When it comes to 5-inch BNF drones with the DJI O4 system, I compared all the available options and concluded that the GEPRC Vapor D5 was the best pick for me. So, I decided to bought one and see how it actually performs. In this review, I’ll walk you through my experience—covering its design, build quality, flight performance, and setup process. If you’re considering this drone, this deep dive should help you decide if it’s worth it.
If you want to see my thought process on choosing this drone and compared it with other options, see this post: https://oscarliang.com/5inch-bnf-dji-o4-pro-comparison-feb-2025/
Table of Contents
Where to Buy
You can purchase the GEPRC Vapor D5 from these vendors:
- AliExpress: https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_oEmdNbF
- NewBeeDrone: https://oscarliang.com/product-0auo
- FPV24: https://oscarliang.com/product-fucl
The GEPRC Vapor D5 comes these accessories:
- GEPRC Vapor D5 drone
- Two sets of Gemfan Vanny Style 5136 props
- 2x battery straps
- 2x sticky battery pads
- 2x spare side panels (black)
- GoPro mount
- Hex keys (2x)
- Prop wrench
- Extra screws
- Pointed tool for pressing the bind button on the O4
- Manuals
- Stickers & keyring
Specifications
- Wheelbase: 238mm
- Carbon Plate Thickness: 2.0mm (top/middle), 2.5mm (bottom), 5.0mm (arms)
- Flight Controller: GEP-F722-HD v2
- MCU: STM32F722
- Gyro: ICM42688-P (SPI)
- Barometer: Yes
- OSD: Betaflight OSD with AT7456E
- ESC: TAKER H60_BLS 60A 4IN1 ESC
- VTX and Camera: DJI O4 Air Unit Pro
- Battery Connector: XT60
- Motors: GEPRC SPEEDX2 2207E 1960KV
- Props: GEMFAN 5136
- Optional GPS: GEP-M10 GPS
- Receiver Options PNP / GEPRC ELRS24 / TBS Nano RX
- Recommended Battery 6S LiPo 1300mAh – 1800mAh
- Flight Time 14–19 minutes
- Weight:
- Without Battery: 488.4g
- With 6S 1100mAh LiPo: 698g
- With GoPro Hero 13 and 6S 1100mAh: 865g
Design and Build Quality
Frame
The Vapor D5 features a dead cat frame, meaning the front props stay out of the camera’s view, making it perfect for cinematic flying. The chunky top plate and vibrant orange side panels give it an aggressive, futuristic look.
- Carbon fiber arms: 5mm thick, durable, and rigid.
- Top & bottom plates: 2mm and 2.5mm thick for solid impact resistance.
- Front CNC aluminum camera mount with soft mounts: Secure and protects the sensitive DJI O4 Pro camera.
- TPU antenna mounts: Flexible and designed to accommodate various antenna types.
Design Details
The SD card slot and USB-C port of the O4 Pro Air Unit are conveniently placed, making system access quick and hassle-free.
The battery strap placement forces the LiPo to sit slightly toward the rear when using a typical 6S 1100mAh battery. At first glance, this might make the quad appear back-heavy, but surprisingly, the weight distribution is still perfectly balanced due to the forward-mounted camera.
That said, there’s plenty of space on the top plate, and if you’re not using a GoPro, you can easily fit a larger battery for extended flight time. A 6S 3000-4000mAh Li-ion pack would be perfect for long-range flights.
One Design Flaw: Receiver Antenna Placement
If there’s one thing I don’t like about this quad, it’s the receiver antenna placement—it feels like a lazy design choice.
Sure, it will probably work fine for close range flying like 1 to 2 kilometers, but this drone has so much long-range potential (especially with a large Li-ion battery), and an optimized antenna placement could significantly improve range and signal reliability.
Recommendation: Mounting the receiver antenna vertically to one side would help prevent signal blockage from other components and maximize range.
Internals and Electronics
Accessing the electronics is straightforward—simply remove the top plate, which is secured by 10 bolts.
Finally a BNF quad without unnecessary RGB LEDs—a refreshing change in the FPV world. And the side plates are removable – potentially saving you over 15 grams!
All components are connected via connectors, except for the GPS, which is soldered to the board underneath. Logical and practical wire/capacitor placement—great attention to detail in the design.
Soldering and build quality are top-notch—GEPRC clearly put thought into the design. FC boot button is easily accessible—it faces outward to the side, so there’s no need to remove the top plate to press it. And it includes a buzzer—an often-overlooked but highly useful feature.
