For the longest time, these flying gadgets required skilled pilots while drones with cameras cost over a thousand dollars and are bulky. Plus, it is not exactly easy to pilot the machines and the risk of crashing into obstacles and breaking them are high and the consequences expensive.

The Hover Camera Passport changes all of that. This self-flying drone intelligently follows objects using facial and body recognition technology and shoots 13MP still photos and 4K videos. The propellers are encased in a carbon-fibre enclosure for protection and rules out any chance of them detaching during accidents.

It only takes three steps to get it working: unfold the drone, power it up, and connect to the smartphone via Wi-Fi. When you are ready to shoot, tap the power button again to start the propeller and you can let go of the drone. The Hover Camera Passport will start to look for the owner’s face or the objects you pick from the smartphone live view screen.

The smartphone app comes with several autonomous flying programs. In Owner Mode, the drone starts recording video when the owner is located within the camera frame and follows the owner wherever he goes. In Group Photo and Bird’s Eye Mode, fly the camera manually to the desired position, then tap the camera button to take a photo. In Running and Cycling Mode, the live view identifies body shapes in yellow frames, and once you select the body, the camera will lock on the object and begin recording. In Orbit Mode, the drone will slowly orbit around the selected person in a fixed radius. The drone will follow the person and continue circling around him or her. Finally, in 360 Spin Mode, the drone pans in 360-degrees around a fixed position to record the scenery. There are also manual options to adjust the shoot settings, like exposure, timer, flash. There are also a few ways to manually operate the drone, including swiping the live view to tilt and yaw the camera.

With so many things to play with, no one will blame you for thinking that the 10-minute battery time is insufficient. Thankfully, the retail package comes with two batteries and the external charger can accommodate two batteries that take only an hour to charge fully. The built-in 32GB storage should be sufficient for capturing several hours of video. Images are auto-transferred to the smartphone, while videos are manually selected for over-the-air transfers, or to a computer via USB 3.0 cable. The Hover Camera app supports editing of multiple video clips into a movie up to 60 seconds, which can be conveniently shared over social media platforms by tapping the icons.

With the recent launch of DJI Spark, the Hover Camera Passport may have to reconsider its price point. But the Hover Camera Passport has its positives: it’s safer to use, easier to carry around, and boasts higher image and video resolution.

Verdict

4/5

With the recent launch of DJI Spark, the Hover Camera Passport may have to reconsider its price point. But the Hover Camera Passport has its positives: it’s safer to use, easier to carry around, and boasts higher image and video resolution.