Holy Stone is not a new name in the market. Over the time that they have been making drones, they have made quite a name for themselves. If you have been following them, you must have come across the stunning HS181, or the HS110. Even if you haven’t, well, should you buy the HS120D, you will be in for a great run. And you will have great value for every dime that you spend on it. On the Holy Stone website, the HS120D is classified under medium-sized drones. Actually, it is the first one of the medium-sized drones.
Holy Stone HS120D Features & Technical Details
Build and design
First, this is a lightweight drone, despite the medium size, so you do not need to register it with the FAA. Just unpack the drone, lock on the propellers and start flying the drone. At 224 g, you can see that you can carry this drone with you when traveling. What is an extra 224 g in your hiking or biking backpack? You also do not need to register the drone with the FAA. As for size, this one measures 10.6 by 10.6 by 4.7 inches. High quality plastic casing, high quality brushed motors make this drone a good investment for you.
You should get 4 spare propellers, 2 pieces landing gear, a USB charging cable and user manual. Of course, the drone will be in the package, USB charging cable and even a screwdriver.
Camera
You will be able to capture good quality videos and photographs with the 1080P full HD camera. The camera also has a wide field of view at 120 degrees and 75 degrees of adjustability makes this a nice camera. You may tilt the camera from the remote so that you can capture different views.
You can store you videos and photos in the SD card. It is sold with one, so make sure it is inside the package. You may also download the app for this drone and use the FPV feature, where you can watch the videos in real-time.
GPS
GPS has become quite the standard feature with all drones and the Holy Stone HS120D is not any different. When you sync the GPS, you can be ready to fly the drone without any worries regarding safety. Flying a drone without GPS is risky because it can fly away even without strong winds. Thanks to the GPS, the HS120D will return home automatically when it loses Wi-Fi or controller signal, or when the battery starts to run low. By flying home, we mean that it returns to the place that it was launched from.
Battery and flight time
This drone uses a 1200mAh capacity battery. It is able to do 16 minutes of flight time on a full battery and the weather is calm. Many people say that it is not easy to buy a spare battery, but you can always check with the manufacturer. The charging time is not too bad either, compared with other drones in this price range. Battery can take a maximum of 120 minutes, give or take a little, usually depending on the charging power.
The transmitter control range is 300 meters.
Useful beginner features
This drone is good for beginners as well as advanced users. Some of the beginner features that you will look forward to using on this drone include headless mode. Just punch it and the drone flies, without you having to figure out where the nose is facing.
One key launch and landing is also very helpful for beginners. Just hit the button for this function on the controller or the app and the drone either takes off or starts the landing procedures immediately.
The altitude hold feature takes the drone to hover mode. You can take selfies and videos easily. At the same time, altitude hold mode helps beginners fly the drone at a preset height.
Tap Fly and Follow Me Mode
The Tap Fly feature allows you to “draw” the flight path of the drone from one point to another and when you launch the drone, it follows that path.
Follow Me Mode enables you to fly the drone in hands-free mode. On this mode, the drone follows the person holding the phone or the controller.
Controller
It is medium-sized, works very well and is easy to use because it has all the function buttons indicated. Of course, you can always refer to the manual to see how you can use the controller. It has a smartphone holder, and it is foldable for portability.
Short Summary of Feedback From Existing Owners
I love Holy Stone drones because of their looks and the way they work. I own the HS110 and now the HS120D. Both of them are awesome specimen and they serve me very well. Axel J.
The flight time is quite sufficient and the video and photo quality is quite good. I find the app quite responsive as well. I would buy the Holy Stone HS120D over again. Ethan Y.
The only problem I have with this drone is that there does not seem to be spare batteries available. However, I will keep looking. Hopefully, they will be available soon. Wyatt B.
This drone is fast, I love the flight time and the usability. It is my first drone, but after studying the user manual, I was able to fly it without hitches the very first time. Ashley H.
It is hard not to like this drone with its speed and advanced features. I would love to have this drone for keeps. Theodore P.
I started with a Holy Stone mini drone, then upgraded to the HS110 and now I am on the HS120D. I am officially a HS fan and I will still buy their more advanced products in future. Amelia G.
I wish this drone came with brushless motors but I will be content with what it offers. I love its speed and the features. This drone is good for anyone. Charl K.
If you are a beginner, I would recommend you buy this drone so that you do not have to upgrade in future. This is a good drone for keeps. Pitts M.
Pros of Holy Stone HS120D
- Easy to use
- Long flight time at 16 minutes
- Good camera – takes high quality videos and photos
- Auto-return feature for low battery and signal loss
- No assemblage required
- Camera tilt angle is adjustable from the controller
- Stable flight
- Sold with a SD card for storage
- Has LED lights for night flights
Cons of Holy Stone HS120D
- Not easy to get a spare battery
- GPS calibration can be a problem for beginners
Who Should Buy The Holy Stone HS120D?
Anyone that loves a high quality drone at an affordable price from Holy Stone can buy the Holy Stone HS120D. It has many features such as the altitude hold, one key landing and takeoff and auto return feature. The flight time is quite good as many drones in this price range come with half the flight time of the HS120D. The camera quality is nice at 1080P Full HD. You will take nice photos and videos.
Conclusion and Recommendation
Before you start enjoying the features that this drone comes with, read the user manual keenly. This will help a lot especially when it comes to the calibration of the GPS, which you have to do after every flight. Apart from that, there is really no other recommendation for this drone. The Holy Stone HS120D is a nice drone by all considerations.