4k
35min
8km
3 axis gimbal
In this article we're going to cover a complete Xiaomi Fimi x8 review as well as answer if it's worth getting in 2021 (I have the DJI Mini 2 and the Air 2 at my disposal).
Here's what this article will cover:
And much... much... more
P.S. Stick around till the end to get some of my tips on it.
In this section we're going to go over what its main specs are and how it is relevant in the current context of drone technology?
Is this still good enough for the price?
We'll see...
To spoil things a bit, I do consider the Fimi X8 a very relevant drone for 2021 and beyond, as it has some serious specs for very low prices.
It may not be under 250g like some of the latest hotshots ( cough.... dji...cough) but considering I haven't sold it yet (even though I own all the DJI drones it must say something about it.
But what?
Xiaomi makes things a bit complicated with their multiple versions, as always (see their phones).
And this is no exception.
The Fimi X8 SE differs a bit from the newer SE 2020 model and they both differ a bit from the original version, but overall it's pretty much the same capable drone.
Let's see how they compare:
The battery for the FImi x8 was always very good (at least 30 minutes), but with the newer versions it got even better.
The newer battery of the Fimi x9 SE 2020 model has a 35 minute flight time compared to the 33 minute flight time of the 2019 model.
It's not a lot more, but it shows Xiaomi Is indeed improving.
I think this might just be the best battery life to price ratio on the market right now.
The newer models of the XIaomi Fimi x8 SE ( the 2020 model) has almost doubled the range from 5000m to 8000m making it one of the longest range drones you can buy.
This also means the live feed quality stays without interference better in the city and with a signal booster you can do even better.
I recently added this new section because the new Xiaomi Fimi x8 models have an additional satellite system making it a more precise flyer.
Besides the GPS and GLONASS systems, they also added BEIDOU, a Chinese satellite system that will increase the total number of possible satelites up to over 20, making it more stable than even some of DJI Drones.
The Fimi x8 weighs 765g, which is over the 250g maximum to fly in the US without a permit.
Getting a US flying permit is quite easy and cheap though, and because it's so tiny when it's folded down It really doesn't get in the way while transporting it.
Funny enough, with the 2021 version of the drone the weight of the FImi x8 has decreased from 790 grams to 765g, but it's still heavier than most drones released by DJI recently.
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There is plenty of competition for the price category of the FImi X8, but the most popular ones are the newly released DJI Mini 2 and the Mavic Air2.
So let's get a bit into detail how they differ and which one should you buy (with a table too).
Let's start with a simple table where we compare the 3. But as you might know, specs aren't everything, so I recommend you check the camera section for some real-world footage.
| Fimi X8 SE | DJI Mini 2 | Air 2 | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |  |  |  |
 | 4k 30p | 4k 30p | 40 60p |
 | 35min | 31min | 34min |
 | 8km | 10km | 10km |
 | 1 / 2.6“ sensor | 1 / 2.3“ sensor | 1/2" sensor |
 | Check Price | Check price | Check price |
As you can see in the table above, they're all amazing, and pretty close in terms of raw specs.
One feature I haven't shown in the comparison table is the weight and size difference.
I'll have to cover that in a youtube review soon.
The Mini 2 being a drone under 250g has to win this by a long shot. It's also more portable and quite resistand in the wind.
I do feel the Air 2 and the Fimi x8 SE to be a bit better in wind and with a more solid build though.
In terms of range, you really won't notice the difference between these 3.
Really I think you can't go wrong with any of these, but you need to take price and size into account, of course.
The camera on the Fimi X8 is quite stunning for the price, and the fact that it comes with a smooth 3 axis gimbal is simply amazing.
This might just be the best low budget competitor DJI has had in a while.
And what's best is that they improve on it with every new year!
During day time, it's really hard to tell the difference between this footage and any other high end drone.
You can even use ND filters for keeping a proper shutter speed, so it's quite well equipped for being a professional drone that can be used at weddings or events with total success.
Here's a video that shows sample footage and photos I took with the Fimi X8 so you can convince yourself about the ability of this quadcopter.
There was a problem initially with the footage having a slight blue tint, but I haven't seen it recently. It's probably gone since the last update.
Also, you can just as well adjust it in post-production.
The ISO can manually go up to 3200 or you can let it set on auto.
You can fully control every standard camera setting like shutter speed, EV, and more.
There's also white balance and color to play with.
Does it come with D-Log? (flat color profile)
There's an F-Log mode to record in if you want a flatter image that you can play around with more in post-production.
Yes you can!
And while taking them it also takes a JPG version for easier processing.
First of all, make sure to take photos in 4 by 3 format so it uses the whole 12 mp sensor.
The FImi can record in
There are quite a few accessories online for the Fimi x8, which means it can be used more professionally as a main drone and use it as an asset for your business.
Or at least I recommend getting a spare battery if possible.
The Xiaomi drones transmitters have always been really high quality, since the Xiaomi mi 4k, the Fimi a3 and now the X8, the same high quality design with hobby-grade sticks and an intuitive button scheme.
This time, the transmitter doesn't come with an included screen anymore, but it does connect to the phone though a cable.
It comes with the following button functions:
The extendable phone holder can fit absolutely any phone size that you can find on the market!
There are also connection cables for any type of phone, including apple, micro USB, micro USB C.
What size of tablet can fit in the controller?
The controller can safely fit an Ipad mini at the maximum range, which is about 8 inches.
There's a flight speed limitation in the app main menu that will let you fly up to 16m/s or 57 km/h.
You can lower that value if you want a smoother flight or if you're a beginner.
There's also height and flight distance limitations you can set from the app, as well as the Height of RTH.
Xiaomi FImi x9 does actually come with a sport mode that you can enable from the menu and it can allow you to go to up to 65km/h, it can be very useful if you want to get to a location fast, but remember it consumes the battery much faster than normal.
So if you want to conserve your battery when returning to home, make sure not to do it in sport mode.
The Five-Directional button can be customized from the app with a ton of different options.
I mainly use mine to reset the camera angle either facing down or forward
There's also the option to calibrate the gimbal and change the sensitivity settings by changing the pitch speed to lower so you get a more cinematic feel.
You can also change the low battery warning and set the RTH for when the battery is calculated to be enough only for Return to Home
In this section we're drawing the conclusions and reaching out to tutorials on how to fly it, where to buy it (cheapest or fastest) and much more.
I suggest you read till the end.
I own this drone myself and am not going to sell it even if I have a Mavic 2 pro, so I hope this says something about the reliability of it.
I think this quadcopter can fit in a wide range of uses and some people that could benefit from having it are:
There are a few places I recommend getting this drone from in this article and down bellow, they're all reliable, in my experience and I haven't had any issues with them so far.
The 3 most used ones by me personally are Amazon, Banggood and Geekbuying.
If you get it from Amazon it's going to be faster, but it's also usually more expensive. check the updated prices down bellow.
Hi, I'm a long-time drone reviewer and I hope my articles and comparisons on this site as well as Dronesgator's youtube channel are of as much help as possible.
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At the moment of writing this article, there is a black version of this drone coming soon.
On Geekbuying they call it the voyage version, as it also comes with an additional case and its' even cheaper than the standard one.
The same drone can be found on Banggood too.
