We recently received the Ruko F11PRO 2 drone. After completing all the tests, we are excited to share our experience with the drone. This is a beginner-friendly drone that promises a solid mix of performance, design, and value. In this review we’ll dive into its design, camera quality, performance, and finally pricing to give you a complete picture of what this drone brings to the table. Let’s dive in and see if the Ruko F11PRO 2 lives up to the hype.
Table of Contents
First Impression
From its initial impression, the Ruko F11PRO 2 Drone delivers premium quality packaging. After opening an elegant sturdy box, you will discover the drone tucked inside a neatly arranged, high-quality carrying shell case. The case displays an excellent look while it provides robust protection for both the drone and its accessories.
Inside, you’ll find the drone, controller, two batteries (ideal for extended flights), charging and data cables, the user manual, and extra propellers, screws, and joysticks. However, it’s worth mentioning that a charger for the drone and controller is not included, which feels like an oversight given the otherwise premium packaging.
Design and Built Quality
Ruko F11PRO 2 looks modern yet minimalist. The drone’s body is constructed from high-quality plastic, which provides a premium feel that competes with pricier models from bigger brands. The drone is only available in a sleek light gray color.
The drone’s foldable arms extend horizontally, revealing four brushless motors that produce a typical buzzing sound, characteristic of many drones in this category. At the front, a camera is housed in a durable metal casing and protected by a gimbal guard during storage and transport. There are two LEDs on its front and four indicators on its arms for increased visibility as well. Ruko branding is printed near a vent at the top, which is likely designed for cooling.
When folded, the Ruko F11PRO 2 measures 165 × 90 × 65 mm (Length × Width × Height), making it compact and easy to handle. In its unfolded form, the dimensions expand to 350 × 385 × 65 mm (Length × Width × Height). Despite its relatively small size, the drone feels solid and well-balanced in hand. Weighing 359 grams (excluding the gimbal protector), it falls into the category of drones that require FAA registration. This weight places the F11PRO 2 in a somewhat unique position, sitting between lightweight and heavier, more powerful drones.
Camera Capabilities
The Ruko F11PRO 2 drone is equipped with an 8MP Sony 1/3.2-inch sensor and a fixed focus f/2 lens, offering a 75° field of view. The camera has a fixed focus range starting from 60cm (23.3 inches). While the sensor size is smaller compared to other drones, it performs adequately for the price. However, the camera control is fully automatic, limiting customization options for users. Although the exposure is handled well, the overall photo quality is not impressive. Images tend to be soft, less sharp, and occasionally hazy. Despite the claim that the drone can capture up to 6K photos, the details are lacking, and the overall image quality is below expectations.
The drone offers a 5x digital zoom, but it is not recommended due to a significant loss of detail when used. Photos can only be captured in JPEG format, and users can choose from three resolution options: 3840x2160px, 4096x3072px, and 5700x3200px. The highest resolution allows for reasonably large prints, though the lack of clarity in the images can be an issue when viewed at a larger scale.
For video, the Ruko F11PRO 2 supports several formats, including 4K at 30fps, 2.7K at 50fps, 2.7K at 30fps, and 2K at 50fps. Most users will likely opt for the 4K 30fps setting, but there are sharpness issues, especially at the corners of the frame. The camera tends to focus on the center, and this could be noticeable to users accustomed to higher-quality drones like those from DJI. Additionally, the drone offers 720p video at 25fps, which is saved directly to your smartphone, while other resolutions are stored on a MicroSD card (up to 128GB).
The camera’s dynamic range is limited, and it struggles to handle scenes with both bright and dark areas in the same frame. This results in a noticeable loss of detail in these areas. On a positive note, the camera performs well in windy conditions, maintaining stable footage. The video transmission operates on a 5.8G frequency, with minor latency at longer distances. However, this is usually not a significant issue for most users, as the drone remains responsive in typical usage scenarios.
Features
The Ruko F11PRO 2 offers several useful flying modes to enhance your drone experience. These include:
- GPS Follow Mode: This mode follows the controller’s location, ensuring the drone stays with you as you move.
- Flight Around Mode: The drone orbits around an object, but it’s not always perfectly accurate. While the object is initially centered, the drone may lose its orbit at times, especially compared to other drones in this price range.
