Introduction
The Happymodel Mobula8 HD 1-2S 85mm Whoop DJI O3 is a cinewoop drone that offers exceptional quality 4K footage and smooth flying capabilities. In this review, setup guide, and flight footage showcase, we will explore this drone’s features, performance, and value for money.
The Resurgence of Cinewoops
Cinewoops, a type of drone designed specifically for capturing high-definition footage, have seen a recent resurgence in popularity. In the past, achieving good quality HD footage required mounting a heavy GoPro camera, which often affected the drone’s flying characteristics. However, with the introduction of the DJI O3 air unit, lightweight cinewoops have become more prevalent. The O3 firmware provides log format and compatibility with ND filters, enabling stunning 4K footage comparable to the latest GoPro cameras at a fraction of the weight.
The HappyModel Mobula8 HD
The HappyModel Mobula8 HD is a highly anticipated upgrade from its predecessor, the Mobula7. With significant improvements in frame design based on user feedback and extensive testing, this drone offers a superior flying experience along with exceptional video quality.
Setup and Configuration
Setting up the Mobula8 HD is straightforward. The drone comes with a top frame variant suitable for the DJI O3 air unit or the HD zero cam. Depending on your preference, both options offer excellent video capabilities. The lightweight frame ensures optimal performance and agility during flight.
The Mobula8 HD features efficient brushless motors and a sturdy frame for enhanced durability. The drone is equipped with a built-in battery bay, allowing for convenient battery installation and replacement. The flight controller and ESC stack provide smooth and reliable flying characteristics, ensuring an enjoyable piloting experience.
Flight Performance and Footage
The Mobula8 HD delivers exceptional flight performance and stability. The powerful brushless motors offer impressive speed and agility, allowing for smooth maneuverability even in tight spaces. The advanced flight controller ensures precise control, making it suitable for both beginners and experienced pilots.
When it comes to the video quality, the Mobula8 HD truly shines. The DJI O3 air unit captures crystal-clear 4K footage, rivaling the latest GoPro cameras in terms of image quality. The footage is smooth and well-balanced, allowing for immersive and cinematic shots. With the flexibility to install suitable ND filters, users can further enhance the footage’s dynamic range and capture stunning visuals in various lighting conditions.
Value for Money
Considering its impressive features and capabilities, the Happymodel Mobula8 HD offers excellent value for money. Priced around a hundred dollars, it provides an affordable option for those looking to enter the world of cinewoops without breaking the bank. Its lightweight design, reliable flying characteristics, and exceptional video quality make it a compelling choice for both recreational and professional use.
Review of the Happymodel Mobula8 HD 1-2S 85mm Whoop DJI O3
Specifications and Features
The Happymodel Mobula8 HD 1-2S 85mm Whoop DJI O3 is an affordable option for those looking to upgrade their drone. Priced at around 100 pounds in the UK, this lightweight version is equipped with everything you need except for the VTX (video transmitter). The flight control system in this drone is the powerful F4 HD with a built-in Express LRS and 2.4 gigahertz receiver running version 3 of elrs. It also features a built-in 12 amp four-in-one ESC, eight Megs black box memory, and even includes a BMP 280 barometer.
Performance and Components
The Happymodel Mobula8 HD is equipped with ex 1103 11000 KV motors paired with gemfan hurricane 2023 props. These motors and props have been proven to work well in the analog version of the Mobula8, and they deliver excellent performance in this HD version as well. The drone also comes with simple weight-saving whip antennas, although users have the option to use the original O3 antenna if desired.
Setup and Installation
Installing the VTX on the Happymodel Mobula8 HD is fairly straightforward, but it does require some caution. The tight fit within the drone’s frame means that you may need to bend the frame slightly to accommodate the camera antennas. While the injection molded frame is robust, it is important to handle it with care and avoid applying excessive force. The package includes simple weight-saving whip antennas, but users can opt to use the original O3 antenna. Once the VTX is installed, users need to connect the included connector to the air unit and secure the top frame with the provided screws and nuts. It is recommended to add a drop of thread lock to ensure the frame remains secure during flights.
