DJI Mavic competitor from ZeroTech…

DJI’s first foldable drone Mavic Pro is sought after as soon as it hit the market. Now another Chinese brand ZeroTech, maker of the Dobby, has introduced a similar product, a DJI Mavic competitor.

The aircraft can also be folded, which is almost the same size as the Dobby. At first glance, it’s very similar to DJI Mavic, but different in details. Such as the smaller size, the battery installation and the configuration. It seems it aims at hobby market.

The photos published on drone-rumour site sb-dji.com suggest a folding format drone. Specifications which at this time are rumor/speculation stand as follows:

• Approximately 7-15 minutes flight-time.
• 1.5km flight distance/range.
• Folding propellers.

The industry predicts that the performance of the drone will not be very high, at least is less powerful than Mavic Pro. The advantage is its price, it should be somewhere within $500 USD

What are your thoughts about the competitor? Please let us know in the comment below.

The post DJI Mavic competitor from ZeroTech… appeared first on Drone Inner.

Hope this helps anyone looking for Dobby samples

The compact Dobby‘s low price makes it hard to ignore, even if it is a light-duty device.

I have had this toy for a few days, I took it recently for a trip to Guatemala, what a joy it is, so small, in fits in my small camera bag, If a lens fits there, then the Dobby drone fits there also. It works quite good with my cell phone, although the range is not that good because it only uses WIFI , but so far I have really enjoyed it, easy to fly, decent quality photo, ok video.

One asked me some questions about the Dobby after I posted my images on the forums.

“Do the Android or OS WiFi apps work on a tablet as well as a phone?

Judging by the smooth waters, the sky above Atitlan must have been windless on the morning you shot the sample pictures. How would it fare in a breeze or >10mph wind?

How easy to navigate back to the dock? Had you selected “go home” would it return safely or possibly plunk into the water right next to the point of departure?  If you tell it to track you, would it follow you back to shore without getting lost?

Is the video mode impaired by motor vibrations as well as by tiny sensor?

What sort of battery life? 5 minutes?

Would you dare (or be allowed) to fly it above Tikal, Chichicastenango on market day, or Antigua? I imagine the local police, cacique, or archaeological custodian expects a fee or propina for usage.

When you try to check-in at an airport, is there any hesitation that the inspectors might seize it because it has an Li-ion battery?  This risk might also apply to high-end drones, in which case the low cost of the Dobby gives some relief, so long as one does not also lose the memory card with images too.”

Below are my answers.

“For photography is good, for video it is not.

it only works on WIFI, it does not come with a controller. I have tested with phone and tablet (both android) – works fine. However, WIFI has its limitations of distance and I do not push it… no risks for me.

It fairs okay in wind, however batteries last less. It is a very noisy drone. For photos, remember I said that for video it is no good – jello galore.

Zerotech has not perfected software, it needs 8 satellites minimum to start up, and if it looses GPS and you are high up, you are doomed.

Battery life is 5-8 minutes, depending on :

a) wind  b)If stabilizer for camera is on  c) temperature.

Would I use it in Tikal ? in a heartbeat if allowed.

Would I use it in market day ? no, for several reasons: a) put people in risk  b) I do not want to get clinched  c) I do not want my drone stolen etc etc.

In the airport they don’t even acknowledge my Dobby, it fits in my camera bag, batteries look good/small – no wires hanging.

I do not use return to home, follow me or stuff like that, I fly up take the pictures and land, its a flying camera for me.”

Hope this helps anyone looking for a Dobby or Dobby sample pictures.

 

The post Hope this helps anyone looking for Dobby samples appeared first on Drone Inner.

I returned the Yuneec Breeze finally

I’ve been thinking of dipping my little toe into drone photography. I want to start out with baby steps and considering the Yuneec Breeze, mainly because it’s small and portable, reasonably priced, and unobtrusive. I don’t like calling attention to myself when out taking photos, even with a DSLR, so a big noisy drone is out.

I’m not really concerned with range, battery life, just want something simple to start with and not too expensive! I realize that quality vs. cost are generally mutually exclusive, but I don’t think I could handle crashing a $1000 drone.

I am more interested in photos that video, so I was wondering if anyone has any full-size images taken with the Yuneec Breeze.