- Route Planning: You can predefine a flight path, allowing the drone to automatically follow the set route.
Other features include:
- Night Mode: Ideal for capturing photos and videos in low-light conditions.
- Zoom: Offers up to 5x digital zoom for closer shots.
- Filter: Apply effects to enhance your photos and videos.
- Vertical Mode: Captures photos and videos in portrait orientation, perfect for social media content.
While many of these features may go unused by some pilots, the GPS Follow and Flight Around modes are likely to be the most popular. The drone also includes Return to Home (RTH) functionality, which can be manually activated by the pilot or automatically triggered if the signal between the drone and controller is lost, or if the battery reaches a low level. You can adjust the RTH altitude via the Ruko Mini app. However, be cautious when using RTH, as the drone lacks obstacle avoidance. There is a downward optical flow sensor to help with basic positioning in the absence of GPS, making it useful for indoor flights.
Performance
The drone has two selectable flight modes, which are Stable Mode and Sport Mode. The drone operates at a 13.20 MPH speed under Stable Mode and achieves 18.04 MPH in Sport Mode. The drone comes with two batteries that enable each battery to last for 35 minutes of flight time, according to Ruko. However, our testing found the flight time to be between 31 to 33 minutes, which is still respectable given the price. Each battery has a capacity of 3200mAh, and charging time ranges from 2 hour 19 minutes to 2 hour 50 minutes. We used a fast charger to achieve this range.
The drone reaches 10,000 feet in maximum distance while its height limits are set at 393 feet. The drone has GPS positioning to automatically return to its home point when it exceeds its maximum distances or height limits. Beyond 1,000 feet of altitude, the image transmission develops minor delays and occasional freezes for approximately 3-4 seconds, although it maintains consistent functionality. The auto takeoff height is 5.90 feet.
The drone is marketed with a level 5 wind resistance rating, but during testing, we found it struggles a bit with stability in moderate winds, causing some shaking. Thankfully, the gimbal does a great job of keeping the video footage smooth and steady, so the overall quality is still good. The drone doesn’t have any obstacle avoidance sensor, which could be problematic in tight spaces or dense environments like forests, increasing the risk of crashes.
Controller and Pricing
The drone’s controller features a design commonly seen in non-DJI beginner models, with direct access controls and a telescopic phone holder at the top, where the data cable can be conveniently stored when not in use. It also includes a small info screen and storage for the control sticks at the bottom.
The controller is ergonomically designed with rubberized grips on the rear, providing a comfortable hold, and is lightweight, making it easy to maneuver during extended use. The controller is powered by a 3600mAh battery, with a charging time of 2 hours and 27 minutes. It offers a battery life of approximately 4 hours, which translates to around 6-8 flights before requiring a recharge. The controller uses a Type-C charging port and features 7 buttons with 12 functionalities, including:
- Return to Home/Stop Returning
- Speed Control Button (Stable/Sport Mode)
- Power ON/OFF Button /Display Battery Level
- One-key Takeoff/Landing/Cruise Control
- Compass Calibration/GPS ON-OFF
- Record Video / Take Photo
- Camera Angle Rotary Button
To operate the drone, users only need a smartphone and the free Ruko Mini app.
The F11PRO 2 is available for purchase through the Ruko website and on Amazon in the United States. While Ruko drones are more popular in the U.S., European customers can also order them directly from the Ruko website. Price of the drone is $459 / €424. The closest competitors are DJI Mini 3, Holy Stone HS900 and DJI Flip.
Ruko F11PRO 2: Final Verdict
Any beginner who wants to buy an affordable yet quality drone should consider the Ruko F11PRO 2. Novice drone users will find the device practical because it comes with two batteries that considerably extend its flight duration. The Ruko F11PRO 2 has no obstacle detection. So users must exercise additional care in congested flight areas.
– Solid Built Quality.
– GPS Follow.
– 31 minutes of battery life.
– 4K video at 30fps, 3-axis gimbal
– 2 Battery Included
The drone does not provide the best value for users already part of the DJI ecosystem or professionals searching for complex drone models. Beginners looking for their first drone should find a dependable starting point in the Ruko F11PRO 2 model despite its minor limitations.
Read More: DJI Mini 4K – 34 Tips & Settings
