Potensic ATOM 2 Review – An Impressive Addition to the Mini Drone Space

Includes:

• ATOM 2 Drone
• Remote Controller
• 3 Batteries
• Fast Charging Hub
• Shoulder Bag
• Gimbal Guard
• 8 Pairs of spare propellers & 16 spare screws
• USB-C Charging cable
• USB-C and Apple Lightning Adaptor Cables
• Propeller Protector/Strap

ATOM 2 Technical Specs

ATOM 2 Hardware

As is the case with most Mini drones, including DJI’s line, the ATOM 2 is made from lightweight plastic. Because of this, if you’ve never flown a mini drone, it could feel like a toy.

However, cheap is not a word I’d use to describe the ATOM 2. Once you fly the ATOM 2, it feels like a solid piece of aerial camera gear.

I fly mostly for commercial work, with larger drones like the Air 3 and Mavic 3 lines. While the ATOM 2 doesn’t fly like these larger and heavier drones, it does fly extremely well.

The four motors on the ATOM 2 allow it to move nimbly and effortlessly. In calm or nearly windless conditions, the ATOM 2 remains stable in the air, thanks to its downward positioning system.

With it being close to rainy season here in Florida, every single time I flew, there was wind and some moderate gusts as well. The ATOM 2 handled the wind like a champ, considering how small it is.

Thankfully, the ATOM 2 is rated for 23.6 mph winds.

As is generally the case when I fly at the Gulf Coast of Florida, the winds were gusting around 15 – 20 mph over land and the water, and the ATOM 2 did a great job taking video and photos.

Of course, since the ATOM 2 is a mini drone, it will be somewhat affected by the wind. This is true for all mini-drones. Thankfully, the 3-axis gimbal ensures that video footage looks smooth, even if the wind does blow the ATOM 2 around like crazy, as was the case on my most recent outing.

As someone who regularly flies commercially and rarely gets to fly recreationally, the ATOM 2 encourages me to fly more recreationally.

I really do have a great time flying it.

What’s nice for those who are new to flying drones is that the ATOM 2 is very easy to fly. Once familiar with the directions of the sticks, the ATOM 2 is very controllable and quite stable.

Just a heads-up: The ATOM 2 doesn’t have an obstacle avoidance system. So if you’re a new or inexperienced pilot, you won’t have any sensors to help you avoid things in your path.

Additionally, with the inclusion of the Video, Normal, and Sport flight modes, the ATOM 2 can be tailored to fit most levels of drone operators, from very new to advanced.

Something I greatly appreciate about the ATOM 2 is that the propellers are extremely quiet. When about 30 or so feet in height, they are almost indiscernible.

This is great for new flyers and anyone concerned about bringing too much attention to themselves when flying.

When flying on a very crowded Gulf Coast beach recently, I found the ATOM 2’s quietness worked quite well. I took off from behind our tent, and no one heard it or even looked in our direction. Once up in the air, with the wind and wave noise, it could not be heard.

Video Transmission

What’s also nice is that the ATOM 2 ‘s transmission distance is up to 6 miles.

Over the years, many online like to talk about how far a drone can fly, while pushing its limits. When flying in the United States, flying BVLOS (beyond visual line of sight) is illegal.

Because of this, we never encourage anyone to test out how far any drone can fly, let alone the ATOM 2.

Conversely, I do appreciate the strength of the signal between the remote controller and the ATOM 2.

The signal from the remote controller has proven to be strong and not overly affected by outside interference; the ATOM 2 can fly in WiFi and signal-congested areas very well, and I have regularly put this to the test.

If you like to fly in suburban or downtown environments, you won’t be disappointed.

Batteries & Charging

The ATOM 2 uses intelligent flight batteries, not unlike DJI drones.

This is a welcome addition to any drone, as intelligent flight batteries self-discharge after a certain amount of time, preventing the battery from becoming damaged due to sitting fully charged.

The maximum flight time on the ATOM 2 batteries is rated for 32 minutes. However, I get a little over 22 minutes of flight time.

This is because of a few different factors.

One is that I always land around the 25-30% mark. Secondly, manufacturers’ flight times are generally when the drone is flying in its optimal test environments. Thus, actual user flight times will vary by a few minutes.

Now’s a good time to note that there are no LED battery indicators on the batteries themselves. To check the battery power, you will have to insert it into the ATOM 2 and press the power button once, or put the battery into the charging hub.

If you have the Standard kit, you can charge the included single battery within the ATOM 2, using the USB-C port in the rear of the ATOM 2’s battery.

