The Eachine E58
can be described as a toy grade copy of the Zerotech Dobby
; they are a very similar size and shape when folded, and the power button is on the top on both. However, in terms of build quality, the Dobby is infinitely superior, as would be expected in view of the price difference!
But the Eachine E58 is a great entry level pocket selfie drone. It offers smooth and stable flying, and the fact that is it fun and easy to fly makes it great for beginners. The one key take off and landing features as well as the return to home button means that it virtually flies itself. It is also durable and very portable, it folds up easily and and is small and very quiet which makes it a very discreet drone.
The control range is good, up to 70 meters - you wouldn't want to fly it any further than this as the lights aren't very bright and you will lose sight of it being so small.
The Eachine E58 is shipped pretty much ready to fly. You will need to unclip the battery from the drone and charge it up with the included battery charger, which takes around 60 mins. Then clip it back in, unfold the arms, and turn on the drone, followed by the radio controller. Once the drone has synced to the controller you are ready to go, and the battery will give you around 6-8 mins of flight time. If you want to use the FPV function, and take video and pictures you will need to download the App and put your mobile phone into the phone holder on top of the controller.
Unfortunately the camera quality really lets the Eachine E58 down. It shoots video in 640 x 480 at 15 frames per second, so you really need good lighting conditions to take any passable footage. The video and pictures are recorded directly onto your phone.
Eachine E58 Spare Batteries
are readily available, as are Eachine E58 Spares
. The Eachine E58 is shipped with a spare set of propellers and the drone itself is fairly robust and durable so these should last you a while.
Our Verdict
This is a great little pocket selfie drone for the price, it is a nice easy machine to fly and is ideal to cut your teeth on before buying something more expensive. You can have fun with the selfie features but the footage is really only good enough quality for social media and small sized photos. Makes a great gift too!
