Yuneec mantis q review; is it worth it?

The Wireless Remote Controller

The Mantis Q ships, as well as a basic wireless controller has a sleek and elegant look. It also has two control handles for the attentive monitoring of drone flights. It has a one-click return-to-home feature, and also specific functional controls to snap a picture or begin capturing footage. The physical switch offers you with Normal and Sport Modes with camera tilting and image brightness facility.

All other functions are performed through the Yuneec Pilot Mobile App, which again is available for both iOS devices & android. The iOS app graphical interface is also very simple to grasp, maybe even more so than any of its DJI equivalent. The ease of controlling appears at the expense of flexibility – they provide with just as many features as most complex quadcopters.

The smartphone can be connected with the remote controller via a USB cable. The remote controller also comes with a spring-loaded mobile phone holder for better stability while performing drone maneuvers. It can easily accommodate any mobile phone model with ease.

The remote controller comes with a battery capacity of 3000mah which can be easily recharged using any USB-C port data cable. It offers up to 6 complete drones flying with no hassle of frequent charging.

Our Verdict and Conclusion

After analyzing all the features, functionalities, price to performance ratio and other real-life operation we developed a mixed sort of feeling about the Drone. There are certain features which makes it a great value for money package. The manufacture does a tremendous job by maintaining its light weight and compact stylings.

The major downside of the Drone is its camera performance with lack of stability. The obstacle avoidance technology is not well optimized which makes Mantis Q difficult to handle in harsh conditions.

The final question that strikes in our mind is Yuneec Mantic Q is worth buying? Well the answer varies from person to person as the drone delivers best battery life and decent camera performance. So, we suggest you note down all your needs and preferences from a drone flying perspective. Compare other models with Mantis Q and choose the best-suited Drone and have fun.

Features

The majority of them may only be accessed by downloading the Yuneec drone software from the manufacturer. You can use this to obtain FPV and other fun things to amuse yourself. The voice command on this drone is one of its best features. The drone can only respond to specific commands; it lacks artificial intelligence and cannot reply to all commands. For the drone to start up, for instance, you could say “wake up.” However, there are also other instructions available, such as “Take off,” “Take a photo or video,” “Take a selfie,” “Have it land,” etc. For some of these commands, the app will need your consent.

The app also includes Journey mode, which is a quite unique function that is very helpful if you want to create engaging films. In essence, the drone will go upward and backward in the camera’s viewpoint. So, everything or anybody you want to photograph will always be visible on the screen. You also possess a Point of Interest, often known as POI, you may have encountered this function while using the Orbit mode. With this, you may choose an object, and the drone will circle it in a clockwise direction.

Pricing and Availability

The Yuneec Mantis Q will start shipping in September and it sells for $499. There are two different versions available, the standard pack contains the Mantis Q itself, controller, battery (1 pc.), spare rotor blades (1 set), screws (8 pcs.), serial 3-port charger, power and USB cable. The X Pack adds a dedicated photo bag, 2 more batteries and an additional set of blades and screws.

This drone sure looks interesting but the lack of hardware stabilization, limited frame rates and the complete absence of any stabilization when shooting in 4K is a real bummer. Most of the features such as visual tracking are software-based. I think this could be a really cool drone if the hardware was as innovative as its software features.. But in contrary to software the hardware of the Mantis Q can’t be upgraded over time, unfortunately. At $499 it comes at a pretty competitive price, though.

Links: Yuneec.com

Price

Parameter	DJI Mavic Mini	Yuneec Mantis Q	Parrot Anafi	DJI Mavic Air
Approx. price	$399	$499	$699	$919

Despite having been in the market for three years, the price of the Mavic Air has not gone down at all. More than anything, this is a testament to how this drone has sustained its popularity, and it may still before its price drops significantly.

The price difference between the Mavic Air and the Anafi is large enough to make the Anafi a very compelling purchase. All other factors set aside, the Anafi is still a fine ultra-portable drone camera that costs more than $200 cheaper.

The Mavic Mini and the Mantis Q can be lumped together in a class that appeals to those who are on a tight budget. The Mavic Mini costs less than half the Mavic Air, and may perhaps be the drone that unseats the Mavic Air from its lofty position.