Issues & Annoyances
FC USB Port Cutout is Too Small
The side plate cutout for the FC USB port is only 11x6mm, making it too tight for most cables. I had to try like 4 or 5 different cables before finding one that barely fit. If you don’t have a USB cable with slim connector, you’ll need to remove the side plate just to connect to Betaflight Configurator—not a deal breaker but annoying nonetheless.
USB Power Doesn’t Supply Receiver or GPS
The USB connection doesn’t power the receiver or GPS—you must plug in a LiPo for these to function. Not a major issue, but it makes bench testing and setup slightly more inconvenient.
Flight Performance
First Flight Impression
My first flight experience with the GEPRC Vapor D5 was nothing short of exhilarating. Powered by a 6S 1100mAh battery, the quad felt incredibly responsive and powerful. No jello or noticeable vibrations, even when pushed to the limit. Surprisingly quiet compared to other 6S 5-inch FPV drones—possibly due to frame design and aerodynamics.
- Hover throttle: ~19%
- Top speed: ~165 km/h
It’s fast, but not the absolute fastest 5-inch quad I’ve tested. Given the high KV motors, I expected a bit more speed, but the larger/heavier frame probably balance things out.
Tuning
Out of the box, the GEPRC Vapor D5 is well-tuned, flying smoothly and responsively. I’d say it’s a great option for both cinematic flying and freestyle. Motors stay cool—even after 3 minutes of aggressive freestyle, they barely get warm. Stock tune is solid—most pilots probably won’t need to tweak much unless they want maximum performance.
That said, there’s still room for improvement. There’s minor instability when recovering from long dives and sharp turns—not a deal-breaker, but noticeable. Tuning adjustments could help, but with proper piloting, you can mask these imperfections. For cinematic flying, this won’t matter much—these moves aren’t typically used in smooth, cinematic flight styles.
Efficiency and Flight Time
If there’s one major downside, it’s flight time—the Vapor D5 is not the most efficient quad. GEPRC claims up to 14 minutes of flight time, but that’s likely in low-throttle cruising conditions with a big battery. With a typical 6S 1100mAh battery, I got only about 3 minutes of flight time when flying aggressively, and about 4 minutes if I ease off throttle. With a 6S 4000mAh Li-ion battery, flight time improves to 12-13 minutes—it’s okay for some mid to long-range flights.
Why is it inefficient? Three main reasons:
- Large frame—more air resistance.
- Relatively heavy weight—motors need to work harder to maintain speed.
- High KV motors—more power, but less efficiency especially at mid to high throttle.
Also, the current sensor appeared to overestimate amp draw—I had to increase the current sensor scale to 195 to address this issue.
GPS
Although the FC USB port doesn’t power the GPS, I was pleasantly surprised by its excellent performance at how quick it gets a fix:
- 3D fix (8 satellites) within a minute of plugging in the LiPo—even with the VTX powered on at the same time.
- After 5 minutes, it locked onto 23 satellites—exceptional performance for a BNF drone.
This suggests that GEPRC is using a high-quality M10 GPS module, which is ideal for Betaflight Rescue Mode. For long-range pilots, this strong GPS performance is a major advantage, ensuring a reliable return-to-home failsafe.
The GPS mount also has adjustable tilt angle which ensures it remain level during flight.
How to Setup
Out of the Box Setup
Before the first flight, I did the following:
- Removed all labels on the drone.
- Removed the motor direction cards—these indicate the motor spin direction (which is using Betaflight default – props in).
- Removed the protective film from the camera lens.
- Installed the two O4 antennas in the 3D-printed TPU mount (avoid sharp bends in the wires).
- Placed the battery pad on the top plate.
- Installed the two battery straps—if you’re having trouble fitting them through the holes, just remove the top plate first.
Firmware
- The flight controller (FC) board target is GEPRCF722, and it comes preloaded with Betaflight firmware version 4.5.1. For stock CLI Diff, see here.
- ESC Firmware: ESC 1: B-X-30 – Bluejay, 0.21.0, 48kHz
- ELRS Receiver Firmware Target: GEPRC Nano 2.4GHz PA100 RX, firmware 3.4.2
Betaflight Setup
- Bind the ELRS receiver – Tutorial: https://oscarliang.com/bind-expresslrs-receivers/
- Pair the DJI O4 Air Unit with your goggles – Guide: https://oscarliang.com/how-to-setup-dji-o4-pro/#Pairing-DJI-Goggles-3-with-O4-Air-Unit-Pro
- Load the ExpressLRS preset according to your packet rate – Instructions: https://oscarliang.com/betaflight-presets/#Loading-RC-Link-Configurations
- Set up custom rates – My Rates: https://oscarliang.com/rates/#My-Rates
- Configure the Modes tab (arm switch, turtle mode, etc.): https://oscarliang.com/betaflight-modes/#How-to-Setup-Arm-Switch
- Set up OSD, you can copy my CLI lines: https://oscarliang.com/betaflight-osd/#My-OSD-Setup-CLI-Commands
Improvements & Modifications
Out of the box, the GEPRC Vapor D5 is already an excellent FPV drone—for most pilots, you can set it up, fly it, and have fun immediately.
