Jack loves to fly all drones, from FPV racers to the Mavic 2 Pro he flies them all. When he isn’t flying he is teaching, coaching or hanging out with his wife and three children.
Xiaomi is making a push into the consumer drone market with two new drones, the Fimi A3 and the Fimi X8. In doing so, for the first time, Xiaomi is trying to pull customers away from the DJI Spark and Mavic Air. With lower price points and specs that look to compete with DJI, does Xiaomi have what it takes to beat the world’s leader in drones?
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The new Micro Drone 4.0 is a small brushed motor drone with a 1080p camera on a two-axis gimbal for less than $200. Their initial Indiegogo goal was $75,000 but they have shattered it already by raising over $500,000. There isn’t a drone in this price range that can do what the Microdrone 4.0 can do. Consumers look to be hungry for a good drone between the $99 Tello and the $399 Spark. Is the Microdrone 4.0 the answer?
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Flying a drone FPV can be an exhilarating experience. Whether you are racing, doing freestyle or just having some fun it is an experience that is vastly different than piloting line of sight. It takes both practice and preparation but is well worth it in the end. I’ve outlined some of the steps in two previous articles How to Fly FPV part one and How to Fly FPV part two. If you haven’t read them make sure you check them out. Hopefully, you have already picked out your transmitter and quad, done some laps in the simulator and you are confident and ready to go. Here’s what you’ll need to do next.
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The Emax Tinyhawk ($99) is a small FPV quadcopter that touts powerful brushless motors. Right now it is my absolute favorite FPV quad and that includes much bigger and more powerful 5″ quads. While it may not have the power of a full-size FPV quad I believe that it is versatile enough to make up for that. If you are looking to get into FPV flying or if you are looking for something a little different, then you want to take a look at the Emax Tinyhawk.
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If you already read my first post on getting into FPV flight then you know that purchasing a remote transmitter is step one. If you haven’t read that already you’ll want to check that out. Now on to step two, the fun part. The drone, or better yet, the quad. Choosing the correct drone for the beginner FPV pilot is important. You don’t want to get a full-blown 5″ pro-style quad off the bat. That would be similar to handing a 16-year old the keys to a Lamborghini. Sure some lucky kid might be able to handle it, but is that the best car to learn how to drive? These are my top recommendations for beginners.
The Extreme Fliers Microdrone 4.0 looks to be an exciting new offering in the entry-level drone market. This palm-sized micro drone features a two-axis gimbal as well as electronic image stabilization to go along with its 1080p HD camera. This little drone looks to be a step ahead of one of our favorite drones the Ryze Tello ($99) and a step behind the impressive DJI Spark ($399). Let’s take a closer look.
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UVify has developed a 16 rotor drone that they believe is the world’s fastest and most maneuverable X-Class or Pro-Class drone today. Not only that, but the Draco 4×4 will be used exclusively in the DR1 Racing’s U-Class series in 2019. The Draco 4×4 16 rotor beast will be unveiled and demonstrated at CES 2019.
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The Mavic 2 Zoom and Mavic 2 Pro were game-changing drones upon their release. In typical DJI fashion, the Mavic 2 was released a bit hastily, with some issues yet to be worked out with firmware updates. DroneDJ and others have filed some complaints and it looks like DJI has been listening. These two drones are better drones today then they were upon their release.
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We couldn’t resist putting the Osmo Pocket on a drone. We know that the Osmo Pocket is an excellent handheld camera. It is small and compact. That got us thinking. How would it perform in the air? What if we put it on a drone? So we did.
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There aren’t a lot of good GPS drones with HD cameras and intelligent flight modes for less than $200. The JJPRO X5 Epik an exception and currently is on sale for less than $130. It is one of the best beginner drones you can buy and is an excellent option for anyone looking to get into aerial photography.
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Flying FPV or first-person view can take your drone experience to the next level. ESPN is now televising the Drone Racing League and you can see why it is quickly becoming one of the fastest growing sports. If this is something you want to try there are a couple of ways to get started. Some people start with an all-in-one kit like the FatShark101, but that isn’t what we’d recommend. The first thing you need to choose is your remote. Whether you refer to it as a remote, a radio or a transmitter it is the place to start. The drone comes later. You can read about that in Step 2.