The Fly More Combo includes a charging hub for the three intelligent flight batteries.

I have always been a fan of multiple battery charging options for drones. The ATOM 2’s charging hub is no exception. The hub is rated to charge all three batteries in as little as 1.3 hours. I have found I’m able to charge my batteries slightly faster, as I only use them down to about the 30% mark.

I am slightly disappointed, however, that, as of the writing of this article, the charging hub has a non-standard Potensic 12V travel charger.

At a time when most personal electronic devices come with USB-C cables as standard, it seems like an odd choice for Potensic to go with a 12V charging solution.

I keep various length USB-C cables in all my vehicles and equipment bags. These come in handy when charging any of my other drones. Sadly, with the ATOM 2, I’ll have to bring the 12V charger with me when on trips.

There may be benefits of the 12V charger that we are not aware of as of this article’s writing. If those become apparent, the article will be updated to reflect this.

Something I really like about the charging hub is that it allows you to plug in a USB cable and then charge your device(s), with said USB cable, from the remaining battery power in the inserted intelligent batteries. Thus providing a power pack in a pinch.

Remote Controller

The ATOM 2’s remote controller is similar to the original ATOM remote controller, but updated in a few key areas.

In-hand, the remote controller is solid and works very well.

What I find interesting, or even slightly odd for that matter, is the overall design of the RC. The controller is built to accommodate a smartphone in the center of the remote controller.

Don’t get me wrong, I understand the design, and it adds to the excellent overall balance of the RC. The smartphone doesn’t sit on top, causing it to be top-heavy, like other remote controllers. It’s just that the combination of the remote controller and smartphone is very large.

As an example, for me, the largest remote controller I feel comfortable flying with is the DJI RC Pro. That is a very large and solid piece of equipment. Without a smartphone in the ATOM 2 remote controller, the RC is still larger (in length) than the large DJI RC Pro.

When you add a phone, the remote controller is very wide. When I fly the ATOM 2, I generally use my Samsung S21+, which is a huge phone. Now, when combined, this smartphone and remote controller combo is extremely wide. If a child is flying the ATOM 2, this could be a little unwieldy for them.

Aside from the remote controller being very large, though, it is great to fly with.

The sticks are very responsive, and the tactile feel of the various buttons and dials is perfect. Aside from the overall width of the remote controller, I have absolutely no complaints with controlling the ATOM 2.

On the face of the remote controller, you’ll find:

• Power button
• LED indicator lights for the current power
• Left and right control sticks
• Return to Home/Auto Land button

On the back of the remote controller, you’ll find:

• Left and right control stick holder

On top of the remote controller, you’ll find:

• Adjustable antenna
• Record/camera shutter button
• Left-hand dial
• C1 Button (customizable)
• Right-hand dial
• C2 Button (customizable)

On the bottom of the remote controller, you’ll find:

• USB-C Connection port
• Left and right screw points for a lanyard/neck strap

Image Quality

How a drone behaves in the air and flies is only half the fun when out and about. For many, it is equally important that their drone takes good pictures and videos.

The ATOM 2 produces very good images and great video.

What has to be recognized is that this is a USD 300+ drone and not a Mavic 3 Pro (soon to be Mavic 4) or something comparable in the prosumer to professional space, costing thousands. There is no high dynamic range 1″ Sensor on the ATOM 2.

With that said, the ATOM 2 is equipped with a 1/2″ Sony image sensor, which does a good job of producing good-looking images. With this 1/2″ sensor, sporting an f/1.8 fixed aperture, there is less noise in the shadows. Sadly, low-light performance on the ATOM 2 can be a bit better, but it is more than acceptable.

If you find yourselves needing to shoot in low light, we recommend doing so in RAW and then editing the photos in Lightroom or an equivalent editor.

Where the camera on the ATOM 2 really shines is in daylight. With proper lighting, the images produced by the ATOM 2 are very good. Most of the shots I have taken with the ATOM 2 have been on beaches or in open areas, at 12MP, among other things.

The camera on the ATOM 2 is equivalent to a 26mm focal length. While there are mini drones that have a slightly wider focal length, 26mm works well on the ATOM 2.

When taking landscape or broad shots, it never felt like the 26mm focal length was too narrow. While a little out of focus around the edges, the overall image quality across the lens was decent.

While the images coming out of the ATOM 4 for pictures are good, there are a couple of areas that need a bit of attention.

The first is that the ATOM 2 consistently over-sharpens images taken. This isn’t as noticeable on shots like the top-down beach view, seen above.

