Meet Xiaomi FIMI X8SE, one of the best foldable smart camera drones for beginners. If you are looking for an advanced camera drone without having to spend hundreds of dollars on high-end quadcopters such as Mavic 2 Pro or Phantom 4 Pro.
Then look no further because the Xiaomi FIMI X8SE is the right smart camera drone for your everyday flying purposes. While there are plenty of great smart camera drones to choose from such as Holy Stone HS720E and Potensic D68, the Xiaomi FIMI X8SE is one of the fewest drones to come packed with awesome aerial and photography capabilities.
I assembled an in-depth Xiaomi FIMI X8SE review to help guide you through all the details that you need to know about this drone. Often, buyers buy a product and end up regretting it because they didn’t know that a certain accessory or part is not included.
Which is why our Xiaomi FIMI X8SE review will explain everything you need to know from package contents to flight performance to features. That being said, is this the right camera drone for you? Stick around with us and let’s find out if you should buy Xiaomi FIMI X8SE camera drone.
Xiaomi FIMI X8SE Drone: Package Contents
Before you get your hands on this camera drone, you need to know what to expect inside the package contents. There are actually quite a few extra parts that I highly recommend purchasing in addition to the camera drone like 64GB MicroSD card and an extra battery to extend total flight time.
Inside the package, you should expect to get the following items:
- 1 x Xiaomi FIMI X8SE Drone
- 1 x Battery
- 1 x Remote Controller
- 3 x Positive Propellers
- 3 x Reserve Propellers
- 1 x AC Cable
- 1 x Charger
- 2 x Instruction Manuals
Xiaomi FIMI X8SE Drone: Design and Build Quality
At first glance, the Xiaomi FIMI X8SE camera drone captures the attention of professional and sleek appearance. This drone comes with jet white coating all over its body. It is equipped with a 4K UHD camera mounted on a 3-axis gimbal stabilizer that delivers the most precise and smoothest video footages you will ever see.
Each motor arm is completely foldable. When the Xiaomi X8SE drone is folded, it can be easily stored inside a travel case or your backpack. If you are an avid travelers and want a good camera drone to take with you, the Xiaomi FIMI X8SE is designed for these types of activities.
In addition to that, each motor arm is equipped with brushless motors which gives a clear performance advantage. Brushed motors as found in some drones like Sanrock U52 and more recently, Snaptain SP500 usually are performance limited since these motors generate high friction.
The brushless motors eliminates these performance limitations by using magnetic force that helps the Xiaomi FIMI X8SE drone achieve higher revolution per minute (RPM). The LED lights are located at front and back that provides visual assistance for positioning throughout flights.
Not only this camera drone is packed with high-end equipment, it is also designed to be sturdy and resistant against rough impacts. Which is absolutely a must-have design especially if you are a beginner and need a good drone that can withstand crashes. Overall, the design and build quality of Xiaomi FIMI X8SE camera drone is exceptional.
Xiaomi FIMI X8SE Drone: Flight Performance
In the next part of Xiaomi FIMI X8SE review, we are going to talk about this smart camera drone’s flight performance. A lot of times when we are checking out drones, the first thing that comes to mind is how well this quadcopter performs. This means, how long can it fly, what is its maximum range and are there anything that we should be concerned about?
For starters, the Xiaomi FIMI X8SE camera drones come with 35 minutes of flight time per battery. This puts Xiaomi FIMI X8SE drone above the average and even beats DJI Mavic Mini’s flight time by a few extra minutes. Though, for some recreational remote pilots a single battery might not be enough. It’s recommended that you purchase an extra battery (or two batteries for better experience).
The Xiaomi FIMI X8SE camera drone has a maximum operating range up to 8,000 meters (or roughly 5 miles). At the price tag that this camera drone is going for, it is definitely a killer operating specification. Most of the drones in this price range typically have maximum operating distance up to 1 mile or 2 miles.
When it comes to flight performance, the Xiaomi FIMI X8SE camera drone can be flown as fast as 40 miles per hour. Combined with its weight and fast flying speed makes it one of the best outdoor drones thanks to high wind resistance. This drone is able to resist moderate to heavy winds with relative ease.
Xiaomi FIMI X8SE Drone: Controllability
How easy is it to fly a Xiaomi FIMI X8SE camera drone? If this is one of several questions you have been asking yourself then you will be in for a big surprise. It’s very easy to fly Xiaomi FIMI X8SE camera drone thanks to GPS + GLONASS integration. This is a major design feature and definitely an upgrade that allows the drone to obtain precise positioning.
It also means the remote pilots do not need to maintain the drone’s stability manually. Which allows them to focus more on flying the drone and capture footage as long as they want to. Most high-end camera drones usually are equipped with GPS + GLONASS modules that enable them to perform advanced flight functions.