Flight Footage and Experience
The Happymodel Mobula8 HD offers an enjoyable flying experience. The included flight control system, F4 HD, provides stable and responsive control. The drone’s lightweight design, combined with the powerful motors and props, results in excellent maneuverability and speed. The video quality provided by the DJI O3 air unit is impressive, allowing for crystal-clear footage during flights. The Mobula8 HD is particularly well-suited for indoor flying due to its compact size and agile performance.
Overall, the Happymodel Mobula8 HD 1-2S 85mm Whoop DJI O3 is a budget-friendly option that delivers impressive performance. With its ready-to-use features and easy installation process, it is an excellent choice for both beginners and experienced drone enthusiasts alike. Whether you want to fly indoors or outdoors, this drone will provide an enjoyable and engaging flying experience.
Review: Happymodel Mobula8 HD 1-2S 85mm Whoop DJI O3
The Happymodel Mobula8 HD 1-2S 85mm Whoop DJI O3 is a powerful and versatile drone that offers an impressive flying experience. In this review, we will take a closer look at its setup and flight footage to determine its capabilities.
Setup
When setting up the drone, one thing to note is the presence of four nuts that need to be secured tightly to prevent them from coming loose during flight. Additionally, to minimize the possibility of Jello in the video footage, it is recommended to use soft mounts between the top and bottom frame of the drone.
To mount the O3 camera, a couple of bolts can be used on the side. However, it is important to consider that the camera’s tilt may be limited due to interference from the thick portion of the top frame. This issue might not be a concern for regular cinewhoop flying, as there are various ways to bind the drone with a transmitter.
The easiest way to bind the drone is by using the Express LRS bind phrase and Wi-Fi. By ensuring that the transmitter is set up with the bind phrase, users can turn on the mobility rate and wait for the LED to start its fast flash. This indicates that the drone is in Wi-Fi hotspot mode.
To connect to the drone, users need to have Express LRS configurator installed on their computer and connect to the hotspot named “Express LRS RX.” The default password for the hotspot is “Express LRS.” Once connected, users can navigate to the homepage or enter the bind phrase to complete the setup process.
Betaflight Setup
After completing the initial setup, it is important to configure the drone’s settings in Betaflight. Connecting the drone to Betaflight will reveal the available ports, with UART1 being set up for MSP. This allows for OSD integration and compatibility with goggles V2.
To ensure proper reception, it is recommended to set up a Serial RX for the Express LRS receiver configuration. This is a standard configuration that ensures seamless communication between the transmitter and the drone. Additionally, the drone’s angle can be set to 180, which can be useful for certain flying maneuvers.
Flight Footage
Once the setup is complete, users can begin capturing flight footage with the Happymodel Mobula8 HD 1-2S 85mm Whoop DJI O3. The drone’s performance is impressive, offering smooth and stable flight. The video footage captured by the O3 camera is clear and of high quality.
Overall, the Happymodel Mobula8 HD 1-2S 85mm Whoop DJI O3 is a reliable and capable drone that delivers an enjoyable flying experience. Its setup is straightforward, and the flight footage is of excellent quality. Whether for casual flying or professional cinematography, this drone is a great choice for drone enthusiasts of all levels.
Review of the Happymodel Mobula8 HD 1-2S 85mm Whoop DJI O3
Setup
The Happymodel Mobula8 HD 1-2S 85mm Whoop DJI O3 is a compact and versatile drone that offers a range of features and options for drone enthusiasts. To begin with, the drone comes with default settings for arming upside down power and battery, which can be easily customized to suit individual preferences. The file safe is set to drop per tuning, ensuring safe operation during flight.
Flight Profile
One of the interesting aspects of the Happymodel Mobula8 HD 1-2S 85mm Whoop DJI O3 is its flight profile options. Users can choose from a range of profiles, each offering a different level of performance and maneuverability. The default profiles offered by the drone are fairly tame, but there is also an option to create and customize profiles according to personal preferences.
Betaflight and FPV
The Happymodel Mobula8 HD 1-2S 85mm Whoop DJI O3 runs on the latest Betaflight 4.3.2 software, ensuring a smooth and responsive flight experience. The targets FPV Betaflight F4 is one release behind, but this does not affect the overall performance of the drone. The developers have clearly put a lot of effort into fine-tuning the PID settings, resulting in a drone that is stable and agile in flight.
