DJI’s MINI sequence is a know-how marvel. It produces excellent video high quality and noteworthy flight efficiency in an ultra-light fuselage that weighs lower than 250 grams (55 kilos). Can the brand new CFLY Religion MINI produce the identical stage of consumer expertise for lower than $200? Let’s discover out from this evaluate!
With none doubt, DJI is the undisputed market chief within the client drone business. Individuals are inclined to belief this model as a result of it comes with the most effective tech and continues bettering its personal know-how. Sadly, like within the case of different tech devices, the largest manufacturers have their highest worth too. FIMI, Hubsan, and C-Fly are only some manufacturers that attempt to supply pleasant priced options.
When it was revealed, one of many promoting factors of the Mavic Mini was its 249g weight, which meant it narrowly prevented the must be registered with many civil aviation authorities. C-FLY’s Religion MINI is even lighter, weighing simply 239 grams. This enables it to remain underneath 250g, even with further equipment comparable to landing-leg extensions or navigation lights.
Key options
- Compact dimension with folding arms. Weights simply 230 grams;
- Nanoscale resin fuselage with good fall resistance;
- 4K digicam with a 3-axis mechanical gimbal;
- Twin satellite tv for pc positioning system (GPS+GLONASS);
- Fail-safe return to dwelling (RTH) on low-battery and RC sign loss;
- DJI QuickShot-like autonomous capturing modes (Helix, Circle, Rocket, Drone, and extra);
- RC-downlink 720P long-range video transmission system.
C-FLY Religion MINI drone evaluate
Disclosure: I acquired this quadcopter from RCGoing, to check it and do an in-depth evaluate. Though the product was provided without spending a dime, all opinions on this article stay my very own, with no affect from our companions.
The Religion MINI is the second C-Fly drone I’ve acquired for evaluate and the producer’s fifth mannequin. The corporate’s imaginative and prescient is to make digicam drones not a luxurious however an on a regular basis product that everybody can afford and expertise.
Like most comparable compact drones, the Religion MINI additionally is available in a pleasant purse that permits safely retailer your drone and carrying it throughout. Moreover the plane and its distant controller, the case can accommodate as much as two spare batteries and different small equipment. It comes within the field with a pair of spare propellers (4leaf), a Charger, a micro USB cable, three RC to Telephone knowledge cables (micro USB, Sort-C, and Lightning), and a consumer handbook.
At a look
That is no toy. It comes with a totally 3-axis mechanically stabilized 8-megapixel 4K digicam, mounted within the nostril, which might shoot video as much as 4K in decision. It has a compact distant management within the field, with a transmission vary of as much as 3km and a flight time of 27 minutes.
The Religion MINI seems to be similar to the first-generation DJI MINI. It has very comparable design strains. Even the vent holes are in the identical location. With folded arms, it measures 142 X 84 X 57 mm and weighs 230 grams, together with the battery. It’s really compact, so it simply suits within the palm of my hand. You may stuff it in your backpack and nonetheless have room for loads of different stuff. The micro SD slot and a USB Sort-C port are on the tail, underneath the battery bay. Initially, I believed the Sort-C port was for file switch or firmware improve, however I learn within the handbook that it’s for an exterior 4G GSM communication module.
It has stickers on every arm with unfolding directions. The touchdown skids present respectable floor clearance for the digicam. The unfold dimension is 165 X 188 X 59 mm.
This drone has no collision-avoidance sensors, simply two tiny cameras on the stomach that function optical movement sensors for indoor stability. There’s something on the again that appears like went holes for a cooling fan or an ultrasonic positioning sensor. It has just one standing indicator LED, which turns regular inexperienced when able to take off.
The general construct high quality is respectable however not premium. The plastic fuselage feels low-cost quite than prime quality.
Pricing, availability, and choices
With one battery, the Religion MINI might be ordered for $184.99 from RCGoing. This worth consists of all of the equipment proven on this evaluate, together with the storage case. For further 71 bucks, you possibly can go for the ‘Fly Extra Combo’ pack with two extra batteries, which offers about 80 minutes of a enjoyable time. As charging the battery takes greater than two hours, I like to recommend the 3-battery pack.
Religion MINI: Digital camera and picture high quality
The C-Fly MINI’s digicam is surprisingly refined, providing extremely clean, stabilized video even in windy circumstances. It has a 3-axis mechanical gimbal often discovered solely on costlier fashions. The angle of the digicam might be adjusted remotely inside 0-90°.
High quality is what you’d count on from a digicam with an 8MP sensor: fairly respectable with out being excellent. The standard 25Mbits video bitrate turns into apparent once you look slightly extra intently. The movies look washed and lack particulars. This digicam fails on the restricted body charge (15fps at 4K and 25fps at 2.7K). A few of its contenders have 60fps at 4K and much more at 2.7K.
The Religion MINI can take 3840*2160 (8MP) pictures in JPEG (compressed) picture format with out RAW capabilities.
Religion MINI: Battery life
Based on CFly, the 7.7V 2100mAh LI-ION battery (D01018B) ought to present about 27 minutes. The battery pack has 4 charging stage indicator LEDs and an On/Off swap.
