Holy Stone HS100 – recommended purchase in the medium price segment
With the Holy Stone HS100, the Chinese drone manufacturer once again proves that good quality is also available at affordable prices. The mid-priced quadcopter with camera impresses with a wide range of functions, high-quality workmanship and a chic design. With the HS100 (GPS), you get a robust drone with camera that leaves almost nothing to be desired.
In our opinion, the Holy Stone HS100 is currently one of the best multicopters for beginners as well as advanced users. For the price of about 250 dollars, you get a high-quality camera drone with many features, spare parts and great flight characteristics. If you are looking for a more compact alternative, also take a look at the Holy Stone HS 160.
Equipment and functions
Equipped with a 2500mAh 7.4V battery, the Holy Stone HS100 achieves flight times of 10 to 15 minutes. The included camera records videos in 720p and transmits them live to your smartphone. Your aerial shots are stored on an 8GB TF card, which is also included. To transfer them to your computer, simply use the included card reader.
Before launch, the battery is pushed into the designated compartment and connected to the drone using two small pins. It is charged via the included USB cable. You simply connect this to a standard power adapter, such as the one used by your smartphone. A complete charge takes about 3 to 6 hours.
For a longer flight experience, we recommend the purchase of one or more spare batteries – so you can exchange them directly on site and take off again right away.
The wide range of functions (One-Key start, Return-to-Home, Headless mode, Altitude Hold function, beginner mode) and the built-in GPS system not only make it easier for beginners to handle the drone, but also guarantee long-lasting fun with the HS100 for more experienced pilots.
In addition to the stable landing skids, the safe operation of the copter is also ensured by a total of four LEDs for position determination, which are attached to the front and rear. To protect the HS100’s propellers from minor damage, the included rotor guards can be mounted.
If something does break during your first flight attempts, the four replacement rotors provide a quick remedy. A set of spare landing skids is also included. By the way, the Holy Stone HS100 is delivered fully assembled, only the rotors have to be put on by yourself. All the necessary parts for this such as screws, screwdrivers, protective caps, and washers are included. An instruction manual ensures easy assembly of the drone.
Overall, the quadcopter comes to a total weight of about 700 grams. This also makes it clear that the HS100 is not a fragile toy drone.
Before the first start
Before you can take off for the first time, the propeller and the prop guards want to be properly assembled. The assembly takes only a few minutes. Nevertheless, take enough time to attach the propellers correctly.
Since both the individual rotors (propellers) and the included washers are well greased, we recommend using tweezers for assembly. This way the grease film stays where it belongs and does not stick to your fingers at the end. The propellers are then fastened with the help of fixing rings and screws. Last but not least, a protective cap is placed on each one.
Flight behavior, control and flight duration
To control the Holy Stone HS100, use the included remote control. This has a 300 mAh 3.7V battery and can thus be conveniently recharged. So unlike many other camera drones, there is no need to use additional batteries. Communication with the drone takes place on the standard 2.4 GHz Wifi frequency and allows ranges of up to 0.3 miles (500 meters).
Thanks to the built-in GPS module, the copter always “knows” where it is, is extremely stable in the air and returns to the starting position at the touch of a button (Return-to-Home). Even if the battery power runs low or the connection between the remote control and the drone breaks down, the HS100 automatically flies back to the starting point and lands there on its own.
Another “one-key” function ensures a safe launch. With the help of a single keystroke, the HS100 rises about 5 feet (1.5 meters) into the air and remains in a hovering position. A further press of the button allows it to land safely again if desired.
The so-called Follow-Me function is another practical feature. In this mode, the quadcopter automatically follows you and orients itself to the GPS signal of your smartphone.
The integrated beginner mode is particularly suitable for first flight attempts. Here, the range of the drone is limited to 33 yards (aprox. 30 meters) height and distance, so that you can safely dare first flight attempts.
The Holy Stone HS100 is extremely stable in the air and responds promptly to your control commands. Even sudden course changes are no problem. With a top speed of about 18.6 mph (30 km/h), the copter is not an FPV racing drone, but for normal use the performance is more than sufficient.
Another great feature is the so-called Headless mode. If you activate the function, the alignment of front and rear does not matter and you do not have to pay attention to the alignment of the drone when changing direction.
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The camera of the Holy Stone H100
Unlike its little brother, the Holy Stone HS170, the HS100 lets you take your own aerial shots. The camera has a 120° wide-angle lens (f /2.0) and records videos in 720p. Thanks to the 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi connection, you can follow the live image of the drone in real time on your smartphone. The range of image transmission is about 165 yards (150 meters).
Unlike the Holy Stone HS160, the camera angle can even be changed during the flight with the help of the remote control. The quality of the recordings is quite decent, although of course you cannot match 4K recordings of much more expensive multicopters, such as the Phantom 4. Taking photos is also possible with the HS100.
Thanks to the integrated Altitude hold function, selfies can also be taken from lofty heights without any problems. For all owners of FPV goggles, the Holy Stone HS100 also offers the possibility to transfer the live image directly to the VR goggles.
Scope of delivery
- 1 x HS100 drone
- 1 x remote control
- 1 x 7.4V, 2500 mAh Li-Ion battery pack
- 1 x 8G TF card
- 1 x card reader
- 1 x USB charging cable
- 4 x spare propellers (under the white foam box!!!)
- 2 x extra propeller guards
- 4 x propeller pads
- 4 x cap
- 2 x extra landing skid
- 4 x screws
- 4 x screws for motor/body cover
- 1 x screwdriver for motors and propellers
- 1 x instruction manual
Conclusion
In our opinion, the Holy Stone HS 100 is currently one of the best drones with camera in the mid-price segment. High-quality workmanship, great design and a wide range of functions leave hardly anything to be desired. Equipped with GPS, One-Key Start, Return-to-Home and Headles mode, it not only makes it easier for beginners to get started, but also offers experienced drone pilots a wide range of performance.
The quality of the 720p aerial footage is more than sufficient for most cases, and the ability to transfer live images to your smartphone is another great feature. If you are looking for a high-quality drone at a fair price, the Holy Stone HS100 is more than a good choice. Currently, only quadcopters like the DJI Phantom 4 or Mavic Pro offer more performance and quality – but they also cost significantly more and are aimed more at professional users with very high demands.
All in all, we can highly recommend the HS100 and wish you a lot of fun with this great quadcopter!