I have both the DJI mini 4K and the Potensic Atom 3 axis. As far as I am concerned they fly almost exactly the same but the range on the DJI for me is a little longer by at least a quarter mile or so. The battery life on the Atom gives you a few more minutes to fly. I like the controller on the Atom better but the DJI app is better designed. You can't go wrong with either one but as you mentioned, there isn't much in the way of aftermarket products for the Atom yet.
my potensic hovers better I place than my specta, it's the opposite of what your comparison is showing , it must just vary slightly drone to drone. I like them equally to be honest
I currently have a DJI Mavic Mini that I am looking to replace, so I am drone shopping. This video was very helpful. I liked the video quality of the Atom each time without knowing until the end. I like how you put that together. Thanks for sharing this overview.
You can can get ND filters for the Atom.. Neewer have brought some ND filters, CPL and UV, for the DJ1 drones. The hook that goes over back of the gimble is different to the standard ND filters specific for the DJ1's. They fit it the Atom, with no problems. There a couple a YT vids showing this, and Amazon a few reviews for the Neewer ND filters, also confirm they fit the Atom.
Howdy! That's good to hear for sure, but honestly I'd have to see this work to believe it. MIGHT work for the SE/LT, but not the 3 axis that's in this video. There is virtually no room between the camera and the mount by design when the gimbal initializes and it will stall it for sure. I think I saw someone trying to drop NDs on after the gimbal is initialized by hooking them over the top which seems a bit sketchy and they didn't stay on very well either. Thinking one of them even fell off when it was windy. I would imagine fiddling on the gimbal while it is active can't be good for the gimbal long term if this is what they were doing... I have very thin adhesive ones I've tried and even these collided. Again, I hope that what you saw works but I'm skeptical. 🤙
@@AlienDrones The wife loved your review and we'd been looking at the DJI for a long time. Sams Club had a great package deal on the left over DJI Minis and sold out. So, here we are. 😁 I think we made a better choice. Thank you for all of the valuable info.
Does anyone know if a DJI controller is compatible with this? I think it would be nice to have a spare maybe, and I do not see the specta controller for sale as a stand alone item. Thanks!
Certain it is not compatible. They have different firmware for the drone, remote and battery which keeps everything incompatible. If you have a way to force firmware it may be possible to hack it that way but have not heard of anyone being able to pull that off. Parts and service is the shortcoming of this product line at the moment...
I bought the Potensic Atom 3axis fly more combo, and I was wondering if I lose my drone can I buy the same drone (drone only) and have it connect to the original controller?
Great video comparisons - but which is which??? Really nice shirt designs and the sizing chart is really great. There must be a mistake on the Specialty Shirts - AD Sm Dark Logo - the sleeve length, C measurements, are too long for a short sleeve shirt!
@@AlienDrones Thank you. Perhaps Cogito updated the Specta mini somewhere along the line. Cogito's email reply to me said "no RAW". Users in various FB groups, and even a few on YT have said both "yes" and "no" to RAW. I've been reading and receiving conflicting information, but know that I can trust your answer.
@@cloudwalkwv I just doublechecked and fired up the drone itself, it indeed has raw on the photo side, but it does not have d-log video. Apologies... It's confusing as it does have RAW, but only for photos, not for video. Hope that helps.
@@AlienDrones Yes - that's very helpful. I was interested more in RAW for stills than the video capabilities. Thank you for double-checking by firing it up. Stay warm!
You should not do that. It is even better to put the phone in airplane mode while flying to help prevent any conflicts while flying. It is specifically stated to not use the phone to make calls, text or access the web while using the app or it could crash the app or even cause the drone to go out of control... 🤙
Another reviewer mentioned the Specta Mini no longer has geofencing. Are you able to confirm this claim. I'm glad they are keeping these impressive mini drones in production. If for no other reason than to give people an affordable way to enter the drone fun hobby.
There is a new airspace update I loaded this morning that is supposed to have removed all but the highest security geofencing like Washington DC, for the mini and the air. I loaded it but have not had a chance to test it in controlled airspace, plan on doing that soon...
@@underthedrone2735 It's a big differentiator they did not have before. Now if they can get their service and parts (like batteries) quality up they will be a contender for sure.
