Holy Stone HS175G GPS Drone With 4K EIS Camera For Adults, 249g Foldable RC Quadcopter With Auto Return, Follow Me, 60 Mins Flight Time, Battery Fast Charge, Headless Mode, Upgraded HS175D

This drone performs exactly as advertised. Nothing less, nothing more.
We needed to get a better look at some problems on an inaccessible roof, and inspection companies quoted high numbers just to look. Buying a quality, entry-level drone which could do the job was an easy decision. After reading reviews of a number of under-$200 drones, we chose the HS175D, and are very satisfied with our decision. Amazon delivered in less than a day, and the drone was flying, well controlled by a novice operator, within an hour. After a bit of practice, the drone took high-definition photos of the roof in question, and the phots were of exceptional quality and fully met our needs.In the following days, we flew the drone just for the fun of it, and found it more than met our expectations gained from reading the specifications. This drone does exactly what the manufacturer says it does, nothing more, and nothing less. It is very easy to learn to fly it. Best to steer clear of trees and other high structures of course. One important learning–if you think you are losing control, let go of the control sticks. The drone will simply stop moving and hover where it is, while the operator regains his composure.While we are totally satisfied, there are a few comments which we will pass along to other new operators. This assumes you have downloaded the software for the drone according to the instructions provided, and have initiated that software on your phone.1) For best photographic results, a separately purchased SD card is recommended. After taking photos or videos, it is best to remove the SD card and insert it directly into a computer (using an adapter that comes with the SD cards). Download the files into the computer, but do not delete them from the SD card. Then reinsert the SD card into the drone, and use the drone software to delete the files.2) And there is a bug. SD cards formatted by the drone itself have some problem that prevents a Mac computer from reading them (although a PC will read them). The fix is simple: Format the SD card with the computer, not with the drone. If using a Mac, choose the MS-DOS (FAT) option.3) While taking video with the drone, if you attempt to take a still picture, the video will stop. You’ll need to restart it. Not surprisingly, you cannot take video and still pics at the same time. Further, we found while using an iPhone along with the manual controller, as recommended, that the “Take Video” button on the controller will start video, but it will stop on its own about a second later. So, you should use the “Take Video” button on the phone screen instead, which works as you would expect: Press once to start video, press again to stop.4). If the top-right Botton on the phone screen (marked with a circular star) is pressed , a small screen with Chinese characters appears on the phone screen. I have no idea what these characters mean. But pressing this icon on the screen does bring up the controls for the maximum height and distance you wish to allow, and includes a “novice” mode switch, which keeps the drone quite close to the operator.While this fairly inexpensive drone does not have the 2- or 3-axis gimbals or automatic obstacle avoidance of pricier drones, it certainly is a solid performer. Battery life has been about 20 minutes, and the automatic return home on a low battery is a very good included feature.We must also comment on Holy Stone’s service personnel. We’ve had several questions for them, and found them to be available, exceptionally accommodating, and willing to take the time to answer a newby’s questions (probably for the N-th time). Well done, Holy Stone!So, if you are seeking a solid-performing drone for a reasonable cost, the HS175D is worth considering.

Caution advised, large open field best
I purchased this as an adult, I’ve had several inexpensive drones with my children that have always been disappointing. This one was easy to set up, the app worked well, and first flight was extremely successful. Got a nice picture of my neighbors house. Has a great feature where you can only fly it so far away, good for my novice. skill set. Camera display on iPhone 15 was amazingly clear and I was very surprised and pleased that it flew so well in the wind. Charged batteries overnight and now on the second day something went far awry. The drone took off like normal with the automated button but quickly veered and climbed to disappear across the lake. HolyStone very proactive and generous with their support. I highly recommend a large open field like park for learning and avoiding lakes!

This is a great starter drone. It is easy to fly and the “Return to Home” feature works every time. Max height is 100 Metres (300 feet) and max distance is 500 metres (1500 feet) which was plenty for my enjoyment. It also has a “Safe Mode” which when engaged, will not allow the drone to fly more than 30 metres from where it took off from. It is also tough as I have crashed it twice with limited damage, though I did replace a cracked propeller which took 2 minutes and was included in the box as it came with a full set of replacements. Takes great pictures and video, which you easily toggle on the remote. If you do but a few suggestions….practice low flights in an open area and keep it on Safe Mode for your first try. If taking off from grass, get a board to rest the drone on as it has a low profile so the propellers can get tangled easily. Don’t fly when its too windy as the Drone is smaller and can easily get off your intended flight path. Oh…and if using the phone holder on the remote, put your phone on first before turning on the remote as the Drone can start up with a simple movement of the joystick.

My eight year old son wanted a drone for his birthday and after purchasing one for a competitor which was a colossal failure, I had my doubts that anything at this price point would be effective. This Holy Stone HS175D was perfect as a replacement. The video is quite stable and my son can follow it along. It also has a beginner mode that limits it to 30m altitude and range and so that works really well for him. You can also change the speed which was great for a learner. He loves flying over the parks and the house taking photos and videos. Well worth the purchase.

Die HS175G hat mich absolut überzeugt! Für Einsteiger ist sie ideal – einfach zu bedienen, stabil in der Luft und mit einer überraschend guten Kamera für den Hobbybereich. Nach etwa zwei Flugstunden kann ich sagen: Ich bin mehr als zufrieden.Die Kameraqualität reicht für alle Freizeitbedürfnisse vollkommen aus, besonders wenn man die Aufnahmen auf einem größeren Bildschirm betrachtet. Für den Preis bekommt man hier wirklich viel geboten – ich würde glatt 11 von 10 Punkten geben!Ich habe die Drohne bei Windstärke 4 getestet, und sie hat sich tadellos gehalten – keine Probleme mit der Steuerung. Auch die verschiedenen Flugmodi funktionieren zuverlässig. Nur mit dem Headless-Modus komme ich persönlich nicht so gut klar – ist wahrscheinlich Geschmackssache. Mein Neffe dagegen findet genau diesen Modus ideal, gerade für Anfänger, die sich nicht an die Flugrichtung gewöhnen wollen.Ein kleiner Tipp zur Speicherkarte: Ich empfehle eine 128 GB microSD-Karte mit A2-Standard. Damit nutzt man den Speicher optimal aus und profitiert von einer schnellen Übertragung auf PC oder Notebook.Fazit: Wer eine zuverlässige, einfach zu fliegende Drohne mit guter Ausstattung zum fairen Preis sucht, macht mit der HS175G nichts falsch. Absolute Kaufempfehlung!