The $100 to $200 price category is a great place to find a durable and high-quality camera drone. For just under $200, you can usually expect great construction, a 1080p camera, and a variety of features that make your investment worthwhile.
Camera drones at this price point are usually suited for beginner aerial photography. In addition to a great camera, you need a drone with useful features like auto-hover and a long-enough range to help you snap interesting pics. You should also expect the drone to be GPS-enabled and to come with auto-return, waypoints, and other hands-free photography options.
In our opinion, the Contixo F22 is the best drone with camera under $200. This hearty little drone does exactly what it promises and compares very favorably against other drones at this price point. The F22 isn’t a racing drone, but it’s an excellent choice for entry-level aerial photography.
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Product Specifications
| Product: |   |
| Specifications: | • Weight: 0.45 pounds • Material: Metal alloy and polycarbonate • Motor: 1020 coreless • Camera: 1080p • FOV: 120 degrees • FPV: Yes • GPS: Yes • Range: 1,800 feet • Wi-Fi range: 800 feet • Speed: 31 mph • Flight time: 15 minutes • Battery: Custom lithium • Charge time: 110 minutes |
Contixo F22 Pros List
• Features one of the highest-quality cameras on any drone at this price point
• Flies smoothly and remains stable at high altitudes
• Acceptable range and flight time for its class
• Made from a durable metal alloy with a polycarbonate base
• Multiple autopilot modes for hands-free photography
• Folds up for storage in an included carrying case
Contixo F22 Cons List
• Requires a proprietary battery that can only be purchased from Contixo
• Does not come with an SD card, but images can also be recorded on your smartphone
• Camera does not feature built-in stabilization, so you may experience minor vibration while recording
• Brushed motor puts an upper limit on the F22’s potential speed
Overall Ratings List
Bottom Line
The Contixo F22 is a foldable drone made from a durable metal alloy. Despite its solid construction, the F22 is extremely lightweight; even with the battery, it still only weighs half a pound. It reaches a speed of 31 mph and has an excellent range and flight time for its class.
The F22’s blocky appearance hides one of the best and clearest cameras on the market. Pilots can move the camera within a 120-degree field of vision for maximum control over the angle of their photos. Three different autopilot modes make hands-free photography a breeze, and the smartphone app is amazingly easy to understand and use.
Overall, the F22 is a great little drone for a surprisingly affordable price. Check out the Contixo F22 on Amazon; for recreational aerial photography, this is definitely the best drone with camera under $200.
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Speed and Durability
If you’re spending $200 on a drone, it needs to be one of the best in its class. You should be looking for quality motors and a lightweight yet durable body. Overall, the Contixo F22 gets an 8/10 for being a quality drone that is fast enough to keep up and won’t break if it gets bumped around.
The Contixo F22 is made from a durable metal alloy and polycarbonate base. Most drones in this price range are made from ABS plastic; in comparison, the F22 is extremely durable and long-lasting. The F22 also folds up for transportation, and while it’s folded, the drone is very difficult to damage.
As far as speed is concerned, the F22 is thoroughly acceptable. It contains a standard 1020 coreless motor and can reach speeds of around 31 mph. The F22’s motor is brushed, not brushless, which puts a limit on its maximum speed. You wouldn’t take the F22 racing, but it goes fast enough for most recreational drone activities.
Camera Quality
You should expect every drone at this price point to have at least a 1080p camera, but resolution doesn’t always define camera quality. Aerial photographers also need a movable camera with a wide field of vision to control the photos they take. The Contixo F22 gets a 9/10 for having a clear, controllable camera with a wide FOV that takes great photos for its price category.
The Contixo F22 has an excellent 1080p camera that takes beautiful photos and videos. The F22’s camera also has a 120-degree FOV, and the angle is very easy to control through the included app.
The clarity of the F22 is particularly noticeable if you pilot the drone with a pair of FPV goggles. A high-resolution camera is important for an immersive piloting experience, and the F22 does the job nicely.
As a bonus, the F22’s camera is able to recognize faces and hand gestures. You can use this to take automatic or gesture-driven photos, which is an excellent feature for solo photographers.
