Powervision PowerEgg X Drone Review – An all-weather alternative vs the DJI Air 2S / Mini 3 Pro

Towards the end of 2021, I reviewed the excellent PowerVision S1 Gimbal. It is an innovative gimbal that differentiates itself from the likes of DJI and Zhiyun with a unique pocket-friendly design.

Powervision also has a range of drones, they have three marine drones and then the PowerEgg X. The PowerEgg X has three models, they are all the same underlying drone I am testing today, but there is a weatherproof and water landing/takeoff model as well.

Specification

PowerEgg X Drone
Takeoff Weight	1.9 lb
Horizontal flight speed	18m/s
Maximum takeoff altitude	4000m
GNSS	GPS + GLONASS
Flight Time	30m
Wind Resistance	20 knot / 10m/s
PowerEgg X Camera
Sensor	1/2.8 inch CMOS Effective Pixels 12MP+
Lens	FOV: 78.4° Focal Length: 27mm Aperture: f/1.8 Shooting Range: 1 m to ∞
ISO Range	Video：100 – 3200 Photo：100 – 6400
Shutter Speed	Electronic Shutter: 8–1/8000s
Still Photography Modes	Single Photo Burst shooting: 3/5/7 frames Auto Exposure Bracketing (AEB): 3/5 bracketed frames at 0.7 EV Bias Interval: 3/5/7/10/15/30/60s
Video Resolution	4K：3840×2160 24/25/30/48/50/60p FHD: 1920×1080 24/25/30/48/50/60/120p HD:1280×720 24/25/30/48/50/60/120/240p
Battery	3800 mAh

Features

If you view this as just a normal drone, it may not be that appealing compared to market leader DJI. They have similar-priced drones with better performance.

However, this drone can be bought as an all-weather model, or the Wizard option allows it to take off and land on water.

Annoyingly, it doesn’t look like Powervision sells an upgrade kit allowing you to buy the all-weather water landing features at a later date. Wex Photo has the waterproof case for a rather -steep £209.

You also have an autonomous personal camera mode and handheld gimbal. I feel like these two features are perhaps a little gimmicky.

With the handheld gimbal, I’d sooner use a phone gimbal and make the most out of my vastly superior phone camera and display.

The autonomous personal camera could be useful, but I feel like a lot of people would want a superior camera for this sort of thing.

The main issue with these two features is that there is an audible fan noise from the drone.

Set-Up

The PowerEgg X has a convenient modular design. The main body of the drone is egg-shaped, as the name suggests, with detachable propellers. When the propellers detached, the drone is well protected in its egg-shaped plastic casing. This meant I was able to carry it around in my bag without needing to take its protective case with me.

One stupid mistake I made was not removing the camera gimbal protector. It’s a small grey cup that sits below the camera. I don’t know how I missed this in the instructions, but the drone won’t work with it in place. It won’t take off, and within diagnostics, it shows a gimbal error. So, don’t be an idiot like me, and read the instructions properly.

You will need to install the Vision+2 app to control the drone. You then mound your phone onto the controller and connect your phone via USB to the controller. The USB connection needs to be in file transfer for the drone to connect properly. When you load up the app, you will have the option to use it in drone or handheld mode. The phone holder works well, and I was able to use my Pixel 6 and the Realme GT Neo 3 with it.

Drone Performance

I am very inexperienced in flying drones, but this is incredibly easy to grasp the basics. The controller is simple enough. There are several buttons and a dial to control the gimbal as well as a programmable Custom/FN button so you can assign your preferred function.

Launching and landing is a press of a button, then sliding to accept. If the drone has any errors within the diagnostics, it won’t launch.

Controlling the drone is easy enough, but getting nice smooth footage requires a bit of practice. When I was testing it, even though my drone control was poor, the gimbal kept the footage relatively smooth.

On a mildly windy day, the drone managed to remain stable. I noticed the drone registering as disconnected a couple of times during flight. This happened when it went quite high, but well below its maximum height. It was a bit disconcerting, but it seemed like the controller still worked as I was able to get the drone to descend and regain connectivity.

The are some useful AI modes, including Follow Me, Point of Interest, QuickShots and Time Lapse.

The PowerEgg X has front obstacle avoidance and downward sensors to aid with landing. This seemed to work effectively, I was warned well in advance as the drone got close to some trees.

Battery life seems to be roughly what was advertised. I didn’t time it specifically, but I’d normally fly it for about 25 minutes before I landed it.

This has a 12MP 1/2.8-inch CMOS sensor which is well below the standard you would find in most phones nowadays. It also won’t compete with the 1-inch CMOS 20MP sensor on the DJI Air 2S.

I’d say the video and image performance are generally good. I think most people will be happy with it, but if you want a high-quality professional-looking footage, then you may need to look at the DJI Air 2S, but that doesn’t have the weatherproofing options.

The drone has quite an audible fan when powered on. This, of course, is not an issue when you are flying it, but it is sub-optimal for the AI camera and gimbal mode.

Price and Alternative Options

The Powervision PowerEgg X has been on Amazon from as low as £644, going up to £950.

At the time of writing, the PowerEgg X Explorer is £575 discounted from £768. Shipping to the UK is £51.

Buy from PowerVision

My review sample incurred a large customs fee for VAT. Powervision make no mention of this on the product pages. I think mine was sent from the Netherlands, but thanks to Brexit, this is why I got stung for VAT. EU buyers should be OK, but UK buyers should factor this in.

DJI are the gold standard for drones.

The DJI Air 2S is probably the best alternative option. At the time of writing, it is £769 from DJI, Amazon has it for £759. Curry’s and Argos all stock it. There will be no customs fees, and any warranty issues will all be dealt with in the UK.

The DJI Air 2S has a faster 19 m/s, limited by EU regulations, higher takeoff altitude, same 30 mins battery. It has a far superior camera with a 1-inch CMOS 20MP sensor.

The DJI Mini 3 or 3 Pro is also a viable alternative. The DJI Mini 3 Pro is around £650 from UK stores, including a remote control. It has a 34-minute flight time (30m hovering) and 20 MP camera capable of 4K/60fps. It is a bit slower at 16 m/s.

Of course, the PowerEgg X can be upgraded for all-weather use, and the Wizard variant can land on water. These seem to be the main reasons why you’d opt for the PowerEgg X over DJI.

Overall

I have got to admit I like the Powervision PowerEgg X, but I am likely biased as I have not had much experience using drones.

I found it easy to use, and I was happy with the footage it produced.

I think the handheld mode is a bit of a gimmick. It may be useful if you are out shooting drone footage and then happen to need a handheld gimbal. Personally, I’d sooner shoot footage with my phone and use a good smartphone gimbal.

While I didn’t test it personally, the main selling point for this drone will be its all-weather and water landing features. Considering I live in the north of the UK and on the coast, these features would likely mean the PowerEgg X could be used on significantly more days than the DJI alternatives.

Last update on 2024-12-03 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API