DEERC D30 – foldable beginner drone with FPV transmission
The DEERC D30 drone is a foldable quadcopter with Full HD camera and live FPV transmission. The DEERC D30 is an entry-level drone without GPS module, but it comes with two batteries.
Weight and design of the DEERC D30
Weighing just 174.3 grams, the drone from DEERC measures 48.82 x 30.99 x 6.98 cm when unfolded. When the four outriggers are folded for transport, the DEERC D30 measures 16.79 x 12.77 x 6.48 cm.
Due to the drone’s light weight, it is relatively susceptible to wind and should therefore only be flown on low wind days if possible.
The design of the DEERC D30 is strongly reminiscent of the well-known DJI models of the Mavic Pro and Mavic 2 Pro series, even though these drones are of course in a completely different league.
The design of the D30 is completely black and the remote control as well as the practical carrying case do not feature any other colors.
Two-tone LED lights on the bottom make the copter highly visible in the sky and help you distinguish between the front and the rear of the drone.
Since the DEERC D30 has rotor guards for the four propellers as well as can be flown at three different speeds, it is also perfectly suitable as a drone for kids.
Very practical is the included carrying case, in which the drone, remote control and accessories can be comfortably stored.
Scope of functions and startup preparations
The DEERC D30 has various functions that make it easier for you to use the drone. For example, takeoff and landing are as simple as pressing a button. Once the drone is in the air, it automatically holds altitude (Altitude Hold) when you release the remote control sticks.
If the drone drifts to one side, you can fix this by trimming the controls (see instructions).
There are three different speeds to choose from for the control, which will make it easier for beginners in particular to handle the drone.
By the way, the DEERC D30 can be controlled either by controller, with controller and smartphone or only by smartphone. We recommend attaching your smartphone to the remote controller to be able to use the FPV mode and use the control joysticks of the remote controller at the same time.
Two other ways to control the drone are gesture control and voice control. However, neither control method is a full replacement for using a smartphone and controller. For example, gesture control can only be used to command the capture of photos and videos. A simple hand gesture is sufficient for this.
For the voice control you can use the following expressions: “Fly / Land / Forward / Backward / Left / Right / Stop”.
Since the DEERC D30 does not have GPS, there is also no Return-to-Home mode. However, if the battery level is too low, the drone will warn you by flashing the LEDs and beeping the remote control to land on the ground or your landing pad for drones before the battery is completely discharged.
The 2.4 GHz remote control has a retractable holder for smartphones, which should be able to accommodate almost any common cell phone model.
Three AA batteries or rechargeable batteries, which are not included, are still needed to operate the remote control.
A very interesting mode, especially for beginners, is the so-called Headless mode of the DEERC D30. In this mode, it doesn’t matter how the drone is instantly oriented in the sky when you give a control command to change direction. Regardless of whether the front or rear of the drone is facing you at the moment, the drone will always fly in the desired direction. So there is no need to rethink based on the positioning of the drone in the sky here.
Nevertheless, we recommend that you do not fly in headless mode for too long and that you also get to grips with the “normal” control of the drone, as by no means all multicopters have a headless mode.
The 360° flip function of the DEERC D30 provides for artistic flying. At the touch of a button, the copter performs spectacular flips on its own.
Flight time and range
Per battery charge, the DEERC D30 gets about 17 minutes of flight time. Since two 1600 mAh, 3.7 V LiPos are included, you can fly with the drone for up to 34 minutes before both batteries need to be recharged. The charging time per battery is approximately 180 minutes via USB charging cable.
The control range is approximately 87 yards (80 meters). If you have the live FPV image of the drone transferred to the smartphone, this works at distances of about 55 yards (50 meters).
The camera of the DEERC D30
The DEERC D30’s 1080p Full HD camera records video in 1280 x 720 pixels at 20 fps. Photos are stored in 1920 x 1080 pixels. The camera is wide-angle and has a 110° field of view. A digital 1- to 5x zoom is also available. The focus can also be adjusted manually when taking photos.
Depending on whether you prefer to film the ground below you or the horizon in front of you, the camera can be tilted vertically by up to 50° before flight. This allows you to capture different perspectives.
In general, the quality of the photo and video recordings is okay, but of course it can’t keep up with the quality of current top drones with cameras, but that shouldn’t be surprising given the low price. For first experiences with camera drones, however, the recordings are completely sufficient.
Since the DEERC D30 does not have a slot for memory cards, photos and videos are stored directly on the smartphone. Photos are saved as JPEGs, videos optionally as AVI or MP4 files.
To view the live image of the drone on your smartphone, you first have to download the app “DEERC FPV“. This is available for both iOS and Android devices. You can find the app in the respective app store or simply scan a corresponding QR code in the instruction manual to get to the download.
Scope of delivery
- 1 x DEERC D30 drone
- 1 x remote control
- 2 x 3.7V, 1600mAh LiPo battery pack
- 1 x USB charging cable
- 4 x rotor guards
- 4 x spare propellers
- 1 x screwdriver
- 1 x instruction manual (DE, EN, CN)
- 1 x Carrying bag
Conclusion
The DEERC D30 is an inexpensive camera drone for drone novices and, due to its light weight and propeller guards, it is also suitable for children aged 14 and up. We particularly like the drone’s relatively long flight time, which is a maximum of 34 minutes thanks to no less than two included batteries.
The Full HD camera takes decent pictures for this price range, even if videos are only recorded in 720p. A plus point is the camera, which can be adjusted vertically by up to 50°, allowing for different perspectives. The included carrying case is also a useful extra that protects the drone and accessories during transport.
With Headless mode and three different speeds, the drone is best suited for beginners. The voice and gesture control as well as the 360° flips are other nice extras and make the DEERC D30 overall a very interesting beginner drone in the lower price segment!