I’ve been testing the GEPRC Cinebot25 V2, a 2.5-inch cinewhoop constructed round a modular DJI O4 Professional digicam system. It’s one of many extra attention-grabbing FPV drones I’ve reviewed just lately—not as a result of it reinvents construct high quality, however due to its modular design philosophy. After spending a couple of days with it, right here’s my hands-on take.
Find out about cinewhoops: https://oscarliang.com/cinewhoop/
The place to Purchase
You may get the Cinebot25 V2 from:
Equipment Included
- Guide and stickers
- A spare set of HQ DT63mm×3 propellers
- Cover substitute components, screws, and grommets
- Instruments and an additional battery strap
Specs
- Body: GEP-CT25 V2
- Foremost Carbon Plate Thickness: 2.0 mm
- Wheelbase: 123 mm
- FC: TAKER F722 35A 32-bit AIO
- MCU: STM32F722RET6
- Gyro: ICM42688-P
- FC Firmware: GEPRC_F722_AIO
- Flash: 16MB
- ESC: 32-bit 35A
- Motors: SPEEDX2 1404 4600KV
- Props: HQProp DT63mm×3 V2
- Battery Connector: XT30
- FPV Setup: DJI O4 Professional Air Unit
- Receiver: PNP / ELRS 2.4GHz
- Weight (ELRS Model): 219±5 g
- GPS: GEP-M10 Nano
- Advisable Battery: LiHV 4S 750–1100 mAh
- Flight Time: 5–8 minutes (examined underneath sluggish cruising circumstances; precise flight time is dependent upon flying type)
Construct High quality
What stood out instantly is the development high quality. The ducts are injection-molded plastic, forming a unibody decrease construction, paired with a 2mm carbon fiber prime plate that integrates the arms. It feels strong and refined.
The flight controller’s USB-C port is definitely accessible from the rear of the drone.
It won’t be instantly apparent, however there may be an M10 Nano GPS module hidden underneath the rear cowl. It’s positioned distant from the VTX antennas, which is right for sturdy GPS reception.
There’s a brilliant blue LED strip beneath the ducts. It isn’t RGB—only a single-color LED strip. It can’t be programmed in Betaflight, however you may flip it on or off utilizing a change in your radio.
The digicam sits fairly far ahead, so there are not any props in view. Nevertheless, the digicam is pretty uncovered, and the lens may very well be susceptible in crashes.
Swappable O4 Professional Digital camera Cage
The actual spotlight of this drone is the modular digicam cage.
This idea might have been impressed by Speedybee (they had been among the many first I noticed doing one thing related), though I can’t verify that. Both approach, it’s a intelligent concept.
What does it matter? You’ll be able to take away the digicam cage and set up it on one other appropriate drone. Which means you would share a single DJI O4 Professional Air Unit throughout a number of quads, which might prevent cash.
Nevertheless, this modular system solely is sensible if GEPRC releases extra appropriate BNF drones and frames, so let’s hope they achieve this sooner or later.
The cage itself is product of CNC aluminum and feels extraordinarily sturdy. It’s hard-mounted to the body utilizing 4 M2 screws, making it fast to take away and set up. Contained in the cage, the O4 Professional digicam and air unit are soft-mounted utilizing rubber grommets, which helps scale back jello and vibration in recorded footage.
The O4 Professional antennas are additionally straightforward to put in and are held securely as soon as mounted.
Weight & Battery Selection
Curiously, the Cinebot25 V2 is heavier than the bigger GEPRC Cinelog30 V3.
- Cinebot25 V2: 219 g (with out battery)
- Cinelog30 V3: 192 g
Realistically, there isn’t any sensible technique to make this quad underneath 250g. Even a tiny 4S 300mAh battery weighs round 40g, and that might solely give about 1.5 minutes of flight time, which isn’t sensible.
GEPRC recommends 4S 750–1100mAh batteries.
