iFlight Defender 25 HD Review
The iFlight Defender 25 HD is a 4S Cinewhoop designed for 4K Cinema filming and light freestyle flying. It is under 250 grams and seems to be what we wished DJI had released with the DJI Avata. It does have the DJI 03 HD Fpv System onboard shooting stabilized 4K @ 60fps. But the Defender 25 is not an Avata! It is it's own drone with some pros and cons we will discuss in this article. but first let's dive into the specs of the iFlight Defender 25 HD.
Places to buy an iFlight Defender 25 HD - Please use our links ⭐️
iFlight Defender 25 Analog Version - Banggood
Accessories
iFlight Defender Batteries - iFlightRC
iFlight Charger Battery Adapter - iFlightRC
iFlight AIO F7 Flight Controller - iFlightRC
Specs: Flight Electronics: BLITZ D25 F7 AIO
Video Transmission: DJI O3 Air Unit
Frame: 112±2mm
Motor: Defender25 1404
Prop: Defender25 2525 props (2.5 inch)
Weight of the Aircraft: 180g with 550mah battery = 230 grams
Takeoff Weight incl. 550mAh battery: 240g
Takeoff Weight incl. 900mAh battery: 280g
Dimensions (L×W×H)：158x155x69mm
Max Ascent Speed: 6 m/s (Normal Mode, Sport Mode)
Max Descent Speed: 6 m/s (Normal Mode, Sport Mode)
Max Speed: 100Km/H (Manual Mode)
Maximum Takeoff Altitude: 200 m
Max Hover Time: Approx. 6 mins(with 550mAh battery), 8mins(with 900mAh battery)
Max Flight Distance: 2-3 km
Max Wind Speed Resistance: 80 Km/H (Level 5)
Operating Temperature Range: -10° to 40° C (14° to 104° F)
Transmission Power (EIRP): FCC: < 33 dBm / CE: < 14 dBm / SRRC: < 30 dBm Antennas: Dual DJI Vtx Antennas similar to DJI Avata.
Flight Time:
4S 550mAh Flight Time: 6 minutes ( under 250 grams )
4S 900mAh Flight Time: 8 minutes ( over 250 grams )
Flying Characteristics:
The iFlight Defender 25 HD is highly responsive, but actually smooth for freestyle flights. Cinema flights are butter smooth, flowy, and exactly what I want even for a professional video shoot. I would pick this over the Avata. The DJI 03 with Rocksteady 2.0 is so so good. The 1404 motors and the BLITZ F7 flight controller provide smooth and precise control, making it easy to maneuver the quad in tight spaces. As you can see in our indoor flight test. Just found that the Defender 25 handles better on a line and doesn't bump up and down as easy like the Geprc Cinelog20 does. The throttle is set so you can make the best lines without it doing unexpected things on your path with a tiny amount of throttle change. This is important to get the flowy cinema videos you want for a client.
DJI 03 4K FPV System:
The Defender 25 HD also comes with the DJI 03 4K FPV System, which is a high-quality HD Fpv video transmission system that provides smooth and clear video with decent latency. I wouldnt say it's quite as fast as analog fpv. But its decent. The DJI HD Fpv system is ideal for any cinema or light freestyle flying. Which is fine for most average fpv pilots.
Propeller Guards:
It's recommended to buy extra propeller guards for the Defender 25 HD, as we did broke our prop guards in our playground freestyle flight test. It's less likely to break your prop guards when used for cinema flying. Justin's first impression was the Defender 25 prop guards feel like cheaper, less durable plastic than what we have seen on the Cinebot 30, and DJI Avata. We also broke our Cinelog20 prop guards this week. So take that into consideration.
Stock PID Tune :
We did see vibrations in the tune when flying freestyle. Not in Cinema flying.
Some will argue that Cinewhoops are not for flying freestyle. We know most people do fly cinewhoops in a light freestyle way. So as a benefit the community...
Justin Davis will provide a freestyle PID tune for the Defender 25, which will be available for download via Google documents. You can add it as a new profile in your PID settings in Betaflight. This tune can help smooth out vibes we saw during hard freestyle power loops. We think it has more vibes than the Geprc Cinebot 30 in the hard turns. But did not have wash-out like the DJI Avata has problems with.
Price and Availability:
The iFlight Defender 25 HD is available for purchase from the iFlight website for $539.99. This is an affordable price for a high-performance mini quad with top-notch features and advanced technology.
Final Thoughts :
The iFlight Defender 25 HD is a great choice for new pilots who want a cinewhoop under 250 grams that is light weight, and ready for any pro filming jobs. To get a better understanding of the Defender 25 HD, be sure to watch the Drone Camps RC video review of the quad with flight footage and more details.
Hey! Great article about the Defender. I picked on up recently and have been messing around doing some freestyle-ish flying, I was hoping to download that PID tune you mention but cant seem to find it linked. Is there a link I am missing?