Yuneec q500 4K

Yuneec released their first consumer quad, the q500 in January 2015.   here we are with a completely reworked Q500 4K and its only July. 

What happened, how did it happen so fast..?  Was it worth the wait & what did we get.? Read on.. 

Enough waiting already. finally got my hands on the new Q500 4K.  dang guys.. its beautiful.. charchoal gray with black nose.. equipped with a completely new camera system,  and a updated version of the Original radio the ST10+ in black.  (note you can install the new 4K camera on a Original Yueec q500, and you can update the original ST10 with new firmware to operate the 4K camera.)


My Yuneec Q500 4K unbox & review on YouTube

How do it fly?   the new Q500 body is a refined version of the original q500,  as such it is a solid and stable video platform.  the q500 is something a real-estate agent or video maker, with no previous multi-rotor experience can pick up and fly safely at a job tomorrow.  The flight controller is protective of the system and the Q500 is not trying to "get away", it fly the way you expect it to, and fly quiet, powerfully and predictably. Thats really what you want in a production quad.  
The system have 2.5 flight modes.. GPS angle mode, which you always want to start in.  and also the "smart mode" which wrap into it "follow-me" and "look at me" modes. we will talk more about the "smart mode" a few paragraphs down.

The flight-controller feature 3 modes
Smart mode, which I really think should be renamed "follow me" mode.
GPS mode - the mode you should use for most q500 flights
RTL - flip the switch for the q500 to return to the starting position and land.

The Q500 with camera flies about 20 minutes on a fully charged battery.  
The system come with a cool little charger, and BOTH a wall plug and a car plug,  so this kit is ready to charge in your car,  you can charge a battery in about 2 hours if you are on a road-trip.. that is a AWESOME feature.  
Im also a big fan of the Yuneec batteries,  they are not over-complicated smart batteries, but Yuneec have done away with the cables and balance taps we are used to on batteries.  that way there is nothing to get tangled and your dog can't gnaw off the charge plug. 

ST10+
Yuneec's now well known control system, is really a marriage of a 10 channel DSM2 radio, as used in the spectrum radios and a WiFi based video down-link and control system for the camera.    
I like the compromise, the radio is well laid out and intuitive to use.   prominently on the right shoulder is the Yuneec trademark turtle slider,  here you can adjust how fast / quick the quad moves, and dial the speed up / down to suit your skill-level and the need of the video you are shooting.
The SCREEN

The lower half of the ST10+ radio contain the screen,  this is not a traditional "dumb screen" as we are used to from FPV, but rather a full Android tablet system,   the tablet manage communication with the camera,  and display what the camera is recording / seeing at any time.

ST10+ Backup,  there is a nifty feature in the ST10+ radio,  you can insert a microSD card in the slot inside the battery-compartment, then the system can record a very low-res AVI backup video file (no telemetry on the video)  the telemetry from the flight is saved in a separate LOG file.

The CG03 4k camera
There is no doubt, it is a "ball" camera, and look like its related to the original q500 camera.. but that is where the likeness ends.  the NEW 4K camera is completely different.   The new 4K camera is way more than web-cam put on a multi-rotor..   You get full manual support, and can adjust ISO,  shutter-speed,  color balance and file types.

The camera test well, and compare nicely with both the Phantom and my GoPro4 camera.    importantly the image is not fisheye, and much more useful than what you get from a GoPro in fisheye mode.  This is really a important point, because 4k GoPro video is fisheye video.  the CG03 camera shoot a more narrow and less fisheye look video file.  making the file much more useful for production applications.
4K?  really?   Well lets be clear, there is a huge difference between 4K red camera and a GoPro.  the CG03 is more in the GoPro end of things.  but the file is solid and easy to manipulate in post.
Personally I have a hard time finding actual projects that require 4K capture,  but I do find that shooting 4K and then scaling the file in editing is a effective way of getting more details in a file than what I get if I shoot 1080p.

Here the CG03 camera is in the bottom left corner, this is the default video mode,  I would suggest switching to the CG03pro mode and do -1/3 exposure comp which would hold the cloud and and still maintain details in the shadow.   about the shadow, notice the little bush in shadow under the tree to the right of the middle of the picture, which still have details in the leaves,  comparing to the other images the same bush is closing up.   
The other thing you notice is that the CG03 has a wider FOV than the P3 and the inspire1.
Oh BTW. clock wise from top left.. GoPro 4b shooting 2.7k medium,  P3pro, Yuneec CG03, and finally bottom left inspire-1.

