Drone photography is an exploding market, and with good reason — an aerial perspective opens opportunities in nearly every field of photography. Despite the amazing potential of drone photography, though, it is surprisingly hard to find a kit that works well for high-quality stills. Drones built for larger mirrorless cameras or DSLRs are often unreasonably expensive and frustratingly large, forcing many photographers to compromise on image quality. With this problem in mind, 3D Robotics designed the X8+ drone, a customizable and affordable platform that is capable of carrying a large-sensor camera with ease.
Note that this review is geared towards photographers, but most of my comments apply to cinematography as well. The X8+ is a versatile tool, and it can be used for a wide array of applications (surveying, pre-planned flights, and so on).
Table of Contents
1) Specifications
- Payload capacity: 800g (once battery is already attached), up to 1kg or more with reduced flight time
- Flight time: 15 minutes (maximum)
- Motors: eight SunnySky V2216-12 KV800 II motors
- Propellor size: 11 inches (28cm)
- Battery: included 4s10000 battery, 803 grams
- Flight control system: Pixhawk autopilot v2.4.5 system
- Radio frequencies: 915MHz (United States) or 433MHz (Europe) are available
- Weight: 5.6 pounds (2.6kg)
- Dimensions (LxWxH): 25x24x8.2 inches (63.5x61x21 centimeters)
2) Construction
The X8+ is fairly well-constructed, with strong aluminum arms and body. It took a beating on my recent trip to Iceland, enduring rough roads and river crossings without issue.
In humid conditions, though, the X8+ works poorly. Both times that I used it in moderate humidity (60% or more), the drone has been unable to fly more than about fifty feet in the air — a situation which does not inspire confidence.
Wind is even worse. Most drones, of course, work better in calm conditions, so this is not necessarily specific to the X8+. However, in winds more than 10 mph (5 m/s), the X8+ clearly struggles — any more than that would be too strong to fly.
On the bright side, the X8+ has been fairly easy to fix whenever I need to repair it. I twice lost important screws (through my own fault), but the design of the drone is intuitive enough that I know how to fix it again.
3) Battery Life
The battery life of most drones is poor, and the X8+ is no exception. 3D Robotics claims a maximum expected flight time of 15 minutes, but I have never gotten more than ten (and even then in ideal conditions). Granted, I have been carrying a payload of about 1.5 pounds (700g), which inherently reduces battery life.
I have been using a monster battery with the drone, too — four cells and 10,000 mAh. For non-drone folks, that’s enough capacity to charge an iPhone 6 more than five times.
I have three of these batteries and two chargers, so I’m able to keep the drone flying without too much down time. The batteries take about an hour and a half to charge.
4) Convenience
The X8+ is a moderately-sized drone — definitely not one of the largest available, but certainly not a toy. It’s right on the edge of fitting into carry-on luggage, but that’s without any padding whatsoever (and even then it doesn’t quite fit in most carry-on bags).
If it were about an inch smaller in every direction, or if the legs folded more easily, I would be thrilled. Unfortunately, it’s just at that inconvenient size that you will probably need a special case, rather than folding it and wrapping it in bubble wrap for carry-on luggage.
Also, the X8+ is quite hard to carry in the field. There is no easy way to attach the drone to a backpack, so it is a pain to bring on longer walks to a location. I have walked about a mile with the X8+ a few times, and I am not keen to repeat the experience. I wish that the X8+ could fold and attach to a backpack, but I am struggling to see an easy way to make this work.
5) Reliability
I have had more issues than I can count while flying the X8+ drone — my estimate is that 75% of flights go wrong in some way. The drone has flipped in midair, lost its up/down power, fallen over at launch, and dozens of other issues. Some of these are my fault, and some of them are not.
I know that consumer drones are a fairly new technology, but I had hoped that the X8+ would be more reliable than it is. Perhaps all drones are like this, but my feeling is that the X8+ specifically is more prone to error than most. All its electronics are exposed, for example, which makes it more susceptible to stresses from the environment.
The X8+ has several built-in safeties, though, which help when something goes wrong. If the drone loses contact with the transmitter, for example, it will return to launch. Slightly more disconcerting is that the drone will land wherever it is if the battery is low — including over water. However, the default behavior in most situations is to return to launch, which works well most of the time.