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Force1 makes excellent beginner drones. Right now through December 31, you can save 40% off selected drones using the code 40FROMSANTA at Amazon. There are four drones including the U49WF, a medium-sized camera drone. It is on sale for $90 but is regularly $150. The U45WF is an ultra-durable camera drone that is on sale for $60 but is normally $100. The U34 is a micro FPV drone that usually costs $100 but is on sale for $60. The F111WF is a portable drone that folds up for portability. Typically it is $70 but is on sale for $42. I have personally flown all four of these drones and they are good for beginners. These drones make excellent gifts and Force1 provides excellent customer service should you have any questions flying these drones. These are currently the best prices for these drones and look to be near all-time lows.
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UVify is one of the top manufacturers and developers when it comes to FPV racing drones. They recently have announced that they are partnering with DR1 Racing to offer a new class of drone racing for the series that will feature UVify’s Draco-4X4 quads.
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The Xiaomi Fimi X8 SE ($499) is an excellent looking foldable drone and it should compete directly with the DJI Mavic Air, Parrot Anafi , and Hubsan Zino. The new Fimi X8 SE features a 4K camera on a full three-axis gimbal. With a variety of intelligent GPS flight modes, the newest Fimi drone from Xiaomi looks to be some serious competition for DJI.
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Do you want a free drone? Of course, you do! At DroneDJ we get many products offered for review. Karie from Anchorage is enjoying our last giveaway, the Yuneec Breeze. Our newest giveaway will be the Parrot Mambo FPV. There are multiple ways to win. Subscribe to the DroneDJ YouTube channel, follow us on Twitter and subscribing to our DroneRise newsletter are just a few. Stay in touch and we will keep you updated with all the new and breaking drone news. Good luck with winning our drone giveaway and thanks for your support!
Update: Congratulations to Sean C from Alabama for winning the Parrot Mambo FPV!
The UAV coach’s Drone Pilot Ground School is hosting a free webinar tomorrow, December 11th at 7PM EST on how to pass the FAA’s Part 107 Exam. Passing this test will make you an FAA certified drone pilot. If you plan to be able to make money flying your drone, then passing this exam is a requirement. They will discuss what it takes to pass the test, where to find resources as well as discuss ways to make money in the drone industry.
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Right now GearBest is selling the DJI Mavic 2 Zoom for $979 shipped when promo code GB1212M2Z is applied during checkout. This is one of the best prices we’ve seen on the Mavic 2 Zoom. It retails for $1,250 on DJI and today’s deal is $170 less than our previous mention. This special pricing is for this week only and is limited to the first 135 sales. Note: this is version ships with the Chinese wall plug, but can be used with any USB charger.
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Right now the best selling drone on Amazon costs $50 and fits in the palm of your hand. It flies autonomously and doesn’t use a remote. It is a tiny drone called the Force1 Scoot. After seeing it first hand I thought for sure it wouldn’t be any good. I was wrong.
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Force1 RC has some pretty solid drones. It is a reputable US-based company that is known for good products and excellent customer service. They have a variety of good beginner drones from the very simple Scoot to the larger F100GP.
Over the last two years, selfie drones have grown in popularity. Is there a better way to up your selfie game than to use a drone? Their small size and ease of use make them ideal drones to take with you. We will take a look at a couple of different options, the AirSelfie 2 ($160) and the JJRC H59 Ferry ($72). Can these little drones boost your Instagram feed or Snapchat story? Let’s find out.
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DJI has now released seven different Mavic models. Understanding the difference among them is important in choosing which one is best for you. We will take a closer look at their specifications as well as the pros and cons of each model. We created the ultimate mavic comparison guide to help you decide which model best suits your needs.
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The San Fransisco based company Aerones is developing a drone to clean the windows of high rise buildings. They claim their drone can clean windows 20 times faster than humans all while being much safer. They believe the technology they have developed can also be used to help fight fires, as well as clean, de-ice and paint wind turbines.
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The Simtoo Fairy XT175 drone is the result of a successful Kickstarter campaign. The Fairy has some impressive specs for a small, foldable drone. It has an 8MP camera, dual GPS and a handful of intelligent flight modes. All of these features are packed into a drone that can fit in your pocket. Right now the Fairy drone can be yours for $109. Does it sound too good to be true?
There is no doubt that the Phantom 5 is coming and it is most certainly just around the corner. It is going to be the best consumer photography drone that DJI has created to date. The interchangeable lenses and other upgrades will make it a staple for professional photographers. But will it be released at the DJI event, November 28th?
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