Holy Stone HS510 Foldable Quadcopter Review

Holy Stone HS510 Foldable Quadcopter Review

Holy Stone released another great drone in the person of the Holy Stone HS510 Foldable Quadcopter and we’ll review it below. It’s an incredible compact drone with an amazing 4K camera. Of course, you can’t compare it with any DJI product with a 4K camera, but you can get this one for at least half of the price. 

You may be surprised how well this drone can perform, and how much it can do. It has a bunch of intelligent flight features and everything that you might need for a beginner drone. If you wish to buy it, but you need more information about it, we got you.

Specs 

• Drone Weight: 245g / 8.64 oz 
• Package weight:1.05KG/3.30lbs
• Product size (L x W x H): 9.44×9.25×2.16 inch
• Package size (L x W x H): 8.54×7.28×5 inch
• Color: Matt Grey
• Transmitter Operating Frequency: 2.4GHz
• Camera Frequency: 5G 
• FPV Distance: 656~984 feet(200~300M) 
• MAX Transmission Distance:1968~1624 feet (600~800M)

What’s in the box?

• HS510 Drone
• 2.4G Transmitter 
• 2 x Li-Ion Modular Battery
• Type C Charging Cable
• 4 x Spare Propeller (Additional )
• Screwdriver
• Charger Hub
• Manual
• Carrying Case

Design and build 

If you’re in the drone business for some time then this drone might be a bit familiar to you. And you’re not wrong, it is because it is a rebranded version of the very popular MJX Bugs B7 drone which only comes in another color. And to be honest I prefer this white look, rather than the black B7. Overall, this is a well-designed drone, it is small, very light, and with a solid structure.

This is a foldable drone, and the fact that you get a travel bag for it it’s just cherry on the cake. The drone measures 9.44×9.25×2.16 inches, which makes him a relatively small quadcopter. The drone coated in strong ABS plastic which gives him a nice look. But not just that, this type of material is really durable and light at the same time, so it’s perfect for drones. With this choice, the drone weighs less than 250g. 

This means that you will not need to register the drone if you live in the UK, Canada, or the USA. One feature that really looks cool is the LED lights on the drone, both on the front and the back. This has multiple useful functions, other than it looks cool. First of all, it signals you that the drone is powered on, on whether or not it’s calibrated, and last but not least it helps you indicate the drone position in the dark.

As for the hardware, the drone comes with a dual GPS module that allows it to connect to a bunch of satellites which will provide it a more stable flight. But that’s not everything, there is also an optical flow sensor on the bottom of the drone, which can be helpful if the drone loses the satellites. On the drone, there is a slot for a micro SD card on the slide. You will have to insert at least a class 10 memory card and it can have a maximum capacity of 32GB. 

One of the features on this drone is the brushless motors which serve a great purpose. These motors have several advantages like they are more powerful, quieter, and require less maintenance.  

Battery 

The Holy Stone HS510 comes with a 7.6V Li-Po 1500 mAh battery which will give the drone around 16 minutes of flight time, give or take. The flight time can be influenced by a lot of things, like the weather, temperature, flight style, etc. But given the metrics of a drone and considering its price range, I say that it’s a fair time.

Moreover, because it’s a beginner drone, and newbies won’t use it for more than 10-15 minutes at the start. But the best news is that you will get 2 batteries with the drone, which means that you can double your flight time, so in total you get around 30 minutes of flight time. 

It takes around 150 minutes for the battery to recharge once it runs out of juice, which can be a pretty long wait when all you want is to keep on flying. Then again, spare batteries are available – and getting the third one is always an option.

Transmitter 

The transmitter is also partly foldable and compact. The transmitter works with a 2.4 GHz frequency, so it will have a relatively long and durable connection. The maximum range of the drone moves between 600 to 800 meters, depending on the environment you’re flying in.

The HS510’s controller looks really compact-but-stylish. It has all the essential buttons, an organic and nice touch that fits right in your hand, and last but not least it features an LCD screen, which shows you all the important telemetry information.  

The drone also offers an FPV real-time video transmission. And for that, you will have a nice adjustable phone holder on the controller. The max range of the FPV is only 300 meters, though. But in order to experience the FPV view, you have to download the Holy Stone’s official app, Ophelia GO, to use the FPV and to control the drone. 

The remote controller is powered by 2x AA cell batteries, which you have to buy separately. And always be sure to keep some spare batteries in the travel bag, so you can be in full control always.  

Camera 

The HS510 comes with an amazing 4K Ultra HD camera with a 120-degree wide field of view, this will give it a bit of a fish-eye effect, but in the case of sports, cameras are okay and can be helpful. The only downside of the 4K resolution is that it only can shoot videos with 16 FPS, which is kinda disappointing. But it’s not that big of a loss, because most devices can’t even play properly 4K videos, not to talk about the increased space required. I suggest you switch down to 2K or 1080p where you can record at least 25 FPS, and it even takes less space from your memory card. 

Unfortunately, the camera is supported by only a one-axis gimbal stabilization system. So, don’t be surprised if sometimes the videos will be shakier. But if you fly it properly and stable you can increase the stability of the video as well. The camera angle is also adjustable by 90 degrees, however, you can adjust it only manually, not from the transmitter. 

Performance 

Now, let’s see how this electrical bird performs in the air. You may be surprised how well this drone flies. When you put it in hovering, it stays in its place very accurately and the controls are also easy. Its brushless motors alongside with the GPS modules are working great together, allowing it to remain steady. 

But that’s not all, as most of the cheap GPS drones, on the market the Holy Stone HS510 comes with a few intelligent flight modes. These are not just fun to use, but you can create with them some cool effects for your videos. So you can improve the quality of your footage with them. Here are the intelligent flight modes that you can find on the HS510:

Follow me – After you set an object or person on the app, the drone will start following it as soon as it’s within the max range and can keep up with the speed.

Tap fly – You may know this feature as a waypoint. With this, you have to select a route for the drone on the map within the app and the drone will try to go on the exact same path.

Point of interest – or orbit mode. With this you also have to select an area and the drone will start flying around that object until you say it to stop. 

Besides these, it has features like an automatic return home, headless mode, and altitude hold. After you get the taste of drone piloting you will realize how important these autonomous flight modes are. 

Conclusion

No matter if you’re a beginner or a more advanced drone user, if you are looking for a cheap GPS drone with a 4K camera the Holy Stone HS510 from our review will be a good choice. It has some decent features and a nice design. It’s very fun to operate, and easy to learn. 

If you want to check out it’s the price you can do it on Amazon.