When taking pictures of close-up landscaping, it is much more noticeable. To counter this, I try and dial down the clarity and sharpness in Lightroom, but it can still be seen after editing, especially on larger screens (see below).

The second thing that I noticed, which is fixable in photo editing software, is inconsistent white balance. This is to be expected in ever-changing lighting conditions, like a partially cloudy day.

However, I noticed the white balance being “off” consistently on the cloudless beach day where I took many shots. Of course, you can manually change the white balance between shots, however, it would be nice to set the balance to auto and just focus on getting the shots needed. Perhaps this is something that can be addressed over time in Firmware Updates.

Here’s an interesting note: when shooting video, the yoyo’ing inconsistent white balance doesn’t seem to be much of an issue, if even one.

Below are the Still Photography Modes available on the ATOM 2:
Single (JPG): 12 MP and 48 MP
Single (JPG & RAW): 12 MP and 48 MP
Burst Shooting: 12 MP, up to 7 frames
Bracketing (BRK): 12 MP, 3/5/ frames
Interval Timing Shooting: 12 MP, 2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9/10/15/20/25/30 s
Panorama: Wide Angle, 180, Vertical

When it comes to video, though, the ATOM 2 does a stellar job.

The ATOM 2 captures video in 4K, 2.7K, and FHD at 24/25/30fps, with slow-motion FHD available at 2x to 5x speeds.

While there currently is no 60fps option, being able to shoot 4K on a drone of this size and in this price point is an acceptable compromise.

For those who enjoy video editing, the ATOM 2 supports a maximum video bit rate of 80 Mbps.

As of right now, there are only two color profiles: Normal and HDR. Potensic has said, however, that a flat P-Log profile will be added in a future firmware update. Video editors rejoice!

I can not speak highly enough of how good the video on the ATOM 2 looks. The only thing I am looking forward to in this regard is ND filters. Currently, I am shooting video in Auto and letting the ATOM 2 choose the exposure triangle.

Once ND filters are available, shooting at the proper shutter speed will enable optimal motion blur, thus making a great video experience on the ATOM 2 even better.

Intellegent Flight Modes

With the availability of AI, more and more industries are taking full advantage of its power and capabilities. Potensic is no exception. The ATOM 2 benefits from a full suite of AI-powered tools.

This is great to see, as other mini drone manufacturers are incorporating multiple intelligent flight modes and features.

Although the ATOM 2 does not benefit from obstacle and collision avoidance sensors, it is more than capable of tracking subjects.

The AI Tracking options include:

• AI Follow
• AI Spotlight
• AI Parallel

AI Follow

This tracking mode follows a subject from behind or at an angle, maintaining a steady distance. This mode is ideal for those wanting to record activities like walking, running, or cycling, ensuring the subject remains in focus throughout the activity.

AI Spotlight

The ATOM 2 hovers in place while the camera automatically tracks and keeps the subject centered in the frame. AI Spotlight is perfect for stationary or slow-moving subjects, allowing for hands-free filming.

AI Parallel

Here, the ATOM 2 flies alongside the subject of choice, maintaining a consistent distance from the subject. This mode is ideal for capturing subjects from the side during activities like hiking or biking, easily capturing a cinematic perspective.

The AI Quickshots options, as defined by Potensic, are:

• Pull-away: The drone ascends backward, revealing the background—ideal for travel and nature shots.
• Spiral: Circles upward around the subject, showcasing landmarks or outdoor activities.
• Rocket: Shoots straight up while keeping the subject in frame for dramatic overhead shots.
• Circle: Orbits smoothly around the subject, perfect for capturing people or moving objects.
• Boomerang: Moves in an elliptical path, creating a cinematic effect suitable for storytelling.
• Dolly Zoom: Combines zooming in while flying backward for a suspenseful effect.

With such a robust arsenal of AI-enabled tracking and quickshot modes, the ATOM 2 can easily produce difficult cinematic shots that would take a lot of practice to accomplish manually.

While this is the case, it is important to note that the ATOM 2 is not a “selfie” drone by any definition of the word. With the lack of needed avoidance sensors, caution must be taken when using any of these modes. Caution should be taken with total reliance on any autonomous drone mode.

Conclusion

Considering the price point, the Potensic ATOM 2 is an excellent drone. It has something for everyone.

Whether you are new to flying drones, someone looking for a small drone to quickly get in the air recreationally, or a more advanced hobbyist requiring many of the capabilities found on larger drones, the ATOM 2 has you covered.

Additionally, if you are looking for a DJI alternative, the ATOM 2 fits the bill, as it has many of the features found in DJI’s line of mini drones.