I received a mean battery lifetime of 21 minutes throughout my hovering checks. Wind and temperature shall be elements in how lengthy you possibly can fly, and most of my testing was achieved in windless circumstances and temperatures starting from 18 to 23 levels. Lithium batteries don’t like chilly climate, so you possibly can count on about 2-4 minutes much less flight time throughout winter.
Religion MINI: Distant controller and Vary
The C-Fly MINI has an entry-level however snug controller with a retractable smartphone mounting system. The identical transmitter is included with its larger brother, the Religion 2 Professional. It’s powered by a 2600mAh LiION 18650 that ensures greater than two hours of steady utilization. The entrance panel has 5 buttons (RTH, Take-off/Land, Pause, Sports activities mode, and Energy). It has one shoulder button on either side. Whereas the left permits taking pictures, the proper begins/stops video recording. Moreover, a dial-knob permits altering the 4K digicam’s angle. The controller might be toggled between mode 1 (US) and mode 2 (Japan) stick layouts utilizing a secret key mixture (described within the product’s consumer handbook).
On paper, it may attain 800 meters (2625 ft) in altitude and 3000 meters (9842 miles) from you. It has two foldable antennas with wires inside, proving they don’t seem to be pretend (simply design parts). Perhaps doesn’t have the vary of the newest DJI MINI 3, however that’s nonetheless far sufficient to lose sight of it as a result of it’s so small. LoS is the one secure option to fly, in my private expertise. Counting on first-person view with 200-500ms latency is an effective way to lose your quadcopter.
I made the flight vary check for each drone I reviewed in the identical place -an unpopulated open area with out obstacles and an excessive amount of RF noise. The management distance variates extensively relying on the flight altitude. At 70 meters, I flew 2050 meters removed from me when the low battery fail-safe was triggered. I nonetheless had a steady FPV sign, so the marketed 3000-meter vary could possibly be achieved with out difficulty.
CFLY-GO Cell APP
As with different drones, essentially the most superior flight and digicam options can solely be accessed through the accompanying C-Fly GO app, which is offered on Android and iOS. You join through your telephone USBLightning and dock it with the distant management by loading between a pair of arms that fold out from the underside of the controller. As soon as the distant is paired with the quadcopter, you possibly can see the stay photographs from the drone in your telephone’s display screen.
This APP was launched on Could 3, 2023, and there are solely 100+ downloads on Google Play, so you possibly can count on some bugs. Along with primary configurations and firmware upgrades, the APP presents automated flight modes that can assist you create extra dramatic pictures with out being an knowledgeable pilot.
In Rocket mode, the drone flies straight as much as a preset altitude, with the digicam preserving you in the midst of the body. Select Circle mode, and the drone will fly round you in a clean circle, once more preserving you entrance and heart. If you choose the Dronie mode, the Religion Mini flies again and away from you, rising into the sky because it does so, whereas in Helix mode, it flies in a corkscrew sample round you with an more and more broad radius. Do not forget that this drone has no collision avoidance system, requiring massive open areas with out obstacles when taking part in with these autonomous options. I’ve not had time to check the energetic monitoring (observe me) but, however I learn in one other evaluate that this characteristic doesn’t work because it ought to.
Preliminary setup and flight expertise
Earlier than your first flight with the C-Fly MINI Religion, you need to create an account within the APP and activate the plane. An identical process is required by all client DJI drones, together with the MINI sequence.
My first flight virtually ended crashing. I forgot in regards to the preliminary gyro and compass calibration. The drone began to fly unpredictably. It modified its horizontal place randomly by a few meters. Fortunately I used to be in an enormous open house, and I managed to land shortly with out hitting something.
After calibrations, it labored nicely, offering an impressive flight expertise for such a price range drone. It’s nimble and responsive. C-fly’s app isn’t fairly as good as what you usualy get with the DJI’s drones, nevertheless it works nicely sufficient. As anticipated, being so gentle, I don’t advocate utilizing it in windy circumstances -especially touchdown in tight areas shall be tough. When “Sport” mode is enabled, it turns into fairly agile, however it’s nonetheless not a racer drone.
GPS-based security options imply that if the drone’s flight battery is close to empty, it would autonomously return to the take-off level. If the plane loses the reference to the transmitter, it would return to you. At the very least 7 satellites require GPS lock earlier than take-off to make use of this characteristic. GPS positioning in client drones doesn’t have cm-accuracy, so it may miss your touchdown pad by a number of meters when performing RTH. Auto-lading is initiated when the battery stage reaches 15%.
I used to be impressed by the vary of this little drone. I anticipated to lose the video sign after a number of hundred meters however had no difficulty flying 2KM far. It clearly makes use of a extra superior and dependable communication know-how than the usual 5Ghz WIFI most price range drones undertake.
Is that this a dependable DJI Mini different?
Let’s be sincere, price range is at all times a deciding think about selecting one thing apart from DJI. When you don’t have the cash for Mini 3, the Religion MINI is a superb choice for newbies. It’s small, steady, and simple to make use of. For certain, in picture quality-wise, the C-Fly is much behind DJI, so for those who want the best possible digicam efficiency, there is no such thing as a actual DJI MINI 3 Professional different proper now.
