JJRC X22, a drone with a 6K camera and obstacle avoidance at a low price

The JJRC X22 It’s a drone with a 6K camera and a 3-axis gimbal below the $300 price mark, billed as a good option for beginners, but does it live up to its promise? That is the question that we will answer throughout this analysis.

With that said, we can anticipate that its other points of sale are: a 5.7 km range with a 30-minute autonomy, GPS positioning, app control, intelligent flight and 360 degree obstacle detection if we choose the model that includes the module to enable said function.

JJRC X22 Features

Design

The presentation of the JJRC X22 is very careful, it definitely looks like a higher category drone. This one combines a gray color for the body with orange details that create a good contrast. Like the vast majority of quadcopters, the JJRC X22 can be folded for easier storage. When unfolded it measures about 26 x 25 x 6.7cm, but when folded it measures just over 18 x 11.5 x 6.5cm.

With that in mind, this compact friend features lights on the front, as well as an optical sensor on the bottom and a gimbal camera on the front.

Flight

The JJRC X22 promises a stable and safe flight, as well as a 5.7 kilometer operating range and a maximum flight altitude of 500 meters, which is guaranteed by the class 7 wind resistance of this drone.

With that said, the drone features various flight modes and GPS positioning, all of them with mixed results. In this sense, some users report that it takes a long time for the drone to obtain the GPS position and that if the signal is lost during follow mode, the device can become uncontrolled. On the other hand, the return home functions work just as they should. Additionally, it supports cruise control and other flight modes such as headless, spiral, custom path following, and more.

Indoor flying is possible thanks to the optical sensor located just below the drone, which apparently doesn’t turn off even when used outdoors.

360 degree obstacle avoidance

As we mentioned before, this drone can be equipped with a 360° obstacle detection and avoidance module degrees. Said module is optional and the results it offers are really nothing to brag about.

In this sense, the obstacle avoidance system will alert the user to objects in the way, but it does not make the drone move away or around them, it just stops the drone and keeps it hovering in position, so it is not a guarantee that can avoid collisions.

Camera

One of the main selling points of the JJRC X22, is its 6K resolution camerabut the truth of the matter is that it is a typical HD camera with image upscaling, so the photographic results are not as good as they should be. Also, the video resolution is limited to 2.7K, which underscores the fact that it’s not really a 6K camera.

Despite that, image quality is acceptable in this price range, especially considering that the camera is backed by a 3-axis gimbal that substantially stabilizes the image During flight. Additionally, the camera has a good range of maneuver, being able to rotate 60 degrees side to side, 50 degrees horizontally, and 100 degrees longitudinally.

With that in mind, the footage is saved to an SD-card that we can attach to the drone. If we don’t have one, the videos and photos will be stored on our mobile, but compressed, so image quality is lost.

It is also worth mentioning the existence of a variant of this drone with 1080p camerawhich is perhaps a better option for those on a tighter budget.

control and application

To control the JJRC X22, we have at our disposal the remote control and HFun Fly mobile app, which connect to the drone via 5G Wi-Fi. The range of control and image transmission is supposedly 5.7 kilometers, a figure that is somewhat difficult to verify on your own.

Be that as it may, the app for Android and iOS mobiles leaves something to be desired, especially due to the poor Chinese translations, but it is mostly functional.

Autonomy

Lastly, this quadcopter is powered by a 3,300 mAh battery that promises 33 minutes of flight uninterrupted, not bad in this price range. What is wrong is the recharge time, which is approximately 5 hours. Fortunately, the drone can be purchased in a combo with up to 3 spare batteries.

Availability and price of the JJRC X22

Those interested in the JJRC X22 can find it for sale on Geekbuying.com both in its 1080p and 6K version, but without the obstacle avoidance module. On the other hand, in Banggood we got it with the evasion module and also without him. With that said, we urge you to check out both offerings before making a decision, as different combos are offered that include spare batteries.

On the other hand, if you prefer a slightly more basic option to get started in this hobby, the JJRC X19 with 4K camera meets your needs.