The Sharper Image DX3 is one of the top choices for best drone. It’s an excellent all-rounder with outstanding picture quality, a small folding interface, and a variety of newbie friendly flying features. Although it is the perfect choice for the majority of people, you need to look into the features it offers to make sure it’s the perfect one for you.
Sharper Image DX3 Video Drone
About the Product
The Sharper DX3 drone is a medium sized beginner friendly drone that is ideal for both amateurs and intermediate users. Sharper Image Company, headquartered in the United States, is quite well-known for devices such as home electronics as well as other high-tech items.
The Sharper Image DX-3 Video Drone has good aerodynamics, as well as video streaming with recording features, all at a low cost. Let’s take a look at some of its key features.
Product Design & Quality
The drone comes with a dimension 21X14X4 inches that this is a comparatively bigger device. It is remarkably light for its height, thanks to the compact body and narrow poles supporting the rotors. It’s also not very huge. Since a camera is mounted in, there is little need for the odd-looking long stands landing gear that most rivals have.
The landing cogwheel is supported by rotor casings that are marginally longer. The propeller shield is another intriguing concept feature. It is made of lightweight material that wraps around the entire drone.
In the event of an impact, this will bend, convert any shock, and then return to its original form. It does not easily crack. The blades, on the other hand, would not be damaged by this bending.
The front portion of the drone is designed with two LED lights, while the back is indicated by two red LED lights. A small door at the back allows access to the battery chamber. A screw is often used to lock the door. A micro USB charging port for the adapter is located above the panel. As a result, charging is a breeze.
Product Features
Sharper Image Camera
The camera of the drone has a resolution of 720p and a frame rate of 20 frames per second. For an amateur drone, the picture quality is very good. It will stream video straight to your mobile, making FPV possible.
The Wi-Fi range is around 100 yards. The camera’s biggest drawback is some black streaks that show on screen when it is used to film on windy weather.
Transmitter
The transmitter with a speed of 2.4 GHz is very big, although it has efficiency of managing and a basic design. The buttons appear to be clearly visible and well-placed. It contains buttons that allows auto takeoff as well as auto land, speed settings, video, and trim, in addition to the usual two joysticks.
It comes with a built-in case to hold your phone that can fit any phone device. When the auto land feature is turned on, there are warnings for being out of control and a sound alarm.
Unfortunately, there is no alarm for low battery; as such you’ll have to watch for the drone all the time. When the battery is low, the LED lights blink quickly.
Battery
The drone comes with a battery made of lithium ion, of 800 mAh speed with a voltage of 3.7V. It might not seem like much, but it’s enough to hold a lightweight drone such as this in the air lasting for about 10 minutes.
Bear in mind, with more stunts the battery keeps draining and that using them with a half charged battery is not recommended. It takes up to 50 minutes to completely recharge the battery.
One Button for Taking off or Landing
Good features, particularly for beginners, who make up the majority of the target market for this design. At the click of a button, you can fly or land your drone.
Speed Control
There are three speed levels on this drone. That should satisfy both beginners and experienced users, as well as provide some extra power for a day with harsh weather.
FPV Control
Streaming live video using the drone allows you to see what the drone views in clear text. You can truly experience what it’s like to be a pilot.
Emergency Alarms
When the drone is out of control, the emergency stop switch or the auto land button is activated, and an alarm goes off.
Stunts
At the click of a button, the drone will do a 360-degree flip.
Flying Experience
Since the drone is small in comparison to its height, it is much more resistant to wind. During a windy day, even with 6 gyro axes that help balance it, the drone can still rock. I n this case, a speed setting with higher mps is recommended to help balance the rotors that have extra power.
Aside from all this, the drone is adaptable and fast, performs as intended, and has no unexpected surprises.
PROS
- Larger Size: The dimension of 21X14X4 inches makes the drone suitable for outdoor filming
- Transmitter: The big adjustable transmitter has a mobile stand with Wi-Fi antennas built in, as well as all of the needed switches and buttons that allow you to connect multiple devices
- HD Camera: The 720p camera delivers adequate results
- FPV Mode: The feature of video streaming allows a First person view mode
- Headless Mode: This mode makes it easier for the newbies to fly the drone without losing control
- Adjustable Speed: There are three speed levels to choose from, ensuring that anyone will find one that fits them
- Additional: Comes with 6 gyro axes for maintaining proper orientation
- Price: The cost in comparison to what this drone has to offer is very reasonable
CONS
- Weight: Since the drone is so light in comparison to the ground, it is often disturbed by wind
How Video Drones Have Evolved
The best video drones have evolved into something more than simplistic toys over time. Since they can cover areas and film from different angles that traditional cameras can’t, they’re now extensively used by both professional and amateur photographers.