However, like every BNF drone, there’s always room for improvements. I have a few ideas how to make it better, especially for efficiency and long range capability. For instance to make it lighter, then re-tune PID and filters to maximize performance. Reduce motor output since this drone comes with really high KV motors. And so on…
Would you be interested in a separate post on these modifications? Let me know!
Update – here is the post with these mods as promised: https://oscarliang.com/geprc-vapor-improvements/
Final Thoughts
Before purchasing the GEPRC Vapor D5, I thoroughly analyzed its specs, design, and overall value—and after flying it, my expectations were confirmed. That said, some minor design flaws only become apparent after hands-on testing, as mentioned in the review.
Among all the 5-inch DJI O4 BNF drones I compared, the Vapor D5 offers the best balance of value and performance. It’s available for $450, whereas similar options from iFlight can go for over $600. It’s just a no brainer.
You can purchase the GEPRC Vapor D5 from these vendors:
- AliExpress: https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_oEmdNbF
- NewBeeDrone: https://oscarliang.com/product-0auo
- FPV24: https://oscarliang.com/product-fucl
Is It Worth It? Absolutely. The combination of a robust build, innovative design, and superb flight performance makes it an excellent choice for both freestyle pilots and those looking to capture cinematic footage with the DJI O4 Pro camera. The main downside for me would be flight time and efficiency. But if you put a big enough battery on this thing it can still fly for 12 minutes or more, with its reliable GPS module, it can be a pretty good mid to long range FPV drone.
38 comments
Where can I get this drone now for the least price, since all this tariff and tax things are going on? Can you update some more current links.
Could this bnf also be flown with 4S batteries? Or will it be too weak combined with these 2207 1960KV motors? Cheers for the reviews Oscar!
Using 4S battery would be like using 66% of a 6S battery. It should still be able to take off, but is it too weak? That can be subjective and depends on your experience, for beginners maybe it’s the right amount of power, but for the experienced pilot it might feel underpowered.
Thank you man! I love the written format. I’d be interested in your improvements! Yes please.
On my ELRS Boxer, I can put out up to 1000 mw (1 watt). Can this (I am awaiting delivery of the Vapor D5) drone benefit from that? Probably a stupid question but I’m a pretty new pilot and thought this may help with the less than ideal antenna.
Thank you!
I recommend checking out this paragraph first: https://oscarliang.com/long-range-fpv-flying-mini-quad/#Less-is-More
Try starting at lower power like 100mW or 250mW, as you fly further, keep an eye on your RSSI and LQ. Only increase power as you reeally need to. Or just set power to dynamic and let the ExpressLRS to manage it dynamically to optimize radio battery life.
Hi !
Big thanks for all your insane work !
I read so many thread you did here and they are so precise and clear. As a new pilot it as helped me a LOT man,
thanks again !
I would be really interesed in a separate post on the changes and configurations you can do to improve the vapor d5 for freestyle or various playstyle ? that would be awesome to read you though on that subject !
(Sorry for my non native english )
Thanks a lot again, keep it up !
Is this available for DJI remotes?
I get the DJI video system but are a bit lost in the receiver end of things.
Seems most convenient to buy:
– this drone
– 6s battery
– dji remote
– dji goggles
As a kit?
(I’ve done 40+ hours in a sim and have a 5 year old Cinewhoop, FrSky Taranis X9 Lite controller and did quite a few flights with that) Looking for a big upgrade and not hours of fiddeling with betaflight, addons for the controller etc.
Yea that’s a pretty good setup to get started, easy to setup and manage for sure. Most people would probably prefer ExpressLRS radio link for its link reliability and the superior ergonomics of a better radio though.
Oscar, I am a newb, and not sure I understand correctly: you mention a drawback of placement receiver antenna close to DJI 04 VTX antenna. But this will not be an issue if I buy PNP version and will be using DJI RC3 controller,- correct?
You are correct.