   When comparing side by side, the CG03 camera have good resolution, and have a surprisingly good dynamic range,   really like the neutral color mode that produce fairly calm video files, where importantly the shadows stay open and don't close up on me.  that means you can easily color grade in post.  the details stand up to post production pretty well and the video image have a detailed and high-rez feel when you look at it for a period of time.

The Yuneec CG03 UHD 4K mode compared to the GoPro 4black 4K mode which is only fisheye option.  
The CG03's rectilinear 4K images is much more useful for video production than a 4K fisheye video file.

Its worth mentioning, that the CG03 camera come with UV and ND filter include in the price, Yuneec being the only company to provide ND filters at this price point.

VIDEO RESCUE.   If you accidentally turn off the Q500 before stopping the recording, you will find a corrupted file on the micro-SD card,  you can fix this by inserting the card back into the CG03 camera, turn on the Q500, and let it start up normally,   the camera will fix corrupted files on power-up.

FIRMWARE.  after I tested the CG03 camera there have been several important camera firmware updates, which improve colors and also fine-tune the exposure a little so that clouds don't burn out as easy.  definitely a update you want.  Click here for the Yuneec Firmware updates for the CG03

 

Customer Service & 6 month warranty 
Yuneec have been setting the standard on customer service, and have a support center in Ontario California,  they also set the standard giving a 6 month warranty on all parts,  if something is not working with your q500, call Yuneec and get a RMA and they WILL take care of you.  if you needed a excuse for getting the Yuneec q500.. well nobody else have 6 month warranty, so if you are concerned about the longevity of drones, the Yuneec Q500 4K should be the perfect pick, its both a very well flying drone and also backed by Yuneec. 

 

Before we wrap up the Yuneec Q500 4K,  lets debunk a couple conspiracy theories, online myths and general suspicion, lots of people thing Yuneec schemed to upgrade the q500 quickly thats just not accurate.     When Yuneec Aviation released the original Q500 in January,   they were in fact working on the Q500 4K already,  it was scheduled to ship for about $1900 in the most basic version without the aluminum case or the camera hand-grip.    about half a year later, what we got, is the fully loaded 4K kit, with the aluminum case,  two batteries, and the gimbal handgrip, shipping for about $1400... 
It don't take a rocket scientist to figure out what happened..   In April 2015 DJI released the $1300 Phantom 3 PRO at NAB in Las Vegas.    with that they instantly overnight rendered 1080p copters "old-fashioned" and at best competing with the Phantom 3 "advanced".     in the same breath they priced a quad, with no box,  one battery and a 4K camera to about $1299.   and YES you can buy a Yuneec q500 4K for $1299 without the case, second battery, and handgrip.    
So there you have it.. the release of the Phantom P3 pro, dramatically by about $500 reset the price points on the q500 4K.  and forced Yuneec to release the 4K quickly to compete with and match price of the P3 pro.. thats what they did. and we are benefitting from this since we now get 4K quad systems for less. 

 

IMPORTANT LINKS:
FIRMWARE UPDATES - Click here for the official Yuneec 4K firmware page - 

Yuneec Drones New-Zealand  yuneecdrones.co.nz
Yuneec Australia [email protected]

Comments

[Bo Lorentzen]

LOL Dwight, if its ain't broke, don't fix it.

[Dwight Dolliver]

Bo: 5/26/16

Well I don't see why It wouldn't fit dosen't look much bigger than a 3 model 3 4K camera. Is it taller than a 3 ? However who cares the Idea was you could fit different gimbles & cameras (4K & GoPro 4 4K cameras) on the Original Typhoon Quad !!! The bottom line is I'm talking relevance of the Typhoon line in a world where things change radically in Quarterly measures. Cut to the chase I still really, really, really, like my Q-500 4K & G Typhoons,Full Stop !.Double D

[Bo Lorentzen]

Hey Dwight, wow, wait pass that by me again, so a CG03+ will fit under a Q500 ?