DJI Mavic Mini: +2 for price

Yuneec Mantis Q: +2 for price

Parrot Anafi: +1 for price

DJI Mavic Air: +0 for price

Camera

The Mantis Q features a camera with a 1/3.06” CMOS sensor which can capture 12.9 MP stills and 4K video at 30 fps. The size of the camera sensor is quite underwhelming, as it is even smaller than the camera sensors of most flagship smartphones. This also means that the drone’s camera struggles under low lighting. In fact, stills taken under low light conditions have such poor resolution to be rendered almost unusable. Even pictures taken in broad daylight do not have exceptional quality, as they still come out a little grainier than expected.

Operating the camera is simple enough with automatic focus and white balance features. For more technically-inclined photographers, you also have the option of adjusting these settings manually.

The camera of the Mantis Q is supported by a two-axis gimbal. It has a pitch range that goes from -90 to +20 degrees, which is admittedly an impressive motion range. When panning vertically, the gimbal automatically stops at the 0-degree position, which makes it easier find the center horizon.

However, the exceptional pitch range of the Mantis Q is defeated by its biggest oversight – the lack of any mechanical stabilization. When capturing 4K videos, the camera does not stabilize the footage with the horizon. With all the vibrations and drifting that the drone goes through, the lack of any stabilization makes 4K videos virtually unusable beyond just personal use.

The Mantis Q somewhat addresses this problem by providing electronic stabilization for videos captured at 1080p. However, it is no replacement to true mechanical stabilization, as the stabilized video is still wobbly. Put simply, using the Mantis Q for professional drone photography would probably be a very poor decision.

The quality of camera is one of the most important features of a drone, which makes the compromises taken by Yuneec with the camera of the Mantis Q especially disappointing. The photos and videos are fine for personal enjoyment, but you are not likely to wow any audience with them.

Voice Control

The voice-control feature of the Mantis Q is interesting, but it feels a little half baked. The idea is intriguing. When you are using the app and enable voice control, you can tell the drone to take off by saying, «Mantis Q, take off.» To avoid accidents, you have to confirm this by saying «yes» when it asks.

When the drone is in flight, you can take a selfie by saying, «Take a selfie.» It’s neat, but the remote app sometimes doesn’t detect voice commands — especially when the drone itself is flying nearby. And, you can’t use your voice to control the position or attitude of the drone. So voice control feels more like a gimmick than a useful feature.

Controller

A straightforward remote control with a timeless, minimalistic appearance is included with the Mantis Q. It includes two control sticks that allow for responsive drone flight control. It contains distinct physical buttons for taking pictures and starting video recordings in addition to a one-button return to home feature. Additionally, it incorporates control dials for the camera tilt and image brightness as well as a physical switch to flip between the Normal and Sport settings.

The Yuneec Pilot mobile app, which is accessible on both Android and iOS, is used for all additional controls. Even more so than its DJI counterpart, the smartphone app’s user interface is quite simple to understand. The controls’ simplicity comes at the expense of adaptability, albeit they do have just as many features as more advanced drones.

Not Worth It

Yuneec has made an effort to compete with its main drone rival, DJI, but the Mantis Q is a sign that its priorities are all wrong. It does address our biggest complaint with the DJI Spark, battery life. The Q gets you 25 minutes in the air on a charge, while the Spark only manages about half that figure. But, despite offering 4K, the Mantis is no match for the Spark when it comes to imaging and video quality.

Despite being a pretty decent aircraft in its own right—responsive, speedy if desired, and with strong battery life—the Mantis Q’s camera is just poor. Instead of putting effort into gimmicky features like voice control, those resources should have been devoted into making a better camera—perhaps one with real stabilization.

If you want to buy a small, 4K drone, the Mantis Q may jump out at you because of its price. Don’t be tempted, even if your bookkeeper is asking you to rein in your spending. The Parrot Anafi is a better pick for budget shoppers—it’s priced at $700, but often sells for less. We also like the DJI Mavic Air, which is priced at $800, and is tremendously better than the Mantis Q.