Previously, photographers had to get the help of a helicopter, or a crane or a small plane to capture photos and videos from an aerial view. Now video drones have made it possible to make videos or click pictures of landscapes or buildings from above without having to go through the hassle of hiring a helicopter.
The first model of a drone was released a decade ago and the best models have come a long way since the first ready to fly prototype. Every drone contains a camera mounted on an electric gripper or hinge that compensates for the propeller’s vibration.
For photographers, the size of the sensor is still a concern, but you have multiple options to pick from according to your needs.
Collision avoidance, target detection, and automated short shots have all become standard features of a good drone, thanks to Tesla-like artificial intelligence. The Skydio 2 claims to be the most sophisticated among them all, with cameras of 45 megapixels, dedicated towards its artificial intelligence, but it’s still almost rare to find in stores.
There are some drones which lack a complete range of intelligent flying capabilities, even if they are equipped with sensors for a safe landing. Know that not every drone is capable of seeing obstacles across all directions, even though they can fly in any way.
Nonetheless, in order to receive the criteria of the best drone, they must have hardware that allows them to float in place, so that photographers can think about using them as a tripod with no stand rather than heading to pilot training.
Drones were never as available or inexpensive as they are today, so now would be an excellent time to buy one. Drones have practically soared off in recent years, thanks to rapidly evolving sensors, gimbals, longer battery life, and automatic flying modes.
Videos and photos that used to require specialized skilled gear can now be captured for the value of a mirror less camera or a DSLR. But this aerial device has not really been without controversy. You might have recently come across some heavy coverage of DJI, world’s largest drone manufacturer, and its strained alliance with the United States government.
This decision by the US government to put DJI on the ‘Entity List’ has caused a lot of uncertainty among drone users, but we’ve broken down what this decision exactly means below.
Aside from brands, you also have to make an important decision on what type of drone to purchase. There are several different kinds of standalone cameras, each with its own set of advantages and disadvantages.
Drones that are lighter will also get around registration requirements, allowing you more flexibility to fly, but they might be more difficult to manage in windy conditions.
Heavier drones, on the other hand, will have greater reliability along with extensive shooting abilities that comes with a higher price. With the DJI FPV, we’ve already seen FPV drones break into the mainstream.
What to Look for in a Good Video Drone
Battery Life
A drone, similar to a smartphone, will gradually lose power, and even the best ones fail to fly for more than 30 minutes between charges. You should still bring extra batteries, and make sure the cost of extra batteries is included with the overall price.
Brushless Motor
When looking through a listing, you might come across this new term. Brushless motors are more expensive than brushed motors, but they are quieter and have a higher durability, so you won’t need to repair them frequently.
Camera
Camera specs can be a major concern if you are looking for the best-quality videos available, so aim for a good video resolution. Many normal sized models are equipped with an incorporated camera, with the exception of toy drones, but some encourage you to mount your own.
Headless Mode
Since learning to fly drones can be difficult, some versions have a headless mode for beginners. It implies that if you turn the joystick in one direction, the drone will follow that direction rather than which way the joystick remains pointed.
Integrated GPS
Drones with embedded GPS, that tells the devices where they are positioned in the globe, are available only with premium versions. RTH (Return-to-home) is a feature that lets your drone make its way back with this update.
An embedded GPS also increases the drone’s relative performance and navigational abilities, allowing a large number of them to fly over one area.
Obstacle Avoidance
Obstacle avoidance is a premium feature on certain drones that will cost you some extra money, but it could be the one feature keeping the drone from colliding with a tree.
Range
The range of a drone indicates how far it will fly away from you before losing control. Professional drones are more expensive and have longer ranges, allowing them to fly outside the confines of your apartment or backyard.
That being said, regardless of how far the drone can go, keep in mind the FAA regulations require you to keep an eye on it at all times to prevent it from causing damage to buildings, wildlife, or even humans.
Let’s take a look at what features the Sharper Image DX3 Video Drone come with and how it will make your aerial photography sessions easier.
Bottom Line
The Sharper Image DX3 is a fantastic drone for beginners. If you’re not certain if drones are for you and wouldn’t want to waste so much money on a test, this will be the best option for you. It comes with all the capabilities of bigger, more costly drone at a fraction of the cost. It can lag behind other drones on some aspects, but not when it comes to having fun with it.
