Back in 2018, the first generation of SJRC F11 was revealed. It had only an FHD – 1080P camera with electronic image stabilization (EIS). Two years later, the 4K Pro edition was released with many significant improvements. For sure, the most important one for hobbyist-videographer was the 2-axis mechanical gimbal. It allows not just smother videos compared to EIS, but also remote angle adjustment of the camera.
Compared to my Beast SG906 Pro 2, it is just slightly smaller. With folded arms, the aircraft measures 176x105x80mm and weighs exactly 560 grams (1.23 lbs). If you are from the US or Canada you will need to register this drone in order to fly it legally. I suggest you check your local regulation regarding these flying machines prior to purchasing a drone.
The 2500mAh battery pack is loaded from the top of the drone. By short pressing the power button, you can check the charging level of the battery. In addition to the fake optical flow camera, there are also two fake ultrasonic sensors on the belly of the fuselage. These features will probably be included in the next generation of F11.
Highlights
Travel-friendly folding design;
Powerful brushless motors;
4K camera with EIS and 2-axis gimbal stabilization;
WIFI real-time image transmission (FPV);
Intelligent flight modes (360° surround, Waypoint, Image & GPS Follow me);
Fail-safe RTH on low battery and signal loss;
Upgraded transmitter with extended range and new status LCD screen;
About 26 minutes of battery life.
Camera and WiFi FPV
Compared to its predecessor, the first visible difference is the 2-axis motorized gimbal. This upgrade grants a more professional look for the F11 Pro 4K. The camera features an F2.15 focal length and 100° field of view (FOV). The camera can take up to 128MB micro SD cards (Class 10/U1 or above is recommended) and can record 4K UHD videos with 30fps. Somewhere I read that is also capable of FHD 1080P with 60fps but I haven’t found yet how to change the resolution and frame rate.
Through the right shoulder dial knob, you can change the camera’s angle from straight ahead to ground view, allowing you to take the perfect shot. Getting closer to the subject can be done through digital zooming (left shoulder dial).
Adopting image stabilization from both worlds (electronic and mechanical), the videos are surprisingly good. I think will satisfy the needs and expectations of most hobbyists. But even so, due to a lack of manual camera adjustments (ISO, shutter speed, and f-stop), HDR and RAW capabilities can’t be used for truly cinematic footage.
Remote controller
SJR/C packs their F11 4K Pro drone with a style eye-catching remote controller with a piano-black finish. Antennas, phone holder, and handler are all foldable. It comes with a built-in battery which lasts for 3-5 flights. SJRC stands that the transmitter has provided up to 1500 meters control range.
There are a shoulder button and dial knob on each side of the transmitter. While the left ones allow taking photos and zoom in/out, the right ones start/stop recording respectively tilt the camera.
On the front panel, besides the usual control sticks, the are 4 buttons and an OSD screen. The backlit display has large ‘printed’ icons that light up when a function is activated. Unfortunately, this new type of display can’t provide telemetry data like flight distance, altitude, or elapsed time. In order to see the ‘full picture’, you will need to use in tandem the F11 4K Pro mobile APP.
Battery life
With a freshly charged battery, the F11 managed to stay in the air for 27:45 minutes. Almost two minutes more than the advertised time. Real-world flight time is about 20-25 minutes, highly depending on flight conditions (flight mode, flight style, temperature, and wind conditions).
Flight experience
By default, the SJRC F11 4K Pro drone starts in ‘GPS mode’, which blocks arming the motors without GPS coverage (indoors). Toggling between GPS and Altitude mode can be done by long-pressing the ‘RTH’ button.
Vision positioning, it drifts a lot in an indoor environment. My personal recommendation for newbies is that they should play only outdoor in a large space. Definitively, the F11 is not suitable for practicing in your living room.
Outdoor it is much more stable, but sometimes still moves without any reason. You can switch between Sport (high speed), Normal (medium speed), and Camera (low speed) flight modes.
Verdict
The F11 4K Pro is definitively an improvement compared to its predecessors. The combination of EIS and 2-axis gimbal allows creating smooth, almost cinematic-like, aerials. Actually, it is the first drone under $200 with a true 4K camera
Want to learn more? Check the official page for the latest discount.
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