Holy Stone HS100 Review – A Cheap 2K Camera Drone

Holy Stone HS100 Review

When it comes to low- budget beginner-friendly drones, Holy Stone is one of the best brands. In this review of the Holy Stone HS100 drone, you will see just why Holy Stone drones have gained in popularity in recent years. 

The Holy Stone HS100 is an old model, it was released a few years back but it comes with some cool features, some of them quite advanced, all of which makes a drone that is suitable for everyone It comes with an HD camera along with GPS and many other cool features, that will make it fun to fly this drone. 

The Holy Stone HS100 is a powerful medium-sized drone that looks a lot like the DJI Phantom range of drones minus the advanced technological features. I actually like the overall design of the drone, its made from high-grade plastic which doesn’t feel cheap and weighs just under 800g.

This weight is important to note, especially if you live in the UK, Canada or the USA, as it means you will need to register the drone even if you are just flying for recreational purposes. For most other countries there is no need for any kind of registration (if you are just flying for fun), however, please still check what the rules and regulations are wherever you live.

As you would expect from a relatively cheap drone, it comes with brushed motors which are not as efficient or powerful as brushless motors and so will require a little more maintenance to keep in optimal condition.

Underneath each rotor arm, there are some cool LED lights which colourful and make for nice spectacle if you fly in the dark, which I only advise you do if you are an experienced drone pilot. 

The camera is attached underneath the drone, it’s a decent camera especially for the price of the drone and will allow you to take some decent images and videos. 

The drone has a flight time of around 18 minutes, which is pretty good, although expect something slightly less because the official flight times tend to be over-exaggerated. Still, anything above 15 minutes is good for a beginner-friendly drone, the reason for its decent flight time is because it is powered by a 7.4v 3500 mAh LiPo battery, this is one of those modern-looking modular batteries that keeps its charge for longer, it has some LED lights on the back to indicate its power level and takes a few hours to fully recharge.

This is one of the reasons I always advise people to purchase at least one extra battery to extend the flight time instead of having to wait a few hours for the battery to recharge before you can fly again.

One of the best features of this Holy Stone HS100 is its remote controller, this is a small controller with a minimalistic design and looks a bit like the controller of the DJI Mavic.

There is a smartphone attachment that pulls out from the middle and you can attach a decent-sized smartphone but not a tablet. The controller is comfortable to hold and the buttons are easily identified so you will have no trouble figuring what they do. There is a pair of handles that pull out from the bottom that will provide you with a better grip but I am not really a fan of this but others may find it useful.

The transmission range is around 600 meters in perfect conditions and for FPV it is slightly less at around 350 meters. To make use of the drones FPV you will need to download the official Holy Stone drone app which is available on both Andriod and iOs devices, it’s a decent app that for the most part works as it should, sometimes the FPV can get a little choppy and it would be good if it was updated a bit more regularly.

Holy Stone HS100 Camera

The main feature of the Holy Stone HS100 is its 2k camera, this is actually an upgrade because originally it came with a 1080p camera. For a drone that costs less than $200, it can take some pretty nice videos and images, it has a wide-angle lens which will allow you to capture more detail in every shot you take.

The camera has a micro SD card slot on the back and the back where you can record your videos and images.

The FPV feed is transmitted in 720p resolution which pretty good quality, although if you fly in less than optimal conditions, you may experience some interference. As it has no image or video stabilization feature, you may see some shakiness and jello effect but since you will not be using this drone in any professional capacity, a little distortion should not be much of an issue. Overall, this is a nice camera and worth its price.

Additional Special features of the drone

• Follow me mode: This mode commands the drone to follow your every step and capture aerial videos or photos. This is through the GPS aided function.
• Return to home function: This is one of the best features o HS100. This ensures that you don’t lose your drone. This function lets the drone automatically find its way back home when it loses signal, or the battery becomes weak, etc.

Flight Performance

The Holy Stone HS100 has a good and stable flight performance, its easy to control and the FPV feature works as it should. As it comes with a GPS module, you can track the drone on the app and hover accurately, this allows you to take better quality images and videos. It’s not a very heavy drone and I would advise anyone who is a beginner to not fly in any kind of windy conditions, overall, It’s a fun drone to fly.

Final Thoughts

The Holy Stone HS100 is a good beginner-friendly drone that is fun to fly and costs just under $200. It is one of the best drones in its price range and comes with a lot of good features. However, if you want more options for beginner-friendly drones, click on the button below.