Potensic Dreamer 4k Review – Cheap Alternative For DJIs?
Stylish drone with excellent battery and less impressive but still decent camera
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The Potensic Dreamer 4K Drone is a big step forward for Potensic that usually builds toy drones. With this latest model, it is expanding its catalog of inexpensive machines that offer multiple options for pilots, enthusiasts, or novices.
Dreamer 4K is a mixed bag – you can definitely get a better drone for the money (Hubsan Zino Pro or ZLRC SG906 2 Pro for example) as this one lacks camera stabilization and has overly sensitive controls.
The Potensic Dreamer has a 1/3in Sony sensor capable of shooting 8.3 megapixel stills. But although it is dubbed as a 4K drone, it actually can’t shoot in 4K but it records at 2.7K at frame rate of 30fps. Even so, this resolution matches this of the highly popular DJI Mavic Mini.
Potensic Dreamer does have a 4K sensor that can capture images at 3840 x 2160, but the video footage is at 2688 X 1512. So, you should be aware about this small factor before you purchase the drone.
It has some great features, but beware of any accidents, because it has no obstacle avoidance abilities so if you find a tree or a wall in front of you, it will hit it hard.
The drone truly only shoots in 2.7K like Mavic Mini, except DJI actually tells you it shoots in 2.7K. If you are looking for inexpensive that actually shoots 4K, look at the Hubsan Zino. It’s around the same price.
Potensic Dreamer Features & Technical Details
When you get your package, ensure that it has the following items:
- The Dreamer drone itself
- 3000mAh battery and its charger
- Rechargeable remote controller and its charging cable
- 2 propellers
- User manual
- Ac cable for the drone
Specs
- Takeoff weight: 760g
- Max speed: 17.8mph (8m/s)
- Max ascent speed: 5m/s (sport mode)
- Max descent speed: 2m/s
- Max flight time: 31 minutes
- Internal storage: MicroSD card slot (4 – 256GB)
- Lens: 78° field of view
- Camera sensor: 1 / 3-inch Sony CMOS 13MP
- Maximum resolution: 3840×2160 pixels
- Video resolution: 2.7K (2688 x 1512 @ 30p)
- Bitrate: 20mbps
Potensic Dreamer 4K Camera
Despite of its stylish appearance and semblance to high end DJI drone models, Potensic Dreamer 4K’s camera leaves a lot to be desired.
Now, just to be clear, the Potensic Dreamer 4k is not up to par with with a professional-level camera drones, despite what its name may suggest.
As we mentioned above, Potensic Dreamer can shoot videos in 2.7k at 30fps which is still decent, the video footage is good quality, but don’t be surprised if you do notice a bit of distortion like jello effect and shakiness. This is mainly due to the lack of a gimbal or any kind of electronic stabilisation feature.
However, Dreamer does have tools to deal with this as it comes with vibration dampeners in the form of small balls that are fitted above the camera, these will reduce any sort of distortion, although, it will not completely eliminate it.
The Potensic Dreamer camera is equipped with a Sony image sensor that grants shooting of still images in 4k. The camera features a wide-angle lens and it can be remotely adjusted 90° to get the viewing angle you want.
There is a micro SD card slot on the back of the camera for a 128 GB memory card that is needed if you want to shoot high resolution videos and images since WiFi transmission will be of lower quality resolution.
The card does not come with the drone package so you will need to buy it separately.
Live video streaming is transmitted in 720p and a flight during a good weather day will be impeccable.
I am impressed by this camera, it takes some really good videos and images, although it would have been more impressive if it came with an advanced stabilisation feature.
This is definitely worth of addition to our list of the best drones under $300, however, it is still a bit inferior to a similarly priced Hubsan Zino which comes with a superior camera, a 3-axis gimbal and a superior drone app. However, it’s only available at this price range from Banggood and the main issue you will face is long delivery time.
