The Hubsan Zino 2 is the successor model of the Hubsan Zino and has significantly more power. The video quality has improved, the flight time is longer and the range is also said to have increased.
The Chinese online mail order company Gearbest is now offering the Hubsan Zino 2 exclusively in advance sale.
At the beginning, the price of the new drone is 399.99 US dollars, which corresponds to about 359 euros. According to Gearbest, shipping will start at the beginning of January next year.
The following video shows a first unboxing and details of the drone:
Delivery and technical specifications
Included in delivery are the drone, remote control, two
paddles with screws, a charger, a screwdriver, USB cable, English manual and the battery. A bag is also included.
All in all the scope of delivery is very large and you get a lot of accessories for the Hubsan Zino 2.
The most important features of the new drone at a glance:
- Video resolution: 4K/60Fps 1080.720p/up to 200Fps
- Remote control with integrated real-time display
- Flight time: 33 minutes/charging time 2 hours
- 6 kilometres range, 500m altitude
- Frequency 2.3-2.4/5.7 – 5.8 Ghz
- maximum speed 72 Km/h (20m/s)
- Photo resolution of 12 megapixels (recorded as JPEG or RAW)
- Image sensor Sony -1/2.3 sensor
- Lens: f/2.2, 23 millimeter / Replacement filter
- Flight modes: GPS, Optical Flow, ATTI
- Dimensions folded: 216.5 x 129.0 x 94.9 millimetres
- Dimensions unfolded: 326.0 x 260.0 x 94.9 millimetres
- Battery 3800 mA/h (17.4V)
- Remote control: 3350mA/h
- Total weight: 915g
Hubsan Zino 2: The recording technique
On Wednesday the advance sale of the brand new 4K drone has started. The advance sale at the mail order company Gearbest is priced at 359,- Euro (UVP 532,-).
However, the offer is limited to 1000 pieces, so if you want to buy one more before the official sale starts, you should hurry. The promotion runs until 01.01.2020.
In comparison to the previous model (test on drohne-check.de) a lot has changed. So now the new Hubsan Zino 2 can also record videos in 4K but with 60FPS, which makes for a much more pleasant picture flow.
With 4K 60 FPS, the Hubsan Zino 2 also stands out from the competition. Because 4K with 60 frames only top models like the Phantom 4 Pro or the Auto Evo are available (test on drohne-check.de)
The drone supports different formats for photo and video recording. These include JPEG and DNG (RAW) for pictures and MP4 (h.264 codec), as well as MOV (mpeg4 AV codec) for videos.
MOV files are in Apple’s format which ensures a high compatibility with other devices. MOV files can be played on most mobile multimedia devices, whether MP4 players or smartphones.
The DNG format is a format for storing RAW image files.
A DNG file, unlike RAW, has lossless compression. Which in most cases is about 10 – 20% of the file size. In some pictures, however, only 1% or 2%. In addition, DNG can also be stored lossy.
Which reliably reduces the file size by 1/3 +- 5%. The image quality suffers only very little, still no comparison to JPG, if only because of the higher color fastness of 4096 instead of 256 (JPG) color channels.
The only disadvantage of the DNG format is that even if only meta data of the image is changed, the whole file has to be saved again. Which can take a while with a few hundred or even thousand images and depending on the hard disk/memory card or SSD.
Videos can of course also be recorded in 1080p(120Fps) or 720p at 200Fps and a bit rate of maximum 100 Mbps. Photos, on the other hand, are recorded at 12 megapixels in 4K resolution (3840×2160). A larger camera is used.
Namely, a 1/2.3 inch CMO Sensor lens from Sony. This means that the lens is slightly larger than that of its predecessor and offers a better image in situations with poor or low light incidence.
The recording technology of the Hubsan Zino drones at a glance:
| Modell | Hubsan Zino 2 | Hubsan Zino Pro | Hubsan Zino 117s |
|---|---|---|---|
| SoC (Mikroprozessor) | Ambarella H22 | Ambarella A12S | Ambarella A12 |
| Kamerasensor/Sensorgröße | Sony 1/2,3 Zoll | Sony 1/2,3 Zoll | Sony 1/2,3 Zoll |
| Videoauflösung | 3840×2160/60p 1920×1080/120p 1280×720/200p | 3840×2160/30p 1920×1080/60p 1280×720/120p | 3840×2160/30p 1920×1080/60p 1280×720/120p |
| Video Codec | H.264 Codec | H.264 Codec | H.264 Codec |
| Video Bitrate | 100Mbit/s | 60Mbit/s | 40Mbit/s |
| Bildauflösung | 4K/12 Megapixel | 4K/12 Megapixel | 4K/12 Megapixel |
| Bildkomprimierung | RAW/JPEG | RAW/JPEG | JPEG |
| Bildstabilisierung | 3-Achsen-Gimbal | 3-Achsen-Gimbal | 3-Achsen-Gimbal |
| Objektiv | f/2,2, 23mm | f/2,2 | f/2,2 89° Weitwinkel |
| Speichermedium | Micro-SD Karte | Micro-SD Karte | Micro-SD Karte |
Technical Specifications and Further Details
As with the previous model, the Zino 2 again uses the 3-axis gimbal system for reliable image stabilization. This guarantees stable images just like the previous model.
The manufacturer has also greatly increased the range, so the Hubsan Zino 2 shines with a very high range of up to 8 kilometers.
However, the local laws on German ground must be observed, so we are only allowed to fly within sight. The same applies to the maximum altitude of the Hubsan Zino 2, of 100 meters.
