The Hubsan Zino Mini Pro was one of the most popular and expected drones of 2021. The major reason people love this drone is that it’s under 500 USD and is much smaller and versatile than many other drones on the market. It’s Hubsan’s smallest and lightest drone that can also be folded and packed to go anywhere with you.
Being in a unique price class and weight, the Hubsan Zino Mini Pro gives their drone an extra edge you can’t find in other price categories. Since the drone is extra light, many people choose to travel with it. In this article, we will cover more of why this mini drone is perfect for many people. I will also do an in-depth review and discuss some alternatives.
Hubsan Zino Mini Pro Overview
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Hubsan is considered to be the one of the leading provider of flight control and digital aerial photography. Hubsan is well known in the drone business and has many leading products that are sought after worldwide. You can also find drones in all different price categories depending on your budget and how much you want to invest in the drone.
I really learned how to fly on a Hubsan drone myself. Below is the one I use and currently have two of now.
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The Hubsan Zino Mini Pro stands out in its market because of its small size and foldable design. It also has motors and propellers that give level wind resistance.
While we will go more in-depth in the article, here are the main pros and cons so you can take a quick glance and determine if this drone might be right for you:
- Only weighs 152 grams without the battery
- Only a little larger than a smartphone
- Comes with a nice shoulder bag to keep everything organized
- The battery has 2.5 hours of working time
- Easy to control and stable
- USB randomly disconnects sometimes
- The active track doesn’t always work when using the app
- Hyperlapse often fails in the app
- Lower rating for the user experience than some other drones by the same company
Features and Benefits of Hubsan Zino Mini Pro
Along with the lightweight and small folded arms to make this drone one of the smallest on the market, there are also many other features and benefits to keep in mind. There are two obstacle avoidance sensors on the front and two on the back making it a great drone to fly through crowded places or through places such as a forest.
The plastic cover on the aluminum heatsink also protects your electronics from burning and makes this a great option to use in hot weather. The strong bottom LED light is also perfect for flying at night. Even in poorly lit fields, you will be able to land it carefully and perfectly.
With the battery life indicator right on the drone, you don’t have to take the battery out of the drone to see the life left which is extremely convenient and very different from most other drones.
Transmitter and Range
The display on this drone gives you all the information you need to track your drone position when flying as well as the speed, altitude, battery level, and GPS tracking. The transmitter also has easy-to-use buttons including Flight Mode and Power buttons. This allows you to adjust the angle tilt of the camera and give you a simple layout to see all the drone’s controls.
With instant access to all the necessary controls, this drone is an excellent choice for beginners and those who have never flown a drone before.
Camera, Gimbal and Image Quality
This drone has high memory storage with 64/128 GB. You can transfer the files to a USB and onto a computer so this drone is perfect for people who want all their videos and files in one place and they can easily get it off the drone.
With a 1/1/3 CMOS image sensor and a 48MP photo resolution, you get excellent photo quality and videos even though this drone is on the smaller and cheaper end of the scale when it comes to drones.
If you want to be able to zoom in on certain areas or people, this is also a great drone as it has 6x magnification.
Battery Life
You get 40 minutes of battery time with this drone which is a bit more than some of the drones you will find within this price range. However, this flying time is only on days when it’s not windy and the drone doesn’t have to work hard to stay in the air.
Depending on the weather conditions though, you might find that you only get about 30 minutes of flying time which is a bit less than what the company advertises.
You can also achieve 37 hovering times on windless days, meaning you can hover the drone an average of 37 times without recharging if there is no wind.
Social Proof
I spent hours scouring the internet for the best drones that were lightweight and had a decent price. This always came to the top of the list and was continuously rated as one of the best drones on the market. If you are a photographer or traveling videographer, this is one of the best choices out there for you.
Other Versions of Zino Mini
There are two other versions of this drone. The Zino Mini and Zino Mini SE both have similar features to the Zino Mini Pro. Click below for more details on each.
Other Versions of Hubsan Zino Mini Pro include the Zino Mini and the Zino Mini SE
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Things to Consider Before Buying a Drone
Drones are expensive pieces of technology, so you want to make sure you are picking the right one before you hand over hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Drones have not been commercially available for a long time, but they have continuously become more and more popular with consumers. Drones are different than airplanes and toy helicopters because they give users a unique experience that can’t be beaten.
The main reason you might want to get a drone is for aerial images and videos. If you just want something to fly around for fun, you don’t need to invest money in a drone. You can get a toy airplane or something similar. Here are some helicopter drones that are affordable and ideal to just fly around. Drones are for people that want to fly a piece of equipment while also being able to capture photos and videos.
You don’t have to be a videographer to get a drone, but it might make more sense for you to have one so you can capture stunning shots and footage of things you want to film. They are especially good for documentaries, capturing wildlife, filming events like wedding, sports and even the roof of a home. The good news is that since they are becoming more popular, they are also more affordable.
Drones also have different legal requirements than regular helicopters and airplanes, so you need to make sure about your legal guidelines before buying one. Some countries also don’t allow drones in through the airport. If you plan to travel with a drone to foreign countries, you need to first check the requirements from the government or immigration. Nothing is worse than getting to your vacation and having the drone taken away at the airport. While drones are amazing for traveling, always double-check the exact requirements before leaving your house.
Alternatives to Hubsan Zino Mini Pro
If you aren’t set on the Hubsan Zino Mini Pro, there are still many alternatives on the market you can look into until you find the perfect drone for you and your needs. Drones in the same price range and size include:
DJI Mini 2
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This has a much better battery life than the Zino Mini, so it might be a better choice for those who travel often and not have a source to charge the battery for a few days. It also comes with 4k video and an excellent robust wireless connection. With a GPS and stronger motors than many drones, you are sure to have a drone that is reliable.
Active tracker and Hyperlapse are not included and there are no color profiles for JPGs and video.
Parrott Anafi
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This is also a small folding drone perfect for travel. The USB is much more convenient and secure on this model. You also get 4k video with HDR, 3 times digital zoom lens, and a large battery for 25-minute flights.
The drawbacks to this drone include the absence of obstacle protection, and you have to have a smartphone to operate it.
DJI Mavic Air 2
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The DJI Mavic Air 2 is one of the best drones for less than $1,000. It is quite a bit more than the other drones on this list, but the extra price is worth it because of all the added features you get. It has the best battery life of all the drones listed, HDR video and raw imaging.
The major cons are that it’s remote omits the EV control wheel and the app-based editing really hinders you because it is limited to 1080p output.
Overall About the Hubsan Zino Mini Pro
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Overall, this drone gets a 3.9-star review. Although it’s an amazing beginner drone with superior flying machinery and very sophisticated features, it’s still lacking in some areas that can’t give it a 4- or 5-star review. With super stable hovering and YouTube live streaming, beginners will have everything they need to get started with drone flying. Advanced users might find that the video quality could be better and the random RC USB disconnections are too much to handle.
Hal Simmons
When I first started flying drones I was always afraid of damaging my drone. I would always be thinking what if. I questioned myself often and as a result it made me question various aspects of flying drones. In the process I learned a lot. This is why I feel I have a lot of information that will be helpful to beginners and intermediate drone enthusiasts. Of course I still have a lot to learn so join me on this journey and I am sure you will enjoy the adventure ahead of us.Get daily lessons that start with how to choose a drone.