Then someone told me that “the camera aboard the Yuneec Breeze may be like that of the Zerotech Dobby. Without a gimbal, the still photo quality of any drone shots will be compromised by rotor micro-vibrations, on the one hand, and “jello” or banding caused by the digital stabilization, on the other.”

(Via Dobby)

(Via Dobby)

I checked out the Dobby photos, it looks decent enough to maybe print as 8×10’s which would be acceptable to me. I am not looking to use this for anything more than what I would use my iPhone for.  As I said, I am mainly interested in photos and not so much on taking video.

I went ahead the pulled the trigger on getting the Yuneec Breeze, as B&H Photo has a sale going on right now. I am thinking it will be a good starter kit, then go from there. At least with the Breeze I will get my foot in the door.  I still haven’t’ decided on getting the optional remote w/goggles…they are currently on backorder anyway so there is no rush.

Well, I received my new Yuneec Breeze and had no success with connecting to my iphone 6s Plus wifi. I was able to sporadically connect with an older Apple ipad mini enough to apply the latest firmware upgrade and then test it briefly indoors. Given the wifi issues I was experiencing, I was all set to return it and had it boxed up and ready to ship.

This morning, I hesitantly decided I would give it one more try with my iphone and lo and behold, the Yuneec Breeze appeared in my wifi connections with no issues. Took it over to the local park where I thought maybe the artificial turf would protect it in the event of a crash. It flew perfectly and I was able to snap a few photos.

Here’s sample taken this morning. I edited it slightly using Photoshop CC with mainly some minor smart sharpening and a graduated filter to bring back some of the color in the sky.

(Via Yuneec Breeze)

I must admit there’re lots of jpeg blurring. I think it might be okay for smaller prints. I’m guessing the “fuzziness” of the artificial turf might exacerbate the problem, but I see it clearly in other images as well. The Breeze was really designed and marketed for the selfie crowd, used to using smartphones and tablets. I think it would probably also work well for simple shots for as well.

I plan to continue testing for a few days and if the wifi connection remains stable and reliable, then I think it might work out for my purposes after all.

Now I’m returning the Yuneec Breeze after all for other issues. Think I might relinquish myself to shooting from terra firma, at least for the time being. Besides there’s a Nikon 70-200 f4 out there somewhere with my name on it!

 

 

 

The post I returned the Yuneec Breeze finally appeared first on Drone Inner.

Dobby: an selfie-drone of pocket

While there have been numerous announcements of self-drones in recent months, few have finally come to fruition. Dobby drone is an exception to the rule.

Whether you like it or not, drones and selfies are there to last. The latter are permanently installed in our digital society while the former are just beginning to do so. If they do not replace conventional cameras, drones become valuable photographic aids. They allow, for example, the production of still or animated images from points of view inaccessible to amateurs and semi-professionals.

Designed by Chinese ZeroTech, Dobby drone falls into the category of pocket drones intended to immortalize the exploits of its owner. Made of a sturdy plastic, the thing is barely bigger than a smartphone and can fit in the back pocket of jeans, with the four arms supporting the propellers folding underneath the device. The camera is equipped with a 1 / 3.06 ” effective 13 megapixel sensor and a 28 mm f / 2.3 lens (35 mm equivalent).

With such characteristics, there is a risk of medium high sensitivity. This is not very serious, this kind of product being designed to be used outdoors in daylight. This did not prevent the manufacturer from limiting the sensitivity to 3200 Iso. The video capture in 4K at 30 fps is provided without stabilization, making it difficult to use outside in windy conditions. To benefit from electronic stabilization, we will have to be satisfied with the Full HD 30 im / s that we consider suitable for this type of use. The images are stored in the 16 GB of internal memory (non-extensible).

The Dobby drone is using an application available in iPhone and Android versions. It essentially offers automatic modes such as object / person tracking, orbital recording (the drone rotates around an object) or facial recognition. The device is equipped with a GPS and a slew of environmental sensors. Note that the battery has a range of 9 minutes maximum in flight.

Dobby is available for $478 in specialty shops.

 

The post Dobby: an selfie-drone of pocket appeared first on Drone Inner.