A lot of people say the mini 4k is better.. But in this video i find the atom footage has more dinamic range,and sharpness.. Am i wrong? Im so confused
That's one of the reasons I show all the footage to you instead of saying which one is "better". They are both good in their own right so it comes down to personal choice and if any one thing is more important to you than another... 🤙
Depends what your needs are. Do you need 1) stabilized video 2) follow mode 3) multiple batteries 4) 4k video/pics? Might want to check out some of the drones I just put on my Gear Focus page, they are all like new at a reduced price, maybe one of those might make sense for you. bit.ly/3NY4963
The video out of my atom is crap, even after an exchange. How does your video not flicker every second or so? The price point is good, and it flies well, but the video is garbage.
Never had a "flicker", always just been solid and this was in complete auto, factory settings. Sounds like a throughput issue somewhere, maybe it's a buffer thing, or a hardware failure. Odd that you had the same issue after an exchange, are you using a fast SD card? I use the Sandisk extreme pro in everything amzn.to/4ez3VOm seems to be solid for every drone I put it in so far... Every second flicker would be completely annoying, this is the first time I've heard of it though and our last vid th-cam.com/video/3Q409z0Evv4/w-d-xo.html has over 500 comments. I thought the video is pretty decent in that video too and I worked the snot out of it in a bunch of different flights. Not perfect but passable. Really weird. Heard something similar on the Fimi X8 pro, but this is a first on the ATOM.
@@AlienDrones Same card but 128gb. Exchanging the provided card with the sandisk made no difference. I was hoping you did something post to make it smooth.
@@PolymathicAmble Nope, when I do any video reviews or comparisons never do any post processing at all, straight from the camera, most of the time in auto mode. Once in a while I'll flip to manual mode to enhance some scenes but then I will note it on the clip. It seems like a coincidence but wonder if you got a couple of bum drones (thinking a bad run of cameras?) or maybe your device has a compatibility issue causing interference or something (what else is common?). I did have a wireless mic interfere with the ATOM for a few flights before I figured it out. I recommended the ATOM to some friends and family and between us we have 4 of them and none of them have any glitchy video like you mentioned, they all look good. It is a head scratcher for sure...
@@PolymathicAmbleis there any other devices that are anywhere close which may be running on a similar frequency? Maybe use your phone to search for Wi-Fi or Bluetooth devices? Cordless house phones, routers, etc? Maybe you use a cordless mic while making videos? I don't think this is super likely to be it since you tried 2 cards already but. In the past, I have had a phone in which too large of a memory card would slow the phones processors enough to make symptoms. Seemed like the camera would be super slow to focus and have some other symptoms like slowed or frozen frame rate etc
Don't crash it! 😂 Seriously though, I think Potensic has just started a repair service so you can return it for repair if crashed... store.potensic.com/pages/atom-se-repair-service-request . Not sure if it is good not or yet but DJI does have a mature repair program for sure...
I have both the DJI mini 4K and the Potensic Atom 3 axis. As far as I am concerned they fly almost exactly the same but the range on the DJI for me is a little longer by at least a quarter mile or so. The battery life on the Atom gives you a few more minutes to fly. I like the controller on the Atom better but the DJI app is better designed. You can't go wrong with either one but as you mentioned, there isn't much in the way of aftermarket products for the Atom yet.
Thanks for sharing! Indeed, benefits to both for sure...
my potensic hovers better I place than my specta, it's the opposite of what your comparison is showing , it must just vary slightly drone to drone. I like them equally to be honest
I was completely surprised watching this as I preferred the footage from the Atom in every comparison.
Same here, surprised when I realised it was the atom
I got an extra specta battery on amazon. The drone fits in a case for the mini 2. Great drone!
Nice find, those extra batteries come in handy!
I currently have a DJI Mavic Mini that I am looking to replace, so I am drone shopping. This video was very helpful. I liked the video quality of the Atom each time without knowing until the end. I like how you put that together. Thanks for sharing this overview.
Thanks, glad it was helpful! 🤙
You can can get ND filters for the Atom..
Neewer have brought some ND filters, CPL and UV, for the DJ1 drones. The hook that goes over back of the gimble is different to the standard ND filters specific for the DJ1's. They fit it the Atom, with no problems. There a couple a YT vids showing this, and Amazon a few reviews for the Neewer ND filters, also confirm they fit the Atom.
