If you thought DJI’s new zoom-capable drone camera was impressive, you might want to check out the model Walkera has on tap. The drone manufacturer’s latest features a zoom lens inside its camera system that offers 16x magnification.
The drone is called the Voyager 4 and it’s designed to be Walkera’s flagship machine for prosumer drone operators. On board is a gimbal-stabilized camera system that’s capable of capturing 360-degree visuals in 1080p and contains a ridiculous optical zoom range. How ridiculous? To offer a comparison, DJI’s new Zenmuse Z3 camera system has an equivalent zoom range of 22 to 77mm. The camera on the Voyager 4 has range of 10 to 1500mm.
Such impressive zoom capability doesn’t come standard, though, as noted by Gizmag. The 16x optical zoom option is an add-on. The standard version of the Voyager 4 contains a fixed focal length camera capable of capturing 4K footage.
For operating the drone, Walkera relies on Wi-Fi connectivity with a maximum distance of a mile or so. If you need a little more reach, the Voyager 4 is capable of using 4G cellular connectivity. Theoretically, you could control the drone from pretty much anywhere so long as you get service, but that’s not be a good idea due to fines and potential jail time.
Alongside the Voyager 4 comes a new controller from Walkera, the Devo F18, which is designed to be more user-friendly than previous iterations and offers multiple flight mode switches for easy customization.
No release date or pricing has been announced for either version of the Voyager 4 drone. For context though, the Voyager 3 retails for around $2,000, so the Voyager 4 will likely carry a comparable price tag.
