Over the last few years, the drone market has exploded with unique ideas and new inventiveness. It might then be worth looking beyond the traditional manufacturers when shopping for a drone.
After we collaborated on the S1 stabilizer, PowerVision contacted us about their drone series. They kindly provided us with their flagship drone, the PowerEgg X.
After having flown it in different conditions and environments, we can now give our honest opinions on their product, which offers some pretty unique features, but also falls short in other aspects.
PowerVision has offered 10% off to our readers. Just enter the Discount code “mediaequipt” in their store when purchasing or buy it through amazon: https://amzn.to/3vx5lYq
PowerEgg X: Our Initial Thoughts
The PowerEgg X offers decent camera quality, stabilization, and battery time. Those features are pretty basic for any drone today, though. What makes this drone stand out among the competition is the ability to take off, land on water, and fly during rain. For that alone, the PowerEgg might be worth a look. But this drone also allows you to remove the arms and use it as a camcorder with a built-in gimbal or mount it to a small tripod offering you a pretty versatile all-in-one camera.
In a nutshell, these were our top features:
- Skids for a water landing
- Rainproof cover
- Handheld mode
- Good battery time: About 30 minutes of flight time
Be aware that for the ability to fly in rain and land in water, you will need the full PowerEgg X Wizard kit, as the standalone drone package does not have those abilities. For the sake of this review, we will review the Wizard package to give our opinions on all features available.
The PowerEgg wasn’t without its flaws, though, so in this article, we are looking at every aspect of this unique little drone and all it can do!
Rain Cover & Water Landing Skids
Let’s start with the most exciting aspects of this drone. The rain cover is a plastic, egg-shaped cover that goes on the body of the PowerEgg X and protects the camera and stabilizer from water. It only takes a minute or so to put on.
We tried it in both rain and show, and it worked okay but with a significant drawback. If you tilt the camera up or down, the plastic cover can get in the shot. Sometimes snow or water would also get on the front of the rain cover, making it difficult to get a clear image.
But having said that, we could still capture beautiful videos in both rain/snow after a couple of takes. It could just have been more straightforward.
The water landing skids are another story, though. They did their job very well when taking off and landing in the water. We also found them great for ice and deep snow take-off, which a traditional drone could not.
Camera Quality & Gimbal
The next factor was the camera quality and gimbal stabilization.
While the recording quality was okay, it may not be as versatile as a standalone camera. Still, it was pretty decent. The drone can capture 4K video and stills, supporting MP4 / MOV video recordings and JPEG / RAW for photos.
The in-built gimbal also did its job in both handheld and drone modes, allowing you to capture smooth tilts and pans while stabilizing your footage.
If you want to see what you are able to capture with this drone, we included a little showcase of some video examples:
Controller & Application
To operate the PowerEgg X in drone mode, you must plug in your smartphone to the controller and start the application.
After connecting the drone, you can steer it from the controller with your phone’s screen as a live-video monitor.
All the basic buttons for steering and recording are on the controller itself, meaning you don’t need to press anything on your smartphone screen. In addition to the two joysticks, there are buttons for video recording and taking photos. This is a plus when you are out in cold weather wearing gloves, like in this photo!
Meanwhile, you get a live video feed from the drone’s camera on your smartphone. If you have flown far from the take-off location, you can always open the map in full view and trace your way back. Otherwise, you can always set an automatic return to a home checkpoint, and the drone will do it for you!
Storage and Media
The drone has a micro-SD slot that allows you to save and transfer video files to your computer. But it also features an internal storage capacity of 16GB, which means a card is not necessary at all times.
Having said that, seeing and transferring the videos/photos will require you to start the drone, plug in your phone in the controller and then download the files through wi-fi. It is a time-consuming process that means you can’t use your phone for a while.
Size and Mobility
With its egg-shaped body and detachable propeller arms, the PowerEgg X is unlike many rectangular drones on the market. Its shape makes it pretty mobile and versatile, although attaching the propellers and setting up the drone takes a little time.
The PowerEgg X comes in a foam case, but if you buy the Wizard version, the landing skids and rain cover must be packed separately.
The Handheld Mode
You also get the option to use the drone as a handheld camera, taking advantage of its camera stabilizer to capture smooth shots. To use this feature, attach the hand strap included with the camera and select the handheld mode in the application.
While we tried it out, we can’t really say we would ever find the need to use it, as neither the camera quality nor stabilization was that great compared to a real camera on a gimbal. But being able only to carry the PowerEgg X and having both a drone and a camera on a gimbal is for sure a plus.
Worth The Price Tag
The PowerEgg X alone will cost you about 900$. But for the water landing skids and rain cover, you have to purchase the PowerEgg X Wizard package, which is currently 1200$.
That is quite pricey for a drone from a relatively new and untested brand, but if you need a drone that can fly in the rain, land on water, and be used as a handheld camera, it might justify the price tag. Yet, we would not say the PowerEgg X is for everyone.
Who is This Drone For?
If you are looking for the best drone overall for beginners or professionals alike, DJI is probably still the way to go. They have superior camera quality, stabilization, and durability. And at such a high price point, the PowerEgg can not be considered a budget alternative either.
But if you are into waterskiing, fishing, or motorboating and want to capture that on video, this is one of the few drones that can fill your needs. DJI and other drone-makers will probably also have their try at the water-landing and rainproof features soon, which means the PowerEgg still has to evolve and mature to meet the competition.
PowerVision has offered 10% off to our readers. Just enter the Discount code “mediaequipt” in their store when purchasing or buy it through amazon: https://amzn.to/3vx5lYq
