In this comparison between the Hubsan Zino Mini Pro vs Xiaomi Fimi x8 Mini we’ll take a look if the two biggest DJI competitors in the under 250g segment are worth it and which one is better.
I do think the Hubsan Zino is better (surprisingly, since I’m a Xiaomi fan) and you’ll see in this article why that is.
You can also check my comparison between the Zino Mini and the DJI Mini 2 in a new tab.
There is a big point to be made regarding the weight of these drones, and that is, the Fimi x8 Mini does have a bad surprise in store for us.
Even though both these drones are created to be under 250g drones, the Fimi x8 has 2 battery configurations, and it weighs differently depending on the battery choice.
The basic model comes with a heavier battery that makes the drone 260 grams in total and can fly for 30 minutes, while the “pro” battery version can fly for 31 minutes and weighs under 250 grams.
So if you want to have a drone under 250 grams (which you most probably do, since you’re comparing these two drones), go for the Pro version of the Fimi x8 or the Zino Mini Pro instead.
The Zino Mini pro is also 249 grams by default, which makes things way simpler, and what’s more, it can fly for a stunning 40 minutes, which already widens the gap between these two drones.
What were you thinking Xiaomi...
The Price comparison is where things are going a bit in the favor of the Fimi x8 Mini, because it costs just $399 for the standard version.
The Pro version that’s under 250 grams isn’t officially released at the time I’m writing this article, so we can only estimate how much it would cost.
But I would say an additional $50 on top.
This would make them similar in price, but the Zino does come with an additional Micro SD card, and somehow makes the price go to $549.
It’s pretty obvious these two drones copy the design from the DJI Mini 2 and if you don’t want to be in the DJI ecosystem for some reason, this is perfect to try some new drone manufacturers.
These two are great for casual users who want to travel with their drone, and fly them in most countries without the fear of having to register or getting in trouble.
They’re both great tiny quadcopters, but I’d say the Hubsan Trumps the Fimi X8 mini in this case in terms of specs, but let’s see why in the following points I’ll make.
In this section we’ll look at some of the main specs someone would be interested in when purchasing these two drones, and mainly at the difference in the cameras.
The cameras of these two drones differ quite a lot, and it’s surprising what Hubsan has managed to include in the mix.
The sensor size makes a huge difference in low light shooting and how good quality the footage is in some cases. There’s a lot of other factors, but this is one of the more frequently brought up in camera talk.
Now let’s see what each of these bring to the table.
The Xiaomi Fimi x8 comes with a 1 /2.6” sensor, which is slightly smaller than the Mini 2 from DJI, and that’s decent, if you’re planning to always shoot in perfect daylight.
However, if you want a more flexible shooting schedule, like maybe capturing sunsets or even a night time city landscape, you’ll get too much noise for the photo or video to be usable in a professional setting.
The highest sensor size we have seen so far in foldable drones like the Mavic Series is a 1 inch sensor, and the closer we get to that the better.
The Hubsan Zino Mini Pro on the other hand is in another league!
It comes with a 1 /1.3” sensor size which is huge compared even to the DJI drones, and the company is bragging to be great even for nighttime photos, and for a good reason.
It won’t remove the noise altogether, but it is leaps and bounds better than what Xiaomi is offering us, and for a similar price.
Another point for Hubsan!
One way in which the Xiaomi Fimi x8 Mini shines is the HDR video and how it can be used for a better exposure in daylight, so you don’t get an overblown sky for example.
The Zino doesn’t come with HDR video, but instead with HDR photos, which are the same thing but in photo format.
Both drones come with a zoom in feature in the app, however, the Zino Mini comes with lossless zoom too (which means it’s optical zoom and it doesn’t lose quality).
The overall total combined zoom ( digital and optical) is 6x for the Hubsan Zino Mini.
The Fimi X8 Mini comes with 3x zoom in the app, and it’s only digital, so it basically zooms in the 4k video to get a 1080p image.
The zoom mode is great for search and rescue operations and it makes it great to fly farther away from subjects and not disturb them (like animals or your neighbors).
In this case, the Hubsan has the definite advantage yet again.
Bitrate measures how much information is captured in each frame, so a higher bitrate might mean a better post processing experience and more details in the video.
The standard for drones lately is 100 Mbps, and that’s probably why Xiaomi Fimi x8 mini comes with exactly 100.
However, in contrast, Hubsan chose to destroy these limits with a 200 Mbps camera.
Now, the difference between these might seem large, but we’ll have to compare them in a side by side video to actually decide which one is better.
Let's take a look at the transmitter, what the maximum range is for these two drones and how that impacts the performance of each.
The Zino Mini Pro controller looks a lot like the old DJI Mavic series controller, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing, but I must admit the Xiaomi Fimi X8 Mini has the better looking and feeling controller.
Xiaomi always had great controllers for their drones, and this one is no exception. I think it’s actually even better and more compact than DJI ones.
The Zino mini Pro can stream video in 1080p to the phone directly, making it better for using with a larger tablet instead of just a phone, and seeing more details in your footage.
The Fimi x8 livestreams 720p, just like the Dji mini 2.
There’s a pretty big difference in terms of range too, considering the Fimi x8 mini can fly as far as 8 km and the Hubsan Zino Mini can fly for 10 km.
In theory, both are absolutely great, but a longer range also means a stronger signal and that means it’s easier for the signal to penetrate obstacles like trees or buildings.
Both the Zino Mini Pro and the Fimi X8 Mini come with Follow me and plenty of interesting flight modes.
The Zino Mini Pro comes with front and backward obstacle sensors, just like a Mavic Air 2 for example, and it’s quite a wonder they managed to include those in there alongside a larger sensor and still keep the drone under 250 grams.
The Fimi x8 does have bottom sensors for a more precise landing and hovering at low heights, but so does the Zino.
For people interested in more industrial applications for their drone, the Hubsan Zino does come with a $1500 version that includes a thermal camera, for inspections, which is quite surprising and makes me curious about the future of professional drones.
Between the Zino Mini Pro versus the Fimi X8 Mini, I would definitely pick the Zino, as it trumps pretty much every drone under 250 grams in terms of every spec possible, and even more so the underwhelming Fimi X8 MIni.
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