Xiaomi Fimi X8 SE 2020 vs Autel Evo Camera Drone Comparison

Spec Comparison of the Xiaomi Fimi X8 SE 2020 and the Autel Evo Camera Drones

Here we compare the specs of the two similar sized drones from Fimi and Autel, the main difference from the off is that the Autel was released 2 years ago and the Fimi X8 SE 2020 is brand new for 2020 and just released in the last few days and is the newest camera drone on the market.

When comparing the physical features of the two you will find that the Autel is slightly shorter diagonally at a length of 338mm compared to 372mm of the Fimi X8 SE 2020, this is a difference of just over 3cm, so very similar in length when held in your hand.

But when you compare their dimensions and volume, the Fimi has a slightly larger volume of 1556cm³ compared to 1305cm³ of the Autel Evo, which makes the fimi about 150cm cubed larger when they are both folded up.

Weight wise, the Fimi comes out on top with a weight of 765grams compared to 863grams for the Autel, making it just under 100grams lighter.

If you're looking for a high speed camera drone, you won't go wrong with either of these two options as they offer max speed of 65kmh for the Fimi and 72kmh for the Autel Evo.

They have very similar ascent and descent speeds, with both achieving a 5m/s ascent speed and the Fimi just beating the Autel by 1m/s in the descent.

What is interesting when it comes to the max wind speed they can handle is that the Fimi is advertised at 50kmh and the Autel at 35kmh. This means that the X8 SE 2020 can handle 15kmh stronger winds, which is quite a jump. This is especially handy in mountainous or coastal regions and if there are stronger wind gusts. We thought they would have a similar wind speed tolerance due to their size and weight being similar, but interestingly they are not.

The transmission distance is also bigger for the Fimi X8 SE 2020 at 8km max transmission distance, compared to 7km for the Autel, not a big difference but maybe the decider for you?

Again, the Fimi comes out on top in terms of flight time, with a 35 minute flight compared to 30 minutes for the Autel Evo. This is a large increase in flight time over the Autel and 35 minutes seems like just above the industry average.

Another feature that the Fimi X8 SE 2020 does better than the Autel is that of noise level, it is only 68 decibels at head height compared to 83 decibels for the Autel Evo which is a 15 decibel increase in noise level. If you want quieter flight times 

The speed of each camera drone and flight time equates to very similar flight distances of between 36-38km for both of them.

Camera and Video Comparison of Xiaomi Fimi X8 SE 2020 and the Autel Evo

In terms of their camera features for photography and video aerial work, the Autel has a big improvement over the Xiaomi from the off, with a 94° field of view. Compared to the 80° degree FOV for the Fimi X8 SE 2020. This means at the same elevation and position you will see significantly more from the Autel than the Fimi.

They both have a max bitrate of 100 mbps when creating videos.

We are unaware of the size of image sensor on the Autel Evo camera drone but know that the Fimi X8 SE 2020 has a 1/2.6" sized image sensor but not what sensor model it is.

They are both 12MP photo resolution cameras and can record 4K video footage, so plenty of high res photo and video options available.

The Autel has a slight advantage in terms of slow-mo video in that it can record 120fps compared to 100fps on the Xiaomi Fimi X8 SE 2020.

They can both take RAW and DNG photos which means more data and better for color grading and have a number of video resolutions and FPS pairings that should suffice most aerial film makers.

The Fimi does have F-log flat profile and can also record in H.264 and H.265 just like the Autel so it does have a bit of an advantage here in terms of video options for video work and post editing.

All of their photo and video footage is stabilized by 3-axis gimbal on both camera drones which makes for smooth footage.

Summary

The Autel is twice the price of the Fimi X8 SE 2020 but doesn't have twice the features. Actually, the Fimi X8 SE 2020 is on-par and in some features a much better camera and videography film making drone.

It is 2 years newer, but the Xioami Fimi X8 SE 2020 is also only $399 at the time of writing.

We think that the Fimi is just an incredible camera drone for the money.