The Potensic Atom 2 is a sub-250g camera drone that starts at $399, with the screen-controller Fly More Combo I tested running about $549. It sits in the category of consumer camera drones — and it aims to compete with the lineup of DJI drones under $500 and other DJI alternatives such as the Skyrover X1.
I sought to find out just how well it holds up to those other drones. Potensic sent me a demo unit of their drone so I could put it to the test, and here’s my review.
- Buy the Potensic Atom 2 now from Amazon
- Buy the Potensic Atom 2 now from B&H Photo
- Buy the Potensic Atom 2 directly from Potensic
The unboxing and hardware: a mixed bag
Right out of the gate, Potensic hits a home run with the presentation of its Fly More Combo. The drone, controller, and accessories come packed in a padded, open-access zippered case. Unzipping it gives you immediate, clutter-free access to everything at once.
I reviewed the ATOM 2 Drone with PTD 1 Screen Remote Controller kit, which sells for about $549 right now. It’s a pretty great deal for what you are getting, and if you go for the Fly More version with the standard, phone-dependent controller the price starts even lower at $399.
Inside the case, you’ll find:
- The Potensic Atom 2 drone
- A dedicated screen controller
- Three 2,230 mAh (17 Wh) batteries
- A charging hub and AC power wall adapter
- Spare propellers and a stretchy propeller guard band
Potensic added a few clever engineering touches that I appreciate. For example, the drone comes with a custom, stretchy rubber band that wraps around the body to hold the props perfectly in place. If you’ve ever had a drone propeller snag and fray on a standard velcro strap inside your bag, you’ll know exactly why this tiny piece of plastic is a thoughtful addition.
Additionally, the build quality of the aircraft feels solid, featuring a sleek, slightly boxy gray aesthetic. The arms on this aircraft fold either directly forward or backward, which contrasts with the rotating rear leg mechanisms found on many DJI models.
But not everything is sunshine and rainbows.
The 2,230 mAh batteries are tiny and ultra-light, but they pack at least 10% less juice than close competitors like the Sky Rover X1 and DJI Mini series. Potensic advertises up to 32 minutes of flight, but I couldn’t get the battery to last more than 20 minutes in all my test flights. I always like to land with at least 30% battery remaining (just my personal preference to ensure I have enough juice to safely land my drone back home). But even when I pushed it to 20% I still couldn’t break 20 minutes.
More frustratingly, the charging hub requires a dedicated AC power wall adapter rather than a standard USB-C port. In an era where we want to pack light and use one single USB-C cable to charge our phone, laptop, and drone, having to carry around a separate, proprietary wall brick is a step backward for portability. Another gripe of mine is that the controller takes a USB-C port to charge, but the charging hub uses a USB-A output. The kit only provides a USB-C to USB-C cord, leaving me with everything I don’t need to charge the controller, and nothing that I do. It’s a baffling design choice.
Ultimately I used the provided cords with the USB-C and AC outlets on my DJI 1000 generator (which were compatible) and charged the controller and battery hub together.
Furthermore, when you slide the battery out, you can see a bit of the exposed motherboard inside the chassis. Just like with some other sub-250 gram drones on the market that are cutting weight everywhere they can, you’ll need to be extra careful when taking off or landing around sand, fine dirt, and dust.
The controller
This controller was a highlight for me. Unlike most drones in this price tier that force you to clip your smartphone into a plastic bracket and fumble around with adapter cords, this controller features a fully integrated tablet screen. Not depending on your phone as the screen means one less item to charge, one less app on your phone, and less cord clutter to store in your bag for flights.
The controller feels robust and ergonomic, and it eliminates the stress of draining your phone battery while flying. The initial setup is a breeze — it guides you through Wi-Fi connection and account registration. The remote’s face gives you premium tactile control, including customizable C1 and C2 buttons, dedicated photo and video buttons, a Return-to-Home button, and dual control dials for gimbal tilt and zoom.
I don’t often find controllers with a dial for zoom, but I quickly became enamored with the idea. The zoom on the Atom 2 is only a digital 2X, but I found myself using it quite a bit since I have easy access through the dial interface.
Flight experience and beginner features
For new pilots, Potensic’s software is welcoming. Plenty of videos available in the app talk you throughl the basics. Beginner Mode is enabled by default, which safely restricts your altitude and distance while you get your bearings.
