Holy Stone Sentinel HS600D 3-Axis Gimbal Drone with Camera for Adults, Professional 8K Photo, Level-6 Wind Resistance, 6KM Transmission, 80-Min Flight, Smart Track, Auto Return & Beginner Mode

This is my first drone. I looked for a drone that’s easy for beginners to learn and provides top notch picture and video quality output. Also important is that as proficiency grows, it has enough intermediate and advanced features to still be useful and fun. I did a lot of research before buying. I looked at many different drones from numerous suppliers. I talked to friends that have been using advanced drones for years. I found that the HS600 drone is tailored made for beginners, but also has many features only found in much more expensive drones – some of which my more advanced user friends really appreciate. Some people list the weight of the drone as a detriment, but I look at it as an advantage as I live in an area with windy conditions. The HS600 handles the wind better than many other drones. I know there are smaller drones, but this comes with a nice hard carrying case, so size doesn’t matter. Also, don’t be deterred about FAA regulations, it only takes a few minutes to take the TRUST and register your drone (registration costs a trivial ½ sawbuck). I looked through the manual and was a little intimidated getting started. But after going through the procedure once, I was completely at ease. It couldn’t be any easier. I started out in beginner’s mode and took some great videos and pictures around my house. I’m having some construction work done and wanted to document the progress with arial photos. The videos and pictures came out amazing – even on my first flight! After just a week of use, I took the training wheels off by turning off beginners mode. I am taking more advanced videos and I must admit, it does take a little practice. I wanted to take a 360-degree video at a couple hundred feet above ground. My first attempt, I rotated the drone too quickly, however, my second attempt came out great. The camera takes great videos and pictures. The drone camera utilizes a dual axis gimble and EIS for stunning 4K video as long as you have a TF card (highly recommend one). Transferring pictures and video to your phone is a breeze. The HS600 comes with several operating and video modes. GPS tracking works well, but you can’t move too fast, otherwise it has a difficult time keeping up. Orbit is pretty cool for taking videos of subjects on the ground. Other picture and video features include hand gestures for taking selfies and video. I’ve tried locked follow mode, but the drone has trouble tracking the target. I have to contact customer support to try and resolve this issue, but I’m in no hurry as this is only a minor inconvenience. The controller is sturdy and easy to use. The interface provides flight information and control and the ability to take pictures and capture videos. It has a return to home button, which I’ve only used once as the drone is easy to maneuver manually close to its landing location. Wi-Fi connectivity has been great as has the GPS signal. I primarily use my iPhone to change flight modes and of course as an FPV. The APP interface is intuitive and easy to use. The flight time is excellent. I have not had to end a session yet due to low power, but I could see this happening in the future as flying the drone is becoming addictive. The batteries do take some time to charge. I have to say that this is an excellent drone that beginners will appreciate, and more advanced users will enjoy as well.

Great quality drone. The battery lasts about 34 minutes of flight time. I flown this drone a lot and really enjoy it. The drone camera quality is amazing and is very clear. The drone came with a high quality controller with a good carrying bag. The drone is very easy to fly with automatic landing and takeoff. The drone has a lot of different modes to choose from like follow me, vr, and much more. This drone is for anyone looking for a good drone at a low price.

First drone for me and it couldn't have been easier to get started once I charged it up. Some things I'd like to point out: 1) You don't get 56 minutes of continuous flight time. You get max 28 since the drone can only use one battery at a time. Fly it until it's low, bring it back, change batteries, and go back out. 2) The order in which you turn things on makes a difference. Power up the drone. Power up the remote. Let it connect. Then connect your phone to the drone Wi-Fi and launch the app. Works perfectly every time. 3) Don't set the drone down (while powered up) on anything large and made of iron. I set it down on my cast iron tablesaw and it mucked up the compass. Had to power it off and move it away before powering it up again. Minor inconvenience that's easy to avoid, but just something to keep in mind. 4) The Remote ID serial number for the drone is printed on a small sticker on the right side of the drone, just behind the gimbal. Easy to see, but nothing to tell you what it is. You'll need it when you register with the FAA. If you want to be sure that your drone is broadcasting, there's a little app you can install on your phone called Drone Scanner that finds and tracks all nearby drones and shows their serial numbers. Makes it easy to be sure you're FAA-compliant. 5) Charging - The batteries charge much more quickly with a high-speed charger and a USB-C to C cable, but I haven't been able to get the controller to charge that way. Have to use a USB-A to C for it to begin charging. About the camera and the complaints in the reviews. For this price, you're not going to get a cinematic experience. The images are a bit overexposed, you can't adjust much on the camera (such as exposure time and ISO), but the footage is really good, especially when you consider the price. The video is rock steady and with a bit of cleanup in a package like DaVinci Resolve (which is free), you can make a pretty darned good video. Only complaints I have about the camera is the inability to adjust the ISO and exposure times (which make night shooting pretty much pointless) and the lack of RAW mode on the photos. But again, for the price, it's tough to beat this little guy. Only real gripes I have about it are minor and are something I hope Holy Stone is working on: 1) Improve the documentation. The "tutorial" video is more of a promo for the drone's features. It doesn't tell you the details about the features and how to use them. The app itself really needs to be documented since there's nothing to tell you what each icon means. 2) Give users more control over the camera. At this price I don't expect to be able to adjust the aperture, but exposure time and ISO should be within reach with software updates. I would also think RAW mode would be possible for the photos, but I'll take what I can get. 3) Give me a way to adjust the yaw rate. The joystick is too jerky to get smooth rotation on video and I haven't found a way to adjust it (see documentation, above). 4) Camera modes - When I launch the app without connecting it to the drone, there are options for panorama and time-lapse photos. Can't figure out how to get to them when I'm connected. I haven't really found any show-stoppers with this little guy. It's a solid little drone at a great price that has a lot of nice features.