If you are looking for a camera drone that can capture videos and photos in crystal-clear quality, get the SNAPTAIN SP510 drone. It comes with a 2.7K camera. If you are looking for a good aerial camera for your personal and family use, this drone meets that need. Primarily, this is a beginner GPS drone with incredible performance. However, there is a small catch if we can call it that. It has brushed motors, which we feel do not make this a very fair deal. For the price it is sold at, brushless motors should have been added to the mix. But it is what it is.
SNAPTAIN SP510 Features & Technical Details
Any drone, whether beginner or advanced is as good as the features that it comes with. Here are the features and flight functions of the SP510:
Design and Build quality
The look is awesome. You have to give it that. It is boxy and square, which makes the drone look unique.
This is a foldable drone, easy to carry and the good thing is that when it folds, it does so with everything intact. You do not have to remove the propellers or anything. Therefore, when you get to your destination, you just unfold it and launch it.
Folded, the drone measures 5.7 by 3.5 by 2.4 inches. Unfolded, it measures 13.8 by 12.4 by 3.4 inches. The weight of the drone is 273g, which as you can see is quite manageable when you have to pack it for traveling. The fuselage of this drone is made of high quality ABS plastic. This is good for protection and the drone will not rip apart with a single crash.
This is a brushed motor drone. Many enthusiasts feel that it should have come with brushless motors, which consume less power, are quieter and last longer.
Chargeable Remote Controller
As is common with other drones, you will get a 2.4GHz remote controller with this drone. However, it does not use AA or AAA batteries as we are used to in many other drones. It is has a rechargable built-in battery.
The remote controller is compact, solid and well built. It is has a smartphoine holder on the top and extandable arms give you a bigger holding area. The buttons are well labeled and responsive, as are the joysticks.
The maximum controller transmission distance is 1600 feet. You will hardly fly it to the entire flight range, but bigger is always better than shorter.
Something to note – The antennas on the remote control are fake. They are there for aesthetics alone.
2.7K HD Motorized Camera with 1000 feet FPV Transmission Distance
Unlike the VISUO XS816 drone that claims to have a 4K camera but has a 720P camera in reality, the SNAPTAIN SP510 drone has a true 2.7K camera. This camera captures photos and videos in vivid details and great clarity.
The camera is adjustable in a range of 90 degrees. This means you can adjust your focus so that you can get better FPV transmission. You can also adjust the viewing angle on the remote controller, without having to bring the drone back home.
Because this is a motorized camera, when the drone slants, the camera maintains a straight horizontal orientation. You can also move it along a short rail.
You get a good FPV distance of 1000 meters with zero to minimal latency in video transmission. The drone transmits videos and photos to your smartphone over 5G WiFi.
SD Card Storage
The drone has an SD card slot that can support up to 128GB SD card. When you capture your video and photo footage, you can store it in your phone and in the SD card. However, you will realize that the footage in the SD card is of higher quality than the phone one.
Battery flight time and charging time
You will notice a unique thing with the battery of the SP510 drone. The drone’s on/off button is on the battery. This modular battery installs on top of the drone rather than inside it. You will remove the battery to charge it, so you can use a spare battery while one charges. The battery has a 1500mAh capacity and it can give you 16 minutes of flight time.
Please note that the charging time is a bit long since it is almost 3 hours. If you would like to fly your drone for at least 30 minutes, get a spare battery.
Flight functions
SNAPTAIN is known for packing their drones with tens of flight functions and the SP510 is not any different. It comes with many automated functions that make it easy to fly for beginners. Advanced users will also find it exciting.
Here are some of the functions:
GPS-Assist
With GPS, this drone is going to remember the home point – the place that it was launched from. This is what enables the auto return home function to work. When the battery runs low or the drone loses contact with the remote controller, it turns and comes back home.
The drone also gives you important flight data thanks to GPS. You will see the height, the flight distance of the drone as well as the speed.
Follow Me Mode
This is another function to enjoy courtesy of GPS. When you engage the follow me mode, the drone will follow you at a respectable distance. It will increase speed when you increase yours and vice versa. This is a nice way to take photos and videos hands-free.
Point of Interest
Designate a point of interest and when you launch a drone, it will fly around that. Choose an interesting point so that the drone can capture good video and photo footage. You will get videos and photos from all angles.
Way Point Mode
On the map (on the app), choose several locations or spots over which you would like the drone to fly. Choose the interesting points with nice scenery because the drone will take photo and video footage, so you had better make it as visually appealing as possible. When you launch the drone, it will follow the route that you have set leaving your hands free.
Smart geofence
With this function, you can set the range within which the drone is going to fly. This feature is very helpful for beginners because it prevents the drone from flying too far away.
Headless mode
Engage the headless mode so that the drone realigns itself to face the right direction in regard to the position of the pilot. It is a helpful beginner feature.
One key take off and landing
It takes just one button to get this drone to fly or land. When you press this button to launch the drone, it will take off and hover at a respectable height awaiting the next move.
Short Summary of Feedback from Existing Owners
I am pleased with this drone and the only thing that I need to do is fly it longer. That is why I am looking for a second battery. Luigi L.
As an amateur photographer, I know good footage when I see it. While the footage that the SP510’s 2.7K camera takes is not professional, it comes really close. Will J.
I couldn’t be more pleased with a drone as I am with this one. It meets my beginner pilot needs and I am glad because I won’t have to upgrade to a bigger one any time soon. Sean H.
The only downside I can say about this drone is that it flies a bit slower when using the point of interest mode. Otherwise, everything works as advertised. Ali N.
Some people say that this drone can fly in the wind but I am sure I will not try it, having lost a mini drone to the wind some time back. Aldrin B.
This is my first drone and so I am taking it easy. So far so good but I will be back to update after I get some good flight time with it. Henrie K.
SNAPTAIN SP510 Pros
- Good flight time – can go up to 17 minutes
- Many GPS-assisted functions
- Folds into a small size that is easy to slip in the pocket
- Default beginner mode which brings it back to you when you fly it to a certain distance
- The drone is easy to fly
- Three-point landing gear
- The battery is easy to change thanks to the convenient position
- Rechargeable remote controller is a good idea
SNAPTAIN SP510 Cons
- Long charging time for the battery
- The motors are not brushless
Who Should Buy The SNAPTAIN SP510 Drone?
Anyone who loves a good drone should buy the SP510 drone. However, as always, you will always find some things such as flight time are always exaggerated by a few minutes. For example, the flight time for this drone’s battery is about 15 minutes.
If you are a beginner, get this one because it is easy to learn to fly on. After you learn how to fly it, you will hardly find the need to upgrade to a bigger one. If you are an outdoor enthusiast and you want a high quality drone that you can use to capture footage of your adventures. This is a good investment for anyone.
Conclusion and Recommendation
Looking at the features and flight functions of the SNAPTAIN SP510 drone, you can tell that it is a high quality drone. There is every reason to buy it. However, before you can fly it, take note of the following recommendations:
- Set the smart geofence mode if you are a beginner – drone will not fly our of range
- Get a spare battery. It will help you enjoy flying the drone for longer
- You may watch a video or two to know how to get started flying this drone
- Fly it in open spaces and choose a day with calm weather