Receiver Tab Issue
Some users may encounter an issue where the receiver tab isn’t working in the Betaflight Configurator. However, this can be easily resolved by following a few simple steps. If the quad is bound and the receiver LED is solid, but the receiver tab isn’t functioning, users can go to the transmitter, run the ELRS script, and navigate to the tools section. From there, find the LRS Lua script, execute it, and enable Model Match. After toggling Model Match on and off, recycle both the transmitter and the quad, and the receiver tab should start functioning properly again.
The Happymodel Mobula8 HD 1-2S 85mm Whoop DJI O3 is a highly capable and versatile drone that offers a range of features and customization options. With its impressive flight performance, customizable profiles, and reliable software, this drone is a great choice for both beginners and experienced drone enthusiasts.
Battery Performance
I’ve been using the GMB 450 milliamp hour, 2s lipos with the Happymodel Mobula8 HD and they fit perfectly into the battery holder on the bottom of the frame. With these batteries, I’ve been getting around four minutes of flight time when flying conservatively. However, if you push the drone hard with frequent punch-outs, you’ll probably get around two to three minutes of flight time. Overall, the battery performance is satisfactory.
Flight Performance and Tune
The Happymodel Mobula8 HD flies extremely well, and I must say that Happymodel has done a great job with the tune. It’s worth mentioning that this drone is surprisingly quiet for a whoop or any drone with ducts or prop guards. Like most cinewoops, it does experience some washout, but personally, I don’t find it bothersome. It’s important to note that cineloops aren’t really optimized for fast descending turns. If you want to perform that type of maneuver, it’s better to use a proper five-inch quad. Additionally, it’s important not to spend too much time trying to tune out the washout since a cinewhoop will never behave the same as a good five-inch quad. In my opinion, it’s better to focus on slow cinematic flying with this drone, as that’s where it truly excels.
Video Quality
The Happymodel Mobula8 HD provides excellent video quality for cinematic shots. It offers smooth and predictable flying, allowing you to capture beautiful 4K footage. However, it’s crucial to consider the camera angle before taking off. If the camera is angled too low, the ducts will be visible in the shot, which may require cropping in post-production. So, always ensure that the camera is set at an appropriate angle to avoid capturing the ducts in your footage.
Review of the Happymodel Mobula8 HD 1-2S 85mm Whoop DJI O3
Video Quality
The Happymodel Mobula8 HD 1-2S 85mm Whoop DJI O3 provides impressive video quality with minimal jello effect. Although there may be some jello initially, it quickly disappears. If you use ND filters on the O3 camera and experiment with soft mounting of the top frame, the footage can be further improved. The gyro flow processing also enhances the results, making the footage exceptionally good.
Commercial Video Shoot
I recently used the Happymodel Mobula8 HD 1-2S 85mm Whoop DJI O3 for a commercial video shoot at a holiday home. The results were better than what I achieved with my usual Shenron squirt. The drone’s small size and low noise level were advantageous, as it did not disturb people when flying close to them. Furthermore, its lightweight design ensured that even in case of any mishap, there would be no harm to individuals or property.
Sturdy Top Frame
Compared to the original 3D printed ones, the top frame of the Happymodel Mobula8 HD 1-2S 85mm Whoop DJI O3 appears to be more robust. Over the past week, it has withstood various challenges and seems to hold up well. I will continue to monitor its performance and provide updates accordingly.
Exceptional Drone
The Happymodel Mobula8 HD 1-2S 85mm Whoop DJI O3 is truly an exceptional whoop style drone. Despite its exceptional performance, it is reasonably priced at around a hundred dollars, making it an excellent choice for enthusiasts. I am so impressed that I am planning to purchase a second one as a backup.
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The Happymodel Mobula8 HD 1-2S 85mm Whoop DJI O3 is a cinewoop drone that delivers remarkable performance and outstanding video quality. With its lightweight design, reliable flying characteristics, and the ability to capture stunning 4K footage, it offers an affordable yet impressive option for enthusiasts and professionals alike. Whether you are a beginner or an
