Xiaomi FIMI A3 – Spark-like features for less than $300

The new Xiaomi FIMI A3 is a GPS drone with an HD camera on a mechanical gimbal for less than $300. This drone has some impressive specs that put it firmly in competition with the DJI Spark. With a starting price of $269, this drone could definitely put a dent into sales of the $399 Spark.

Xiaomi FIMI A3

The Xiaomi FIMI A3 looks to be an excellent drone for anyone looking to get into aerial photography. The 8 MP camera sits on a mechanical two-axis gimbal but is stabilized in the yaw axis electronically. This is exactly the same way that the Spark camera is stabilized. The FIMI uses a 1/3.2″ sensor with an aperture of f/2.0. The field of view is 80-degrees and has a max bitrate of 60Mbps. This isn’t a high-end camera like the Phantom 4 Pro from DJI, but looks to be much better than anything we have tested under $300.

The Xiaomi FIMI A3 will utilize GPS technology to help make it a stable drone. It will also give it intelligent flight mode capabilities. The FIMI will have return-to-home, orbit, fixed-wing, follow-me and dronie flight modes. As an extra bonus, the FIMI has a DIY port. This will allow you to add servos or lights to the drone. Xiaomi suggests adding parachutes or fireworks. The options are endless.

Xiaomi FIMI A3 Remote Control

One really intriguing feature of the Xiaomi FIMI A3 is the small folding remote that has a built-in LCD screen. This means you won’t have to mess around with setting up an app and you can get this drone in the air fairly quickly. You also won’t have to worry about using your phone and having it drain your battery or getting interrupted during flight by a phone call or text message.

Xiaomi FIMI A3 Specs

The Xiaomi FIMI A3 is fairly comparable to the Spark in a lot of ways, but better in others. The FIMI has a flight time of 25 minutes, besting the Spark by 9 minutes. It even beats the Mavic Air ($799) by 5 minutes. The range is 1000 meters, which is only half that of the Spark. It has a top speed of 40 mph, beating the Spark by 9 mph. Learn more about the technical specs of the Xiaomi FIMI A3 below.

• Dimensions : 285x229x69mm
• Diagonal Size: 323mm
• Weight: 560g
• Hover Accuracy: Vertical: ± 0.5 m & Horizontal: ± 1.5 m
• Max ascending speed: 6 m/s
• Max descending speed: 5 m/s
• Max cruising speed: 18 m/s
• Max R/C distance: about 1km
• Flight time: 25mins
• Satellite positioning systems: GPS+GLONASS
• Operating frequency: 2.4-2.483GHz; 5.725-5.850 GHz (40CH)
• Battery: 11.1V 2000 mAh 3S Lipo Battery
• Screen resolution: 480×272
• Screen size: 4.3inch
• Lens: FOV 80°
• Aperture: f2.0
• Focal Distance: 3.54 mm
• Equivalent Focal Distance: 27mm
• Sensor: 1/3.2″ CMOS
• ISO Range: 100 – 3200 for video;  100 – 1600 for picture
• Shutter Speed: 4 ~ 1/8000 s
• Max Bitrate: 60Mbps
• Max Photo Resolution: 8M 3264×2448
• Video Resolution: 1920×1080 30 fps / 1920×1080 25 fps
• File System: FAT32 / exFAT
• Image Format: JPG
• Video Format: MP4
• DVR: 1920×1080 30 fps / 1920×1080 25 fps

What is the best entry level photograpy drone?

For a long time, it was hard for people on a budget to be able to get into aerial photography for under $500. Then the Spark price dropped to $399. Now there are multiple drones in that price range with the Hubsan Zino ($369) and Xiaomi FIMI($269) having comparable specs at lower prices. It will be interesting to see how these drones pan out and if they truly serve as competition for the Spark. Check back as we will hopefully be testing these drones soon. Until then, the DJI Spark is still king. If you want to preorder a Xiaomi FIMI A3 click here.

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