is an awesome quad. I finally got my hands on one and I was pleasantly surprised by its polish and how well it flies. You can pick one up as a stand-alone drone or opt for the all-in-one package if you don’t have a controller already. If you are looking for a 5-inch FPV drone and don’t want to build your own, this might just be the quad for you. If you are looking to get into FPV, then check this out.
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