Comparison DJI Spark vs Hubsan X4 H501S Air FPV Standard

General drone specialization.

This parameter is specified in cases where the device has a clearly defined specialization and is noticeably different in equipment/functionality from conventional quadcopters for entertainment purposes. In our time, the following types of drones are distinguished: mini-drones, racing vehicles(including in the form of racing mini-drones), selfie drones, kits for battles, as well as industrial/commercial solutions. Here are the features of each of these options:

— FPV drones. Quadcopters with a “First Person View” transmit the image visible to the camera in real time. Those. During such a broadcast, the operator will see on the screen the same thing that directly falls into the field of view of the lens. This can be useful for photo and video shooting from the air, more precise control of a drone, and performing a number of specific tasks for reconnaissance or military purposes. Smartphones, tablets or other similar gadgets are used to view images from the camera; there are also remote controls with built-in screens (see “Display for FPV broadcast”) and specialized masks like virtual reality glasses (see “Helmet for FPV broadcast”).

— Mini-drone. Miniature devices with dimensions of no more than 150 mm (length a...nd width) and a weight of no more than 100 g. This allows them to be easily transported from place to place, as well as to fly even in confined spaces - right up to city apartments. At the same time, many mini-drones are intended exclusively for entertainment, but there are also models with quite advanced characteristics. But the communication range of such equipment, as a rule, is quite limited (although, again, exceptions are possible); the same applies to carrying capacity.

- Racing. Devices originally created for drone racing. Such races require not only fast completion of the tracks, but also the ability to accurately fit into a given trajectory; Therefore, racing quadcopters differ not only in speed, but also in control accuracy. In addition, among such machines there may be modifications for complex aerobatics (freestyle, 3D) - in their characteristics the emphasis is even more shifted to accuracy and responsiveness. It should be borne in mind that most racing models are not only expensive, but also quite difficult to operate and are designed for experienced pilots; so it hardly makes sense to buy such a device for initial training or entertainment use.

— Racing mini-drone. A variation of the racing machines described above, characterized by reduced dimensions and having corresponding features. On the one hand, these features include ease of transportation and the ability to be used in confined spaces, on the other hand, relatively low load capacity and communication range.

— Selfie drone. Copters designed primarily for taking selfies. Among the main features of this technology are its small dimensions and the absence of a classic remote control: control is carried out either via a smartphone or using gestures through a special compact controller. This format of work eliminates the need to carry a bulky remote control and allows the operator to look natural in the frame - posing for a photo, rather than being distracted by controlling the drone. And some advanced models provide additional functions that make shooting even more convenient: face detection with autofocus and auto-centering, Follow Me mode (see “Flight Modes”), etc.

— Industrial/commercial. High-quality copters designed for professional use: photographing and video shooting from high altitudes in high resolution, “inspecting” industrial facilities and land plots, spraying fields, etc. In addition to their large dimensions, they are distinguished by a long range and flight altitude (and even and others are usually calculated in kilometers), high carrying capacity and extensive functionality. Thus, many models allow the installation of heavy advanced cameras (some are even initially designed for certain models of professional cameras), others have built-in “optics” with advanced capabilities (for example, with a high magnification factor or support for shooting in the IR range). The design usually includes a large abundance of sensors. And some models may have more specific functions - for example, detecting other aircraft nearby. Of course, such functionality is not cheap.

— Combat (battle kits). Drones designed to organize air battles. As a rule, they are sold in sets of two cars - so that the fight can be organized immediately, without purchasing anything additional; and most models allow you to organize group battles (at least “all against all”) - for this it is enough to buy several identical sets. The role of the “gun” in such a copter is usually played by an IR emitter, and hits are recorded using appropriate sensors. For control, a smartphone or other gadget is usually used, and the control application can provide very interesting and unusual functions - for example, statistics for each player with experience points received for battles, as well as special “skills” (temporary invulnerability, unusual maneuver, etc.) . p.), purchased for these points and activated by clicking on the corresponding icon in the application.

Maximum flight time of a quadcopter on one full battery charge. This indicator is quite approximate, since it is most often indicated for ideal conditions - in real use, the flight time may be less than stated. However, by this indicator it is quite possible to evaluate the general capabilities of the copter and compare it with other models - a longer declared flight time in practice usually means higher autonomy.

Note that for modern copters, a flight time of 20 minutes or more is considered a good indicator, and in the most “long-lasting” models it can exceed 40 minutes.

The highest speed that a quadcopter can achieve in horizontal flight. It is worth considering that in most cases this parameter is indicated for optimal operating conditions: a fully charged battery, low air temperature, minimum weight, etc. However, it is quite possible to rely on it both when choosing and when comparing different models of copters with each other.

Note that quadcopters were originally designed as stable and maneuverable aerial platforms, and not as high-speed vehicles. Therefore, you should specifically look for a fast quadcopter only in cases where the ability to quickly move from place to place is critical (for example, when the device is supposed to be used for video recording of fast-moving objects over large areas).

The speed at which the quadcopter rises up in the air or descends to the ground. Recreational, photo and video models tend to have more moderate climb/descent speeds, while professional or racing drones can rise and fall much faster. This indicator can be used to evaluate how quickly the copter can rise to a height for filming or, if necessary, avoid obstacles, and a high descent rate will be useful if the drone needs to be returned to the ground quickly and safely.

The type of camera installation that the quadcopter is equipped with.

