Autel Evo Lite + specs
Value:: $1,399 (as reviewed)
3-Axis Gimbal with 1-inch CMOS Sensor (20 Megapixel 5472 x 3648)
Clever Moonlight Algorithm
6K30 Movies & 20MP Stills
Adjustable f/2.8 to f/11 Aperture
As much as 40 Minutes of Flight
Transmit 2.7K Video as much as 7.4 Miles Away
4 Automated Capturing Modes
Dynamic Monitoring of Quick-Transferring Objects
Ultrawide-Angle Impediment Avoidance
Defog & SkyPortrait Modes
Weight: 1.84 lbs
Measurement: 4.8 x 3.7 x 8.3 inches whereas folded
Photographers and videographers face some arduous decisions in right now’s drone market. With so many new choices prior to now two years, it’s arduous to maintain up. Autel’s essential competitors, DJI, appears to have a brand new drone prepared each couple of months, and Skydio continues to personal the autonomous drone market. I discovered the Lite+ gives a mix of DJI and Skydio, with a little bit Hulk inbuilt.
The Autel Evo Lite+ is a mid-sized folding drone that has change into my go-to for a wide range of makes use of, particularly after I shoot at night time. After over six months of conducting long-term evaluations of a number of drones, it has been the tank. Like several budding drone pilot, I’ve had my share of minor mishaps, however the Autel Lite+ has laughed within the face of my inexperience and mentioned let’s get again up within the air each time.
Hop on board, and let me take you on a brief flight across the Autel Evo Lite+ drone.
Value and configurations
The Evo Lite+ is available in both a regular package or a premium bundle. The usual package consists of the drone, the controller, one battery, propellers, and a charger with all cables, costing $1,149.
The premium bundle provides a delicate carry bag, three propeller replacements, two extra batteries, a multi-battery charger, and 4 ND filters. The premium bundle will run $1,399, value the additional $250. When you begin flying drones, you’ll rapidly notice it’s value it for the additional batteries and propellers alone.
Design
The essential design of most drones may be very related throughout manufacturers, particularly with smaller and mid-sized drones just like the DJI Mavic, Skydio 2+, and Autel Evo. The Lite+ means that you can fold it down for transportation, a game-changing function the DJI Mavic and ill-fated GoPro Karma launched in 2016.. It has 4 pivoting arms that rapidly fold out for fast deployment because the blades stay connected whereas folded. So all you must do is unfold, energy up your drone and controller, join your smartphone, and it’s go time.
The nostril of the Lite+ is fronted by a large gimbal wanted to manage the 1-inch sensor digital camera. The Autel Evo Lite+ is available in three completely different colours. You possibly can select between Arctic White, Autel Orange, and Area Grey. I acquired the area grey.
If you first begin studying to fly a drone, there will likely be mishaps and misjudgments in how shut you may fly close to objects or how briskly you may fly inside a given area. Autel tries that will help you out with visible collision detection sensors on the entrance, rear, and underside of the drone. It’s possible you’ll discover that there aren’t any facet detectors, so watch out when making orbital maneuvers.
On the left facet of the Lite+, one can find a microSD card slot below a small cowl and a USB-C port on the correct. Autel additionally consists of 6GB of built-in inside reminiscence simply in case you neglect to slide a reminiscence card in. Clearly, this gained’t maintain many high-res photographs or movies, so that you’ll need to put money into a microSD card. I’ve been utilizing a 128GB Kingston Canvas GoPlus microSD card (opens in new tab) to file all of my 5.4K movies.
Underneath every rotor motor, small pegs give the drone sufficient floor clearance for take-off and touchdown.
One among my favourite design components on the Autel Lite+ drone is the brilliant LED lights that one can find beneath the physique and on the tip of every arm, making the drone tremendous straightforward to see in low-light situations. The twin-blade propellers on the Lite+ are just like props one can find on different drones, they usually use centrifugal (or centripetal) forces to orientate them when spinning. I additionally like how straightforward it’s to take away them if one will get broken. You possibly can simply pop them off along with your fingers. No particular instruments or experience is required.
General, I’m tremendous impressed with the standard of the supplies used within the Autel Lite+ drone. The construct high quality is great and can simply survive minor bumps, crashes, and mishaps. The Autel permits me to be a bit extra daring with my flying, as over the course of a number of accidents I had with it early on, I found that even the areas I anticipated to be weaker tolerated tough flying and influence extraordinarily effectively. I counsel you to construct up your flying time and expertise earlier than leaping into sport mode as a result of the Lite+ can boogie and get away from you rapidly.