Yuneec Mantis Q

2.0

Check Stock

$1,428.13 at Amazon

MSRP $499.99

Pros

Battery provides 25 minutes of flying time.
Compact, folding design.
GPS and Return-to-Home support.
Includes multi-battery charger.

Cons

Unstablized 4K video is unusable.
Digitally stabilized 1080p footage isn’t much better.
Raw images show black corners.
Voice control feels like a gimmick.

The Bottom Line

The Yuneec Mantis Q is a small drone with very good battery life, but underwhelming, shaky video.

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Yuneec Mantis Q — Технические характеристики

Взлетный вес: 480 г
Время полета: 33 мин (без ветров, постоянная скорость 25 км / ч)
Размеры: в сложенном виде: 168 х 96 х 58 мм, в сложенном виде: 250 х 187 х 58 мм
Максимальная скорость: угол / ручной режим: 21,6 км / ч (6 м / с), спортивный режим: 72 км / ч (20 м / с), IPS / режим управления приложениями: 14,4 км / ч (4 м / с)
Аккумулятор: 3S емкостью 2800mAh
Рабочая температура: 0 ° C-40 ° C
Системы локации: GPS, ГЛОНАСС
Датчик изображения: 1/3 ‘CMOS
Разрешение фото: 4: 3 (4160×3120); 16: 9 (4800 x 2700)
Разрешение видео: 4K: 3840×2160 30 кадров в секунду, 1080P: 1920×1080 30 кадров в секунду или 60 кадров в секунду (с EIS — электронная стабилизация изображения), 720P: 1280×720 60 кадров в секунду
Формат фото: JPEG.webp / JPEG.webp + DNG
Формат видео: MP4 / MOV
Видеостабилизация: EIS, 3 оси
Диапазон наклона: от -90 ° до + 20 °
Угол обзора: 117 °
Фокусное расстояние (эквивалент 35 мм): 21,5 мм
В комплекте карта microSD: 16 ГБ
Совместимые карты: CLASS 10 или U3, 8/16/32/64 / 128 ГБ
ISO: 100-3200 (по умолчанию 100)
Время экспозиции: 8 с-1/8000 с (режим фото), 1 / 30-1 / 8000 (режим видео)
Коррекция экспозиции: 0, ± 0,5, ± 1,0, ± 1,5, ± 2,0, ± 2,5, ± 3,0
Баланс белого: Авто, Блокировка, Солнечно, Облачно, Флуоресцентный, Лампа накаливания
Сюжетные режимы: Природа, Насыщенность, RAW, Ночь, Софт
Режим измерения: точечный, центральный, средний
Режимы фото: одиночная фотография, распознавание лиц
Скорость загрузки фото: около 1 МБ / с
Количество каналов управления: 10
Радиус действия: до 800 м (CE), до 1,5 км (FCC, версия для США)
Аккумулятор: 1S 3.7V 3000mAh Li-Po (встроенный)
Требуемая ОС: iOS 9.0 или выше (голосовое управление iOS 10 или выше, голосовое управление с локальной обработкой iOS 11 или выше), Android 5.0 Lolipop или выше (голосовое управление требует подключения к Интернету)

Техническая спецификация Yuneec Mantis Q на бумаге выглядит очень обнадеживающе . Для беспилотника весом менее 500 грамм технические параметры, предлагаемые квадрокоптером, более чем удовлетворительные. Опытные пользователи заметят, что не все выглядит идеально. Радиус действия составляет всего 800 метров , а управление смартфоном значительно снижает скорость, с которой движется дрон. Mavic Air , с которым производитель сравнивает богомола, имеет более чем вдвое больший диапазон . Тем не менее, нас больше всего впечатлило заявленное время полета до 33 минут . Мы проверили это на практике и при нормальном использованииэто время значительно отличается от декларации производителя .

So what is the flaw with this drone? It’s the 4K footage, there’s a catch:

Because this drone is on a 2 axis gimbal, for some strange reason (and this is ultimately why I don’t recommend this drone), once you try to film in 4K at 30 FPS, the gimbal basically stops it’s image stabilization, meaning when you try to film in 4K, you’re going to see the camera swerve and be all out of control and distortion. Good luck capturing stable video this way.