IS THERE AN ALTERNATIVE TO HOVER CAMERA

There’s nothing more captivating to tech nerds these days than a cute indoor drone that you toss up into the air, have it take a picture of you and your friends, then drops into your hand, folds up and goes back in your pocket. That’s where the Hover Camera comes in.

The Hover Camera drone is equipped with a pretty decent little camera. It shoots video in 4K, stills at 13 megapixels, and even has a built-in flash.The Hover Camera Passport stands apart from other portable drones thanks to image recognition software, which allows the drone to recognize and follow a target. You could toss it up into the air and just let it go to capture photos. The Hover Camera is a practical and appealing device drone enthusiasts will enjoy using though the battery life is fairly short at 8-10 minutes.

Hover Camera Passport does not come cheap. It is priced at $599 so you’ll have to decide if its features are worth the money, or if you might be better off with other cheaper foldable drones.

The Zerotech Dobby is one of the most popular foldable drones due to the fact that it’s readily available, and relatively good hardware & software. It can shoot 1080p video with EIS (Electronic Image Stabilization) and packs different features such as Face Tracking, Follow Snap and gesture based motion controls.

This foldable drone is fueled by a 970mAh battery and can fly for about 9 minutes on one charge. At the current time the Zerotech Dobby can be found on sale for $349, which includes the drone, its battery, a charger and 4 blades; there are no prop guards or any other accessories. You can discover more about the Hover Camera vs Dobby by visiting our Learn More page.

If you’re looking for a more powerful foldable drone, the Mavic Pro could definitely be for you.

It can shoot high quality 4k @30fps with 3-axis IS, it packs tons of features from ActiveTrack to precision hover, obstacle avoidance, OcuSync video transmission and more. The big 2970mAh capacity battery gives it the amazing flight time of around 27 minutes.

The Mavic Pro comes with the following features:

1 Light, small and foldable design;

2 Powerful camera for shooting stable and clear videos and photos;

3 Competitive flight time and long-range control;

4 Creative camera features including Obstacle Avoidance, Gesture Mode and ActiveTrack;

The “small size” only makes sense when the drone have these features. For Hover Camera vs Mavic Pro comparison please visit here.

Will you buy Hover Camera or not?

The post IS THERE AN ALTERNATIVE TO HOVER CAMERA appeared first on Drone Inner.

Hover Camera VS Dobby: Who is the king of selife drone?

The foldable drone trend is getting hotter week by week. Zerotech initiated it back in May 2016 with the Dobby drone, a tiny ‘cute’ drone with foldable arms. More recently, we got introduced to the Hover Camera Passport; another little book-sized drone which folds like one as well. Thus let’s compare the two drones!

Both drones automatically hover and let go and they can automatically follow you or your pet around. I am pretty sure your get will be excited about the prospect of a drone following it around. The Dobby and the Hover Camera carry a 13MP camera capable of recording 4K video. Both stream video via Wi-Fi to a smartphone. A smartphone app is used to control the drones. The Dobby also reacts to voice commands and gestures.

The Zerotech Dobby has an advertised speed of 40km/h while the Hover Camera Passport can fly at up to 27km/h. Maximum speed in this case is very important if you want the drone to follow you during a bike ride or other kind of activities with fast movements. The Hover Camera Passport might not be able to catch up!

Another important feature for those who get into drones for the first time, is the presence of some sort of hovering assistance, as it may come hard to keep the drone in a determined position when there’s wind and you still aren’t fully trained. Because of that, the Zerotech Dobby packs a GPS as well as GLONASS dual satellite navigation system to guarantee accurate hovering both indoor and outdoor, with wind speeds up to 28km/h.

On the other side, the Hover Camera Passport doesn’t seem to feature GPS-supported hover modes.

The Zerotech Dobby does seem like a strong contender to the Hover Camera Passport, and it might just be a good idea to get one right now. On the other hand, the Hover Camera Passport seems much more suited for first time drone pilots and folks who wish to film indoors.

Below are two video reviews of Hover camera and Zerotech Dobby:

(From Tested)

(From Dustin Dunnill)

The post Hover Camera VS Dobby: Who is the king of selife drone? appeared first on Drone Inner.