Earlier this year, MJX unveiled a new beginner drone — the Bugs 5W which features a 1-axis camera gimbal system, probably the world’s first system with only 1 axis of stabilization. Now that is not exactly something to shout about but stabilizing only on one axis is better than having no stabilization at all.
The Bugs 5W stabilizes its camera on the pitch axis and its going to be interesting to see how much this is going to help compared to systems that have fixed gimbals and no stabilization.
Though it’s been five months now, stock of the new Bugs 5W has been slow to arrive at popular online stores such as Banggood but recently we’re starting to see a few stores taking pre-orders of the 5W which could only mean one thing — the Bugs 5W may be ready to be shipped soon. This is probably good news for those who have been waiting for quite a while for it to start shipping.
Product Highlights
- 1080P (30fps) / 8MP 5G WiFi FPV camera
- 1/3″ CMOS image sensor
- 1-axis mechanical gimbal stabilizer
- Brushless motors
- 250mm diagonal size
- GPS positioning
- Flight features:
Altitude hold
Follow me
Return-to-home
Automatic take-off / landing
Headless mode - 7.4V 1800mAh battery
- 15 to 18 minutes flight time (claimed)
- 300 to 500m control distance
- 200 to 300m FPV distance
- 400g weight (with battery)
- 4-channel transmitter with telemetry
At a pre-order price of $199, the Bugs 5W does look like an attractive option for those who want some kind of mechanical stabilization for their aerial videos, never mind if its only 1-axis. The next best option would be a DJI Spark (with remote controller) at just over $400 or a J.ME Drone with its 4K camera at $350. Both these drones offer 2-axis camera gimbal systems but they cost well over double what the Bugs 5W costs.
Coupled with GPS positioning, telemetry, altitude hold and brushless motors, the Bugs 5W is one of the best sub-$200 aerial photography drones for buyers on a very tight budget. Its 1080P camera also comes with 5G WiFi FPV which is capable of much higher data transmission speeds compared to earlier WiFi protocols (that is, if your smartphone or tablet supports 5G WiFi).
Not only that, the Bugs 5W also boasts a 1/3″ CMOS sensor for its camera which is about the same size as image sensors used in most smartphones today. This probably means the sensor, if coupled with some decent optics, would probably produce image quality quite similar to most mid-range smartphones today. This is indeed a pretty exciting development for those who have been waiting for entry-level drones to catch up in terms of camera image quality.
That 1/3″ sensor size could also mean that the 5W’s camera might come close to matching the image quality on the DJI Spark which has a sensor of similar size. Another interesting feature on the 5W is ESC active braking — a feature that’s typically found in FPV racing drones that allow for better flying precision and control.
The only disappointment that I can see on the Bugs 5W is its puny 2-cell 7.4V battery capacity of just 1800mAh. Now considering that the 5W has a weight of 400g, this translates to a pretty disappointing battery capacity-to-weight ratio. To add some perspective to this, the DJI Spark has a 3-cell 11.4V 1480mAh battery with a weight of 300g (without prop guards).
If the Spark is capable of flying for 15 minutes on average while recording videos, then I highly doubt the 5W can match that flight time with its heavier weight and lower capacity battery. My guess is 10 to 12 minutes of flight (while recording video) is a more realistic figure.
Nevertheless, the MJX Bugs 5W heralds an exciting era where sub-$200 aerial photography drones with decent image quality and 2-axis stabilization will become the norm. The 5W may have only 1-axis stabilization but it is just a matter of time before we see 2-axis camera gimbals on drones appear in the sub-$200 range.