To buy or not?

Here is a mini drone that won’t break the bank or any regulations

Drones are slowly but steadily getting popular. While it is traditionally an expensive hobby, there are plenty of low-cost options to get you started. One such is the Shift IZI Nano Drone. Clocking in at just under 100 gm, this drone doesn’t need any special DCGA permission to fly. In the box, you get a swappable battery pack, a charging wire, the drone, a controller, a plastic ring and a bunch of documentation.

The drone is tiny and light. The controller that comes with it is fairly small and has a plastic ring that you have to put on your thumb. Traditional controllers are usually two-handed and look closer to a videogame controller. This one lets you operate the drone with one hand, using the ring to control everything. It uses Near Field Micro-Sensing Technology which means the ring doesn’t need to touch the surface of the controller to make it move. Simply move your thumb in the direction you want the drone to go in and it will move. It seems complicated and is a little hard to get used to. After the initial learning curve, the controls feel intuitive and you will find yourself handling the drone on instinct. Though I do miss the tactile feel of a physical joystick.

The IZI Shift can also connect to your phone using WiFi and you can use the drone to capture videos and pictures through your phone. That is, once you have installed a microSD in the Shift for storage. The resulting videos shot in full HD at 30 frames were pretty decent, it is software stabilised, so at times you will get some weird stretching. The videos aren’t as clear as a more professional drone, but those cost five or even 10 times more this one, not to mention the permissions required to fly it. 

The app on the phone also lets your drone follow predetermined flight manoeuvres, including orbit, dolly in and follow. This is useful because flying like that needs a fair bit of practice. The drone has a max altitude of 25 metres and a max streaming range of 100 metres. It can hover endlessly in the same place without any interaction needed from the user.

There are some caveats, that you need to know if you are going to buy one. The flight time is a little lower than the claimed 17 minutes. In multiple test-runs, the drone only flew between 12-15 minutes. With a battery so small, every minute counts. You can buy extra batteries and keep them charged. Swapping a battery takes a few seconds. The blade protectors are also not provided in the box. They are a separate purchase and I would recommend getting them. The controls though innovative, take a little getting used to. Be sure that your first few flights will go in consulting the mini flight manual provided in the box. The drone cannot fly in low light conditions, this includes a decently lit room. For the sensing tech to work properly, the drone needs very good light, it won’t take flight unless the light requirement is met. It is also very loud. Think of a noisy mosquito buzzing around your ear. The videos recorded through the drone don’t have any sound, so you will have to add your background score to it.

With that out of the way, I found the drone to be a lot of fun. Pictures and videos from the drone, though not stellar cinema-quality, are good enough for personal use and social media. The control system once I got used to it, felt very natural and easy to use. You might need a few flights to truly get there though. I wish the battery life was a little better, but, for what it is worth, the drone does perform admirably. The Shift IZI Nano Drone is not a kid’s toy and I wouldn’t give it to a child. It is targeted towards the enthusiast who doesn’t mind circumventing its kinks. I would say buy it if you want to experience flying a drone capable of capturing videos and pictures and aren’t so hung up on getting the best quality footage. 

The Shift IZI Nano Drone sells for Rs 13,990 and I feel it provides decent value for first-time flyers.

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