Potensic Atom 4K Gimble Drone Review | TechManPat

Design, weight and included accessories

The Potensic Atom is a compact drone weighing under 250 g. The review notes that this weight category is important for Australian recreational drone rules, although additional requirements apply when flying for work. Recreational pilots still need to follow relevant local restrictions, including altitude and airport rules.

The Fly More kit arrives in a camera-style carry case. It includes the drone, controller, phone cables for USB-C and Lightning connections, three batteries, a charging hub and spare propeller blades. The controller uses a mounted smartphone as its screen and provides triggers for video recording and photography, along with a wheel for adjusting the camera gimbal.

Camera and video quality

The Atom has a 4K camera mounted on a true three-axis gimbal. It records 4K at 24, 25 or 30 frames per second, while 2.7K is available at the same frame rates. Full HD recording supports up to 60 frames per second. The camera takes 12 megapixel photographs and records video at up to a 50 Mbps bitrate.

The gimbal was designed to keep footage stable in flight, and the review found the resulting video quality suitable for holiday footage, social media content and aerial b-roll. Manual controls are available for settings such as exposure and white balance. The review also found that flatter footage benefited from further adjustment using LUTs and editing software.

Flight performance and features

The drone uses GPS and was able to return to close to its take-off position, with the review describing the difference as within about one metre. It also has optical-flow and landing sensors. Claimed speeds are approximately 5 metres per second for ascent, 4 metres per second for descent and 16 metres per second for forward flight.

Potensic lists a maximum range of 6 km and level five wind resistance. The reviewer did not test the drone in winds at that level, but found it stable at 120 metres during testing. The Atom also includes active tracking, allowing the pilot to select a person or object for the drone to follow, as well as waypoint flight for repeatable routes and shots.

The controller response was generally strong, with only occasional delays or lag spikes when the drone was distant and flying between trees. The reviewer found most of the flight experience responsive, although the default control layout was not initially comfortable and the controls could not be customised further.

App, setup and drawbacks

Setup involves installing the app, charging the batteries, connecting the controller to a smartphone and pairing the devices. A beginner mode is enabled by default, and the app includes settings for maximum flight height and other limitations. The review noted that the initial connection between the app, phone and drone was sometimes unreliable, requiring the app to be restarted. Once connected, disconnections were not experienced during testing.

The drone itself survived several crashes, although the reviewer damaged propeller blades and part of the body. The controller antennas were a more significant concern, with the plastic hinges breaking after an accidental impact. Battery information in the app was considered accurate and conservative, while the map view could be expanded to help navigate the drone home.

Price and comparison

At the time of the review, the Potensic Atom Fly More kit was priced at $600 Australian dollars. The reviewer compared it with the DJI Mini 2, which was observed at online prices ranging from approximately $750 to $1,500. The Atom therefore offered a lower entry price, although the DJI Mini 2 was noted as having a longer quoted range.

The review also raised uncertainty about how long Potensic would continue providing software updates, given that it is a less established brand. That consideration may reduce the practical difference in price for some buyers.