REVIEW – One of the most fascinating and at times controversial product categories right now are drones. We have the capability of taking videography and exploring the world in ways that were almost impossible when I was a kid. We’ve had a few inexpensive drones over the past few years, but they were primarily toys that broke quickly and were relatively disposable. They were fun to play with, though, so I jumped at the opportunity to try out the Veeniix V11 Pro drone when it came up for review. Read on to see my initial take on it!
What is it?
The Veeniix V11 Pro is a remote operated drone that comes in a nice carry case and has a spare battery and a Sony camera built in that has the ability to take 4K video.
What’s included?
- V11Pro Drone
- Remote Control
- Battery & USB Charging Cable
- Camera Cover and Propeller Cover
- RC Cables
- Spare Propellers
- User Manual
- Portable Case
Tech specs
- Video Capture Resolution: 4K
- Connectivity: USB
- Item Weight: 1.3 lbs / 600 Grams
- Battery Capacity: 3.5 Milliamp Hours
- Battery Cell Composition: Lithium Ion
- Product Dimensions: 13.78″L x 13.78″W x 3.26″H
- Special Features: Extended Flight Time, Integrated GPS, App Control, Remote Control, 4K Video, 8K Photo, 3-axis Gimbal
- Three-Axis Brushless Gimbal with EIS
- 6km Image Transmission Range
- 40 Minutes of Flight Time (Per Battery)
- High-Resolution Imaging: Capable of capturing 8K photos at 6000×8000 resolution and recording video at 3840×2160P/30FPS or 1920×1080P/60FPS.
- 1/2-Inch Image Transmission Sensor
- TOF Altitude Sensor: Offers precise and stable landings
- App-Based Manual Camera Adjustments: Provides full control over camera settings
Design and features
As I opened the case, one of the first things that struck me is that everything stores very well without any shifting or movement. The inside is form-fitted for the different parts.
One understated part that you may not immediately notice is the propeller cover bar on top of the drone. This keeps thing from moving around and holds the arms in place. The accessory pouch is nice as well to wrangle the user manuals and cables not in use.
Assembly, Installation, Setup
There is no assembly required for this drone. First protocol, charge everything up! There are three different batteries to charge up. There are two drone batteries and on a rapid charger touts a full charge in two hours. The remote control also has a rechargeable battery as well which took under a half hour to top off. All charging ports use USB-C, which is effectively the charging standard for any new product.
Beyond charging, the most I had to do to prep and get ready for flight was registering the drone, which was much more pain-free than I anticipated. This drone weighs more that .55 lbs, which is the threshold needed for registration. The user manual walks through the process, which is handy because some of the terms are new to me and it helps distinguish between different types of licensing.
Since any flying I’ll be doing is recreational, that’s the range flying this drone fits in. These are the guidelines I captured since I find having them handy will be important.
Once charging and licensing was done it was time to break everything else out and get them set up. The radio control for this has a pretty cool feature. The antenna also serves as a mount for your smartphone if you are looking for additional features and control over your flight.
This leads me to perhaps the biggest issue I encountered in setting this up. There is a lot of film covering the lenses and screens, which is perfectly normal and expected. The issue came up as I was trying to take off the film on the remote control display. It popped the whole screen off! I was able to reseat the screen, but that could use a little work or quality control in the future.
Reseated.
Before flying the Veeniix V11Pro drone there is some calibration that the drone needs to perform and the device will walk you through the process. Basically, you have to rotate the drone on its horizontal axis and then its vertical access for it to calibrate the GPS. With that done, you’re set!
Performance
Let’s fly!
First takeoff was easy. There’s a takeoff button! It engages the motors and hovers 3 meters off the ground.
(Ground view from the camera)
From there you take control and do what you wish. I did a few laps around the dog and confused the dog a bit. You can take video or photos and control the gimbal as needed. It took a bit to figure out the different controls and what the new buttons do, but it stayed rock steady in place the whole time.
With a smartphone connected, you also have a live feed of what the camera sees and some additional controls.
When I was done and the battery started to get a bit low, one of the best features came in very handy. You can select return home and the drone will come back to its original takeoff location. Each time I landed it was able to return to within 3 feet of where it had originally taken off.
The 4K video capture is great. The quality is incredible and I really like how it looks. I went to a nearby park to capture a short video of the automatic takeoff, some light cruising around, and an automated landing.
What I like about the Veeniix V11 Pro Drone
- Setup was straightforward and intuitive
- Phone app and integration
- Return home function worked great
- Fantastic video and photo quality
- Spare propeller blades
What needs to be improved?
- Better adhesive on the remote control screen
Final thoughts
This is a great package for a first-time user. Everything packs up simply and is well laid out. The drone itself looks sturdy. I really like the picture quality of the camera and look forward to taking more pictures with it. The camera and gimbal operate freely, but you have to be careful with them and put the cover back on quickly because I think that’s probably the weakest area due to how it needs to be free to move around. Overall, I would recommend the Veeniix V11Pro drone for someone who wants to get into the hobby or is looking to upgrade.
Price: $579.99
Where to buy: Ruko and Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided for free by Ruko. Ruko did not have a final say on the review and did not preview the review before it was published.
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The film on the remote control screen needs to be more secure before I buy one. At $600 when peeling off the film on the screen the screen shouldn’t come off!
Once that’s fixed I may be interested in one.