The ZLL SG906 Max or Beast Pro 3 on paper is an incredible drone. It has a 4K camera on a full three-axis gimbal. It has a flight time of up to 26 minutes. The Beast Pro 3 even has an obstacle avoidance sensor. For less than $200 this drone is an absolute steal, right?
ZLL SG906 Max Beast Pro 3
The ZLL SG906 Max Beast Pro 3 is a decent drone for about $200 but it isn’t going to compete with drones like the DJI Mavic Mini. Like most drones in this price range, the specs sound great on paper but the implementation and camera quality underwhelm. It is basically identical to the Beast Pro 2 but adds obstacle avoidance.
The camera claims to be a 4K camera, and yes you’ll get 4K resolution at 25 fps but I’ll take a solid 720p footage from a good camera over the 4K of the Beast Pro 3. It disappoints with its 11 Mbps and small sensor. The gimbal does a good job of stabilizing footage but panning up and down is jerky and capturing smooth footage can be difficult. The Beast Pro 3 claims 50x zoom however it is digital and doesn’t offer good detail. The camera is on par with most drones in this price range but won’t stack up to the DJI Mini or Mini 2.
The ZLL SG906 Max Beast Pro 3 does have obstacle avoidance. It uses a laser that pans the front of the drone to detect obstacles. My testing showed that it did work quite well, but obstacle avoidance is a bit of a misnomer. When the drone senses an obstacle in front of it, it will beep and stop flying. It won’t actively avoid anything, but rather just stop. You’ll have to fly backward and clear the obstacle by about 10 meters before you can fly forward again.
Obstacle avoidance only works when the drone is in slow mode. I find it particularly slow and after a few flights removed the obstacle avoidance. I actually did end up crashing this drone once because of the obstacle avoidance. It wouldn’t budge because it sensed an obstacle and the wind pushed me into a tree. The good news is it flies great without the sensor on top. At that point, it is basically the Beast Pro 2.
The GPS positioning works well but you’ll have to do a compass calibration each time you fly or it won’t work as well. Return to home works well and is a good safety feature if you need to use it. There are follow modes as well as orbit modes you can use with this drone.
The Beast Pro 3 has a maximum flight time of up to 26 minutes but you can expect to get closer to 15-20 minutes of flight. It has a top speed of 28 mph or 45 kph. The Beast Pro 3 weighs 582 grams, so you’ll have to register it with the FAA. The video range is up to 800 meters and you’ll need a new “5G” or AC compatible phone to access the ZLL Pro app.
Overall the ZLL SG906 Max Beast Pro 3 is a decent drone for $200 but don’t expect something to take professional pictures or video. You’ll want to step up to the DJI Mini or Mini 2 for that. It is a good competitor to the MJX Bugs 12 or 20 but I’d recommend the Bugs 12 over the Beast 3. I prefer the app and find the Bugs to be a bit more user-friendly.
The Beast Pro 3 is a great idea. The camera is decent and having a real three-axis gimbal is a bonus. Obstacle avoidance is a nice idea but I didn’t find myself using it much. Perhaps another iteration or two of the Beast lineup will be the drone we are looking for. I’d probably recommend looking at a Bugs model or spending a little less on the Beast Pro 2. Unless you like the idea of obstacle avoidance then give this one a shot.
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