Depth Review:Eachine E56 DRONE
Eachine E56 DRONE
The Eachine E56 is one of the more popular toy selfie drones in the market today thanks partly to its very affordable price and HD 720P camera. More importantly, the E56 stands out from the rest due to its g-sensor controller.
Unlike other toy drones that use conventional transmitters (remote controllers) that have two sticks to control the drone’s movement and throttle, the E56’s controller uses an accelerometer instead. This means you can fly the drone by simply tilting the controller. To move the drone forward, simply tilt the controller forward and vice versa. Throttle and yaw is controlled by a single stick.
I find this method of piloting a toy selfie drone to be very intuitive compared to conventional transmitters. The E56 can also be flown using a smartphone app which has its own transmitter emulator sticks.
Product Highlights
Dimensions: 180 x 180 x 35mm / 150 x 70 x 35mm (folded)
Platform: Quadcopter
Diagonal motor distance: 180mm
Flight features:
Altitude hold
Headless mode
G sensor
Auto takeoff / landing
2 flight speeds (Low and High)
Fly-by-app
Propulsion: brushed motors / 70mm 2-blade propellers
Weight: 86g (with battery)
Camera resolution: 2MP stills (1280 x 720) and HD 720P video
File format: JPEG/AVI
Battery: 3.7V 500mAh Li Po
Charging time: 60 minutes
Flight time: about 5 to 6 minutes
Control distance: about 50 meters
For best results when taking selfies, g-sensor control should be used in conjunction with headless mode and altitude hold. This allows for easier positioning of the drone. With its 2.6″ propellers, the E56 actually feels quite under-powered. Most drones with a similar diagonal size as the E56 actually have longer propellers (and bigger motors) which provides for more powerful propulsion. Flying the E56 when its slightly windy outdoors can be very challenging. When flying indoors, the E56 performs well and is pretty stable and easy to pilot.
The E56’s battery is another letdown. wher a capacity of only 500mAh, it provides a flight time of about 5 to 7 minutes. When flying in slightly windy conditions and in Fast speed mode, flight time goes down to about 5 minutes.
The E56’s overall build quality is pretty decent for a toy drone that costs less than $50. In fact, it actually feels more expensive than its actual price. Like many other selfie drones, the E56 was designed to be foldable for easy transportation and storage. It even comes with its own carrying case which is quite compact and can fit both the drone and its transmitter.
The slot-in battery comes in a proprietary casing which means you can’t use generic batteries with the E56. The good thing about this design approach is attaching and removing the battery is easy. It also provides for a design that looks neat.
Selfie drones typically use apps which are installed on smartphones or tablets to allow pilots to view the camera’s video feed. This allows shots to be framed and composed. Most selfie drones come with smartphone holders that let you place your smartphone on top of the transmitter. With the E56, you’re expected to hold the transmitter with one hand and your smartphone with the other. This can feel a bit awkward.
FPV Camera
The E56 comes with an HD 720P WiFi FPV camera that can take both videos and photos. Image quality from the camera isn’t impressive and is pretty standard for a toy drone. One thing I wish it had is a wide angle lens. The camera’s field of view (FOV) is a bit narrow, making tight shots a bit tricky to set up.
Conclusion
For less than $100, the Eachine E56 is a highly affordable toy selfie drone that provides plenty of value. It not only features an HD 720P camera but it also comes with its own carrying case. On top of that, the E56 looks great and features a foldable design which makes it easy to store and transport. The g-sensor remote control is also a more intuitive way of flying compared to conventional transmitters.