The Runcam Split Mini has been a great camera for micro quads/drones recording 1080p 60fps HD footage. Now it’s just getting better with the Split Mini 2 which has only one PCB board and is even lighter!

Check out my HD camera buyer’s guide.

Where to Buy?

What’s Special about the Runcam Split Mini 2?

I really don’t know how Runcam managed to cram all those components onto a single piece of PCB, it’s amazing :)

The total stack height required is reduced significantly, meaning the Split Mini 2 will be compatible with a lot more 3″ and 2.5″ micro quad frames out there.

Beware that the Split Mini 2 camera PCB is slightly wider and thicker than the previous version.

Split Mini 2 : 29x29mm, 12.9g without any standoffs

Split Mini 1 : 27x27mm, 14.5g without any standoffs

See my review of the Split Mini 1.

Specifications of the Split Mini 2 HD/FPV Camera

Field of View (FOV) FPV 130° / Recording FOV 165°

Video Resolution [email protected] / [email protected] / [email protected]

Video File Format MOV

Image Resolution 2 MP

NTSC / PAL Switchable

Micro USB Connector

Supports Micro SD Card up to 64G (Require Class 6 or higher, Recommend Class 10 / UHS-I / UHS-II / UHS-III)

PCB Mounting Pattern: 20*20mm

Dimensions: PCB 29*29mm / camera width 19*19mm

Supports Input Voltage of 5V – 20V (2S to 4S)

Current Draw: 650mA @5V / 270mA @12V

Weight 12.9g

A Closer Look at the Split Mini 2 Camera

Accessories including:

Micro-to-full-size mounting bracket

Metal Cover for protecting the micro SD card

1 Set of M2 screws

3-PIN 1.25mm JST Silicone Cable (female)

3-PIN 1.25mm JST Silicone Cable (male)

3-PIN 1.0mm JST Silicone Cable

Manual

It comes with a metal cover for preventing the SD card from ejecting in a crash.

The ribbon cable is about 5cm long, which should be more than enough for most 3″ micro quadcopters.

It’s going to be a lot easier to install than the previous version which had 2 boards! There are two push buttons – Shutter and Mode, same as the last version.

The Runcam Split Mini 2 has the exact same connector between the PCB and camera module as the previous version. The camera modules are actually cross-compatible between the V1 and V2, so you can use the camera from V1 and use it on the V2 board. Disclaimer: I haven’t tried this myself, but it’s confirmed by Runcam.

Some closeup shots of the PCB board.

Video Quality

I really can’t tell the difference between the Split Mini 1 and 2. Maybe slightly lower saturation and higher exposure in the default settings but that’s about it.

However Audio quality has improved massively! Wind noise is reduced to a minimum as you can hear from the video.

Unfortunately the camera I received has a tiny bit of blurriness on both left and right sides. I am pretty sure it’s just a defective camera module they sent me. Hopefully I will get a replacement and do some more videos with it.

Latency Testing

The TV-out latency of the Split Mini 2 is the same as the previous version at around 37ms average, 24ms minimum. (Using it as an FPV camera)

Changing Camera Settings

The Split Mini 2 camera comes with a new menu interface – a text overlay on top of the camera’s view. No changes to the options though.

Choppy Video In The Goggles?!

When I was testing the Split Mini 2, the video was a bit laggy which makes it difficult to fly with. You don’t notice the choppiness in the DVR, only when you are looking through the goggles.

I found the issue came from the video format settings. When it’s set to PAL, the video you see in the FPV goggles is choppy, it almost feels like it’s skipping frames. When using NTSC the video is a lot more fluid and smooth.

So I recommend using the Split Mini 2 in NTSC mode, or try both see which works best for you.

You can simply change video format in the camera settings, TV Out. You can use both formats with any FPV equipment, it’s not a big deal. See this post for the technical differences between NTSC and PAL.

Make sure to set the same video format in Betaflight OSD (in Betaflight configurator) too otherwise your OSD text at the bottom will get chopped off.

Conclusion – Is It Any Good?

If you already have the Split Mini 1, I don’t think it’s necessary to upgrade since the video quality is roughly the same. Unless you just want the better audio quality.

For people who are building a new micro quad capable of recording 1080p footage, I would strongly recommend the Split Mini 2. It’s become so much easier to build thanks to the smaller form factor (1 single board)!