Introduction
In the catalog of budget selfie-drones Eachine has a new product with the appearance of the premium Spark and the compactness Zerotech Dobby. Unlike previous fiftieth series (E5x) models, the E56 features a new 720p Wi-Fi FPV camera with variable tilt angle and a completely new type of remote control with a built-in IMU sensor. To learn how the drone has become better and more practical than its predecessors thanks to innovations, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with our detailed review.
Features
- Collapsible drone arms
- New controller type with G-sensor
- HD camera
- Altitude hold
- Headless mode
Package contents
About the product
A well-executed budget quadcopter, which the developer positions itself as a selfie drone, although it does not have any functions and modes with an emphasis on shooting in the selfie format. The Eachine E56 is made of regular plastic, most likely recycled.
Thanks to the folding arms, the compact quad becomes even more portable and fits in almost any pocket. The beam folding mechanism works well, without any backlash; in the extreme flight position, the beams are clearly fixed with a characteristic click, excluding any possibility of involuntary folding at the time of collision or crash.
On the front of the quadcopter there are two LEDs responsible for the main lighting, at the back a pair of LEDs act as status indicators. On the top of the E56, like all modern selfie drones, there is a power button. By holding it down for more than three seconds, the quadcopter will either turn off or turn on.
The camera can shoot better than the predecessors of the fiftieth series, providing a clear 720p image with good color reproduction for a budget quad. In general, in the absence of wind, the drone implements a relatively stable survey. By tapping the auto-takeoff icon in the application, the E56 takes off to a height of 40-50cm and holds it. Altitude hold in this drone is implemented using a barometer, and it should be noted that it does it quite effectively even in the presence of wind.
Appearance
Specification
Motors
The Eachine E56 quadcopter is equipped with brushed motors. For the sake of portability, the developer installed the motors themselves in the drone's beams horizontally
Camera
Eachine E56 features a refined FPV HD camera that captures video in 1280 × 720p resolution at 15 frames per second. Unlike its predecessors, in addition to the quality of shooting, the camera has the ability to manually change the angle of inclination. There are no specifications for the photo mode in the developer's specification, but most likely the photo resolution will be no more than 1024 × 768p. In general, for a budget drone, the photo and video quality is satisfactory. But if you are looking for a selfie drone with a priority on high-quality photo and video material, then we recommend that you turn your attention to UAVs from more than expensive segment
Power
The drone is powered by a 500mAh single-cell lithium polymer battery. The battery itself, according to modern trends, is hidden in the box, thereby simplifying the process of installing the battery into the drone. Note that a similar 3-pin connector is used on some similar Hubsan batteries. According to the specification, the battery provides a flight time of 7 minutes. In practice, this time was no more than 5 minutes.
The box itself, in which the battery is installed, is collapsible and, if desired, the user can install any battery that is suitable in size and weight, which is very good in terms of an upgrade.
Note that the indication of the drone does not signal a low battery. The only indicator of a tired battery is insufficient traction. This fact is detrimental to the battery. In order to extend the battery life as long as possible, we recommend that at the first sign of loss in traction, stop the flight and change the battery.
Control
Eachine E56 can be controlled in three ways:
- Smartphone / Tablet (on IOS or Android) via the Eachine Fly app
- G-controller
- G-controller Smartphone / Tablet
G-controller
This is a new type of controller for controlling the drone. The controller itself is made in the form of a remote control from a modern radio tape recorder, which is based on a built-in IMU sensor. It is he who allows the pilot to control the drone with just one hand. The main joystick is responsible for lifting and lowering, as well as for rotating the drone around its axis. Flying forward, backward and lateral displacement is carried out by tilting the controller itself in the appropriate direction. The only thing that upsets is that the controller does not imply in its design a holder for a smartphone with which it can work together. As a result, the gadget has to be held in a free hand, which significantly complicates the entire piloting process. The controller is powered by two AAA batteries / rechargeable batteries (Ni-Mh). Operation via the G-controller is an intuitive process, it will take no more than 2 minutes for the user to adapt. Regardless of what you control, the distance in practice was no further than 30 meters.
It is worth noting that the “EACHINE FLY” application, which you will find on Google Play through a regular search, for some reason does not work! To download the working version, you must use the QR code from the instruction manual.
Price
Eachine E56 is sold on almost all online trading platforms at an average price of about $ 50.
By the way, a similar drone is produced by JJRC - model JJRC H47. 100% analog of the Eachine E56. The only difference is the color scheme of execution - metallized blue and brown colors with the company logo.
Conclusion
Pluses
- Price
- Good workmanship
- Tilt camera
- G-controller (one-handed operation)
- Stable
- Folding arms
- LED backlight
- Emergency shutdown button for motors
- Transport case
Cons
- No selfie modes and functions
- Brush motors (ABS bushings / short life)
- Narrow camera FOV
- Image quality
The Eachine E56 is definitely an interesting quadcopter, mainly due to the unusual way of controlling the G-controller. We dare to assume that such a control method may become fundamental in the near future, at least for selfie drones. Otherwise, this is a well-executed drone, both externally and technically, with the standard set of budget drone features at an affordable price. All its advantages will be fully appreciated only by novice users. The developer has set the age limit from 14.
Photos
Photos with the Eachine E56 quadrocopter.
Videos
Eachine E56 drone video.
.