I examined with a 4S 850mAh LiPo from BetaFPV, bringing whole weight to 315g:
- 6–7 minutes cruising
- 5–6 minutes aggressive flying
Battery choices are additionally restricted by bodily area. The battery compartment measures:
- Width: 35.5 mm
- Size: 64 mm
So if you end up selecting battery, make sure that they will match. In order for you suggestion, these are good selection:
BetaFPV LAVA 4S 850mAh LiPo:
Weight Distribution Points
The Cinebot25 is noticeably rear-heavy resulting from battery placement. Because of this, the rear motors must work more durable than the entrance motors—even in hover, they look like working roughly 10% more durable.
This has a number of implications:
- Rear motors can attain saturation sooner throughout punch-outs
- Lowered most efficiency
- Potential instability throughout aggressive maneuvers
There isn’t a lot you are able to do to repair this. The digicam cage takes an excessive amount of prime plate area, so you may’t transfer the battery ahead any additional.
You’ll be able to attempt rotating the aluminum battery mounts 90° and mount the battery sideways. This barely improves steadiness, however the quad nonetheless stays tail-heavy.
ESC Firmware
Just like the Cinelog30 V3 we reviewed beforehand, this drone shares the identical ESC firmware concern.
It makes use of BLHeli_32, which is now successfully discontinued. Much more regarding, the firmware model put in shouldn’t be an official launch however a prototype construct (31.9.2). In my testing, it labored fantastic, however we can’t be positive whether or not there are bugs we don’t learn about. And even when points are found, they can’t be fastened since you may now not replace BLHeli_32 ESCs.
You’ll be able to’t even change ESC settings on this model (the “Write Setup” button simply gray out), I assume that’s why it’s caught on the 24KHz PWM frequency setting and never utilizing 48KHz which is smoother.
It could work with out issues, however because the individual flying it, try to be conscious of this limitation and resolve whether or not you might be snug with the chance.
Flight Efficiency
Some flight footage:
GPS
GPS lock was fast—underneath a minute to accumulate 8 satellites.
GPS Rescue shouldn’t be enabled by default. As soon as I enabled it, it labored properly in my flying discipline (largely open area) with out altering any settings.
Discover ways to arrange Rescue Mode right here: https://oscarliang.com/setup-gps-rescue-mode-betaflight/
Stability & Tuning
In calm climate, the Cinebot25 cruises properly. It’s secure and fairly environment friendly. Nevertheless, in windy circumstances, it may well get pushed round extra simply and will present some wobble.
Throughout extra aggressive flying, there may be reasonable prop wash throughout descents.
The tuning itself shouldn’t be unhealthy, however not excellent both. For relaxed cinematic flying in calm circumstances, it’s completely usable. In the event you reside someplace that’s usually windy, a bigger drone such because the Cinelog30 will deal with wind higher.
Energy & Velocity
The drone hovers at round 27% throttle, which displays its weight. It’s not significantly highly effective.
You discover this when recovering from dives or split-S maneuvers—typically it struggles to “catch” itself resulting from restricted thrust. This isn’t a great platform for acro-heavy freestyle.
With that mentioned, it may well nonetheless be fairly quick, with a prime velocity round 110km/h.
Noise stage is just like the bigger Cinelog30 V3.
Present Sensor
The present sensor calibration is inaccurate. Setting it to 190 provides extra life like readings.
Electronics & Upkeep
Let’s take the quad aside and take a look at what’s inside.
Eradicating the digicam cage solely requires 4 screws.
Inside, every part is linked utilizing plugs, and all cables are clearly labeled. This makes upkeep and half substitute easy, with no soldering required usually.
Nevertheless, GEPRC decides to make use of each obtainable screws measurement on the planet 🙂 which will be complicated. Take images and notes when tearing it down.
Buzzer is built-in into the USB extension board.
Soldering high quality appears to be like good.
Receiver is mounted on the duct, held by 3D printed components, not simply double sided tape, exhibits nice consideration to element!
FC boot button is on the USB extension board and accessible from the aspect
Is the CineBot25 V2 Newbie Pleasant?
