If you’re on the hunt for the best drone for GoPro recording but don’t want to drop thousands of dollars, then you should really check out the Potensice D85! This dual GPS drone has a control range of 1,500 meters (using the remote control). Under ideal settings, you can stream video directly to your phone from up to 800 meters away using 5G Wi-Fi. The features of this drone make it one of the top-rated drones.
Why We Like It – Potensic D85
The Potensic D85 is a great GPS drone for beginners that includes all the features you’ll want like Auto Return, “Follow Me” mode, “Point of Interest” mode, GPS mode, and Headless mode.
- Live Streams Video to Your Phone via Wi-Fi
- One Key Unlock/Takeoff/Landing/Return
- Auto Return Home Feature Kicks In When the Battery is Low or the D85 Drone is Out of Range
- 7-Hour Charge Time
- Lacks Stabilization
- Poor Wi-Fi Range
Speed & Power
Potensic claims that you will achieve speeds up to 50km/h, which comes out to 31.0686 mph. This is a bit slower than the Drone GoPro Karma. While this certainly isn’t the fastest drone on the market, most people will be happy with the performance of this drone (for something faster, check out the 3DR Solo Drone). So what’s under the “hood” of this drone? Potensic D85 is powered by four brushless motors that can run up to 1,500 kV, which is more than enough to quickly move the 7.19-pound aircraft.
Range
If you’re following the recommended guidelines and only using the device within your line of sight, then the 1000-meter range of the DJI Phantom 2 may be enough for you. However, if you’re a rule-breaker (or just want more range), then you’ll be happy to know that the Potensic D85 has a maximum range of 1,500 meters under optimal settings. That’s only for the remote control though; you can expect the video feed from the live-action camera to run out by 800 meters on a good day. All in all, that’s better than the XIRO Xplorer, which only has a 500-meter range.
Durability
When you get the D85, you’ll have some minor assembly to do yourself. You’ll notice that in addition to the four propellers required, Potensic has also provided you with four more, which is good because this drone lacks any blade guards. The drone itself is made primarily of plastic, but overall the build is fairly durable. As far as downsides, the only things that really stick out are the hard-to-remove memory card (we recommend using tape to make it a bit easier) and the proprietary battery charger. Take a look at our Parrot Swing Drone review.
Camera Features
unlike the DJI Phantom 2 Vision, the D85 comes with a full HD 2K camera (if you want a 4K camera, then check out the Yuneec Q500 instead). This 2K camera provides you with a wide viewing angle of 130°, which is perfect for capturing sunsets and the like but lacks video stabilization. The camera mount can be used with other cameras as well (such as a GoPro), but unfortunately lacks a gimbal, which somewhat limits your shots as the angles must be adjusted manually. You can definitely take videos with this drone, but you’ll have a better performance if you stick to just taking pictures. In reality, this camera feature is great, considering the Rolling Spider drone has a worse camera.
Related: Be sure to also check out the Potensic T25 GPS FPV RC Drone review.
Value
As a cheaper, entry-level drone, we definitely think the Potensic D85 is worth the money (even though it’s not 4K). It offers live video streaming, long-range operation, and a variety of smart features for a relatively low price. It even comes with two batteries, and you also get a warranty through Potensic, which adds some peace of mind to the purchase. Most customers seem to be happy with it, as the drone scores 4.2 out of 5 stars based on 475 Amazon reviews.
Potensic D85 Wrap Up
For both experienced drone flyers and newbies alike, the Potensic D85 is a great device to add to your collection. It offers smart features you want (like GPS mode, “Follow Me”, and “Point of Interest”), and even comes with a spare set of propellers! We would have liked to see the inclusion of a stabilization system and a gimbal for the camera, but for the price, we think those are sacrifices worth making.