The fact that I haven’t damaged the drone beyond repair shows that it is reliable to some degree. Every time that the X8+ looks like it is about to crash into a tree or freefall over water, it has managed to survive unscathed. So, props to 3D Robotics for building a daredevil drone with a strong sense of self-preservation.
6) Customizability
The X8+ is fairly customizable — in fact, that’s one reason I bought it. However, there are some shortcomings here as well.
On one hand, an abundance of attachment points means that the X8+ can accommodate most add-ons with ease. I have attached my camera to a few different parts of the drone (trying to find a spot with less vibration), and I have always been impressed at how easily I can make modifications.
However, it’s not all perfect.
I have spent dozens of hours trying to get a gimbal to work with the X8+, which would allow me to adjust the camera mid-flight. Although I got the gimbal to attach, I couldn’t get it to respond to my transmitter no matter what I tried. I spent far too long trying to get the gimbal to function, and I ultimately resigned myself to a hard-mount.
Thus, the main shortcoming of the X8+ is that it’s not built for photography. Instead, it’s made to be an all-purpose drone, which is great if you understand the intricacies of the RC world. Personally, though, from the perspective of a photographer, I was completely lost.
I know that this is my fault in part, but the drone itself is to blame as well. I spent an afternoon talking to several professional drone cinematographers, many of whom have worked with gimbals for years, and they were just as lost as I was. So, unless you are a dedicated RC hobbyist, the X8+ is far from intuitive.
7) Value
The X8+ is a very economical solution for drone photography.
Coming in at $1350, it is one of the least expensive solutions on the market that is capable of carrying a mirrorless camera without too much trouble. Despite the shortcomings, there is no denying that the X8+ gets the job done for a very good price.
Of course, add-ons make the drone much more expensive — a camera, an HDMI transmitter, a gimbal — but the base price is more than fair. Although it is easy to see why people would pay more for a different drone, I believe that the X8+ is worth the asking price for what it offers.
Drone photography opens up entirely new perspectives, and it makes it possible to take images that no one has seen before. If you are willing to put up with some inconveniences, the X8+ is a wonderful way to enter this new realm of high-quality drone photography without spending five figures on a kit.
3D Robotics X8+ Drone
- Features
- Build Quality
- Value
- Size and Weight
- Ease of Use
- Performance
- Reliability
Photography Life Overall Rating
“I have been using a monster battery with the drone, too — four cells and 10,000 mAh. For non-drone folks, that’s enough capacity to charge an iPhone 6 more than five times”
I think the iphone battery is 3.82v, not 14.4 volt.
It should be the same as about 22 iPhone6 batteries.
Hi Morten,
The iPhone 6 battery has a 1810 mAh capacity, while the drone batteries are 10,000 mAh each. 10,000 / 1810 = 5.52, which is why I said that it can charge the iPhone 6 more than five times. Am I missing something? I certainly am not an expert in electronics, and I would be happy to change the article if there truly is a mistake.
I will add a quote, too, from the following site: www.hawaiielectriclight.com/commu…-smartkids
“Amperage (amps for short) is a measure of the AMOUNT of electricity used. Voltage (volts) measures the pressure, or FORCE, of electricity.”
Spencer
1: Never, ever, buy a $1300 UAV as your first! Get a $50 to $125 “drone” to practice with, and crash it alot. Most are very durable and easily repairable. 2: Never hard mount a camera! Buy a quad with a gimbal for a gopro like the 3DR Iris. We use this for great real estate pics. I have a Hexacopter that caries a GH4, but its WAY to dangerous for a novice to fly!
Spencer,
Thank you writing this article, I found it to be very interesting, especially since I don’t usually see any articles on the internet specifically related to drone photography, usually it’s just exclusive to videography when I see one.
I have been very intrigued with drone photography/videography for as long as I can remember. I’m going to make the plunge and purchase one, I just don’t know what one to get. I have been looking into the dji phantom 3. Short of the “jello effect” that is present in the video, even in good light, I think it is one of the better options out there for the price. However, with that being said I would also like something modular, in the sense of having the option of mounting, say a GH4 on it, as opposed to being restricted to just the on board camera that is supplied, but I can’t do that with the dji phantom 3. As you have noted, the problem that I am having is finding a reasonably priced drone/gimbal combination that would provide me with that option because as you already know they are very expensive.