This drone is beginner-friendly in some methods, however not in others.
Newbie-Pleasant Elements
- Labeled inner wiring
- Plug-based connections for straightforward restore
- USB extension board and exterior boot button
- Total strong construct high quality
Much less Newbie-Pleasant Elements
- Too many alternative screw sizes
- DJI O4 Professional shouldn’t be configured out of the field—you could set it up in Betaflight
- Included guide is generic and never particular to this mannequin. For instance, it covers the O3 however not the O4
- GPS Rescue shouldn’t be enabled by default
- The digicam protrudes from the entrance and is uncovered in crashes
GEPRC O4 Professional ND Filters
ND filters are important for cinematic footage, however on this case they serve one other vital function: lens safety. The Cinebot25’s digicam is sort of uncovered, so any additional safety is welcome.
GEPRC affords its personal branded ND filters for the DJI O4 Professional, they usually match the Cinebot25 completely. Get it right here: https://s.click on.aliexpress.com/e/_c3f5zFb9
These filters are an especially tight match—I really broke a nail putting in one. As a result of the digicam is soft-mounted, becoming the filter is much more difficult. Eradicating it’s even more durable. The upside is that it’s impossible to fall off throughout flight or crashes.
The best way to Setup
Earlier than the primary flight, I did the next:
- Eliminated all labels on the drone.
- Put in the 2 O4 Professional antennas within the antenna mount (simply push them in, friction match).
- Eliminated the protecting movie from the digicam lens.
- Peeled off the movie on the battery pads
Firmware
- The flight controller (FC) board goal is GEPRC_F722_AIO, and it comes preloaded with Betaflight firmware model 4.5.2. For CLI Diff, see right here (not inventory, i forgot to reserve it earlier than altering settings, this diff is barely modified).
- ESC Firmware: BLHeli_32 Proto: 31.9.2 (24KHz)
- ELRS Receiver Firmware Goal: GEPRC Nano 2.4GHz PA100 RX, firmware 3.4.2
DJI O4 Professional Setup
Betaflight Setup
Guide:
Areas for Enchancment
- A bit heavy for two.5inch cinewhoop
- Higher heart of gravity and battery placement flexibility
- Use an lively, up-to-date ESC firmware
- Pre-configure DJI O4 Professional and Rescue mode
- Present a model-specific guide
- Supply a GoPro-style mount for thumb measurement motion digicam / bare GoPro
Ultimate Ideas: Ought to You Get the Cinebot25 or Cinelog30?
The GEPRC Cinebot25 V2 cinewhoop is a well-built, thoughtfully designed FPV drone with an progressive modular digicam system. The construct high quality and engineering are spectacular, and the general consumer expertise is superb.
That mentioned, I’m a bit torn between these two new fashions from GEPRC. The Cinebot25 V2 has a number of beginner-friendly qualities: it’s straightforward to restore and keep, comes with GPS put in out of the field, and the ability is tame, making it simpler to deal with for newcomers. Nevertheless, the uncovered digicam is a priority. Whereas the general design is sort of sturdy, the digicam sits far ahead with out safety and is susceptible in crashes. In the event you crash regularly, this won’t be your best option. However, in the event you primarily fly indoors (for instance, actual property or indoor cinematic work), the Cinebot25 is a greater possibility because of its decrease profile and skill to suit by tighter gaps.
You may get the Cinebot25 V2 from:
The Cinelog30 V3 is extra enjoyable to fly general. It’s barely larger, extra highly effective, and surprisingly lighter. It’s higher fitted to skilled pilots who take pleasure in aggressive freestyle. You’ll additionally get smoother cinematic footage as a result of it handles wind higher and is extra secure within the air. Nevertheless, if you need GPS Rescue, you’ll want to put in your individual GPS module, so it’s not essentially the most beginner-friendly setup. The Cinelog30 V3 can also be extra environment friendly—you may count on 1–2 minutes of extra flight time on common utilizing the identical battery. It may additionally carry bigger batteries because of the additional area on the highest plate.
Briefly: