Seriously??? Don't buy it just because the specs, unbelievable.
I am just wondering about the original review, what is it that the Phantom 3 or 4 can do that this drone can't?. I own both drones, X-Star Premium and a Phantom 3 Professional.
Let's talk about the controller first, Autel has added an LCD display to the controller itself which provides critical flight telemetry data such as altitude, range, battery remaining (for both the remote and the AC), gimbal's tilt, AC's orientation, etc. This redundancy provides an increased margin of safety and allows the pilot the option to use the full screen of the external display to view video coming back from the drone at 720P. Let's say that the battery of your tablet or phone dies or that your flying app collapses while you are flying the drone, with X-Star Premium you have an actual LCD that tells you everything you need to know to bring your drone back home safely.
While DJI's Phantom 3 / 4 have a return to home feature (button in the controller), if DJI's Go App or the mobile device was to crash, the operator does not have the visibility of knowing how far the phantom is from the home point, orientation, battery level of the aircraft, altitude. Simply an RTH button in the controller.
While many people choose to fly their drone for only for the joy of flying, the real purpose of camera drones is to capture photos and videos from an elevated perspective. The X-Star Premium 108's degree FOV camera is capable of taking video at 4K30, 2.7K60, 1080p120, or 720p240 fps. It has the ability to take 12 MP photographs and has burst shooting (3/5/7 seconds), time lapse (5/7/10/20/30 seconds) and Auto Exposure Bracketing (AEB) modes and saves them as JPG or DNG. This is something the P3P and P4 can do.
The X-Star Premium is designed with an easily removable gimbal which only requires the push of a button on the side of the gimbal to slide it off. This feature will allow the camera to be easily upgraded as payload technologies advance. If you’re happy with the platform and just want an upgraded payload, you can save significant money by replacing only the camera instead of buying a new drone. I know the Phantom 3 does not have this.
Range can be subjective, the FAA requires to fly within visual line of sight. Speaking of range, the X-Star Premium advertised maximum control range is 1.2 miles. In practice, pilots have managed to extend the range nearly twice that far. Autel achieves this extended range by broadcasting the video link via the 900 MHz frequency band (via the controller) rather than the more commonly used 2.4GHz WiFi band. Not only does using this frequency allow for increased video range, it also reduces the potential for interference from other WiFi signals in the area, resulting in a clear picture at extended ranges. I get more interference in my phantom 3 than with the X-star Premium.
The FAA requires pilots to keep their drone within line of sight. In most weather conditions, high-visibility orange should allow X-Star Premium pilots to fly at greater ranges while still maintaining visual contact with their drone.
This is a big one and a deal breaker for me - In an ideal world, every drone would work perfectly, right out of the box. Unfortunately, in the real world, sometimes drones have problems. When problems happen, it’s important to have someone to turn to for help. Autel Robotics has made a commitment to customer service. They provide 7-day per week customer support via phone, email or live chat. After hours, you can still find the answers to many of your questions through an extensive knowledge base that can be found on the Autel Robotics website. It’s difficult to put a value on customer support. If you never need it, it’s worth nothing, but if you must have it, there’s no substitute.
This is where DJI falls way short, try to give them or email them for support, good luck with that. Do you want to buy a drone without warranty and customer support?. Buy a Phantom from DJI, they have louse customer service and support.
When you grab the X-Star Premium and touch it, the shell feels solid, well made. Unlike the Phantom 3 P3A - P3P that feels like a cheap piece of plastic, not to mention the Phantom 3 Adv and Phantom 3 Pro line is prone to develop cracks. Apparently there is a major design flaw with the Phantom 3 shell around the motors area, the plastic is simply not strong enough. Customers are reporting cracks even after shell replacement.
I have compared the quality of the pictures and videos side by side, I prefer the quality of the X-star premium video. The X-Star Premium is equipped with a 4K Ultra HD camera that has an 108-degree field of view. It takes 4K video and 12 megapixel photos. Footage is shot with an integrated 3-axis gimbal.
If I could only fly one drone and pick just one, between the P3P and X-Star Premium, I would pick the X-Star Premium.
I have really enjoyed flying this drone! I have a helicopter that I fly once in a while, but the x star is much more stable and easier to fly. The pictures are extremely sharp and clear. Recently the drone crashed because the screws came loose on my propeller guards. The company honored the warranty and offered to repair the drone. The customer service has been excellent. They respond quickly to emails and my calls.
I will write a more extensive review in the future when I have more time to fly it. BUT out of the box, extremely easy to fly. The only prior drone experience I had was a small $80 drone, that the first time I brought it outside it flew away and ended up in the neighbor's pond... so... basically no experience at all. After EXTENSIVE research - amazon, youtube, ebay, EVERYTHING, I decided to go with this. Was a little leary with it being refurbished, but since it was coming from Autel, and came with the warranty, I was more confident.
It arrived as expected - it seemed to take forever, just because I was excited - but arrived when it was supposed to. It came with 4 complete sets of propellers...which, I thought it would only come with 2 sets.... so, two of the sets were clearly used, BUT in great working condition - I have only flied with the used sets, and they work perfectly. So, thanks to Autel for 4 total sets of props - a great surprise - not sure if it was on purpose.
As many reviews say, it pretty much can fly itself. I like the return to home and landing features - keeps things hands off - especially as I get more experienced, and keeps me from crashing. I have yet to have had time to really use the orbit, waypoint, and follow me features - but look forward to that. The video shoots well - however, I have yet to bring the video to my computer to have a real look at it - you can watch it in 720 on your phone, but it's not that clear - so looking forward to extracting that video.... I bought 2 more batteries on amazon - which were the cheapest deal I could find.
Case is nice and sturdy. Can't say enough about it! If you are looking to spend some money on a drone - this would be a good one! I will write a more extensive review when I have played with it more!
Let me start by saying I’m a 62 year young technology, photography, and flying fanatic. I’m also a Private Pilot and have worked for years as a photographer in my spare time. I’ve also been an avid RC Airplane and Heli enthusiast for years, spending much of that time trying to find ways to use the RC Planes as a camera platform. Just want to let you know where I’m comin’ from!
I didn’t want a toy drone, and I didn’t want to spend over a grand for a Phantom (their comparable models have come down in price since). Then, while looking at the Amazon “Today’s Deals” I stumble upon the Autel Robotics X-Star Premium . I watched some of their support videos on their site, and was hooked by the camera quality, the autonomous features, and the price point.
I did my homework before buying. What sold me on the X-Star Premium was the drone’s features, the case, the accessories, the controller, the stories of quality support (so important), all for less than $700!!!! Also, I took advantage of a promotion Autel is having; I just passed the FAA Unmanned Aircraft test, and Autel Robotics paid for it ($150)!
Rarely have I been as impressed with the engineering, value, quality, and support of a product. I could not be any happier with my first drone. IT IS AMAZING! Thank you Autel.
PROs:
- Camera quality is amazing. Gimbal and camera can be removed in seconds with the push of a button. Autel Robotics just announced 2 new cameras will be available soon. One a FLIR Duo dual thermal and visual camera module, the other will have a 1” CMOS sensor.
- So far the drone has flown perfectly and the camera stability is amazing
- Complete package; the case is perfect, a complete second set of props and lanyard for controller are included.
- Beautifully designed controller w/LCD display. Buttons for Start Motors, Take off/Land, Go Home, and Pause Aircraft are very helpful, especially for beginners. Holds my phone or 10” tablet securely.
- The orange color is easy to spot against clouds.
- The app loaded and ran with no problems on my Android phone and tablet
CONS:
- When rotating the X-Star Premium for panning video, the stick control is very sensitive. It can be difficult to get a slow, smooth pan. The gimbal tilt speed can be adjusted in the SW, but that is a simple command. Adjusting rotation speed (yaw speed) is probably much more difficult to program. I actually called support and suggested that they program the SW with the ability to customize the stick action using an exponential curve adjustment, similar to what the advanced RC controllers have used for years. Then you could adjust the curve so that the yaw control is a bit “sloppy” near the center. While he could not give details, the support rep said that they had already examined the issue and hopefully there should be something in the new SW release. No date for release available. In the meantime, I’ve found that I can do a smooth pan if I’m extremely careful.
UPDATE: July 2018 - FYI, sometime last year they upgraded the SW, added exponential curve to yaw. PERFECT! Sorry it took so long for me to update, just didn't think of it til now!
One of the more mind-blowing purchases I've ever made. I bought this for my youngest daughter who loves everything about flight, airplanes, space travel, etc. We had a little $100 drone before, but even I could barely fly it -- and I'm a commercial pilot. This thing, on the other hand, is beyond easy to fly. Out of all the stuff one buys in a year, so little is memorable or worthy of buying again. This thing is one of those rare purchases that is worth every penny -- even if it cost twice as much as it does.