I honestly do not understand why Yuneec couldn’t make this, seemingly obvious perk a none perk. Doing so would absolutely justify buying this drone and I would have given it another 15 points extra for the final rating I’m going to give it. But if you want to film in steady footage, you’re stuck on 1080p basically.

This isn’t a big deal, as most people can’t even tell the difference, but 4K filming is a big selling point for many people considering getting a drone. I know I personally value that which is why every drone I own, with the exception of the DJI Spark has it.

But then if you can only really film good videos in 1080p, and there’s no sensors for protecting the drone (yes this is another flaw), why would anyone want to pay $500+ US dollars for this?

Perhaps for $300, it would be a good deal, but for $500, I’d much rather you get these alternative drones (3 options coming up).

The design and build:

The Mantis Q is one of the more modest folding drones available. It estimates 2.3 by 3.8 by 6.6 inches (HWD) when folded for capacity, and 2.3 by 7.4 by 9.8 inches with arms open and prepared to fly. It doesn’t add a huge amount of weight for you to carry, weighing in at about a pound. It’s hefty enough to require FAA enlistment for noncommercial use.

The camera is mounted in the nose, however, it doesn’t benefit from a three-pivot gimbal for adjustment, as most drones in this price bracket do. It’s mounted on a slant component, so the camera can move in any direction possible for a good range of shooting images and videos. Yet, the Mantis Q depends on advanced instruments for adjustment, and as I’ll discuss in later, that is necessarily a good thing.

DJI Mavic Mini

Отличная стабилизация
Фото в натуральном качестве
Упрощенный интерфейс

Лучшее соотношение цены и качества

Маневренный и энергичный, Mavic Mini смог проявить себя на ринге и граничит с безоговорочной победой. Несмотря на определенное отсутствие интеллектуальных режимов полета, производительность в ручном полете и несколько быстрых снимков могут сбить с толку любых конкурентов в своем классе. То же самое и с качеством камеры, которая показывает замечательный уровень как на фото, так и на видео. Однако, не обязательно требуя 4K, мы ожидали еще нескольких функций, таких как режим AEB. Интерфейс тоже довольно удачный и отлично подойдет для начинающих пилотов.Если вы заплатите еще 100 евро, не бойтесь выбрать Fly More Combo, который значительно продлит впечатления и продолжительность полета.

Лучшее соотношение цены и качества

Mavic Mini — плод долгой разработки, он стал большим прорывом на рынке развлекательных дронов. Анонсированный в конце 2019 года, он становится единственным устройством, которое предлагает мощную стабилизированную камеру и отличные навигационные навыки для веса менее 250 гр.

Сегодня нет надежной альтернативы. В линейке DJI он заменяет Spark, но не берет на себя все его функции, такие как отслеживание жестов. Комплект Fly More идеально подходит для новичков и включает в себя 3 батареи и защиту пропеллера, а также упрощенные функции редактирования видео.

Без равных

Стабилизация Mavic Mini поразительна из-за его небольших размеров. Даже навстречу ветру дрон сохраняет свое положение и демонстрирует невероятную общую маневренность. В оптимизированном интерфейсе будут доступны только 4 базовых снимка DJI Quickshots, но они все еще эффективны

Если не принимать во внимание незначительные потери сигнала, то полет будет безупречным и дополнен длительным временем автономной работы

1 / 2,3-дюймовый CMOS-датчик обеспечивает поразительное качество изображения с разрешением 12 МП, очень хорошей резкостью и хорошим динамическим диапазоном без заметных искажений или размытости. Только остерегайтесь передержанных участков. Качество видео в разрешении 1080p потрясающее, с красивыми естественными цветами, а 2,7K при 30 кадрах в секунду — это новый уровень, которого никогда не достигал дрон такого калибра.

Flight modes

The Mantis Q has a couple of nice tricks under its belt when it comes to autonomous flight and camera modes. It has all the usual flight modes such as Journey, Tracking (which uses face detection), and Points of Interest. Like the Spark, it also features Gesture controls, such as waving a hand to capture a drone selfie.