My favorite software touch was a rolling ticker of random, highly useful pilot tips at the bottom of the screen. It reminds you of things like “flying in cold weather reduces battery life” and “stay away from airports” and “beware of flying in dusty conditions.” It’s a brilliant way to gently educate new pilots without making them read a dry instruction manual.
The flight itself is steady, but don’t expect omnidirectional obstacle sensing. While there are landing sensors on the underbelly, the bar across the top lacks true multi-directional obstacle avoidance cameras.
Camera performance: Where the Atom 2 struggles
While the hardware and flight software impress, the Potensic Atom 2’s camera falls short. This camera has a ½ inch sensor, which is quite a bit smaller than the other sub-250g drones on the market such as the Mini 3 and 4 (both 1/1.3 inch),5 (1 inch) and Skyrover X1 (1/1.3 inch). The ½ inch sensor has less surface area on the sensor, allowing each pixel to gather significantly less light. This results in more digital noise and poorer performance in dim environments.
The decreased physical size of the 1/2-inch sensor provides a narrower dynamic range, and the camera retains less detail in both bright highlights and deep shadows compared to a larger sensor. The 1/2-inch sensor has a higher crop factor meaning it effectively “zooms in” more on the scene, reducing the field of view for the same lens focal length.
Gimbal pitch
The camera mechanically pitches from 20 degrees above the horizon down to a full 90-degree top-down view. However, the mechanical gimbal seems to struggle with sudden changes. During my testing, if I had the camera pointed straight down and pitched the drone forward to fly, the gimbal would skip up 10 degrees, settling to an 80-degree angle. If you want to shoot smooth, cinematic footage, fly this drone slowly and carefully to avoid jarring gimbal jumps.
Exposure and White Balance flaws
Flying on a bright, sunny summer day proved to be a major challenge for the Atom 2’s image processor. The automatic white balance and exposure regularly left images looking washed out. The software’s exposure lock is finicky; tapping the screen to lock exposure on a specific subject would only hold for about two seconds before resetting. I found I preferred using this camera in lower light, as it was the best way to get some contrast and avoid overexposure in my images.
The “AI Night” mode and video
On the flip side, the drone does feature an intriguing “AI Night” mode for low-light flying near sunset. Much like a modern smartphone, it uses computational software to sharpen edges and pull contrast out of the shadows.
The video output performs largely as one would anticipate; while it won’t be mistaken for a top-tier flagship sensor, you can still capture solid, cinematic clips provided you find the right lighting conditions.
However, to use this or shoot standard 4K video, you must invest in a high-speed, Class 3 MicroSD card, or the software blocks you from recording.
Errors
After one 11-minute flight on a 80°F summer day, the drone threw a “Camera Temperature High” warning on the screen. The aircraft itself was incredibly hot to the touch afterward, raising some valid questions about its long-term thermal management.
A fun gimmick
On a lighter note, Potensic included a creative “Sineroll” feature. The camera will automatically pull off a 180-degree barrel roll—flipping your horizon completely upside down and back again. It’s a fun, flashy piece of B-roll for social media, even if it isn’t something you’d use every day.
The verdict: Is the Potensic Atom 2 worth it?
The Potensic Atom 2 is a tale of two drones. On one hand, you get a well-built sub-250g aircraft paired with a high quality built-in screen controller that punches way above its price point when it comes to the hardware and controller. For pure recreational flying and learning the ropes, it works.
But for many of us, the primary purpose of a drone is to capture aerial imagery. Because of the finicky exposure controls, the temperamental gimbal jolts, and the high-temperature warnings, the Atom 2 falls short of delivering the reliable flight experience I look for.
If you are looking for a flying experience with a great screen controller, it’s worth a look. For the price it is pretty hard to beat, but I think you get what you pay for when it comes to some of the issues I highlighted.
Buy this if you want a great controller experience and don’t care much about photo/video quality. Skip it if image quality is your priority — the Mini 4K or Skyrover X1 will serve you better for similar money.
- Buy the Potensic Atom 2 now from Amazon
- Buy the Potensic Atom 2 now from B&H Photo
- Buy the Potensic Atom 2 directly from Potensic
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