“Would you be interested in a separate post on these modifications? Let me know!” Yes please!!
I have a question for those who bought it. Is this battery too heavy for the drone? (gaoneng.shop/products/gaoneng-gnb-6s-22.2v-2800mah-100c-xt60-lipo-battery)
I’m searching for a battery with which you can get long flight times but doen’t make the drone feel heavy.
Depends on the flying style: if you plan to just cruise for a long time, this battery should be fine. But if you plan to fly freestyle, then yes, this battery is on the heavy side.
“Get long flight time” and “not make the drone feel heavy” is contradictory, you can’t have everything :) But a bigger LiPo is probably a better idea than a bigger Li-ion pack if you want a better balance between power and flight time. Li-ion pack will give you longer flight time for the same weight but less power for sure.
Hey Oscar, do you think the Vapor D5 frame is better quality than the Mark 5, just the frame itself, not the BNF version? Also, I noticed that GEPRC recommends bigger 6S batteries (1500mAh-2000mAh) for the Vapor but smaller ones (1050mAh-1550mAh) for the Mark 5. Does that mean the Vapor can fly longer because of the bigger battery or does the Mark 5s lighter weight make up for it? I’m trying to find a good balance between flight time and agility for my first 5-inch build.
Well from what I know, the Mark5 is supposed to be the budget lineup with an old but reliable design, while the Vapor is a newer premium design. The Mark5 is slightly lighter and more suited for freestyle, while the Vapor is more versatile thanks to having a GPS module included.
I am sure there are other differences. I will try to get the Mark 5 O4 and review it properly when it’s released.
Thanks, Oscar! A side-by-side comparison of these two would be awesome. I’m really looking forward to your Mark 5 review anyway.
By the way, I always thought the Vapor was the more budget-friendly option since the Mark 5 O3 was (and still is) more expensive than the Vapor O3. Do you know if they’ve made any big changes to the Vapor frame design with the O4 release?
I’m planning to build my own 5-inch, not buy a prebuilt one. Now that GEPRC has released the Mark 5 O4 frame kit (with a GPS mount too), I’m really struggling to pick between the Mark 5 and the Vapor frame kits.
Definitely need a post with modifications! Had mine a couple weeks now, longer flight times would be great.
I really struggle deciding between the Vapor D5 or the Nazgul DC5 Eco (both with the O4 Pro unit). I could not find a direct comparison sadly, but so far, i’ve seen way more recommendations for the GEPRC. I know i probably wouldn’t go wrong with either one, but is there anything the iFlight does better or is the Vapor really the best choice all points considered?
One negative thing that was mentioned in several reviews, including yours, are the receiver antennas or them being too short. The iFlight does not have that issue, however, i don’t know if that results in much better range on the iFlight in comparison right out of the box?
I don’t know if you’ve seen my comparison where i touched on the pros and cons of these models:https://oscarliang.com/5inch-bnf-dji-o4-pro-comparison-feb-2025/
Basically I prefer the Vapor compared to the Nazgul, because it’s priced reasonably, slightly lighter, has better camera protection. Both quads mount the RX antenna exactly the same way.
Hi Oscar, thanks for the reply, really appreciate it. I’ve seen your comparison, yes, but i thought you might think differently in some regard after your review now. Your final thoughts pretty much say you’re still convinced it was the best choice, but i wonder if you think the nazgul DC5 ECO might be, besides the other pro’s and con’s, the more efficient drone with better flight performance after all?
i mean the difference in frame size is pretty big, right?
gepRC Vapor D5 frame:
224 x 210 x 59 mm
iFlight Nazgul DC5 ECO frame:
193 x 144 x 34 mm
would love if you let me know your thoughts on that :) thank you very much!
The Vapor is 20g lighter, that matters more than frame dimensions from the manufacturer which we don’t even know what they are measuring. Those numbers are so different they don’t make much sense.
OK, that’s interesting. Thank you!
Could you elaborate on the different ways of measuring? I’m relatively new to the hobby, so I probably just don’t know about this, but I’d assume both manufacturers just measure the frame from edge to edge and note how wide and long it is, right?
Like in this picture:ae01.alicdn.com/kf/S897f55311eb24b8281ffc92ef08bc259Y.jpg
What other approaches could there be?
Please correct me if I’m wrong.
Frame size isn’t really a primary consideration when buying a drone. Both frames are within reasonable range I’d say so there’s nothing wrong with either frames in that regard, otherwise I would point it out specifically. Actual performance like flight time and weight are more important. It’s like buying cars, people usually look at fuel efficiency, range and how they actually handle, but not the actual dimensions of the car because they are all pretty standard.
