3DR Solo Adjustable Angle HDMI Drone

Last updated: January 25, 2022


3DR Solo Adjustable Angle HDMI Drone

We looked at the top Drones and dug through the reviews from some of the most popular review sites. Through this analysis, we've determined the best Drone you should buy.

Product Details

In our analysis of 94 expert reviews, the 3DR Solo Adjustable Angle HDMI Drone placed 13th when we looked at the top 14 products in the category. For the full ranking, see below.

From The Manufacturer

Designed from the ground up as a companion to the GoPro HERO, the Solo Quadcopter with Gimbal from 3D Robotics features aerial imaging-specific flight modes including Cablecam mode and Follow Me. A quad-rotor configuration, flight stability and autonomous flying are enabled thanks to a twin computer flight control system. The flight controller relies on GPS for navigational coordinates, plus uses data from gyros, accelerators, and other sensors to keep the aircraft safely flying. The Solo includes the Solo Gimbal, a 3-axis stabilizer compatible with the a GoPro HERO3+ or HERO4 action camera. This is a ready-to-fly bundle, featuring a pre-bound transmitter (radio controller) that has been styled after a video game controller for more intuitive operation. In addition to dual joysticks for flying, it features dedicated dials for operating the Solo Gimbal. In addition to the transmitter, there is a mobile app for iOS and Android devices. The app provides full control over the aircraft, gimbal, and even the GoPro itself. A mount is provided so that you can mount your smartphone directly to the transmitter.

Expert Reviews


What reviewers liked

User friendly contols. Flies smoothly and captures high quality for a lower end price.
the Solo is built for autonomous flying, unlike many drones. Much of the processing power that helps it fly is built into the drone itself, rather than the controller or the phone. For instance, you can set the drone to Orbit, then put the controller down and do something else as it films and circles.
Solo’s autonomous flight modes, which include Selfie, Cable Cam, Orbit, and Follow, are designed to make it easier to get professional-looking aerial video. The drone handles all the flight, which allows you to focus solely on capturing the perfect shot.
The 3D Robotics Solo drone offers aerial tools for cinematographers to get stunning shots with a GoPro action camera
The 3DR Solo drone has been designed in such a way that even the amateurs can fly the device easily without much hassle. The copter has straightforward piloting that makes it more convenient for users.
3DR Solos features are accurate and great for aerial photography and videography, even the most beginner of pilots will have no problems using them. The Smart Controller packs all these great features in a simplistic way, while providing important flight data such as altitude, speed and GPS map location. The HD streaming (FPV) works with no delay. Most surprising specification of 3D Robotics Solo, is the speed, 89km/h is amazingly good. The fact both quadcopter and transmitter have its own 1GHz computer boards with Linux make it stand out from other quadcopter systems.
The quad is easy to use once you get it: insert the 3DR Solo battery (s), set up the transmitter, start with the mobile app on your tablet or smartphone and you are ready to fly. Furthermore, the controls are ultra-responsive making your work easier.

What reviewers didn't like

Set up is a bit difficult and time consuming.
The Solo cannot take photos and video without an added device. Instead, it works with a GoPro camera, which connects to a control cable and an HDMI cable that feeds the video back to the drone and the controlling app. This allows the Solo to control the GoPro 4 and change settings. The older GoPro Hero 3 doesn't get the same level of control, but the drone can still stop and start video recording on the camera.
The GPS connectivity and maximum range could be better, but these issues aren’t really a huge hindrance to usability, and 3DR’s fantastic autonomous flight modes make you forget about them in hurry.
You'll only get about 15 minutes in the air with the Solo on a fully charged battery. The Solo's GPS takes a couple of minutes to lock on to a signal, and doesn't keep the aircraft perfectly steady when hovering.
the battery takes about 1 hour 35 minutes to get fully charged so it is advisable to keep a spare if you don’t want to interrupt your flight sessions. With such interesting numbers for flight times, 3DR Solo drone is one of the best in this regard.
800 meter range is good, but not comparing to other same price drones. 3D Robotics could have done a better job to increase it. It’s price may not appeal to some users, especially since Dji Phantom 3 costs less.
Indeed, it has much to offer. However, the Phantom Quadcopter is an ideal alternative which some customers might select if it boils down to budget. Particularly, when you consider that you need to buy the 3DR Solo Gimbal separately; the Phantom 3 model has the gimbal technology.
View our Drone buying guide for in-depth advice and recommendations.

From our partners