A somewhat unique feature of the Mantis Q is its ability to receive voice commands. Using the microphone of the smartphone tethered to the controller, verbal commands such as “take a selfie” or “record a video” are recognized by the drone. While this is certainly an amusing feature, it also feels a bit too gimmicky. Most of the functions accessible via verbal commands can also be done with a few button-presses in the controller, so you’re not exactly saving much time.

Yuneec Mantis Q overview:

This compact and ultra-portable drone come with voice recognition and face detection technology. It is easy to handle and the cutting-edge technology makes the drone fly more stable and can withstand some mild windy conditions. The integrated camera of mantis Q can record high-resolution photos and videos. There are two resolution formats for images namely 16:9 and 4:3 resolution in JPEG and DNG formats. The same resolution is also for 4K videos.

Yuneec Mantis Q comes with vision tracking and face detection technology. All you have to do is look at the drone’s camera and it will activate and can take a photo from 13 feet height. It also comes with gesture control. In this mode, you can control your drone with specific hand gestures. With those hand gestures, you can make your drone take photos and videos. These are some of the exciting features found in Yuneec Mantis Q.

Camera:

This is the place where the Mantis Q truly begins to get fascinating. You will get 4K recordings and excellent photographs saved in JPEG or DNG design. The 12MP focal point is something to be excited about. The 4K recordings are staggering when you take them when the drone is flying at maximum velocity. You can store the video and photograph recordings on an SD card and you may share them quickly with your loved ones via web-based media networks.

In the application, you will find the Instant Share included. Use it to quickly impart the recordings and photos. The Mantis Q camera is in-constructed, completely coordinated in the drone. It isn’t removable. In any case, the delicate mount 2-pivot gimbal absorbs a portion of the vibrations, consequently keeping the video and photograph quality high. The camera is tiltable for up to 90 degrees when your drone is in mid-flight.

Photo and video test Mantis Q

Photos are shot with 13MP and can be saved in JPG or raw format, so that the pictures can be post-processed behind.

The camera has a tendency to over-expose the image under standard settings, so I always make a manual correction for my photos beforehand. But with adjusted settings the drone camera shoots nice photos. Here are some snapshots, it was very cloudy, so the colors look a bit pale:

The drone can record videos in three different resolutions, 4k with 30 frames per second, Full-HD also 30 FPS and HD with 60 FPS. Since the camera has an electronic 3-axis image stabilisation, the recordings unfortunately sometimes look a bit blurred.

As you have seen in the test shots, this is of course not comparable to a gimbal stabilization, as the Q500 4k shows.

Furthermore, the stabilization is unfortunately only available up to Full-HD, so 4k video recordings will almost always be a little shaky. If you are not a professional videographer, you will be satisfied with the Full-HD recordings.

Otherwise, you should go straight to the Typhoon Q500 4k, for price-conscious pilots, or the Typhoon H, which produces much better film shots. The Mantis Q, on the other hand, is a travel drone that can be set up quickly on holiday and then capture the moment.

Flight time, range and top speed test

We could not achieve the stated flight time of 33 minutes from the manufacturer in the practical test. Under full load, we stopped at 29:30 minutes, which is definitely an absolute top for a drone in this price class!

A fully charged remote control is sufficient for about 5 to 6 flights, then it has to be recharged. The charging time for the battery is approx. 75 minutes, for the remote control 120 minutes.

We used the full range and could reach a distance of 500m, after that the connection often broke down and the drone returned to the starting point by itself. Within the allowed visibility range of 300m the connection is stable and without delays.

The Return-to-Home function does a good job of returning the Mantis Q to its home point (the place where the GPS was stored from when the drone was launched). You can adjust how high you want the drone to climb to start the flight home.

The maximum speed of 72 km/h is a respectable value, but does not make the drone a racing drone.

Yuneec Mantis Q — Содержимое Комплекта

Yuneec Mantis Q продается в двух версиях. Базовый содержит все элементы, необходимые для полета, но мы определенно рекомендуем доплатить за конфигурацию X Pack, которую мы имели возможность протестировать. Если вы решите выбрать его, вы получите три батарейки и прочный футляр для перевозки дрона и все необходимые аксессуары.