The flight time was increased by 10 minutes compared to the Hubsan Sino 117s to 33 minutes because the battery now offers 3800 mA/h instead of 2600 mA/h. The battery runs with an operating voltage of 17.4 V and has a charging capacity of 52.2 W, with 2 hours charging time (half that of the Hubsan Zino 117s!).
Charging is done via Micro USB, but the remote control also has a USB-C interface in addition to the Micro USB port.
The integrated display of the remote control is also included again and has, according to the manufacturer, a better contrast and stronger illumination, so that you can still see everything even in sunlight.
The firmware updates of the drone can now be installed directly via remote control with digital display. A small disadvantage, however, is the non-exchangeable battery of the remote control.
Nothing has changed in the flight modes, you can control the drone as usual via GPS, ATTI (Attitude Mode, mode without position stabilization) and on four channels. The four channels are two channels in the 2.3 to 2.4 Ghz range and two channels in the 5.7 to 5.8 Ghz range.
Like its predecessor, the drone is very compact and can be folded at the rotors. Ideal to take it with you in your backpack.
The Hubsan Zino 2 has two additional modes, namely Sport and Normal mode.
The maximum angle at which the drone flies changes (normal 25°/50km/h and Sport 35°/72km/h).
The maximum speed around its own axis is 150° per second.
For positioning, the drone uses the GPS signal and GLONASS in addition to the barometric pressure gauge.
Comparison of the Hubsan Zino drones
So that you can compare the drone with other Hubsan models, I have summarized the remaining technical data of the different models in a table:
| Modell | Hubsan Zino 2 | Hubsan Zino Pro | Hubsan Zino H117s |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sensorik | Optical Flow, Barometer | Optical Flow, Barometer | Barometer |
| Positionierung | GPS/GLONASS | GPS/GLONASS | GPS/GLONASS |
| Höchstgeschwindigkeit | 72 Km/h | 36 Km/h | 36 Km/h |
| Größe | 326 × 260 × 95 Millimeter (im Flug) 216 × 129 × 95 (gefaltet) | 304 × 252 × 90 mm (im Flug) 187 × 104 × 90 mm (gefaltet) | 304 × 252 × 90 mm (im Flug) 185 × 100 × 90 mm (gefaltet) |
| Gewicht | 915 Gramm | 700 Gramm | 710 Gramm |
| Flugzeit | 33 Minuten | 24 Minuten | 20 Minuten |
| Frequenz | 5,725 bis 5,850 Ghz | 5,8 Ghz | 5,8 Ghz |
| Sendeleistung | 26 dBm | 22 dBm | 16 dBm |
| Reichweite | 6 Kilometer | 4 Kilometer | 1,5 Kilometer |
| Preis | 539,99 Euro | 459,95 Euro | 399,95 Euro |
| Händler | Gearbest | Gearbest/Amazon | Gearbest/Amazon |
Shooting settings of the Hubsan Zino 2
Just like the predecessor, the different settings such as Waypoints, Follow Me Mode or Active Track are also included.
The Active Track mode works as usual, you mark an object in the app. Like for example yourself and the AI recognizes the object and follows it at every turn.
According to the manufacturer, the drone detects changes in direction of the tracked object better than its predecessor. If you don’t want to or can’t use the Active Track mode, because it is based on image recognition and is unreliable especially in dark scenarios, you can use the Follow Me mode.
For this a flight altitude of 10 – 30 meters is ideal. The Follow Me mode is not dependent on image recognition, but is based on the GPS or GLONASS satellite network.
This means that the positioning is not dependent on image recognition and the drone is also able to control fast changes of direction or poor lighting conditions.
In addition, there is again the sorround mode in which the drone circles around a target with configurable speed and altitude. Besides Sorround, Waypoint, Follow-Me and the normal mode, the Creative Video Mode is also back on board.
This comes again with the well-known flight into the sky, the orbital shot, the panoramic shot. In addition to these already known shooting settings from the predecessor, the Hubsan Zino 2 finally gets a hyperlapse mode.
Hyperlapse is an effect that has always had to be created on the computer, as long as you don’t have a drone with this function.
With hyperlapse, the position of the camera is constantly changed during the recording to simulate movement.
In contrast to simple time-lapse recordings, hyperlapse recordings move the camera over long distances, ideal for a drone.
With it, landscapes, but also architecture, can be shown in a video, without editing and in their full extent. The Hubsan Zino 2 can also create simple time-lapse recordings.
However, you have to take care that the Hubsan Zino 2, like the previous model, lacks obstacle detection and that you always have to ensure an almost obstacle-free environment. The waypoint mode works as usual.
Waypoints are marked at a height of 10 metres and the drone will then fly off. Alternatively, the waypoints can be marked on a map with coordinates that the drone will use for orientation.
The Return To Home function also worked very well in the test. Due to the limited sensor technology it is important to leave enough space for the drone. The drone cannot navigate around obstacles on its own.
Conclusion on the Hubsan Zino 2
The Hubsan Zino 2 remains, just like its predecessor model, an affordable and affordable camera drone that is ideal for beginners or amateurs.
The 3-axis stabilization as well as the significantly improved image quality clearly speak for the Hubsan Zino 2 and Hubsan is definitely a step ahead of the competition in this price range with 60Fps and 4K. The only negative point for me is the non-exchangeable battery of the remote control, because batteries are wearing parts and should be replaceable.
Furthermore the Hubsan Zino 2 sensors are missing which point to the front or back. Only on the bottom side is an optical flow sensor. If you have a
Nevertheless, the Hubsan Zino 2 is a very good and inexpensive drone, which already competes with the top models beyond the 500 Euro limit.
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