Eachine EX3 Drone Review

Finding a drone with a camera, follow me and headless mode is easy these days. But here is an affordable drone from an established manufacturer that deserves special attention.

This foldable Eachine drone has all the standard features plus a few extras along with a robust and sophisticated design.

If you’re looking to step up from a cheap beginner’s drone but without breaking the bank, then this Eachine EX3 review is worth reading.

Standout features of the Eachine EX3 drone:

• Folding compact design.
• Long-range remote with responsive controls and OLED display.
• 2k 30FPS wide-angle camera with 8MP CMOS and 5G Wi-Fi.
• Optical, barometer, ultrasonic and GPS intelligent flight controls.
• Intelligent batteries for 20+ minutes of flight time

Capabilities of the Eachine EX3 Drone

Let’s take a closer look at some of the capabilities of the Eachine EX3 drone.

Quadcopter Design

A foldable and portable design collapses the full-size drone into a compact package that stows easily in your bag.

Robust engineering with strong and durable materials is reassuring in case of mishaps.

Ultrasonic Altitude Hold helps maintain a fixed altitude and position for aerial photography by combining signals from the ultrasonic sensor, barometer and GPS.

Intelligent Flight Modes

In Follow Me mode, the EX3 locks in on your phone as you walk or cycle. Don’t try this in your car!

In Active Track mode, the drone follows an object or person in view using optical cues.

In Orbit mode, the Eachine EX3 drone will tightly circle around a fixed point at a set distance or 10 metres by default.

In Tap Fly mode, the EX3 drone will follow a trajectory of set points marked on the map on the app.

In Optical Flow Positioning, the EX3 will hover in place using optical sensors.

Advanced Features

One-key return uses GPS to return to the take-off point.

One-key take-off and landing simplifies getting airborne and back down again.

A low-battery alarm will sound on the remote controller to warn you that flight time is limited.

However…

No video stabilization, collision avoidance or propeller guards distinguish this model from more advanced drones.

The Design of the Eachine EX3 Drone

It gets more interesting once you take a look ‘under the hood’ of the EX3 drone.

What’s Included in the Package?

The Eachine EX3 drone and controller comes with one battery and a charger as well as four spare propellers. You will also need to obtain a USB adapter and a micro SD card as well as batteries for the remote if you don’t have these already. Make sure the charger has sufficient capacity, at least 2A.

The drone has a robust build, made with durable plastic and strong motors that allow it to reach up to 40 kilometres per hour. The propeller engines are brushless, so they run quieter and will last longer without needing maintenance.

How Do You Control the Eachine EX3 Drone?

You can use either the remote control or the app on your phone to fly the EX3 drone, but you really want both together to get all the functions. Your phone will sit in the built-in brackets that position it above the remote.

The remote control distance is up to 1 kilometre, reaching over 1.5 kilometre under optimal conditions. But keep in mind that direct 5G Wi-Fi can only reasonably be expected to transmit live video for 300 or 400 metres, so you will be flying blind.

The remote has its own OLED display to provide you with status information, like battery charge, altitude, active flight modes and more.

What Kind of Camera Is Built-In?

The camera records onto the micro SD card with a 2048 x 1152 resolution, which is also referred to as 2K. That is double the resolution from the usual 1024p, often described as HD. Video is saved at 30FPS.

Streaming video may only be 720p, as is usual to stay within the available bandwidth. However, it does use 5G, which improves quality and is less susceptible to interference. (The controller, however, operates on 2.4 GHz to maximise range.)

With the app, ISO setting, shutter speed and aperture can be adjusted to allow for moving objects and ambient light.

How Are the Batteries Charged?

The 3400mAh battery is charged in the provided charging unit, which you connect to a USB outlet with the included cable. It has a second charging slot, but you will need to order another battery separately. Allow up to 4 hours to reach full charge with a 2A charger, and twice as long if you’re charging two batteries.

What Are the Technical Specs?

Other specifications not already mentioned include:

Drone
• Hovering accuracy vertical: ± 0.3 m (indoors), ± 0.5 m (outdoors).
• Hovering accuracy horizontal: ± 0.3 m (indoors), ± 1.5 m (outdoors).
• Max ascent speed: 3 m/s.
• Max descent speed: 2 m/s.
• Max flying speed: 40 km/h.
• Flight altitude limit: 150 m.

Camera
• Gimbal type: Single axis.
• Effective pixels: 2M.
• Sensor: 1/3″ CMOS.
• ISO range: 100-1600 (automatic).
• Shutter speed: 1/30s – 1/10000s.
• Aperture: f/2.4.

Pros and Cons

For the price, the Eachine EX3 drone has a lot going for it, although we are disappointed the box contents came up short on a couple of important items.

Pros
• LED display on the remote.
• 20 minute flight time.
• Compact, foldable design.
• Stable flight and hovering.
• 2K digital camera.
• Brushless motors.

Cons
• No propeller guards.
• Only one battery included.

Product Reviews

The robust build is appreciated by owners, particularly since the Eachine EX3 drone has a folding design. The good set of features, picture quality and flying performance also rate highly among users. On the flip-side, some users mention the gimbal camera is not particularly stable, making recordings low quality.

FAQ

Does It Come With Video Stabilization?

No, there is no digital processing to correct images. However, the advanced technology for altitude stabilization and single-axis mechanical gimbal do aid considerably with camera work.

Can You Change the Camera Angle in Flight?

Yes, you can also set the camera angle remotely between vertical and horizontal.

Is There a Warranty?

All products purchased through Amazon have a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Where Can You Buy It?

You can get the Eachine EX3 Drone on Amazon.

Our Verdict

If you got this far in our Eachine EX3 review, you will have noticed our enthusiasm for this model. You get pretty much all the features you would expect in your drone, as well as above-average photography, all for a very affordable price.