Portable Selfie Drones: A Review of Hover Camera Passport from Madrobots

Copters, as soon as they appeared, almost immediately became very popular portable aircraft. Not so many years have passed since their appearance, but now a large number of users, both geeks and those not too technically savvy, have these systems. And drones are used not only for entertainment, but also for quite serious things. Scientists, technical specialists, journalists and law enforcement officers work with them. Recently, there has been a noticeable tendency to increase the number of models of "selfie drones", small devices that are used to take a picture of yourself while riding a bicycle or to make videos on vacation.



Several such devices were presented at CES 2017, we visited the exhibition, as already reported , where we selected some of the most favorite drones. This post opens a small series of reviews of copters, which seem to us very promising. Let's start with the $ 600 Hover Camera Passport, a small drone with an impressive list of features. Even before a detailed review, I would like to say that this drone is probably the easiest to use copter. It is very difficult to damage (of course, you can, if you wish, but during normal operation this will not happen). It runs without problems, is very easy to manage. And now - a review.

Hover Camera Passport: features and capabilities

This is one of the most portable copters. One of the distinguishing features of this device is the ability to fold the drone in several seconds for transportation / carrying. It develops without any problems, and the process itself is reminiscent of folding a book. After that, you can even put the system in a small backpack or bag.





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As for the specifications, they are also impressive, especially considering that the device is small. The drone is equipped with a high-quality 13 MP camera capable of shooting video in 4K quality. This camera works with flash, so that in the dark you can get high-quality images.



Nevertheless, even the camera is interesting, but the software for it. The developers have created software that allows the device to identify some objects. For example, Hover Camera Passport is able to distinguish its owner from a stranger. The drone can be configured in such a way that it will always follow its owner. And he can stay in place without using GPS, this module is not here.



Another feature is the presence of special modes of operation of the drone. In addition to the standard functions of Orbit and Follow (they are described in more detail below), the device is also equipped with a panoramic function 360 Panorama. The user can activate this function by pressing the button. There is another interesting feature called Beast Mode. It allows you to turn on "turbo mode" if the user wants to speed up the drone. This can be useful in the case of shooting a video of a fast-riding cyclist.



In order to take a picture or start shooting a video, it is enough to perform a special gesture, and the drone, having caught the signal, will start work. If desired, the same can be done using a mobile device with an installed application.







Detailed specifications

• Dimensions of the folded: 182 x 132 x 33 mm
• Sizes Unwrapped: 182 x 264 x 33 mm
• Weight (including battery): 242 g
• Flight time: 10 minutes
• Recharge time: 47 minutes
• Removable battery: Yes
• Additional batteries: 1 additional
• Maximum speed: 27 km / h
• Distance from operator: 20 meters
• GPS and GLONASS: No
• Auto-follow function: Yes
• Auto-take-off and auto-landing function: No
• Photo format: JPEG
• Video Format: MP4
• Memory capacity: 32 GB
• External card support: No
• Sound recording: No
• Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 801

Camera

• Camera Matrix: 1/3.06 "CMOS; 13MP
• Lens: FOV 78.4 °; 28mm (35mm format equivalent); f / 2.0; Depth of focus: 1.2-6.7m
• ISO Range: 100-3200
• Maximum photo resolution: 4208 × 3120
• Shooting modes
• 4K: 3840 × 2160 at 30fps
• 1080P: 1920 × 1080 at 30fps
• 720P: 1280 × 720 at 30fps

Design and build

The design of the Hover Camera Passport is different from everything we have seen so far. Already in the name of the drone lies its possibility - that the system can be folded like a book. In the central module of the drone is concentrated all the necessary electronics. All elements of the drone are placed in special lattice modules that perform two tasks - protect the fragile drone from damage, plus protect the surrounding objects and people from possible damage by the blades of the device's screws. Accidents, injuries of drones operators are not so little, so it is better to take care.