You said it’s a “large framing causing more air resistance” which i thought is causing less efficiency to the point it’s noticeable enough you would mention it. But i guess it was more so in regard of flying characteristics? Since you haven’t mentioned lack of efficiency in your review of the nazgul, i assumed the vapor is in fact not equal. so what exactly can we optimize on the vapor to get better efficiency then, other than new props? and which one would you recommend, did you already make any modifications to your quad? i’m just really curious, please bear with me. I’m very thankful for your insights.
I meant the body design, not the overall dimensions of the frame which is pretty standard as it’s has to be certain size to accommodate the desired propeller size.
Personally I prefer the Vapor, it flies really well out of the box with a modern design. Want more flight time? Just put a bigger battery on it. No I haven’t had time to do the modifications yet, and it will probably need a new PID tune too. Once completed I will publish a post with details.
Awesome, looking forward to that! You really helped me a lot with this. One last question, if you don’t mind: What would you think would be the ideal battery size? Usually there’s a sweet spot for every copter right, where more mAh doesn’t really get you more flight time cause of the added weight.
I’d aim for 6S 1800 mAh, or do you think 1550 mAh would be better? I think 2200 mAh would be already to big, right?
It really depends what you are looking for: agility or flight time.
If you can’t decide or have no idea, i think 1800 is a balanced choice for this quad. That should give you 7 to 9min of flight time I think
Definitely flight time over agility. You think 2200 mAh would still be an efficient choice? I’m really not sure, some people say they fly with 5000+ mAh 6S on 5-6″ which sounds insanely heavy to me, way behind the threshold were more mAh gives you more flight time.
For now, i’ve went with two 1550 6s 150c for the beginning, but i wonder if getting another 2200 or even 2800 would be a good idea.. mind you, i’m putting a gopro 11 mini on top as well.
Nobody can tell you how heavy is too heavy, because it’s up to you personally. With a big battery the drone is going to fly like a tank, maybe it’s too heavy for me, but maybe someone else would think it’s totally flyable, who knows. I’d suggest buying just one battery for now and test it out yourself, such as something around 1500-2200mah, something not too heavy, so you can still add weights to it and see how much additional weight you can carry until you think it’s too heavy for you to fly/control the drone comfortably. That way you can get a battery of the total weight, to maximize flight time.
Is that true? Based on the official product pages (iflight and geprc) the Nazgul (450g) eco claims to be 15g lighter to the Vapor (465g).
I’m also having a hard time deciding between the Vapor and the Nazgul. I’m a bit partial to the Nazgul but a few YouTubers were raving about the flight characteristics of the Vapor.
Generally I prefer lighter quads though.
Yes you could make this quad better than stock!
And you can also try chatGPT for blackbox and diff analysis + including bbx explorer or betaflight screenshot by example.
GPT is very unreliable and unexpected for drone stuff, I don’t recommend it. Because its responses are based on based info online, which are mostly outdated or could be purely wrong.
You’re right. GPT isn’t accurate, but it’s getting more and more reliable. You could try using GPT4, for example, and write an article about the pros and cons of that technology. In a few years, it will probably be better and more accurate. Currently, I’m using GPT4 for .diff comparison and gyroscopic analysis with screenshots. It’s not perfect, but not bad.
Great review Oscar, I own this exact same drone and it’s indeed an amazing build. It’s my first build and I would really love to hear what kind of modifications would you do to this drone to make the most out of it. Specially on the receiver end.
Thanks for the review ! I wonder if the 6 inches would be more efficient and better suited for mid-range due to bigger props.
Also I would be glad to get a post with your modifications for sure.
In theory it should be possible to just replace arms onto 6″ without extra modifications. just maybe re-solder motors to have a bit extra wire length. would be great to know if someone already tested that.
The motor KV is too high for 6inch. True you can reduce motor output limit, but it’s not ideal if you are after efficiency. GEPRC offers a 6inch option that come with larger, lower KV motors.
Of course, bigger props are usually more efficient under the same conditions. But personally I don’t like 6inch because there’s fewer choices when it comes to props, and they are bigger, of course. If you want more flight time you should just go up to 7inch :) I will be reviewing some 7inch soon on the website, stay tuned!
“For instance to make it lighter, then re-tune PID and filters to maximize performance. Reduce motor output since this drone comes with really high KV motors. And so on…
Would you be interested in a separate post on these modifications? Let me know!”
Yes please !!! (waiting for mine to get shipped !!)