Controller
Autel’s controller is effectively made and can remind you of an Xbox or different gaming controller, which I like as a result of it provides novice drone pilots one thing they are going to discover acquainted. When you cost it up and screw within the little management sticks, you’re good to go. I discovered the controller extremely correct, providing delicate management over the drone’s actions, however for tremendous easy video, I’d select the graceful mode within the app, which we are going to deal with in a later part.
On the prime of the controller, a spring-loaded arm extends to carry a smartphone securely above the controller. Autel features a cable for Android or iPhone in the usual and premium bundles. Additionally, you will discover a energy adapter to cost the batteries and the distant. The drone and controller can be charged with a USB-C cable. The charging port is situated on the backside of the controller, with a USB-C port proper behind the spring-loaded arm for connecting your smartphone.
Like an Xbox controller, there are shoulder buttons alongside the highest edge used to manage sure capabilities. On the highest proper edge, you discover the take photograph or file video button; on the left, you discover a common perform button you may program to angle the digital camera or swap pace modes.
On the entrance of the distant, is the Residence button to carry your drone again rapidly earlier than the battery dies (responsible), the ability button, a pause filming button, and a inexperienced power-on indication gentle simply beneath the buttons. General, the controller feels good within the hand with its rubberized sides and arduous plastic shell conforming properly to your fingers.
Flight
When you’ve flown just a few drones, transitioning from one to the opposite is a fast adjustment, and due to its gamepad-like controller, it is simple even for first-timers. Flying the Autel Lite+ is tremendous gratifying as a result of as a consequence of having fewer take-off protocols built-in, it would take off from just about anyplace there is a clear area.
What grew to become instantly apparent to me as I flew the Evo Lite+ is that it’s powerfully quick, which turns out to be useful when avoiding objects throughout a flight that you could be not have accounted for. Additionally, its energy permits for wonderful exact management and helps create some dramatic in-flight footage.
For instance, I may attain the authorized top restrict in my space (400 ft) in lower than 20 seconds. Sadly, I can’t take a look at the precise top restrict of 16,404 ft, however it’s good to know it is attainable. I’d advise in opposition to making an attempt it out or you’ll doubtless have the FAA knocking at your door. The Autel Drone can attain greater than 40 miles per hour speeds with a prime pace of 42mph. In a small area, that’s harmful, so if you happen to’re going to go quick, Ricky Bobby, I recommend making certain you’re in an space with ample room or acreage.
The controller and Autel Evo Lite+ are rated at a distance of as much as 7.4 miles which is fairly far and nice if you happen to get the prospect to function it, for example, close to a pleasant lengthy seaside. Additionally, video transmission to your machine will likely be displayed in 2.7K, which is great, however it would deteriorate when you fly out over 0.6 miles, then the decision will drop to 720p. At shorter ranges, being behind buildings or different obstructions had minimal influence on the video high quality or the management responses.
In comparison with lighter drones like a DJI Mavic mini, the sturdy Evo Lite+ handles blustery days effectively. You’ll discover a minor distinction from drone to drone in how they deal with wind, however the Evo does an nice job of filming steady footage in windy situations or while you’re flying quick and combating wind resistance. The flight expertise is easy and steady, and the Autel Evo Lite+ performs extraordinarily effectively in low-light flights, the place another drones battle.
Autel Sky app
The Evo Lite+ comes with Autel’s Sky app, which is free to obtain to your cellphone, and one can find it similar to purposes utilized by DJI or Skydio. It consists of choices for capturing “fast photographs” and automating numerous drone strikes like a 360-degree video of your self or an object.
In settings, one can find the same old choices for controlling what occurs when the drone disconnects, its return-to-home altitude, and the completely different flight modes.
If you first arrange the drone, it would default to novice mode, with restricted top and vary capabilities. As soon as that mode is deactivated, you should use it as you would like throughout the limits of the legal guidelines in your space.
If you select to fly in easy and normal flight modes, the collision detection system is enabled and can present the consumer with visible and audio suggestions if you’re transferring towards obstructions. When you ignore the warnings and maintain pushing on, the drone will refuse to maneuver within the course it considers hazardous.