[Dwight Dolliver]

Hey Bo: 5/21/16

Nice seeing You & Frank Farray (Carolina Dronz) at the Yuneec Booth during NAB! I'm Defiantly going to get some trinkets from him in mass, 1) Typhoon Chargers & 2) 7500Mhr Batteries the new tech has come away in that department Wow. I still love my Original Late Model Typhoons they kick ass and are destined to be the Bedrock of the Yuneec line or as people like to say "There A Flyer" for sure. Yea Frank was so fast on customer service at Carolina Dronz that I thought I was in the middle of an IndyCar Pit Stop, Lmao !!!...Double D P.S. I think the solution to the last problem mentioned is do not change out the operating software, LOl !!!...DD P.S.S. You can also run a 4K CGO3 or + Camera Package off the (common mount) Under-nose of the Q-500G (you wouldn't use the GoPro Transmitter of course it can just sit there who cares) It's the old two for one gig if you care to invest a little cash it makes for one Hella great system, Lol!.DD

[Bo Lorentzen]

Hey Uli, Im not sure, I did not do the firmware update, however give Yuneec Germany a call they should be knowing the exact details :-)

[Ueli Hebeisen]

hi Bo,
first of all let me say thank you for your videos and all the information you're providing to the community. I've seen your clips and they are really helpful. I have installed a micro SIM card to capture telemetry data as well. But after the latest firmware update early in January there is no longer data stored on the SIM card. The latest recordings are from the time before the update was done. Any idea what went wrong? Or do I have to follow a special procedure to record data again?

[Bo Lorentzen]

Hey Dwight, The h920 is shipping, Frank can set you up with one today if you want one.

[Dwight Dolliver]

Bo: 12/06/2015

Off subject a bit but do you know when the Yuneec H-920 Hexocopter (with the ST-24 Transmitter and there 3 Gimble Assembly's) will be released ??? I'm kind of getting tired of waiting around for it to be officially released !!! Or is this just something I'm going to really have to wait for to be released at next years NAB 2016 ???
The anticipation (smile) is really getting to me if you know what I mean,this has been promised for many years now and still no craft!DD

[Bo Lorentzen]

Hey Dwight, Im thinking eventually we will all be shooting 8K. its only a matter of time, keep in mind TV back in the sixties were less than SD. something like QVGA... yet none of us today would shoot anything less than 1080p, its all about processor speed, storage and what we use it for. now if there REALLY is a desperate need for 4K..? probably not, but whats that got to do with anything.

LOL Well, I think they are overstepping a "bit" however I can easily see the logic and justification, but maybe there should be a weight or size limit, like let us have mini-quads up to say 250 size without registration ??? or maybe 200 even?

[Dwight Dolliver]

Bo:

Yes on the 4K issue I figure you are just doing it or your not. You can always sacle down as you said. However you can't effectivly Scale up unless you have the 4K original. Time will tell what people prefer to shoot? Hey off subject but what do you think of the Department of Transportation wanting to register all Drone sales? Personally I think this a bit extreem move by the powers that reside in Washington DC area. Have these little jerk irresponsible Drone flyer wanna be's runied it for the rest of us that play the game correctly and fly straight and narrow so to speak, pardon the punn on the last figure of speach, Lol ?...DD

[Bo Lorentzen]

Dwight, thats really a trick question.. 4K video is really mostly useful for production use right now, 99% of the Q500 4K users should probably use the camera in 1080p mode.

the main reason production wise for shooting 4K with the Q500 is to capture a 4K file with a lot of resolution, then scaled it down in post production when you render the output to 1080p for delivery. this provide a very crisp 1080p file with lots of details.

That said, I'm using a macbook retina which is a bit less than 4K at 2880-by-1800, however its got enough horsepower to play 4K videos on my 4K external display. still I don't have any real interest in viewing 4K for the sake of viewing 4K, but see it more as a "negative" format, to use in editing. Im sure in the future once cable companies start broadcasting in 4K there will be more of a market for deliverables in 4K.. but not much at the moment.
there IS a market for 4K stock footage though.

