Hubsan Zino 4K
Redefining Budget Drones
The Hubsan Zino is an affordable quadcopter that comes with a host of amazing features. It has a lot to offer for a quadcopter in its price range and could set the tone for the manufacture of affordable drones in the future.
Hubsan Zino 4K Review
Have you been searching for a drone but you’re afraid you might be short on cash? And you can’t opt for the cheap models in the market because you feel you won’t get value for your money? Well, let me interest you in the Hubsan Zino!
Ever since its introduction, this diminutive quadcopter has set tongues wagging in the drone community. But what exactly does it bring to the table that has caused all the hype?
To answer this, I will review the Hubsan Zino by taking a closer look at its various specifications. Keep on reading to see if this is the drone you’ve been searching for…
Key Specs | |
Charging Time | 3hrs |
Flight Time | 23 minutes |
Control Range | Transmitter 2500 meters / 1500m FPV |
Battery | LiPo 11.4V 3000mAh |
Camera | 5G WiFi FPV UHD 4K Camera |
Hubsan Zino at a Glance
Despite its pint-size, this drone from Hubsan packs an impressive range of features for a quadcopter in its price range. It is an industry game-changer that has set the precedent for the future production of small drones. Let us delve deeper into its features:
flight time
According to the manufacturer, this drone has a flight time of 23 minutes in the ideal conditions. But in actual field conditions, the quadcopter can only manage to hover for around 20 minutes, which may not be enough time to fully enjoy your playtime.
The device uses a LiPo 11.4V 3000Ah battery that displays its status on the controller or phone app, depending on what you are using. This helps you to keep track of battery life as you play.
The battery will need almost 3hrs to fully charge once it is running on empty, and this is only when you are using its original charger.
For any avid drone enthusiast out there, this can seem like an eternal wait. When you consider the short flight time offered, I recommend you get an extra battery If you want to enjoy the quadcopter much more.
You can switch to the fresh battery and charge the used one as you continue flying.
This drone also uses a brushless motor, which comes with a range of benefits.
A brushless motor ensures that the drone maintains a quiet sound profile as it flies, it is more effective, and will require much fewer repairs down the line, as compared to a brushed motor.
Camera
Being an amateur photographer with professional ambitions, I must say this is one feature on the Zino I was impressed with the most!
For a camera with its price tag, any experienced drone flyer will understand what I mean.
The drone comes with a 5G enabled camera with 4k capabilities, which allow you to capture expert-level aerial photos and record high-resolution footage.
The camera shoots videos in FHD at 30FPS, resulting in high-quality footage that you can easily use professionally.
The Hubsan Zino also boasts FPV capability, allowing you to stream real-time video footage on your smartphone as you fly the drone.
Thanks to 5G technology, the streaming is lighting fast and high-quality. But you have to remember that camera resolution is not everything!
A 4K unstable camera will produce worse results than a gimbal-stabilized 720p camera.
That is why I must point out the 3-axis gimbal image stabilizer as a crucial factor in this drone.
It is what enables the Hubsan to capture crystal clear stills and videos; better than what you get on the DJI Spark.
Range
You can fly the drone to a range of at least 1km, which is more than enough for the quadcopter to be out of sight.
This is an amazing range for such a small drone and provides you with the opportunity to capture amazing footage of distant phenomena.
You won't have to worry about losing your drone, it has several intelligent flight modes that allow it to remain in the vicinity.
Its “return home” feature ensures that the drone automatically returns to the starting point when the battery is running low or when it is out of range.
The drone is very stable in the air. It uses a combination of GPS and a barometer to maintain a constant altitude and position.
However, it does not come with the obstacle avoidance feature you’ll find in competitors like the DJI Spark.
Hubsan Zino uses an advanced transmitter that has dual antennas to let you communicate with the device from 2.4GHz or 5.8GHz, resulting in a very fast and responsive connection.
When it comes to design, I was underwhelmed by the remote controller.
Aside from the simplicity, the sticks are fully plastic with weak springs and imprecise controls.
I had a hard time trying to fly the drone in a straight line. I guess this is one place the manufacturers could improve on.
Flying Experience
Flying the Hubsan Zino was simply exhilarating! It performed way better than I had expected and to me, it can rival many drones in a higher price range. The drone is very stable in the air, thanks to the GPS and barometer it is equipped with.
The precise flight controls make for a smooth and responsive piloting experience. There is also a range of intelligent flight modes such as Orbit, Waypoint, Follow-Me, Panorama, etc. that make the experience palatable even for a novice drone enthusiast.
Having said that, this quadcopter will reach a maximum flying speed of 37mph, which slightly slower than the Mavic Air. However, it has more to offer, especially when you consider the range, quality of the camera, and additional features vis a vis price.
You can set it to fly in sport or standard mode, which considerably increases its flying speed, although it won’t allow for sleeker cinematic movements. Overall, I would give the performance of the Hubsan Zino a clean bill of health. I was very impressed and I believe that would be the feeling for any advanced drone pilot!
What We Like
For a drone under $500, there are so many features on this quadcopter that left me in awe. The first one is the 4k camera capability! The images I captured and videos I recorded were very clear and high resolution; they could easily be mistaken for the work of a professional.
The camera is also 5G enabled to transmit images quite fast, and the FPV live stream feature makes the flying experience more exciting and extremely fulfilling.
I was also impressed by the safety features of the drone. The drone returns home automatically in case you fly out of range or when the battery is running low, not to mention a host of intelligent flight modes that keep your flying safe.
This drone also uses a new generation battery that extends the flight time, which is not something you find in other drones in this price range.
The transmission range is also very long, allowing you to record distant footage of natural phenomena and other things that you may not be able to access on foot. Things such as caves and water bodies will not be out of your shot.
Finally, I must say that the most impressive thing is that you get an aggregate of superior features on a drone that has a very affordable price tag. We haven’t seen this in the market!
What We Don't Like
The biggest drawback for me was the transmitter. Generally, I feel it is low-quality with its plastic construction and simplistic feel. Furthermore, the transmitter doesn’t beep when the battery is low (something that is common with other models), so I found myself losing control of the drone without knowing why.
I also don’t like the fact that the manufacturer left out the obstacle avoidance feature on this quadcopter, especially when you consider all the superior specifications that are available.
PROS
CONS
Advice to Buyers
If you are looking to get value for your money, it doesn’t get better than the Hubsan Zino!
This drone packs a plethora of impressive features for a product in its price range. There are many higher priced models out there that I feel will be given a run for their money!
For anyone ready to spend on a high-performance quadcopter without breaking the bank, I would easily recommend that you consider this remarkable drone!
Conclusion
Overall, I feel the quality that the Hubsan Zino brings to the table cannot be denied! The drone offers good flight time, has impressive camera/video capabilities, provides a pleasant flying experience, and it doesn’t even stop there!
If you can overlook the shortcomings of the transmitter, this will be the perfect quadcopter for any new or intermediate enthusiast looking to make the most of his drone experience.
Last update on 2024-10-05 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API This article contains affiliate links which for which the owner of the site may receive a commision.
