Xiaomi Fimi X8 SE 2020 vs Hubsan H117S Zino Pro Camera Drone Comparison

Spec Comparison of the Xiaomi Fimi X8 SE 2020 and the Hubsan Zino Pro

Probably one of the closest comparisons we could make for entry level and affordable camera drones for film making.

But maybe there is more than meets the eye between the Xiaomi Fimi X8 SE 2020, released this year and the Hubsan Zino Pro which was a late 2019 release.

They both retail at about $449 depending on where you look online which means they should both offer similar features?

Physical Comparison

Physically they are very similar, the dimensions are within a few centimetres here and there and this shows in the volume of the two.

The Fimi X8 SE 2020 is 1556cm cubed when folded up in it's smallest form and the Hubsan Zino Pro is 1705cm cubed which makes it about half a can of soda larger than the Fimi.

On the other hand, in terms of weight, the Fimi is slightly heavier at a total weight of 765 grams compared to 709 grams for the Hubsan Zino Pro.

Performance Comparison

Performance wise you get a slightly faster top speed of 65kmh from the Fimi X8 SE 2020, which is 6kmh faster than the Hubsan Zino Pro.

The transmission distance is double that of the Hubsan Zino Pro of 8km for the Xiaomi Fimi X8 SE 2020. You get a 4km transmission distance for the Hubsan Zino Pro. Not the worst transmission distance for a camera drone but nothing special either.

The flight time is similar in that the Fimi far outdoes that of the Hubsan Zino Pro with a total flight time of 35 minutes. The Hubsan Zino Pro offers a 23 minute flight time which is only slightly better than 2-3 year old camera drones and not as long as any of the 2019 or 2020 camera drones available on the market.

Photo and Video Comparison

Both of the cameras are equiped with an 80 degree field of view camera, which means they should see the exact same from the same location in the sky.

The Hubsan doesn't do as well in terms of bitrate as it has 60 mbps video file bitrate compared to the 100 mbps of the Fimi X8 SE 2020.

You do thought get a slightly larger image sensor with the Hubsan Zino Pro. It uses the well established image sensor size of 1/2.3". The Fimi uses a slightly smaller 1/2.6" image sensor which equates to half a millimetre in size difference, negligible in our opinion.

In terms of video you get 1080p up to 4k video resolutions with both but the frame rates differ. The Fimi has 100fps slow motion capabilities compared to the 60fps of the Hubsan Zino Pro. Although this might improve with firmware updates throughout 2020.

You get a number of photo and shooting modes with each camera drone and auto shooting features too.

If you are looking for professional video, the Fimi X8 SE 2020 can record in f-log flat profile which makes for a better foundation to colour correct your footage.

You also get HDR video recording as well with the Fimi X8 SE 2020.

Both of the camera drones are equipped with a 3-axis gimbal to help stabilize their cameras and make smooth cinematic footage.

Summary

For the money, the Xiaomi Fimi X8 SE 2020 is by far a superior camera drone. Most of the main areas and features of this drone far surpass that of the Hubsan.

The Hubsan is not a bad camera and aerial photography drone, but for the same price you are getting more with the Fimi.

The only noticeable improvement is that of the image sensor size, which in our opinion is not worth noting as we shoot with many camera formats and types and understand it is not entirely about image sensor size that dictates a cameras level of quality.