Определившись с базовой конфигурацией в наборе, мы получим:

Mantis Q дрон
Аппарат
Аккумулятор (1 шт.)
Винты (4 шт.) + Винты (8 шт.)
Зарядное устройство на 3 аккумулятора + кабель питания
USB-кабель

Приятным жестом от производителя является подключение зарядного устройства, которое позволяет заряжать три батареи одновременно.

Выбирая версию X Pack, которая дороже на несколько сотен злотых, мы дополнительно получаем:

Дополнительные 2 батареи (у нас будет всего три)
Дополнительные 4 винта
Дополнительные 8 винтов
Рюкзак

Разница в цене между этими двумя конфигурациями не очень велика, поэтому мы рекомендуем выбирать более дорогую версию X Pack . Выбрав этот набор, мы сможем провести в воздухе более часа . Кроме того, три батареи можно заряжать одновременно, а все элементы удобно переносить в прилагаемой сумке через плечо .

Если мы уже на зарядном устройстве, стоит сообщить о двух вещах, которые привлекли наше внимание во время тестов. Зарядное устройство издает очень громкий скрипящий звук, который информирует вас о том, что аккумулятор заряжен

По этой причине мы не рекомендуем заряжать батареи в спальне. Вторым недостатком используемого блока питания является отсутствие порта USB для зарядки контроллера. Он оснащен разъемом USB типа C, поэтому его аккумулятор можно легко зарядить с помощью зарядного устройства, которое входит в комплект смартфона. Несмотря ни на что, конкурентоспособный DJI предлагает заряжать контроллер с помощью зарядного устройства.

У нас есть еще одна оговорка к батареям, используемым в Mantis Q. У них нет индикатора уровня заряда , поэтому, чтобы проверить это, мы должны вставить батарею в дрон и соединить ее с приложением. Только в приложении Yuneec Pilot мы можем проверить процент заряда батареи.

Yuneec Mantis Q – Features and flight

The companion app, which is called Yuneec Pilot, works with Apple devices running iOS 9.0 and above and Android devices running Android 5.0 and above. It shares what might charitably be called a ‘familiar look’ to DJI’s Go app, but comes with fewer options. It’s simple to use, which is refreshing, but some might prefer the granularity of DJI’s app, which allows for an almost-unbelievable amount of adjustment to controls and settings.

While it has GPS-based location tracking to keep the drone clear of no-fly zones, and allow it to automatically return to its take-off point in the event of a lost signal or low battery, the Mantis Q can’t match the Mavic Air for safety features. There are downward-facing sensors to aid indoor stability, but no sensors on the back or front to prevent collisions. You’ll need to be careful when flying.

The Mantis Q is agile and speedy in the air – in fact, it’s one of the nippiest quadcopters around.

It’s surprisingly speedy and responsive, though, particularly when you flick the Sport mode switch on the controller. With a top speed of 72km/h, it’s one of the nippiest compact quadcopters around. It’s a lot of fun to fly.

The Mantis Q has stamina, too, with a 33-minute maximum flight time per charge. This will drop drastically if, for example, you’re flying in windy conditions, since the drone will be fighting to maintain its hovering position. Nevertheless, it’s still a lot longer than the Mavic Air’s 21-minute maximum flight time. For a drone designed with travellers in mind, this is a boon.

You can fly the Mnatis Q up to 800m away from the controller, although UK drone laws mean you have to keep it in line of sight.

Range-wise, Yuneec claims the Mantis Q will work up to 800m away from the controller, depending on obstacles and interference. I didn’t attempt to put this to the test, as I wanted to keep it in visual range while flying, but during our time with it we never experienced any drops in signal, and the live video feed from its camera to the smartphone app remained stable and clear.

The app features a handful of shot modes such as Point of Interest (which circles around the point directly below the drone) and tracking, but nothing particularly exciting. There are voice and gesture controls, too – the former allowing you to say, for instance, “take a video” to start recording, and the latter allowing you to grab a quick selfie by waving your hand. However, we didn’t feel drawn to using them much, as the controller is much more precise and tactile.

Related: UK drone laws explained: Where can and can’t I fly my drone?