The drone market is quickly getting saturated as more and more manufacturers emerge and start creating new products. Although this is creating more competition that benefits the buyers, it is also making it harder to differentiate the good from the bad. To stand out, quadcopter manufacturers have to innovate, as it is the case of this affordable Makerfire Armor 85 HD drone.
Makerfire released this summer an impressive camera quadcopter that delivers very satisfying performances. Although its HD camera might not compete at the level of a stand-alone device such as a GoPro, the Armor 85 can still record to-notch footage. However, thanks to its size of 85mm (as said by its name) the Makerfire Armor can record footage in some unusual situations.
Makerfire Armor 85 HD
The Makerfire Armor 85 is a tiny whoop with a great design and thanks to its quality camera it can fall under the category of cinematic micro drones, or cinewhoops. It is an 85mm drone capable of accessing small places that other camera drones such as the DJI are unable to. This enables the Makerfire Armor to record unique content at the increased video quality.
The tiny quad features an F3 flight controller and powerful motors that allow it to reach some satisfying performances. It also possesses a Caddx Turtle both for recording onboard-stored video but also for watching the FPV footage in a live manner.
The 3S battery of the Armor drone can be powered up using a USB charger. The battery is 500mah large, which should be good enough for a quad of this size. The quad has a total weight of 96 grams including the battery and only 73 grams without the 500mah power source. The weight is not exaggerated but, considering its size, performing complex flight maneuvers might prove a challenge.
Camera and Design
The design of this quad is quite innovative. The black coated shroud, combined with the eye-catching purple props give this quad quite an extravagant and unique look. The interesting looking frame of the drone is constructed out of highly-durable carbon fiber meant to ensure safety in case of a crash. The shroud holding the camera is built out of plastic, which although is not as durable as carbon fiber is still safe enough.
The camera can record clear footage without any restrictions thanks to the low-slung. The Armor 85 can record in 1080p at 60fps, delivering results very reminiscent of top-notch camera drones. Thanks to the 5.8G transmission and the 25~100mW range, the video can be watched in real-time without lag or quality loss.
If you want to save memory, you can also record in 1080p at 30fps or even 720p at 60fps. The drone supports a micro SD card of 8-64GB. Unfortunately, the card is not included in the package but, you can get one from anywhere. Owning multiple cards is advised if you don’t want to run out of space.
Specifications
- Wheelbase: 85mm
- Frame Material: Carbon fiber (2mm thickness)
- Motor: 1103 10000kv Brushless Motors
- ESC: Brushless 4in1 10A supports Dshot 600 BB2
- Flight Control: F3+OSD (Betaflight_Omnibus firmware)
- VTX: 5.8G 40CH 25~100mW Switchable VTX, Smart Audio
- Camera: Caddx Turtle V2 HD FPV Camera
- Recording: 1080P/60fps, 1080p/30fps, 720P/60fps
- Micro SD Card: Supports 8~64GB (not included)
- Battery: Crazepony 500mAh 2S LiPo Battery 7.4V 45C XT30 Connector
- Flying Weight: 96g (with battery)
- Flying Time: Around 4minuts 40seconds (with stock battery)
- Propeller: Upgraded Gemfan 40mm 1636 4-Blades Props
- Flight Performance
The flight performance is pretty typical of a tiny whoop as it’s hard to equip such a small package with outstanding capabilities. The drone is a bit underpowered when compared to its competitors. However, it can deliver satisfying results with a maximum flight time of 4 minutes and 40s at moderate speeds. If you want to use it at maximum speed you will be able to get about 3 minutes of flight time.
Package Includes
- 1* Makerfire Armor 85 HD Affordable Quadcopter
- 1 * Crazepony 500mAh 2S LiPo Battery
- 1* 2s USB Charger
- 4* Gemfan Purple 40mm 4-Blades Props
- 1* Screw Driver
- 1 * 5D-OSD Menu BoardÂ
- 1* Battery Strap
Conclusion
This Makerfire Armor 85 HD quadcopter holds some potential considering its affordable price of $139.99 on the official site. Its performances are similar to other tiny whoops and cinewhopps meant to deliver great video footage while being able to access small spaces. It is one of the best-looking drones out there thanks to the innovative approach manufacturers had when building it. Considering its price and a great camera, Armor 85 might be a good option for beginners after all.