[Dwight Dolliver]

Hey Bo:

Hows it going looks like you will have your hands full with your FPV Races, good luck with that ! Would love to go but its a long way from the Bay Area maybe next time when I'm on a trip to LA already, why don't you do one around NAB Time ? Hey on the Yuneec 4K I noticed that the Black Blades have been Improved there way more Beefy that the white ones !!! Hey what have you been doing to look at your 4K from the Typhoon are you using new monitors and computers or are you just cutting down the files to 1080P and saying (smile) Screw it, Lol !!! There are a couple of bad assed laptops that will handle the files in the PC world at 4K one top of the line Dell does it plus there is this Gaming Laptop called a "MSI Ghost" and its pretty cool but a little pricy at about 1800 bucks, but hey if ya wanna play I guess you gotta pay,Lmao!D

[Bo Lorentzen]

:-) Dwight thats exactly right, its a little extra feature, thats quite convenient, but probably was not something Yuneec intended for us to be using.

[Dwight Dolliver]

Bo:

Real good for small favors then ! I'm glad that the low res record and data record works on the Typhoon Line even if it is not a supported feature from Yuneec itself !!!...Double D

[Bo Lorentzen]

Dwight, the card fit in, however, its not a "supported feature" from Yuneec, I suspect they intended that slot for factory updates and trouble-shooting, it just turned out that it also save a data file and thumbnail quality video for backup.

[Dwight Dolliver]

Hey Bo:

Ok I did see your note on the micro sd memory onboard but none from the factory so there you go! Now (smile) I'm re-reading everything on the 4K madly to see if I'm wrong, Lol !!!....Double D

[Dwight Dolliver]

Bo:

Hey I went to install that chip in the ST-10 Transmitter underneath the battery, wow is that a trip! There is no way to slide the chip in? Then you realize that you have to lift up the small tin cage surrounding where the chip goes on the back side of the ST-10's main board. You literally have to lift up the Tin cover (with very minature clips that release it) to install the flash memory! This is like PC Board prep work. Plus there is no stop past the connection pins to locate the chip, wild set up. You just have to lay it in there and hope for the best, LOL! That got a huge laugh out of everyone that was there. Just found it a little wierd indeed? Seems because of how it's just so Quirkley manufactured that it would of come with a chip already installed to save everyone the trouble. Being that nothing about it is in the instruction booklet or really easy to do at all !!!...Dwight

[Bo Lorentzen]

LOL Dwight, I hear you, I was told the reason for not doing a better foam insert was to not canabilize other products in their line. I want space for all my batteries instead of fanciness.
Yes the GoPro gimbal should fit, however Frank at CarolinaDronz.com should be getting a stack of those in this week and should be able to answer for sure.

[Dwight Dolliver]

Bo:

Thanks for all the great answers so far. Thought I knew a bit about these (smile) flying buggers,Lol! Hey what's the word on the Q-500 G models in regards to that Gimble set up fitting in the Go Professional Case as presently configured ? The gimble looks a Bit wide in regards to the present cut of the Case inner liner foam ? Also whay did GPC not make the holes under the belly of the Q-500 in the case deaper so you could carry a total of eight batterys in the case when they cut the holes in that spot, just dosent make a lot of sence if you ask me ?...Dwight D

[Bo Lorentzen]

Hey Dwight Dolliver, actually Im 99% sure there is a full telemetry file recorded on the ST10+ microSD card, google the "dashboard" app you will need to display it.

[Dwight Dolliver]

BO: 9/27/15

Is there no way on that same Yuneec ST-10 Video Flash Memory chip to record Longitude and Latitude flight data in case the Quad goes down is lost ? Does not sound like you can, too bad. However if you see the flight data how come you can not capture the flight data? Seems to me if you can capture the low res video you should be able to capture flight data also. Maybe Yuneec is holding that back for a future upgrade modification, Lol !!!...Dwight

[Bo Lorentzen]

Hey Shannon, sorry for the slow reply, a frozen ST10 = Call tech support, if it froze during firmware upgrade, they take care of it.

[Bo Lorentzen]

Hey Dwight, that is a great question, I honestly have not idea, I think mine is a 16gig, its not taking a lot of space for the video so that should cover a lot of time

[Dwight Dolliver]

Bo: What's the Maximum size of Micro SD Card you can put into the ST-10 Yuneec Controller for recording of low res back up video ?..DD

[Shannon]

Bo, I just stumbled on your site, thanks for the resource. I was wondering if you know of any way to recover an ST10+ that froze during the firmware update? It no longer boots, just a black screen.

Thanks
Shannon