Today, I am reviewing the X-Dynamics Evolve 2 Drone. I’ll share my thoughts on build, performance, and other details, as well as my favorite features. Drones, or “plane cameras” as my kids call them, are a wonderful piece of technology that can take your photos to the next level.
Construction of XDynamics Evolve 2
First, let’s talk about the construction of this drone. When it comes to questions of form or function, XDynamics Evolve 2 taking into account both. The design of the carbon bodywork is sleek and beautiful while also being sturdy.
Don’t be fooled by the pictures, like your rearview mirror or those misleading real estate photos, this drone is bigger and sturdier than it looks. It’s more like a full-size professional production drone than a pocket drone for hobbyists, we’ll talk more when we refer to flight. flight and performance as well as interchangeable lenses.
If you’re familiar with the line of drones out there, the XDynamics Evolve 2 has a similar shape and style to the Phantom 4 of DJI but much larger and built (carbon fiber instead of plastic).
One cool feature of this drone is the full-size clamshell-style controller with 2 screens. I regularly use drones with my phone, but prefer to use the iPad for the larger screen. With this drone you don’t need either, great if you’ve ever received a phone call on the fly!
The better news is that the drone uses C-fast cards, no more micro sd cards. I appreciate the speed of these cards and how much easier they are to handle. No more risk of dropping and losing small memory cards!
The drone also has a large sensor. The 4/3 micro sensor is the same size as you’ll find on many popular Panasonic, Black Magic, and Olympus cameras. It delivers excellent performance, especially in low light due to its 12-megapixel resolution. Fewer megapixels means larger pixels that collect more light resulting in less noise at higher iso settings.
Drone Flight and Performance
As you can see, I flew this drone during some winter storms against cold winds but the flight went smoothly. It’s definitely more targeted towards advanced users and I wouldn’t let my grandsons fly this one.
Drones do not have obstacle avoidance capabilities, depending on who you are can be professional and scam. Sometimes obstacle avoidance is helpful so you don’t have to worry about hitting things if you’re a bit lazy but often it gets in the way of production if you’re deliberately flying close to an object.
Even with obstacle avoidance, I have found myself climbing up trees to get to the drone so careful flying and awareness of your surroundings is really important in preventing accidents. XDynamics has mentioned the possibility of adding this feature in the future, but I don’t have more information on when. Personally, I’d like to see them add other features first but some people think obstacle avoidance is important.
So that’s an example of this drone being targeted at more advanced (or less lazy.) users that can tell your drone what to do. and don’t let it override your programming decisions. I prefer most of my gear to do exactly what I ask with full manual control instead of constantly getting obstacle warnings when I know I’m intentionally flying close to a subject .
Camera features
As a professional photographer, the interesting thing is, what can a device do to make my photos or videos better? This is where this drone really shines as the XDynamics Evolve 2 has an interchangeable lens option.
Drone footage always looks like drone footage, a unique and fun perspective that gradually becomes less unique. With interchangeable lenses, we can be more specific about what and how we want to capture something. For me, it is an interesting idea because it will help increase my creativity when flying. It can give a unique look that is different from the standard wide-angle drone view.
12-megapixel sensor, optimized for video and low-light, but relatively low-resolution photos can be easily enlarged in Lightroom with the “enhanced” feature. With the power of Adobe Lightroom AI, you can easily turn a 12 MP still photo into a 48 MP, giving you plenty of resolution and detail for your prints/cuts. I am increasingly looking for equipment that I can use for photos and videos as most clients require both media during their production. Fortunately, equipment is getting better and more versatile, and without it, software can sometimes fill in the gaps.
Video Features
Now let’s discuss the video-specific features. The Evolve 2 comes standard with the available Apple Prores 422 codec (at no extra charge). That means great colors and dynamic range in a high-quality codec that’s easy to edit.
The option for a beautiful flat profile (x-log) provides flexible and creative color grading of your footage. It can be easily adjusted to match other footage with the adjustability of the color profile.
As I mentioned before, the ability to use interchangeable lenses makes it easy to get the perspective and look you want. With telephoto lens options, you can create powerful parallax effects that always look stunning in fast-moving video scenes. Combine that with the ability to shoot 4k in 120fps and you can really show motion in your videos.
Other notable features of XDynamics Evolve 2
Finally, I will introduce you to a few other notable features. XDynamics is not a Chinese company. Its headquarters are in Hong Kong but all sales and service are done in Southern California.
For those who are increasingly concerned about tech companies collecting our data, this drone is not. There are also no geo-fences. Drone pilots need to know where they can and can’t fly, it’s the pilot’s responsibility and one of those things like avoiding obstacles where the drone is trying to make you easy. easier but sometimes you want to be able to make the final decision as a pilot to know if you are really where the drone thinks you are.
This drone is relatively reasonably priced for the feature set. If you’re going to pay a lot of dollars, you want a lot of bang and this drone delivers.
Ultimately, XDynamics is a user- and market-centric company. They will listen to feedback and be motivated to serve customers. Many companies claim to be this way but when I connect to XDynamics they seem to be very interested in making sure I have everything I need. This is the kind of service that will make them a big player in the professional drone market.
What I like about this drone
The main selling point for me is the full-size controller with two screens and interchangeable lenses. It’s nice to not need my phone to fly and my artist side really likes the idea of being able to choose my focal length.
Drones are nice too if you’re allowed to admit that such things are important to you. I’m always excited to pick up and fly something that looks eye-catching. If you look at the car market in the US, I think most people would agree. Form and function go hand in hand!
What I don’t like about this Drone
Even as I fly more and more, I still like having the option to avoid obstacles. This feature is likely to roll out in the future and I’d like to see it as an option if I want to fly with some caution.
Personally, I need a lot of my gear to be travelable and packable. Sometimes I go hiking, flying or even climbing to take pictures so size doesn’t matter.
This drone is a bit big for my day-to-day needs, and since the props don’t fold, you either have to pack and unpack it or have the space to set it up. That works for me when I have a shot that is mostly if not focused solely on flying but isn’t ideal when I’m trying to get to a unique location. I’d love to see the implementation of a set of folding kickstands to make this drone a bit faster/smaller to move around.
Inference
In a nutshell, the XDynamics Evolve 2 is more targeted at professionals who want the professional quality that interchangeable lenses will deliver. If flying a drone is your main gig and you’re not trying to save space for all your other gear, then some of the limitations will go away for you.
This drone is placed between the DJI Inspire and Mavic 3. It has the same sensor size as the Mavic 3 and Inspire 2 but in between them in the price range while still offering interchangeable lenses. It’s smaller than the Inspire 2 and offers higher frame rates at 4k resolution.
With all my gear decisions, I’m finding the right balance of priorities. What can I get for the right price that gives me the right quality and serves my needs in the right way? Do I need this device to work in all situations or do I need it because it does something another device can’t?
I hope my review helped answer some of your questions about the Evolve 2 from XDynamics. Let me know in the comments section where you think this drone is for the market and if you are thinking of buying one.
