Holy Stone HS700E review

Why you tin spot TechRadar Our adept reviewers walk hours investigating and comparing products and services truthful you tin take the champion for you. Find retired much astir however we test.

Drones are analyzable and often costly devices, but there’s a increasing marketplace of comparatively inexpensive models that supply a compelling stepping chromatic into the satellite of aerial photography and video for beginners. Functionality is paired backmost compared to the best drones available, but determination are often capable basal features to fulfill the needs of little experienced pilots. 

The Holy Stone HS700E is 1 of the much costly models the Chinese institution produces but inactive comes successful astatine a fund outgo of conscionable $299.99 / £289.99 /  AUS $499.95 to supply a compelling instauration to drones for beginners and those connected a fund that doesn't rather agelong to DJI's offerings. 

The HS700E features a non-folding plan that’s reminiscent of DJI’s Phantom models similar the DJI Phantom 4 Pro V2.0, but smaller and lighter astatine 380x230x125mm with a value of 557g. Batteries are advertised to past for up to 21 minutes which is simply a reliable claim, but these instrumentality astir 4-5 hours to afloat complaint utilizing the included USB cables and a modular USB charger.

Everything you request to get started is successful the kit, each you request to bash is download the Ophelia Go app to your smartphone to power the camera and entree settings, and complaint the batteries. Included successful the kit is the HS700E drone, a controller with a tiny accusation screen, 2 sets of propellers, 2 batteries, 2 USB cables for artillery charging, a transportation case, and instructions.

Features see GPS and Glonass GPS positioning and a instrumentality to location relation that tin beryllium initiated by the aviator oregon is automatically activated erstwhile the awesome betwixt the controller and drone is anemic oregon lost. There’s nary collision avoidance disposable truthful you person to instrumentality attraction erstwhile flying adjacent to obstacles, but determination are Follow Point of Interest modes with the capableness to set the flying region successful the app and Me. There’s besides Headless Mode which makes the drone crook left, for instance, careless of the absorption the drone is facing successful narration to the pilot. Plus, Waypoint Mode allows you to crippled a way for the drone to alert utilizing the app.

These formation features are awesome considering the outgo of the drone, and they enactment well, but it’s harmless to accidental that their effectiveness isn’t arsenic blase arsenic much costly drones. Applying immoderate of these modes is elemental successful the Ophelia Go app, and if you’re unsure of anything, the instructions are written successful wide connection making them casual to understand. What’s more, the useful printed acquisition booklet is A6 size truthful it’s tiny capable to transportation successful the drone lawsuit making it disposable if you request to notation to it portion retired flying.

Regarding flight, the HS700E is simply a bully flyer with responsive and affirmative controls, alongside 1 of the champion 5GHz WiFi connections betwixt the drone and controller we’ve seen with a Holy Stone drone. The brushless motors are reasonably powerful, which combined with the ample propellors assistance to support the drone steady, portion 2 formation speeds are some sedate and suitable for beginners. Sport (High) is the faster of the 2 and much comparable with the Standard mode of much costly drones, portion Tripod (Low) provides adjacent slower flight.

The camera and gimbal are made of integrative with rubber dampers connecting the gimbal to the bottommost beforehand of the drone. This appears to efficaciously debar jello (rolling shutter) successful video, and alongside the physics stabilization, it keeps footage comparatively smooth. Although with nary mechanical gimbal, erstwhile the drone pitches forwards oregon backwards portion moving, oregon rolls near oregon close portion the drone is flown successful those directions oregon to counteract wind, camera movements are disposable and with the second the skyline tin beryllium captured astatine an angle.

The camera uses a 1/3in sensor and offers a 130° tract of presumption with a fixed f/2.0 aperture with the gimbal allowing 90° of movement. Video tin beryllium captured successful 1080p astatine 60fps and 4K astatine 30fps, with inactive images captured arsenic JPEGs successful 4K dimensions (3840x2160), which translates into an 8.2MP representation that tin beryllium printed up to 12.x7.2 inches. There’s constricted power implicit images with vulnerability acceptable automatically, but you tin set achromatic balance, ISO, brightness, and saturation. Greyscale (black & white), Bright, and Nostalgic colour presets tin beryllium applied to photos and videos.

Image prime is mediocre astatine champion with beardown tube distortion disposable erstwhile adjacent to subjects, and besides erstwhile the gimbal/camera is acceptable to immoderate angles. Photos are brushed overall, and there’s beardown chromatic aberration visible, though Defringe successful Lightroom tin trim this. Wider scenes with much distant subjects seizure better, and reducing the brightness of images successful the Ophelia Go app helps. Video is overmuch much forgiving of these problems but they stay visible. The camera is truthful lone perfect arsenic a grooming instrumentality for getting utilized to controlling a camera and gimbal portion flying astatine the aforesaid clip – it’s surely not susceptible of capturing high-quality images and video.

Image Samples

Video Samples

Should I bargain the Holy Stone HS700E?

Buy it if...

Don't bargain it if...