Hover Camera or Phone to take selfies?

Advances in smartphone photography over the past decade have given us amazing rear-facing snappers. The introduction of accessories such as the selfie stick has taken this addiction to new levels, which begs the question: what’s next in the evolution of the self-taken image?

The answer may well be the ‘selfie drone’, such as the Hover Camera. It’s billed as pocket-sized and, to be fair, it does actually slip into your jeans with a little encouragement. The Hover Camera Passport sports a 13MP snapper that can shoot videos in 4K resolution and at the same time offer live 720 video feed of the ultra HD footage. This drone has sonar and optical sensors that make it possible for the Hover Camera to be stable and steady once in position. It is also powered with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor that has artificial intelligence to track and detect bodies as well as run advanced proprietary computer vision.

But will this sub $599 drone really improve your selfie game, or are you better off simply holding your phone at arm’s – or stick’s – length?

When taking the “mirror shot”, the Hover Camera is a godsend in this regard, but it does require some forward planning – you have to position the drone correctly, and then take a ‘timed’ shot using the accompanying app. You can then put your phone in your pocket and pull your perfect pose.

Of course, all this is ignoring the fact that you don’t actually need a mirror to take a shot when your camera is totally mobile, but when have selfies ever been about common sense and logic? And one issue with this shot is that when operating Hover Camera indoors, you run the risk of it colliding with furniture or light fittings – not an ideal scenario when you’re talking about a piece of tech which costs almost $599.

Given the amount of setting up involved, we’d call it even between drone and camera in this case – the Hover Camera doesn’t really make things any more convenient.

When all you’re interested in is grabbing an image of your smug, smiling face to share with the world, the Hover Camera doesn’t really make all that much sense. Your phone is the perfect tool for these kind of shots.

The drone does a commendable job of remaining stable indoors thanks to its optical flow technology, but we had a few too many close calls with furniture for comfort.

If for landmark shot or group shot, the Hover Camera could definitely be for you. Simply angle the camera downwards and track the drone back slightly until everyone is in shot, and you’ve got the perfect group photo.

It only takes a second to whip out your handset and compose a snap with your trust phone. However, there are obvious limitations – that’s where drones comes in, and if you’re serious about elevating your selfie game then they’re a very useful tool. You can take some seriously impressive aerial photos.

However, there are downsides to drones – setting up a shot takes longer as you have to get the drone in the air, and once you do, flight time is limited due to the fact that the battery only lasts around 8 minutes at the very most. The cost is also a sticking point – drones such as the Hover Camera don’t come cheap.

 

 

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