The Holy Stone is nearly like the Holy Grail among folks who are just getting started with flying drones.
Its newest product, the HS270, adds to a lengthy series of Holy Stone goods noted for their quality and longevity. And it does it at a reasonable price.
The HS270 outperforms the competition in terms of pricing, but that’s not all. Compactness and a great camera are just a few of the things that set this small bird apart from the crowd of low-cost quadcopters.
As you reduce the price range, sifting through many drones becomes increasingly challenging. You must sift through bogus promises, unnecessary features, and poor quality.
This is why I decided to write about it today (specs and reviews here); all I wanted to do was give you an unbiased account of my experience with it. Without further ado, let’s jump into the details.
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Table of Contents
Holy Stone HS270 Drone Features
Superior Design and Construction
The drone has a professional appearance, thanks to its gray color scheme. I like this metallic look over brightly colored drones in terms of aesthetics, and its weight only contributes to the product’s compactness.
When fully extended, the drone measures 16.9 by 11.6 by 3.2 inches and is made of high-quality polycarbonate (high-grade plastic).
I admire how Holy Stone has made the HS 270 more compact and travel-friendly compared to prior editions.
The dimensions are significantly smaller because the arms and propellers are foldable, and it fits neatly inside my purse.
Brushless motors also consume substantially less power, resulting in a quieter flying experience and preventing overheating.
All of this adds up to a reliable drone with a striking appearance. HS270 Holy Stone Camera
The cameras that come with drones are one of the primary reasons I enjoy flying them; seeing the world from above is always a terrific experience.
The Holy Stone HS270 is a 2.7k wide-angle camera that can be rotated 90 degrees for optimal viewing angles.
The camera can record video in 2.7k and is of good quality; however, it lacks stabilization functions, you may notice some distortion such as the jello effect and shakiness.
However, because you will not be operating this drone in a professional capacity, these effects will not be a major concern, and the video clip quality is adequate for this type of drone.
But there’s one more thing I’d like to mention: if you’re searching for an economical drone that can capture professional-quality video and take high-quality photos, I strongly recommend the DJI Mavic Mini or the Hubsan Zino Pro.
Both are around $500 and have high-quality cameras with powerful 3-axis gimbals.
Flight Modes with Intelligence
The HS270, like many of these new low-cost drones, includes a few smart flying modes that allow you to fly the drone hands-free, giving you a greater chance to shoot better films and photographs.
Just keep in mind that these smart flying modes will only operate if you’re in an area with a good GPS connection.
- Waypoint – In this mode, you may create a flight path on the drone app, and it will automatically fly following that path.
- Orbit – The drone will lock on to and orbit a place of interest that you choose.
- Follow Me – The drone will latch on to your phone and follow you from behind, which is pretty self-explanatory.
- Return Home – The HS270 also has an automated return to the home option, which can be turned on manually by hitting the return to the home button on the controller or in the app.
It will turn on automatically if you lose contact with the drone or if the drone’s battery runs out. This is a very helpful function that will reduce the chances of the drone being lost in mid-flight.
Performance
The HS270 is easy to operate, holds up well in the air, and has good hovering potential owing to its GPS module, as you’d expect from a Holt Stone drone.
Although you may capture 2.7k video footage on the micro SD card, the live video stream is broadcast in 720p.
The FPV quality is decent, although there is some distortion; the drone also has several speed options and is fast at its highest setting.
Battery Life and Flight Time
Suspending a drone in mid-air is one of the best methods to test all of its features. It enables me to evaluate its stability, battery capacity, and flying time.
I’ll ultimately talk about the drone’s stability, as that requires some serious thought. But first, let’s go through the other points.
The drone’s flying duration and range have significantly improved over previous versions, such as the HS700. A total flying duration of 18 minutes is provided by the HS270.
This made me very happy because the longest flight time I’ve ever achieved within this pricing range was around 12 minutes.
This significant improvement is due to a strong Li-Po (Lithium-polymer) battery and brushless motors.
It’s a secure modular battery that constantly displays the remaining charge and is simple to replace or remove.
However, once the battery is depleted, a complete recharge would take 5 to 7 hours. Isn’t it a pain? I wholeheartedly agree with you.
This is the only time the battery has let me down, and to be careful, I use two batteries for a 40-minute shooting session.
Controller
Drones that come with a controller are my favorite. A physical controller is unrivaled!
And, no matter how much applications improve with time, I still prefer not to use them to control drones.
My hands are all over the place, and I’m fumbling with the controls, which is a complete disaster.
And the drone’s controller is just as strong. It has a range of over 700 meters, which is rather impressive compared to the ones that came with the HS100 and HS700.
The remote’s design is ideal for novice pilots, as the various controls are clearly labeled.
Furthermore, the 2.4 GHz transmitter’s improved range allows me to fly longer vertical distances.
But when I use Wi-Fi to Livestream, the height decreases a few notches.
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How was the flying experience?
This tough, feature-rich quadcopter has given me fewer reasons to grumble, and I’ll explain why.
It’s the ideal midpoint between entry-level and professional drones. Due to high winds, the flying time is around 18 minutes, plus or minus a few minutes.
The best thing is that the drone will not go lost no matter how hard you try because of the automatic functions and flying modes.
This should be one of the most exciting elements for those who are just getting started with drone photography.
GPS-assisted flying: The drone’s clever technology that keeps it on track is GPS-assisted flight.
The quadcopter will automatically return home or to the starting coordinates when the battery is close to dying.
I can also do it manually by pressing the ‘Return-to-home’ button once.
Follow me mode: Another important element of the GPS-assisted flight is the ‘follow me’ mode, also available in other HolyStone models, such as the HS720.
I like how it follows me around everywhere I go and rarely deviates from the path. But, just in case it does, the home button is always available.
The best aspect is that it captures all of the varied perspectives that I would normally miss, and it adjusts its speed to match mine. That tiny bird is a genius!
Altitude Hold: This is a fantastic mode for beginners! I envy all people who are just getting started with drone photography because drones didn’t always have such sophisticated features when I was a kid.
It’s tough to keep track of the drone’s vertical height unless you’re an expert pilot. This is why the altitude hold function is so valuable!
It locks the gadget at the vertical height you specify, and all you have to do now is concentrate on flying it ahead.
Isn’t it fantastic?
Custom flight path: This function allows me to survey a region, choose the specific locations inside the app that the device will cover, and then set sail.
I recall a cycling excursion around Lake Tahoe where the drone followed my selected course and took some incredible photos.
What could be better?
The drone surpasses its opponents thanks to all of these sophisticated features.
After six weeks of usage, though, I feel HolyStone should have spent more time on the charger.
To be honest, compared to other DJI models, charging the battery takes more time.
This is a work of sheer creativity and brilliant technology, except for the battery charging. It’s especially appealing because it’s less than $300.
Final Thought: Is Holy Stone HS270 worth it?
If you’re still on the fence about buying this drone, I recommend asking yourself two key questions: Have you ever flown a drone before? Do you have a large budget?
This is one of the most user-friendly drones on the market, and it comes at a reasonable price. It meets the demands of practically everyone.