Feature Product
- 4K Ultra HD video camera with quick-release 3-axis gimbal stabilizer
- HD Live View up to 1.2 miles away and autonomous flight modes via the free Starlink app for iOS or Android (mobile device sold separately)
- Dual GPS/GLONASS outdoor navigation, SecureFlyTM magnetic interference protection, and the Starpoint Positioning SystemTM
- Intuitive remote controller with LCD display and one-touch action buttons
- Included accessories: Premium hard case, 64-GB MicroSD card, intelligent battery, 1-hour fast charger, spare propellers and small parts
- Backed by Autel Robotics customer support: U.S. based, seven days a week
Description
The X-Star Premium has twice the HD Live View range compared to the X-Star, includes a larger 64-GB card, and comes packed in a semi-hard, splash-proof, zippered premium case.
The X-Star Premium is a sophisticated yet amazingly easy-to-fly quadcopter designed for superb aerial imagery. The 4K camera and 3-axis gimbal can record crystal-clear, smooth Ultra HD videos or take 12-MP photos with HD Live View up to 1.2 miles away. This drone is ready to fly out of the box, and can be flown with or without the help of the free Starlink mobile app. Powered by an intelligent flight control system, dual GPS and GLONASS satellite navigation and aided by the Starpoint Positioning System, the drone stays safe and stable, even indoors or at low altitudes. Where other drones might become erratic or fly away when there is magnetic interference, the X-Star is equipped with our exclusive SecureFly technology to help your drone come back home safely.
Learning to fly the X-Star is easy: you can start the motors, take off and land, hover, or have the drone automatically return home by using the one-touch buttons on the remote controller. The controller’s integrated LCD displays critical flight information, allowing the Starlink mobile app to show fullscreen live HD video. Starlink brings a wealth of autopilot features such as follow, orbit, waypoints, and also lets you adjust camera settings and record images in flight. With the X-Star Premium from Autel Robotics, a new perspective is just one flight away.
Don't normally write reviews, only when a product is really good or really bad. Just got this today, and have flown it as many times as possible. Amazing drone, amazing camera, this blows DJI out of the water. This beats all competition on every point, especially price. Great purchase, would recommend.
Have gotten up to about 34 mph consistently, and get about 23-25 minutes of battery life. Everything works flawlessly, plus you've gotta love the blaze orange.
Will follow up in several months after more use.
This is my first quadcopter and it has been great! I would recommend this for any beginner. I was up and flying in no time. I have less than 20 flights, but I am getting incredible footage. Just practice and you'll get it in no time!
I have been wanting Profession drone for some time. Have been on the side line waiting for a company to deliver both a quality product AND customer service. I.e Apple. If I am going to spend 1k plus (incl. accessories) I want to know the product is good and the company will be there to support it. Unfortunately, the industry standard at the time - dji phantom - has horrible customer support..... Then this little gem comes along....
I researched in early Jan-February this year....read reviews... Called their customer support asked questions. And waited. Then more reviews on Amazon popped up...more positive. Read more 3rd party reviews....read dji forum reviews of the xstar. Finally made the purchase mid July....
It is everything I was hoping it would be....and more. Best part...say on a Sunday evening After I land...a question comes to my mind..it is 600pm my time. Guess what? I can chat with their customer support team....ON A SUNDAY... Just used it this past weekend at my cottage...flew over the water...was nervous but it handled with surgical precision.
Will update this review as I use it more. Well done Autel! Keep the CS going at same level as your company grows..
Fabulous copter, well made, works great out of the box. Very easy to fly, and this is my very first drone. Push button take-off/landing makes it fool proof; it lifts off by itself, ascends to about 12' altitude, and sits there until you tell it otherwise. Eventually the battery would run down and it would go into self-landing mode. You can't crash this thing! (I'm sure I'll regret saying that now.)
I've had a few questions and some confusion about it. I emailed their tech support and had very thorough replies within an hour or two. I've done this several times now. They respond RIGHT NOW!
Highly recommended.
I've owned other drones previously, but honest to God, I wish I had bought this one first. It is flawless in its execution of nearly every facet of its design. I am yet to have an adverse in-flight event, which is all but inevitable with other drones- NOT SO with the Autel. I highly recommend the range extenders sold here on Amazon (they're about 15$ or so) and they extend the range of this amazing little guy to 3 miles out.
I would buy this again, and first, if I went back in time and decided to take up drone photography as a hobby!
0 comments:
Post a Comment