But to the point of your article I would just like to comment you on the images you have shared, they are absolutely excellent in every way! Thanks for sharing, I will be looking forward to more articles from you on drone related photography.
I made the plunge when the Phantom 3 came out and I’ve been extremely happy with it form a fun and functional standpoint. Video is also great and I have never experience the “jello” affect. The gimbal is amazing considering the price point. From a still photo standpoint, it’s definitely border-line. Given the right light you can get some cool stuff and its even better if you correct the distortion. It’s still no where near what someone coming from the dSLR would would want though.
Jermiah,
Thanks for the reply. Thats good that you are happy with your Phantom 3, I’m still seriously considering getting one. When I mentioned the “jello effect” I was viewing the footage in 4K on my 27 inch iMac 5K display, from a friends Phantom 3. It wasn’t bad by any means but it was present, especially in the longer shots.
Interestingly enough we conducted a test with his Phantom, it seemed that the poorer the lighting conditions the less the jello effect was present in the video. I have done a little research lately since my first response to this post and it seems that some of these machines experience this problem while others do not. So with that being said, I’m not sure if it is an issue with dialing down the proper settings, or if some of these drones actually have defects (meaning the ones that seem to be experiencing it rather badly).
Either way I think the footage looks stunning for such a small sensor, especially when viewed on the 4K model. it’s definitely still on my list and very tempting.
Thanks for the reply.
Thank you for your kind comment, Jason! I am hoping to write more articles specific to drone photography, especially as the market expands.
The Phantom 3 looks very good for video, and I would imagine you can get some cool stills with it as well. Just having an aerial perspective is so unique that image quality isn’t as important as for traditional stills.
That said, I’d imagine that several products will come out over the next few years that cater to drone photographers.
~Spencer
Spencer,
Thanks for the reply. I’m glad to hear that you are planning future drone articles, as I said this is a huge interest to me, and as you said it offers an unparalleled perspective when shooting.
I do have some what of an unrelated question. I was browsing through your Iceland shots and they are terrific. While you were there did you use any graduated neutral density filters? I’m looking at buying another graduated ND kit (just had a B+W kit, D750, Nikon 16-35 stolen on a trip while in Oregon in June) and was looking for some recommendations is why I ask. I was very happy with my B+W kit, but I’m open to other options as well.
Thanks
I’m sorry to hear that your kit was stolen. In terms of recommendations, I only have much experience with the Lee filter system. In Iceland, I used the .75 soft rectangular grad from Lee for many shots, although the only image from my Iceland post to use a grad filter was the horse photo. Even then, this image took a tremendous amount of work in post-processing to make the scene look natural.
Was your B+W kit a rectangular or screw-in filter?
Thanks for the detailed information and your Iceland drone images are remarkable! I think the upside for drone photography is huge but good info is very, very hard to come by.
Clearly there are huge limitations right now too, which you address (price, reliability, camera/gimbal options, flight time, “carry-ability both on a plane and on a hike….). It would be really helpful to hear what other alternatives are out there and, particularly, to see when and if someone is going to step up and focus on a drone dedicated more to photography needs than tailored to GoPro’s attempt to rule the world.
It may not be practical for you to buy 5-10 more drones [ :) ]…. but more info would be terrific. I think a lot of us would like to find a flying tripod that is a simple tool to use as a means to an end. Thanks for starting to open up a window on this emerging field. Ben
Thank you, Benji!
I’d imagine that we will start to see more options for mirrorless cameras or even lighter DSLRs, but we’ll probably have to wait another 3-5 years. Who knows how the regulations will look by then, too — I’m optimistic, but it’s impossible to know.
I would love a drone that can fold and attach to a backpack, especially one that’s easy to use with a gimbal.
It is indeed difficult to get drones to review, since it’s not the type of product that you can return easily after testing! However, I do hope to cover more drones in the future. DJI is the main player in the market right now, but only their most expensive drones work for large-sensor cameras — and at that point, they’re too big to carry easily.
~Spencer