Relying in your expertise and what you’re making an attempt to realize, this may be an annoying function, however it exists that will help you keep away from damaging your drone and dodge enormous restore prices. Nevertheless, for the daredevils, it’s attainable to disable it, and it’ll flip off routinely while you’re in Sport mode and flying at lightspeed. Simply be cautious of skinny or smallish objects whereas flying, comparable to skinny branches, twigs, cables, or electrical wires, as a result of the avoidance techniques of drones should not excellent, and you’ll wreck your drone by crashing into them.
You possibly can choose photograph or video mode by way of the app if you happen to want to shoot at 1x magnification or as much as 4x magnification. You possibly can select autofocus or handbook and regulate the white steadiness, ISO, and shutter pace.
On the decrease left facet of your display, whereas within the app, you’ll discover your altimeter, which measures your top and distance, and the launch icon. On the correct is the place your digital camera management and setting icons are. On the prime, one can find your warnings, battery life, and the settings icon. Lastly, on the backside are extra superb digital camera perform controls.
Video and picture high quality
Though it’s said that it shoots 6K footage, its most decision is 5472 x 3076 pixels at 30 fps. It’s just like the DJI Air 2S besides that the 2s has a hard and fast f/2,8 lens. On the similar time, the Lite+ can regulate its aperture from f/2.8 to f /1.1, permitting you to lock within the body charge whereas additionally controlling the quantity of sunshine and publicity, lessening the necessity to use the provided ND filters. Nevertheless, if you happen to use the ND filters, you’ll get higher management over the depth of area.
Having the 5.4K decision to work with in put up is fantastic, particularly while you dropped the decision to 4K or FHD (1080p) since you get all that further picture knowledge and fewer high quality loss.
Utilizing the zoom, one can find the extra you zoom in, the extra pixelated the picture turns into, which is normal when counting on digital quite than optical zoom. I recommend not zooming previous 4x, you may push it to 16x, however the photos aren’t value it.
Lowlight and nighttime capturing are the place the Evo Lite+ shines. It comes with night time pictures and video modes that may enhance the ISO as much as 64,000 whereas protecting the picture from turning into too grainy and unusable. Nevertheless, I did discover my greatest photos and movies had been shot in regular daylight, solely typically adjusting the publicity or ISO. It captures wonderful high quality stills and movies in absolutely automated mode.
Additionally, you will discover numerous panoramic, spherical,l, and wide-field capturing modes within the Autel Sky utility. General, the picture and video high quality on the Lite+ is great, with first-rate autofocus expertise. Due to its 4-axis stabilization and the steadiness of the Lite+ whereas flying, you’ll get hours of high-quality footage.
Battery life and charging
The Autel Evo Lite+ battery slides in from the rear, connects to the physique, and consists of the power-on button. The battery capability is an enormous 6,174mAh (68.7 Wh), which is considerably bigger than the DJI Mini Professional 3’s 2,453mAh battery, which averages a 34-minute flight time, however the Lite+ is a much bigger drone.
The Autel Evo Lite+ is rated at 40 minutes of flight time on a single cost, and in my use, I discovered that I may stand up to 45 minutes relying on how I flew and the way a lot I used to be filming versus capturing photographs.
It isn’t really helpful you retain flying as soon as the battery life drops beneath 20% and that it’s best to return to base and swap out your battery.
I’ll add that the triple battery design is a little bit flawed and simply disconnects. Autel’s energy connection is flawed because it doesn’t keep linked simply, and a number of other occasions it will simply slip off or pop off throughout charging until I had it mendacity fully flat. Though the batteries stay secured of their charging station, the ability cable appears to have a thoughts of its personal.
It’s not a serious flaw, however it was typically annoying. Nevertheless, the batteries will take about 90 minutes to succeed in a full cost when it stays linked.
Backside Line
Throughout my many months with the Autel Evo Lite+ drone, I’ve to say it has change into one in every of my prime three drones. It additionally was the drone that made me need to take my FAA Half 107 business drone license take a look at. Due to its longer-than-average battery life, and highly effective and sturdy design, it makes free-hand flying enjoyable.
When you’re a newbie or intermediate drone pilot, the Autel Evo Lite+ gives sturdy construct high quality, a potent 1-inch digital camera sensor, and an easy-to-use app and controller. It’s value each penny of the $1,399 our bundle bundle prices. It simply flies robust. Of all of the drones I’ve flown, it’s the A-10 Thunderbolt II (a.okay.a. “The flying tank”) of drones, and it’s a keeper.