Howdy! That's good to hear for sure, but honestly I'd have to see this work to believe it. MIGHT work for the SE/LT, but not the 3 axis that's in this video. There is virtually no room between the camera and the mount by design when the gimbal initializes and it will stall it for sure. I think I saw someone trying to drop NDs on after the gimbal is initialized by hooking them over the top which seems a bit sketchy and they didn't stay on very well either. Thinking one of them even fell off when it was windy. I would imagine fiddling on the gimbal while it is active can't be good for the gimbal long term if this is what they were doing... I have very thin adhesive ones I've tried and even these collided. Again, I hope that what you saw works but I'm skeptical. 🤙
I've had the Specta Mini for a couple of months and like it.
It's a good flyer! 🤙🤙
@@AlienDrones Yes it is. I like how it handles.
The Atom is impressive. Bought one tonight based on your reviews. Thanks.
Thanks for sharing! It is a great addition to the market for sure! 🤙🤙
@@AlienDrones The wife loved your review and we'd been looking at the DJI for a long time. Sams Club had a great package deal on the left over DJI Minis and sold out. So, here we are. 😁 I think we made a better choice. Thank you for all of the valuable info.
Cool video nice drones great information I like them both
Thanks 👍
Could you check out the xiaomi fimi mini drone?
Yea it's basically an atom same factory.
Does anyone know if a DJI controller is compatible with this? I think it would be nice to have a spare maybe, and I do not see the specta controller for sale as a stand alone item. Thanks!
Certain it is not compatible. They have different firmware for the drone, remote and battery which keeps everything incompatible. If you have a way to force firmware it may be possible to hack it that way but have not heard of anyone being able to pull that off. Parts and service is the shortcoming of this product line at the moment...
I bought the Potensic Atom 3axis fly more combo, and I was wondering if I lose my drone can I buy the same drone (drone only) and have it connect to the original controller?
Yup, just have to re-pair it. th-cam.com/video/9DHGZSjl5LE/w-d-xo.html
Great video comparisons - but which is which???
Really nice shirt designs and the sizing chart is really great. There must be a mistake on the Specialty Shirts - AD Sm Dark Logo - the sleeve length, C measurements, are too long for a short sleeve shirt!
Hi Keith. Thank you for the comparisons. Can the Specta mini use RAW format?
Yes, RAW photos...
@@AlienDrones Thank you. Perhaps Cogito updated the Specta mini somewhere along the line. Cogito's email reply to me said "no RAW". Users in various FB groups, and even a few on YT have said both "yes" and "no" to RAW. I've been reading and receiving conflicting information, but know that I can trust your answer.
@@cloudwalkwv I just doublechecked and fired up the drone itself, it indeed has raw on the photo side, but it does not have d-log video. Apologies... It's confusing as it does have RAW, but only for photos, not for video. Hope that helps.
@@AlienDrones Yes - that's very helpful. I was interested more in RAW for stills than the video capabilities. Thank you for double-checking by firing it up. Stay warm!
thank you just the vid i needed
Glad it helped, thanks for sharing!
Great video! But which video are of the DJI and which of the ATOM. I guess the bright video is of the DJI?
Thanks! You would guess incorrectly! You have to watch to the end to find out which numbers are which drone... 🤙
I just purchased the atom,can I use my phone when receiving a call while attached to controller?
You should not do that. It is even better to put the phone in airplane mode while flying to help prevent any conflicts while flying. It is specifically stated to not use the phone to make calls, text or access the web while using the app or it could crash the app or even cause the drone to go out of control... 🤙
Thanks that's great info was just wondering,also came with the updated firmware havet flown it yet
great review! specta mini is on its way to me
Thanks! 🤙
Another reviewer mentioned the Specta Mini no longer has geofencing. Are you able to confirm this claim. I'm glad they are keeping these impressive mini drones in production. If for no other reason than to give people an affordable way to enter the drone fun hobby.
There is a new airspace update I loaded this morning that is supposed to have removed all but the highest security geofencing like Washington DC, for the mini and the air. I loaded it but have not had a chance to test it in controlled airspace, plan on doing that soon...
@@AlienDrones Very cool! To me that's a game changer.
