Contixo F18 Review: Is This One of the Best Affordable Drones?

So you’re out for a stroll one warm, summer night when something in the sky catches your attention. Has your years of conspiracy theory research paid off? Is it a bird, a plane, or the Man of Steel, perhaps?

Not to burst your bubble here, but you’ve probably witnessed a drone making the rounds in your vicinity.

But the encounter has you intrigued.

Soon, you find yourself under page upon page of information, with your brain out of breath from keeping up with the sensory overload. Fast forward to a few days, and you’re itching to buy yourself one. And that’s where we butt in.

For those wanting to enter the drone-flying hobby and want a no-compromises experience, you might want to consider the Contixo F18.

This GPS-enabled craft boasts features that should ensure an enjoyable flight experience.

But how does it fare when pitted against the benchmark of its price-bracket competitors? Learn more about this quadcopter by going through our comprehensive Contixo F18 review.

Quick Specs

Weight	Unloaded: 334 grams
Size	Length: 14.5 in Width: 13.4 in Height: 3.15 in
Speed	Max: 25 mph
Signal	Range: ~600 meters Operational Frequency: 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz
Battery	Flight time: ~20 mins Capacity: 1800 mAh
Recording	Camera: 2K UHD, 110° FOV

Contixo F18 Features

GPS Module

Like most of its counterparts, the drone packs a GPS Module for extra stability and positioning functions, not to mention being an essential part of its assistive flight features.

The UAV connects to satellites orbiting the Earth’s outer atmosphere to accurately pinpoint its real-time location on the map, keeping it safe from going astray from its path or while in hover mode.

Do note that activating the module can take a minute or two, as it needs to find available satellites in the area to connect to, and requires a minimum number of 7 satellites to function properly.

We included the Contixo F18 as one of the best GPS drones of the year.

One-Key Takeoff and Landing

The drone has a neat One Key takeoff and landing button that allows you to instantly get the UAV in the air or land it, without the need for any manual maneuvers.

This is handy for beginners who are at a greater risk of crashing the drone at the first few flights, or the lazy bum who can’t be bothered to do the flying by themselves. Which one are you?

Return To Home

This feature is made possible with the help of the GPS module. Basically, when the drone is low on juice or has spotty signal issues, it automatically flies back to the last recorded take-off point to ensure its safety.

You can even prompt this feature manually with the dedicated button, with the drone doing the same actions to get back to your location without fail.

Follow Me

The UAV can also be used for serious cinematographic applications thanks to the Follow Me function. It has the drone track its camera towards the desired subject, which can be selected on the smartphone app screen. Just choose your target, and you’re good to go hands-free.

The drone maintains a constant speed and distance from the subject for consistent frame composition, but will also accelerate or decelerate in accordance with the subject’s movement.

Circling

This is the drone’s very own orbit mode, which is another cinematographic shot preset that has it doing a complete 360° maneuver around the subject, with the camera focused on the middle the entire time. The resulting shot is a dramatic and montage-driven take, making it perfect for themes that need a comprehensive view of the subject.

Waypoint

You can access this function via the drone’s smartphone app, to which you are given the map of the drone’s locality in real-time. You can then plot points to where you want the drone to fly on.

This is handy if you want to relocate piloting positions to save precious flight time, or when you want to focus more on the camera work instead of being occupied by it and flying the drone at the same time.

Features like this also make it really useful as a real estate drone, for capturing footage of properties and estates for promotional purposes.

Altitude Hold

Say goodbye to the traditional gimbals and tripods of the past, as the drone can mimic this essential photography and videography tool with the help of Altitude Hold. This function has the drone holding its position mid-air at a fixed altitude of 5 ft., making it a stable platform for your shooting needs.

Automatic Hovering

The UAV also has another hover mode which is activated at the same time your GPS goes online. Automatic Hovering makes it easy for beginners to slow down and catch a breath. This works when you take your hands off the controls, with the drone automatically assuming control and making itself hover in place when you go idle.

Battery Life

The Contixo F18 has an 1800 mAh battery that breathes life into the drone for a good 20 minutes or so, but this will still depend on the level of intensity you’re using the drone at. This is a pretty solid figure for a quadcopter of this price point, as most can only net five minutes less of what this drone is capable of.

You can always purchase additional batteries if you wish so, as they can take as long as 2 hours to charge back to full.

Camera

Sporting a 2K UHD camera, this is such an attractive deal at the price point it retails in. Most brands would still choose to equip their drones with 1080p sensors, which isn’t taboo, but it just dwarfs in comparison to the boost 2K gives.

Clarity is top-notch here, with itty-bitty details being captured with almost none amiss, which is especially evident in the photo shots. You are given some degree of control in terms of image quality, but the default profile is already good enough to shoot on the go.

One thing we noticed lacking from the drone is a multiple axis gimbal feature, as the camera is fixed onto the craft’s hull. This makes it prone to motor shudder, as well as jiggle from wind interference, whilst recording video.

No electronic stabilization is present either, so time your shots well enough if you’re aiming for cinematic takes for your brand of content.

You are also given the option for FPV mode, giving you a live feed of the drone’s immediate forward vision, simplifying flight via the 5 GHz video transmission link.

Controller

This uses a professional-looking controller that seems to be another OEM rebrand, as it looks like the ones that either Potensic or Holy Stone’s drones use.

That aside, it follows the basic format of dual joysticks, dedicated function buttons, and an LCD screen on the bottom part of the controller.

This screen gives off basic telemetry data such as battery and signal levels, as well as the number of connected satellites.

Ergonomically-speaking, the drone’s controller is comfortable for extended periods of use, even with the added weight of the 4 x AA batteries it requires to function.

Design and Build Quality

Following the standard quadcopter design, the Contixo F18 has sleek contours and mild curves for that futuristic speedster aesthetic.

The gloss finish is an absolute fingerprint magnet, but you won’t really have time to complain when you can’t see them from a hundred meters away, right?

The drone is built solidly as well as it is able to take some form of damage from minor crashes, but don’t push your luck and always aim for a safe flight. You also get spare propellers, but no prop guards are in sight, so try not to burn through the stash with careless maneuvers.

The drone’s landing gear is integrated with the motor hub, so expect a low clearance from your starting platform. The landing gear also doubles as an LED housing unit, giving you basic troubleshooting signals as well as a visibility tool for nighttime flight.

As for portability, Contixo packs it all in a water-resistant drone backpack which is padded as well for extra protection for your gear, and comfort for the wearer. This spacious storage bag has all the compartments for the necessary accessories of the UAV so you can lug it all in one go.

Performance

Zipping across the skies is an effortless feat for the Contixo F18, thanks to its powerful brushless motors. These motor have greater power to weight ratio when compared to their brushed counterparts, and are virtually maintenance-free for the rest of its working lifespan due to its frictionless design.

Stability is taken care of the UAVs 6-axis gyroscope, providing extra flight data from the additional sensors, including an accelerometer to keep tabs and provide immediate compensation for unwanted acceleration or maneuvers, making this one of the most accurate flyers in the midrange drone bracket.

Flight range is a bit limited at 600 meters, though, although it does exceed the distances of many of the alternatives in this price range.

Final Thoughts

While some already know that the midrange-priced drones often sprout bang for the buck models in a consistent fashion, it always pays to know just exactly what you’re getting for the money.

This particular UAV is just a treasure trove full of user-friendly features, either assisting you in your flight experience or totally taking rein of the craft for your convenience.

And oh, it flies for a good 20 minutes and comes with a competent 2K camera.

For something that falls somewhere around the $200-bracket, the Contixo F18 is a goodie bag of drone tech waiting to be unraveled.

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