The only downside to the F22’s camera is a lack of built-in stabilization. If you’re experiencing a lot of wind turbulence, you might end up with a few blurry images in your collection. It’s also worth noting that the F22 does not come with its own SD card; you’ll need to purchase your own if you want higher-resolution images than the ones on your smartphone.
Range and Flight Time
A long range and a good flight time are simply necessary for a positive recreational drone experience. Luckily, the Contixo F22 has a good range and a decent flight time, so we’re giving it an 8/10.
The Contixo F22’s battery lasts for a full 15 minutes of flight time. Contixo also includes a second battery with your purchase. If you charge both, you can expect to fly for a solid 30 minutes before your drone session is over.
As far as range goes, the F22 ranks surprisingly well. The F22 can fly 1,800 feet, or 548 meters, before it loses connection with the controller. It’s true that other drones in this price category can go as far as 800 meters, but the F22’s durability and camera quality make this an acceptable concession.
One of the reasons we’re calling the F22 the best drone with camera under $200 is its high-altitude stability. Even if a drone has a long range on paper, it can’t always deliver good photos from a high altitude. The F22 has a sturdy construction and can withstand stronger winds than its competitors, so it’s a great choice for capturing stunning aerial photos. Users have comfortably taken the F22 as high as 170 feet.
Autopilot Features
GPS capabilities are a must for the modern drone photographer. At the minimum, you need a drone with auto-hover for stable images and an auto-return feature that keeps your drone from getting lost. The ideal photography drone also lets you define a flight path so that you can catch specific images or even take photos of yourself. The Contixo F22 does all of this and more, so we’re giving it a solid 9/10.
The F22 has three autopilot modes that a photographer might be interested in. First is the Waypoint mode, which allows you to define a route for your drone to fly. You can select up to 16 different points; the F22 will fly to these points, stop to take pictures, and then continue to the next part of the route.
Next is the Follow Me mode; if you activate this feature, the F22 will follow you and record pictures or video while you’re in motion. This mode makes solo photography extremely easy, and it’s especially useful for athletes or vloggers.
Finally, the F22’s shining autopilot feature is the Point of Interest mode. Define a specific location on the map; the F22 will fly in a circle around this location taking pictures or recording video. Whether you’re trying to snap photos of a monument or record a specific event, this feature lets you capture images from some amazing angles with very little effort.
Smartphone Control
The modern recreational drone connects to your smartphone to access unique features. The quality of the app greatly defines your experience with the drone. We’re giving the Contixo F22 Interactive App a 9/10 for being easy to use and for supporting a ton of great features.
The Contixo F22’s smartphone app is thoroughly well-designed. Users can switch between modes, define waypoints, and even set the radius for the GPS return function. The user interface is intuitive and doesn’t get in your way while piloting. Photos and videos are automatically saved to your phone, and you can even share them to social media from within the app.
To make piloting easier, the F22’s controller features a smartphone dock. Just snap your phone into place and control your drone with a bird’s-eye view right in front of you. The dock is adjustable and works with most phone brands.
See what other reviews say
Rated R Cars noted how compact and portable the Contixo F22 is. The user also praised the picture quality of the drone’s camera.
Conclusion
The Contixo F22 certainly isn’t a perfect drone, but it’s still the best drone with camera under $200. Many of the features that the F22 lacks, like image stabilization and motor speed, can only be found on drones at the $300 price point. For only around $150, the F22 is surprisingly durable, has a great range, and takes amazing pictures.
The clarity of the F22’s camera is truly its shining feature. Recreational photographers will love taking aerial photos and videos with the F22’s many different autopilot modes. Users have complete control with the smartphone app, and the drone’s range and speed are exactly enough for the average flying session.
If you’re looking for a budget drone with an amazing camera, the Contixo F22 is for you. Check out the F22 on Amazon before you keep shopping; it’s not as flashy as the competitors, but the camera can’t be beat.
The F22 is definitely for intermediate pilots; if you’re looking for something a bit cheaper, try our pick for the best camera drone under $50.
Come back sometime and check out some more of our product reviews and best-in-class lists.