[Review] Holy Stone HS700 | Is it better than MJX ?

Holy Stone has been a steady player in the drone industry for quite some time now. They started out with miniature drones aimed primarily at children but moved their way up the food chain since then. HS170 Predator, their most notable mini-drone, received quite a lot of praise in its time. There were few iterations afterward but none managed to create enough fuss. But then, they surprised everyone with HS100 – their first ever mid-range model. With impressive build quality, GPS, return to home and an interesting motorized camera, Holy Stone HS100 was a massive success.

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Driven by such good sales and customer feedback, Holy Stone staff rolled up their sleeves and went to the drawing board. Now, they are presenting us with a brand new model – the best one yet, may I add… It goes by the name Holy Stone HS700 and brings several new features to the table… as well as improved specifications.

 

Holy Stone HS700 Review | Tech Specs

Flight time : Up to 20 minutes

Flight range : up to 400 meters

Camera : 1080p FHD Camera

Advanced Features : GPS, Follow Me,

Battery : 2800mAh LiPo 

Transmitter : A dedicated physical transmitter

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We’re talking about a smart drone here

holy-stone-hs700-smart-drone_webAfter experimenting (and doing a great job, if I may add) with miniature, toy-grade drones, Holy Stone decided to take a bold step and invest time and money into more advanced UAVs.

First off, they released HS100 which was an absolute hit in every meaning of that word. At the time of writing this Holy Stone HS700 review, its little brother, HS100, has close to 1200 unique reviews on Amazon. And the average rating is 4.5 stars – I believe that speaks enough about the quality.

Now, after such a huge success, Holy Stone is proud to present their newest endeavor – HS700. It looks somewhat similar to the old champ 3DR Solo but with a couple of twists here and there.

As for the actual features, HS700 just like HS100, has an onboard GPS module. It enables smart features including follow me, circle around me, return to home and TapFly. All features are pretty precise plus the GPS locks in around 19 to 22 satellites in less than a minute from bootup.

Calibration is pretty easy to deal with too with clear and simple instructions. Furthermore, there are 3 types of return to home with HS700, similarly to MJX models such as the highly popular MJX Bugs 2W. They are as follows – Low Battery RTH, Signal loss RTH and Manual RTH. Altitude Hold is present as well, but I guess that’s logical considering the presence of GPS.

 

The camera could be better

holy-stone-hs700-camera_webIf there is one thing we could change with Holy Stone Hs700 Ophelia, it would definitely be its camera. Perhaps switch it out for a GoPro Hero 3 or maybe even a newer model. The bracket supports GoPro Hero 2 3 and 4 so there should be no issues as far as mounting is concerned. This would, needless to say, do it a world of good as far as image quality is concerned.

How come? Well – the stock camera won’t really impress you with its sharpness. Plus, it has that weird fisheye effect due to the fact its lens has 110 degrees field of view. It can shoot videos in Full HD, but they are pretty shaky due to the obvious lack of motorized gimbal.

The camera is mounted in a small bracket which does have basic anti-vibration dampening, but nothing that will smoothen out your aerial footage. Luckily, if you aren’t impressed with the camera, you can always switch it out for a better one. Anything with proper onboard image stabilization will work wonders with Holy Stone HS700 Ophelia. You will notice the difference at the very first glance – much sharper footage with smoothened transitions and great general quality.

 

Good choice of brushless motors

Let’s start off by stating the official names of the motors that HS700 comes equipped with. We are talking about 2204 1500Kv brushless motors, first ever for Holy Stone. It’s true – this is their first brushless model and, mind you, there’s a huge difference between brushless and their brushed counterparts. First of all – endurance. Brushless motors can withstand a lot more mileage before they give out and stop working. This is simply because they don’t possess a brush that tends to wear out with time and use.

Furthermore, we are talking about high-quality brushless motors too. 2204 1500Kv poised with a mere 7.4v battery might not sound like much at first, but once you see this little bugger in action you’ll immediately change your mind. This thing is powerful – and that’s awesome to see since it’s a pretty big drone. You can get high-speed aerial footage with it, and at the end of the day, that’s what a drone is all about for some people!

 

Decent battery for the price

If you were expecting a monstrous battery with this one, I am sad to inform you that it’s not. However, it’s not a trash battery either – it’s a golden middle if you ask me.

A solid 2800mAh LiPo that guarantees extended longevity and good power efficiency. For those of you who are more interested in the flight time of this beauty, I hope you weren’t thinking of reaching the numbers of premium models.

With drones such as HS700, you really have to adjust your expectations to match the price tag… And we all know HS700 is quite the bargain. With that being said, it’s specifications offer great value for money.

Battery duration tends to get close to 20 minutes which is, mind you, roughly what you can expect from DJI Mavic Air. Now go ahead and compare the prices and you will understand what I’m talking about here!

 

Holy Stone HS700 | Conclusion

That’s about it, guys! We have to bring Holy Stone HS700 review to a close since there’s nothing more to be said about it. It’s a good drone, no doubt about it. A combination of brilliant built quality, decent camera and a solid set of features makes it a force to be reckoned with in the mid-range market.

It just came out and we’ve heard there is already a huge buzz for it. Sales have skyrocketed this week so I wouldn’t be surprised if it sells out in the next few days. This all means Holy Stone took another step in the right direction… with another splendid drone to their name. Good work Holy Stone, you’ve done well !

Anthony Turner