We are comparing Runcam eagle camera the performance of the Owl Plus with a normal FPV camera Sony Hs1177. The reason of writing Runcam eagle review is that I Just want too see how they will perform during day & night with default setting to help you to find out the best fpv camera for racing .
What’s in the box ?
Accessories that comes with the Runcam eagle camera are below
- 2 x camera mounts
- 1 x power/signal cable
- 1 x OSD menu control
- 1 x AV cable
- 1 x back plate
- some M2 bolts
- Mounting nuts and some paper work
Runcam eagle specifications
- Imaging Sensor: 1/18″ 16:9 CMOS
- Resolution: 800TVL
- Lens FOV: 130 degree
- OSD menu for configuration: Yes
- Min Illumination: 0.01Lux / 1.2F
- WDR: Global WDR
- Power Input: 5V-22V (2S – 5S)
- Housing material: Magnesium Alloy
- Weight: 16g
- Dimension: 26mm x 26mm x 31mm
Runcam eagle camera review
Size/Dimension
The dimensions are pretty similar to a Hs1177 but the body is slightly longer (0.5-1.0mm) which is no issue i guess . The Lens looks to be bigger and wider.
16:9/4:3 Aspect Ratio
Almost every FPV Goggles have 4:3 aspect ratio(AR), but there are googles which have 16:9 AR. So,cameras that are of 16:9 AR doesn’t come well on a 4:3 goggle, vice versa for a 16:9 goggle . Not to worry Eagle has got both versions, choose from either 4:3 sensor or 16:9 sensor.
CMOS and Global WDR
The runcam Eagle comes With CMOS sensor.
Most of pilots prefer ‘CCD’ over ‘CMOS’ but nowadays CMOS is getting better.
CMOS takes up a lot of processing power to execute lots of filter algorithms to run, just to make the image FPVable ;), which adds in a bit more delay(latency) which is clearly noticeable when compared to a swift or 1177, but there is already a newer version which came up recently and Runcam claims to have fix the only major issue with the eagle, that is the latency. Hope we get to test it out soon enough for a comparison.
NewGlobal WDR
Runcam developed this new Global WDR (Wide Dynamic Range) algorithm which is far better than normal WDR Wide Dynamic Rangecamera adjusts automatically to bright and dark areas to adjust for and eliminate overexposure and under exposure conditions.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Global WDR – works really well
- Great realistic color
- Sharpness of image is damn noticeable compared to any normal cam
- Nice mounting Solutions (includes in box)
- PAL/NTSC Switchable via OSD menu
Cons
- 48ms of Latency
- 3g heavier than Swift ( for those people who considers weight to be a deciding factor)
- Not great at night (not as great as an owl, but way better than swift/1177)
- The lens is a bit too big for some frames like the bolt(the new swift 2’s 2.5mm lens could be a better option)
Final Thoughts
From the first test i love the color and sharpness due to Global WDR probably. The light handling is damn good for FPV it doesn’t get you blinded when the Runcam eagle camera is faced towards the sun and the ground is still in good visibility, unlike other CMOS camera. The colors make FPV flying much more pleasant.
The main thing I noticed on this camera really was how powerful some of the OSD features. It works great in low light but not like owl , obviously, eagles don’t fly around at night, owls do. Latency is about 45ms as per result from Runcam latency is noticeable. But its flyable. I think with good colors and light handling its not bad for 45ms latency. You get to feel the latency/lag only when you are hardcore racing with it, for freestyle its totally flyable.
