Review: Hands on With the Aerix Vidius HD

If you’re new to the world of drones, going straight in at the top end can be daunting. And that’s understandable. Suddenly having full control over a flying object costing hundreds/thousands of dollars takes some adjusting to. This week we’ve been trying out a drone that offers much of the fun of flight without the stress of knowing your seconds away from a very expensive accident: the Aerix Vidius HD.

About a year ago we tested out the standard Aerix (the then Axis) Vidius. It was a lot of fun, although there were issues regarding stability and image quality. But then it does only cost $65, so maybe that complaint is redundant with the price in mind. You get what you pay for when buying a drone. But even with those issues, the accessibility and pure joy of the original Vidius made the cheap outlay an absolute no-brainer. The latest Vidius HD promises to correct some of the issues of the original, but is still available for under $100.

So the first thing you might be wondering is what makes the new Vidius HD better than the original. To an extent the clue is in the name. The HD version has a high definition camera, up from 420p to 720p. Pilots should notice brighter colors, smoother images and a clearer line of sight than before. This upgraded video system is especially important given the Vidius HD’s other new feature: Goggle Mode. This is essentially FPV flight, and buyers can pay just $20 more for Aerix’s own VR goggles.

Read more: Challenges on the Horizon for the Consumer Drone Industry

The second main issue we had with the original Vidius was instability during flight. With the throttle controlling both the acceleration and the altitude, keeping the drone steady enough to take smooth photos and videos was difficult. The Vidius HD goes a long way to solving that problem, though. The new Altitude Assistance Module allows the pilot on the simple things. You can even put the controller down and the Vidius HD will hover in place – a feature that is normally restricted to much more expensive drones.

The Vidius also has built-in blade guards, which make the inevitable crashes a lot less likely to damage the drone or people/furniture.

So what about performance? For such a tiny drone we can’t complain with the 7 minutes of flight time. The battery takes less than half an hour to charge, so you never have to wait too long for the next flight. The new altitude assistance is what makes indoor flight incredibly easy. Anyone could pick this thing up and get to grips with the controls in no time. This, along with the addition of pre-programmed flips and tricks, means there’s plenty of fun to be had. For the purists out there, a ‘Headless Mode’ offers less help and more control.

Footage from the Vidius HD:

The only reservation we would have is the image quality we were able to get. It certainly doesn’t look like high definition. But to be honest, few pilots are going to be using this drone for serious photography. The flight stability and built-in flips are what the Vidius HD is all about, and as an inexpensive introduction to the world of drones you should look no further. Whether you’re just looking to practice before you buy something more serious or you’re looking for something kid-friendly, the Vidius HD is an accessible micro-drone that you won’t regret buying.

The Aerix Vidius HD is available on the company’s website – here – and costs $95.

If you’re looking for a middle ground between micro-drone and professional photography equipment, why not try out one of the selfie drones that’s recently hit the market, like the Dobby or Yuneec Breeze.