@@underthedrone2735 It's a big differentiator they did not have before. Now if they can get their service and parts (like batteries) quality up they will be a contender for sure.
@@AlienDrones I'm hopeful.
I've tested it and there is no geo fencing
Does iOS work and also is there geofencing
Yes, no.
A lot of people say the mini 4k is better.. But in this video i find the atom footage has more dinamic range,and sharpness.. Am i wrong? Im so confused
That's one of the reasons I show all the footage to you instead of saying which one is "better". They are both good in their own right so it comes down to personal choice and if any one thing is more important to you than another... 🤙
okay so I'll ask which drone will be better for a beginner under $250 ?
Depends what your needs are. Do you need 1) stabilized video 2) follow mode 3) multiple batteries 4) 4k video/pics? Might want to check out some of the drones I just put on my Gear Focus page, they are all like new at a reduced price, maybe one of those might make sense for you. bit.ly/3NY4963
Potensic se
which video is which
how about compare with FIMI MINI 3.
By any chance do you own the FIMI mini 3? I had a few viewer questions so I just bought it and am testing it now. Not what I hoped so far...
Which has way points ability
Atom has them native. Can try using third part app on Specta mini but not native.
@ which drone in that price range has waypoints that I can map out on screen? Thanks
Atom won't fly as far. Also, Customer service firvtge Atom has been non existent unless you buy from Amazon, unless something has changed recently.
The video out of my atom is crap, even after an exchange. How does your video not flicker every second or so? The price point is good, and it flies well, but the video is garbage.
Never had a "flicker", always just been solid and this was in complete auto, factory settings. Sounds like a throughput issue somewhere, maybe it's a buffer thing, or a hardware failure. Odd that you had the same issue after an exchange, are you using a fast SD card? I use the Sandisk extreme pro in everything amzn.to/4ez3VOm seems to be solid for every drone I put it in so far... Every second flicker would be completely annoying, this is the first time I've heard of it though and our last vid th-cam.com/video/3Q409z0Evv4/w-d-xo.html has over 500 comments. I thought the video is pretty decent in that video too and I worked the snot out of it in a bunch of different flights. Not perfect but passable. Really weird. Heard something similar on the Fimi X8 pro, but this is a first on the ATOM.
@@AlienDrones Same card but 128gb. Exchanging the provided card with the sandisk made no difference. I was hoping you did something post to make it smooth.
@@PolymathicAmble Nope, when I do any video reviews or comparisons never do any post processing at all, straight from the camera, most of the time in auto mode. Once in a while I'll flip to manual mode to enhance some scenes but then I will note it on the clip. It seems like a coincidence but wonder if you got a couple of bum drones (thinking a bad run of cameras?) or maybe your device has a compatibility issue causing interference or something (what else is common?). I did have a wireless mic interfere with the ATOM for a few flights before I figured it out. I recommended the ATOM to some friends and family and between us we have 4 of them and none of them have any glitchy video like you mentioned, they all look good. It is a head scratcher for sure...
@@PolymathicAmbleis there any other devices that are anywhere close which may be running on a similar frequency? Maybe use your phone to search for Wi-Fi or Bluetooth devices? Cordless house phones, routers, etc? Maybe you use a cordless mic while making videos?
I don't think this is super likely to be it since you tried 2 cards already but. In the past, I have had a phone in which too large of a memory card would slow the phones processors enough to make symptoms. Seemed like the camera would be super slow to focus and have some other symptoms like slowed or frozen frame rate etc
Atom is better
Thanks for your vote!
🤔
No German? Ok
I travel fairly often, and never complain that English isn't being spoken by the people where I'm visiting.
@@kmoecublool
Great video but I’m going with Dji
Which one?
@@AlienDrones I think it’s a toss up between both but I like the controller better on the Dji
@@jamesreed7181 Indeed, I like the controller better too since I use a tablet a lot...
Mini 4K has DJI Care.... If you crash the Atom.. thats it
Don't crash it! 😂 Seriously though, I think Potensic has just started a repair service so you can return it for repair if crashed... store.potensic.com/pages/atom-se-repair-service-request . Not sure if it is good not or yet but DJI does have a mature repair program for sure...
@@AlienDronesonly for atom, not the other models
@@aidantaylor4149 correct. Gotta start somewhere I guess... 😎