In addition to that, the Xiaomi FIMI X8SE camera drone is equipped with a barometric and optical flow system which automatically detects changes in the air pressure level. Using the data that system collects, the drone will adjust accordingly to maintain a steady and leveled flight experience for the remote pilots.
Xiaomi FIMI X8SE Drone: Features
Despite the Xiaomi FIMI X8SE drone being compact and portable, it comes packed with tons of features and you can thank GPS + GLONASS integration. One of the awesome features you will truly enjoy and get to use them often is the intelligent flight modes.
The intelligent flight modes give you the option to choose from: Follow Me Mode, Orbit Mode, Custom Flight Path Mode, TapFly Mode, and more. This camera drone uses Smart Tracking system that detects a subject and uses an algorithm to track as it records video.
Which can be really awesome if you want to produce a third-person video content. In addition to these intelligent flight modes, the Xiaomi FIMI X8SE camera drone also can perform advanced flight functions such as Smart Return to Home. Suppose that you lose sight of the drone and can’t find it anywhere, you simply press the Smart Return to Home button to recall it. Then the drone will fly several meters upward and return to home.
Similarly, if it is your first time flying this camera drone then its speed mode will be set to slowest. This allows you to learn the basics and once you are comfortable, you can adjust the speed to maximum for best flight experience. You also can switch from Normal Mode to Headless Mode to learn how to fly on the go.
Xiaomi FIMI X8SE Drone: Remote Controller
If you want to have one of these smart camera drones with a really good remote controller design. You will absolutely love the remote controller designed for the Xiaomi FIMI X8SE drone. Whether you are a beginner, traveler or professional, the FIMI X8SE remote controller focuses on delivering much needed features. Unlike those DJI drones such as Mini 2 and Mavic 2 Pro, the FIMI X8SE remote controller features extendable sidearms.
Which means both side can be stretched to provide space for you to insert your smartphone. After inserting your personal smartphone, push both sidearms to lock onto the gadget and start streaming real-time video. On the top of the remote controller, there is two foldable antennas which provides superior flight range for the drone. You also can adjust the direction of those antennas to maintain signal connection with the drone.
To power on the FIMI X8SE remote controller, push and hold the power button. You will see LED lights flashing up which tells you how much battery juice it has left. This remote controller has an operating time of 3 to 4 hours before it has to be recharge. Both control sticks are used to control the drone’s flight path, such as adjusting altitude level and changing the flight direction. To recall the FIMI X8SE drone, simply push the Smart Return to Home button on the lower right side.
If you want to perform quick capture or record videos. You can do so by tapping on the buttons which is located at the shoulder of the FIMI X8SE remote controller. Just like one of these professional-graded camera drones, the FIMI X8SE drone comes with a remote controller that features adjustable light exposure and can remotely change the direction you want to point camera at.
Xiaomi FIMI X8SE Drone: Camera Quality
Lastly, we are going to talk about camera quality in the next part of our in-depth Xiaomi FIMI X8SE drone review. Getting to know how good a drone can take picture and produce videos is important as flying it. One of the main advantage that the Xiaomi FIMI X8SE drone has to offer is a stellar camera quality at an affordable price tag. This drone comes with built-in 3-axis gimbal stabilizer that can keep the camera leveled throughout the flight operations.
Additionally, you can adjust the camera remotely in three different directions: yaw, pitch and roll. The Xiaomi FIMI X8SE drone is equipped with a 1.2/3″ CMOS sensor and captures 12MP stills in 4K UHD resolution quality. It also records 4K UHD videos at 30 FPS with a video bitrate of 100MB/S. Which puts the FIMI X8SE drone at equal level to the popular DJI Mavic Pro.
If you are an avid professional, looking for ways to make money with your drones. You will be very pleased to hear that the Xiaomi FIMI X8SE drone can generate both JPEG + RAW file format. Which is absolutely must have file format for editing the images via Adobe Photoshop. Besides, I highly recommend using 256GB MicroSD card to go with this camera drone as 4K stills and videos do consume a lot of memory.
Xiaomi FIMI X8SE Review: Conclusion
In conclusion of the Xiaomi FIMI X8SE review, I think this is definitely one of the best camera drones to this date. It is budget-friendly and comes with a 4K UHD camera that delivers awesome, high-quality, and precise footage. Not to forget to mention that it comes with a battery that delivers up to 35 minutes of flight time per charge.
Furthermore, you can fully enjoy piloting the Xiaomi FIMI X8SE drone up to 5 miles anywhere around you. It is quite a fast bird with an impressive wind resistance. If you have been looking around for a good camera drone that can handle outdoor flights, then this is the right quadcopter.
Lastly, if you still want to see what other camera drones are out there, feel free to explore before you decide to buy one. Let us know if you have any questions about the Xiaomi FIMI X8SE camera drone in the comment section below and we will be more than happy to help you out! Stay tuned for more drones news, reviews, and guides at Dronesfy!
