You can tell whether a drone will give you good value for money from the first impression. For the Eachine EX4 drone, it is love at first sight. You will see when it is delivered to you. It comes in a good carry case with zippers for security and carry handle at the top. But that is not all! To protect the drone, all the parts are enclosed in foam padding. This ensures that even if you drop the case, the drone or remote controller does not suffer from the shock.
You will also love the physical features of this drone and its flight performance. It also has a good number of automatic functions that make flying it fun. As you will see in the upcoming parts of this review, this drone offers quite a lot in terms of flight time, durability and usability.
Eachine EX4 Features & Technical Details
What sorts of features can you expect in the EX4? It takes quite a good number of features to make a good drone. Here, we will look at features such as camera, battery, remote controller, build quality and so on.
Design and build quality
This drone is foldable in design. That is why it is able to fit in such a small storage bag. It is also sold assembled and ready to fly, together with charged batteries and with even the propeller blades attached. The drone uses brushless motors, which makes it capable of flying for the entire battery time without overheating. Please note; these motors make more noise when the drone is flying because of the split design of the prop blades.
The drone fuselage is made with high quality material, which is important for the protection of the interior parts of the drone. Under each propeller, there is a small stand that makes up the landing gear. That way, the drone stays raised from the ground to protect its camera and underbelly.
Camera quality
There are so many good things going on with this camera. First, this is a 4K camera, which as we know, is without doubt the Holy Grail of aerial photography with drones. This drone does really capture 4K photos. However, for video, it can only do 1080P quality, so please take note of that.
The camera captures good, distortion-free footage thanks to the 3-axis gimbal camera. This is a big plus since it is rare to find 3-axis gimbal in drones within this price range. You can adjust the angle of the camera from the app or from the remote controller even when the drone is in flight.
You will enjoy 5G video transmission. For this, you have to use your smartphone because the remote controller does not have a screen. However, the transmission is of high quality and you will get the video in vivid detail. The real-time video transmission range is 1000 meters.
You can store your video in an SD card. You can access it beneath the drone, by lifting a small flip door that is just behind the camera compartment.
Remote Controller
Apart from the long transmission distance of 1200 meters, you will also love the fact this controller comes with a rechargeable battery. It uses a 2600mAh 3.7V battery. You will charge it with the provided microUSB charger. As you can see, this is a high capacity battery. Therefore, it takes a bit long to charge, which is about 3 hours.
Battery and flight time
The drone comes with a 2400mAh 11.4V battery. It can come with one, two or even three batteries, of course at different prices depending on the number of batteries. You will get about 25 minutes of flight time from each battery. This modular battery is safe to handle. The charging time is quite long at 5 hours. This is why you need to order the drone with two or three batteries. That way, you can enjoy more than an hour’s fly time.
Flight features and functions
Here, the drone excels since it has so many automated functions. We shall look at just a few of them:
GPS Positioning and Optical Flow Positioning
To achieve precise positioning, the drone can fly in GPS mode. It will get signal from satellites for easier and correct positioning. On the other hand, optical flow positioning uses a bottom camera that locks to the ground and makes it easy to maintain the right flight altitude.
One key take off and landing
With this key, you can get the drone to either take off or come back and land. The drone will launch and hover at a height waiting for your next move. Mostly, this function is included to make a drone easier to fly for beginners.
One key return
Punch the one key return if the drone flies out of sight, and indeed it will. Considering the long flight range of 1200 meters, it is easy for the drone to fly out of sight.
Altitude Hold Mode
Lock the drone to a certain altitude and it will maintain it throughout the flight time. However, you will still be able to control the pitch, yaw and roll.
Point of Interest
With this mode, you will set the drone to circle around a point of interest all the time taking awesome footage from all angles.
Following Mode
This is one of the best functions to have in a drone. Just punch the follow me mode and the drone will follow you while keeping a respectable distance.
Headless mode
Do not worry about which direction the drone faces even when it is out of sight. Just engage the headless mode on the app or on the remote controller. The drone is going to align itself automatically in relation to the position of the pilot.
Short Summary of Feedback From Existing Owners
I love this drone. However, I think it is too loud for one with brushless motors. After some research, I realized that drones with split blades are always loud. Jose S.
For this price, I consider this drone quite a steal because of the high quality build and the flight functions that it comes with. Bran G.
I am looking for two extra batteries. I have managed to get 23 minutes of flight time from this drone battery. However, there was some wind, so I hope to try it again in calm conditions. Rose A.
The video and photo quality that you will enjoy from this drone is so good. If you are looking for a good aerial camera for your family photos and videos, buy this one. William K.
I am a bit apprehensive about flying this drone for the entire flight range. I do not want to let it out of my sight. Nate H.
Buy the EX4 with two batteries. That way, you can get more than 40 minutes of flight time and the charging time won’t feel too long. Avi L.
Eachine EX4 Pros
- Long battery time of up to 25 minutes
- Well marked remote controller with rechargeable battery
- Well-built, foldable and durable drone
- You can adjust the camera from 0 to 90 degrees
- 3-gimbal axis for the camera takes stable footage all the time
- Drone is good for both beginners and advanced users
- You will get high quality photos all the time
Eachine EX4 Cons
- Too long charging time for both the controller and drone batteries
- Motors are a bit loud even though they are brushless
Who can buy the Eachine EX4 Drone?
Beginners and advanced pilots alike will find this drone very useful. If you are looking for a drone that flies powerfully and takes good video and photo footage all the time, get the EX4. For people who just want a good travel drone, this one comes with a nice carry case. If you are a total newbie, you will find that this drone has a learning curve. Thankfully, with reviews like this one, you know what to expect. If you would like a drone that you can learn to fly on and not find the need to upgrade, get this one.
Conclusion and Recommendation
When your Eachine EX4 is delivered, you will feel the need to put it to flight immediately. However, that is really not advisable. You must always familiarize yourself with the manufacturer’s instructions for use so that you enhance the lifespan of the drone. Know how every feature works and most importantly, know how to get the videos and the photos. We recommend that you get the right SD card to store your videos and photos. Only fly the drone for short distances until you get the right feel of how it flies. Afterwards, you can fly the full distance if it is allowed.