When folded, the height of the Hover Camera Passport is only 33 mm. Its dimensions in this form are approximately equal to the size of the video tape (if you, of course, remember and know what it is). The weight of the device is only 242 grams, with a battery. Protective modules are made of carbon fiber, so they are quite durable. Usually the blades limit the operating time of the copters. Scratched and knocked down blades have to be changed, and replacement is not always available, plus ordering spare parts is a long and not always cheap procedure. As a result, Hover Camera Passport can serve its owner for much longer than the usual drone.

Hover Camera Passport: flight characteristics and distance

If you need a driver capable of performing aerobatics, you should immediately note that the Hover Camera Passport does not know how. The maximum flight speed of a copter is 27 kilometers per hour, there is no GPS module, the distance that the drone can move away from the operator is 20 meters.



Copter does not have smart flight characteristics because it was conceived as a selfie drone, and not an extreme drone. Its purpose is to stay close to the user and follow the owner anywhere. Kopter is designed to work in offline mode - you should start it, set this mode, and everything, for a certain time, you can forget about the device: it will do everything necessary. Of course, you need to remember how much the drone can hold out in the air offline. But this is the only thing to worry about the owner.







Hover Camera Passport is equipped with an application that allows you to control your device from a mobile phone or tablet. The user can control it himself using two virtual joysticks on the display of a mobile phone. In addition, you can try to independently set the positioning of the camera. But in most cases Passport will do everything by itself, and much better than a person. However, if there is a desire to steer, it can be done.



Autonomous modes of operation are designed for different purposes. For example, in Orbit mode, the drone will fly around the user around the circle, regardless of whether the person is moving or not. 360 Panorama mode is designed to create panoramic images.



Impressive modes when Passport can use image recognition features. This is the Face Track and Body Track. In order to take advantage of the features of this mode, you need only tap on the face or body of a person, which you need to follow the device. This is all - the copter will fly offline, performing the necessary tasks.

Hover Camera Passport: Battery and Charging

This kopter can stay in the air for about 10 minutes, if not actively working with it. The more maneuvers he performs, the less time he can fly. However, the Hover Camera Passport does not stay in the air for less than 8 minutes. Average flight time is 9 minutes. This is a good result, although it is slightly less than indicated on the box (10 minutes). The drone comes with two batteries, so if you charge all the batteries and take a spare one, the drone will provide about 17-19 minutes of flight with a break to replace the battery.



The total charge time per battery is approximately 47 minutes.

Hover Camera Passport: Accessories, Camera and Upgradeability

The camera from the drone is quite decent. She can shoot video in 4K quality. If desired, the quality of shooting can be underestimated (to save space on the drive, for example). So, 1080p and 720p modes are also available. True, fps in all cases is fixed - 30 frames per second is all that the drone can offer. When shooting, the image is stabilized thanks to the ingenious system created by the developers. Stabilization when shooting is optimal in 1080p mode, 4K-video is stabilized only on one axis.



With regard to additional accessories and the possibility of upgrading, at the moment there are not too many possibilities. But the new firmware comes out regularly, in the future, the company promises to add new features and modes of operation for the device.



As already mentioned, there is no special controller to control the drone, the device is operated using a smartphone. By moving your fingers around the screen, you can control the height and course of flight, while the tilt of the camera can be adjusted with a single touch of a finger.

So what kind of bird is it - Hover Camera Passport?

In our review it was mentioned more than once that this drone is positioned as a selfie-kopter. And indeed it is. When you assess the possibility of buying a device, remember that it was created almost exclusively to take pictures of its owner (well, or other people) during sports or walking. This drone can not be raised to 300-500 meters in the air in order to take pictures of any terrain from a height. But with his immediate responsibilities, he copes just fine.







Hover Camera Passport is a sturdy guy, because its carbon fiber protection keeps the blades and all other fragile elements of the structure intact for many years. If you are primarily interested in selfies, then the Hover Camera Passport is just perfect. Capturing your sporting achievements, videotaping a party with friends, a photo of a meeting with colleagues or family members is what the drone can do qualitatively and without problems.



It is necessary to say that the price of this device is rather big and amounts to more than $ 600. Pre-order Hover Camera Passport can be issued with us in Madrobots.

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