- Built-in. A camera that is permanently installed on the vehicle and cannot be removed without disassembling the fuselage. This is the simplest option for tech who want to use a quadcopter for photo and video shooting or for flying with a first-person view (see “Real-time broadcast”); In addition, this camera design is considered more durable and reliable than a removable one. On the other hand, it does not make it possible to remove the camera to make the car lighter or replace it with another one that is more suitable in terms of characteristics.

- Removable. As the name suggests, such cameras are installed on detachable mounts. Thanks to this, the customer can remove or install the camera, depending on what is more important to him at the moment - the light weight of the car or the presence of an electronic “eye” on board. Note that in some models you can install not only a standard device, but also a third-party device.

- Absent. Drones that are not equipped with cameras at all fall into two main categories. The first does not involve the use of any cameras at all; As a rule, it includes inexpensive devices primarily for entertainment purposes, for which the “peephole” is just an expensive and unnecessary excess, which also increases the weight of the entire structure. The second type is models with...the ability to install a camera. It includes quite advanced copters - up to powerful professional machines capable of carrying a digital SLR. This option will be useful for tech who would like to independently select a camera to suit their needs. However, we note that the second type may have an auxiliary “eye” for live FPV broadcasts (see below); however, if such a “peephole” does not allow for taking photos/videos, it is not considered a full-fledged camera, and its presence is indicated only in additional notes. — Thermal imaging. A camera operating on the principle of a thermal imager - it detects infrared radiation from heated objects and forms a characteristic thermal image visible to the drone operator. Each color in this image corresponds to a specific temperature. A thermal imager equipped in a drone opens up possibilities not available to traditional optical cameras. Thus, it can be used to distinguish a person or animal against a camouflage background or in dense vegetation in an area. Thermal imaging cameras also “see” perfectly in complete darkness.

Quadcopters with a thermal imaging camera are by no means a cheap pleasure. They are used by rescuers, military, law enforcement, repairmen, hunters and fishermen. In particular, drones with a thermal imaging camera help find living people when clearing rubble, and are widely used to search for possible fires, gas leaks from pipelines, etc. In some situations, the performance of a thermal imager may be low - for example, it is not able to clearly identify an object if its temperature coincides with the background temperature (which makes it difficult to use in hot weather). In addition, the resolution and detail of the picture, even in advanced models, is quite modest. Thermal cameras in drones can be built-in or detachable.

The physical size of the photosensitive element of a camera. Measured diagonally, often indicated in fractions of an inch — for example, 1/3.2" or 1/2.3" (respectively, the second matrix will be larger than the first). Note that in such designations it is not the “ordinary” inch (2.54 cm) that is used, but the so-called "Vidiconovsky", which is less than a third and is about 17 mm. This is partly a tribute to the tradition that comes from television tubes — "vidicons" (the forerunners of modern matrices), partly — a marketing ploy that gives buyers the impression that the matrices are larger than they really are.

Anyway, for the same resolution (number of megapixels), a larger matrix means a larger size for each individual pixel; accordingly, on large matrices, more light enters each pixel, which means that such matrices have higher photosensitivity and lower noise levels, especially when shooting in low light conditions. On the other hand, increasing the diagonal of the sensor inevitably leads to an increase in its cost.

Resolution of the matrix in the standard camera of the quadrocopter.

Theoretically, the higher the resolution, the sharper, more detailed image the camera can produce. However, in practice, the quality of the "picture" is highly dependent on a number of other technical features - the size of the matrix, image processing algorithms, optical properties, etc. Moreover, when increasing the resolution without increasing the size of the matrix, the image quality may drop, because. significantly increases the likelihood of noise and extraneous artifacts. And for shooting video, a large number of megapixels is not required at all: for example, to shoot Full HD (1920x1080) video, which is considered a very solid format for quadrocopters, a sensor of only 2.07 megapixels is enough.

Note that high resolution is often a sign of an advanced camera with high image quality. However, this quality is not determined by the number of megapixels, but by the characteristics of the camera and the special technologies used in it. Therefore, when choosing a quadcopter with a camera, you should look not so much at the resolution as at the class and price category of the model as a whole.

The maximum resolution of photos that the standard quadcopter camera can take. This parameter is directly related to the resolution of the matrix (see above): usually, the maximum resolution of a photo corresponds to the full resolution of the matrix. For example, for pictures of 4000x3000 pixels, a sensor of 4000 * 3000=12 megapixels is provided.

Theoretically, a higher resolution of photography allows you to achieve highly detailed photographs, with good visibility of fine details. However, as in the case of the overall resolution of the matrix, high resolution does not guarantee the same overall quality, and you should focus not only on this parameter, but also on the price category of the quadcopter and its camera.

Also note that the high resolution of the camera affects the volume of the materials being shot, for their storage and transmission, more voluminous drives and “thick” communication channels are required.

The viewing angle provided by the standard quadcopter camera; for optics with adjustable zoom, usually, the maximum value is taken into account.

The viewing angle is the angle between the lines connecting the centre of the lens to the two opposite extreme points of the visible image. Usually measured along the diagonal of the frame, but there may be exceptions. As for the specific values of this parameter, in modern copters they can range from 55 – 60 ° to 180 ° and even more. At the same time, a wider angle (ceteris paribus) allows you to simultaneously fit more space into the frame; and a narrower one covers a smaller space, however, the objects that are in the frame look larger, it is easier to see individual small details on them. So when choosing by this parameter, you should consider what is more important for you: wide coverage or an additional zoom effect.