Design
As for the design quality of the Potensic Dreamer 4K drone, it is very attractive with a strong, appealing and durable body made of solid white plastic similar to the famous DJI Phantom 4 UAV.
It’s also lightweight and generally very good looking drone.
Potensic Dreamer 4K Battery Life and charging
When it comes to battery life, the Potensic Dreamer 4K drone is equipped with a 3000mAh high capacity battery and shows you the approximate charge status immediately through four LED lights.
According to the manufacturer, the battery offers “up to 31 minutes” of flight time, but when we reviewed the battery in practice, we found that it was a little less, but it shouldn’t smell like 25 minutes of flight time or something for every charge.
potensic dreamer 4k accessories and charging
The built-in battery of the drone is charged via the included USB cable, which has a 4-LED charge indicator
Potensic says that a full charge gives you about four full hours of use, and it has been reviewed and proven by us.
Remote control
The remote control has an interesting look and It is fitted with all the standard buttons you would expect, so it is quite easy to use. It is a retractable remote control that can be resized to fit smartphones of different sizes.
It is made of plastic and has a nice white color. It also has an integrated battery that you need to charge when it runs low. It has a return home button, which is important for drones, and it also has a few buttons on the back so you can easily take photos and videos.
Flight Modes
It comes with a large number of flight modes that will give you a lot of fun and will also help you create the good footage you want.
To use the drone functions you need to install the drone app. It is a good, easy to use app that allows you to easily control the drone. You can find it in the Google Play Store or Apple App Store.
- Follow me – is a great mode that you can use when you go hiking or do other sports activities. You need to point the drone at you and it will start to follow you wherever you go. It is also possible to lock the drone to follow your car. It maintains a respectable distance, so you do not have to worry about this aspect.
- GPS return – you can activate this feature using the remote control or the app. When this mode is on, you don’t have to worry about losing your drone, because when its battery runs low, it will automatically return to you.
- Circular flight – this is a very interesting feature that helps the user to take very nice and high quality pictures from different angles. To use this mode you need to set a point on the app and the drone will rotate a circle around the already set subject. It is a very useful mode to create interesting video and photo content.
- Waypoint Flight – another important mode of this drone is Waypoint Flight. To use this mode you have to draw a path in the app of the drone. The drone flies along this path and then returns home.
- Headless mode – this is another mode to protect your drone. With a large control range of 800 m you can sometimes lose the drone out of sight. With the headless mode you don’t have to worry about this anymore, because the flight position of the drone always matches your position.
- Orbit Mode – the Orbit Mode is another important and useful mode you can use. With this mode you are able to direct the drone to a point of interest. After you have selected the desired point, the drone orbits this position independently.
Flight Performance
The drone’s initial flight tests have shown that it flies as anticipated, since it is set to headless mode by default and, together with GPS support, is a relatively easy drone to operate. It has a smooth hovering capability and with its powerful brushless motors can float well even in windy conditions. However, I would advise you to fly in rough weather conditions only if you are an experienced drone pilot. The flight time is close to the time indicated on the package, which is good, and the intelligent flight modes work well if you fly the drone where the GPS signal is very strong.
Final verdict
The Potensic Dreamer 4K is an impressive drone from a toy manufacturer. Potensic has built up its portfolio of inexpensive machines that offer several options for pilots flying for the first time or for enthusiasts who are into the flying hobby. The Dreamer 4K is one of the better machines in the toy class, it is larger but still lightweight and has a great flight time.
We can’t deny we’re frustrated that they put “4K” in the name of this drone, considering that it doesn’t record 4K video. It does have a 4K sensor and takes pictures with a resolution of 3840×2160 pixels, but the video has a resolution of 2688×1512 pixels. The sample material of the drone seems to be a bit higher quality than that of the DJI Spark, but a bit shakier. You will probably be satisfied with the results, but its image stabilization requires a little more work.
FAQs
Does this drone have obstacle avoidance?
No, this Potensic Dreamer 4K drone has no function of obstacle avoidance.
