Syma X5C (-1) Quadrocopter test and product report

If you are looking for a quadrocopter similar to the DJI in terms of design for the small purse, the Symy X5C quadrocopter is the right choice. It has a height of 8 cm and is about 31 cm wide and 31 cm long. Thus it belongs purely optically already to the medium sized models.

The drone only costs around 50 € and offers you a lot of flying fun for a small amount of money.

The manufacturer Syma Toys is based in China and is not so well known in our country. Syma used to develop more model helicopters in the past and has now also entered the drone market.

The Syma X5C looks quite similar to the Dji Phantom 3 drone. The low price and the quite stable flight characteristics make the X5C a beginner-friendly model.

We recommend every beginner to fly in the fresh air on a large field or other large area for the first time. Although the drone can also be steered comfortably through the apartment and a rotor protection is also available, but if someone should not be familiar with the control of a Dohne, it can come to a collision indoors faster than a loved one is!

What makes the drone even more special: It can do somersaults and somersaults and thus provides a lot of fun!

Scope of delivery

The scope of delivery is relatively manageable. Everything is well packed, so that nothing can be damaged during shipping.

The following items are included:

• Syma X5C drone
• Remote control without batteries
• HD camera
• Propeller
• Instruction manual
• Adapter or charger
• Tool

Syma X5C drone: Technical details

With the technical details you should keep in mind that the drone costs only about 50 € and is therefore hardly comparable with other models!

And this brings us to something that we did not like that much: The flight time of only about 8 minutes!

The Syma X5C takes about 60 minutes to fully charge and then flies for only 8 minutes! This is actually a joke. But for this price and all the other technical refinements, it’s perfectly ok!

Because the battery can be replaced. Just add a few more. The batteries don’t cost too much and so you can extend the flight time as much as you like if you make a stopover and change the battery every now and then! The drone also warns you in time when the battery charge is nearing its end.

You can buy 5 Syma X5C batteries with 1.200 mAh each for just 20-30 € more. Whole 5 pieces! With this you can fly for half an hour.

The Syma X5C has a HD camera, which has only 2 MP, which is a real pity, but for the price to have a camera on the drone at all is really rare, so this is already complaining on a high level! Nevertheless we must mention it: The photo and video recordings are not very high quality!

What is also clear in the price segment: The Syma X5C Quadrocopter does not have a gimbal system. So the camera is firmly attached to the drone and unfortunately does not balance flight movements or changes in position in the air due to gusts of wind. So the picture always wobbles a little bit during video recordings.

However, the drone itself has a 6-axis stabilization system. This makes it especially easy for beginners, because they do not have to balance the drone manually. With this system, the Syma X5C is quite safely in the air.

Which is a little annoying because the drone is a little heavier in the air with the propellers than without. So if you are out in the open where there are no obstacles to fly against it, we recommend that you remove the propeller protection.

The range of about 90 meters is completely okey for the price and especially good for beginners. However, if you are already a bit advanced, you will probably want to fly a bit further away. You will need to dig a little deeper and buy one of the DJI models or a Parrot drone. We especially like the DJI Mavic, Phantom 4 and also the Parrot Bebop 2.

Once again all technical data at a glance:

• Dimensions: 31cm x 31cm x 8cm
• Weight: about 100 g
• Camera: HD with 2 MP
• Storage medium: 2 Gb SD card
• Remote control: 2,4 Ghz – does not require a smartphone
• Range: about 90 meters
• Battery: Lipo 3.7 Volt 500 mAh
• Charging time: 60 minutes
• Flight time: 8 minutes

Syma X5C Remote Control

For the Syma X5C remote control you don’t need an extra app or smartphone or any other device to control the drone!

It is controlled with a normal 2.4 Ghz radio control system with a small integrated display. However, this is not a color display suitable for FPV flights, but a display for certain control settings and the battery charge level!

The remote control is handy and very easy to use. With the left stick you control the drone in its flight altitude and rotation around its own axis. With the right stick you control the movements in the plane, i.e. forward, backward and sideways.

Camera of the Syma X5C

As already mentioned, the drone has an HD camera with 2 MP. It can take photos and videos with it. The data is stored on an SD card, which you can simply insert into the drone.

Unfortunately, you can’t transmit the flight shots live to the screen or your smartphone. FPV flying is not possible with the Syma X5C. However, the recording quality is quite ok for flight beginners, but could be much better, but for a 50 € drone this is already a very good performance.

Syma X5C flight characteristics

With a weight of just about 100 g, the Syma X5C is somewhat susceptible to wind. In very strong winds, you might want to fly indoors rather than outdoors!

Otherwise, the Syma X5C flies through the air very calmly. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have any safety features such as obstacle detection or the Return To Home function as is the case with the DJI Mavic Pro!

What we find very nice is the LED lighting. This makes it easier for beginners to recognize the drone in the air.

Conclusion on the Syma X5C

For the price of just 50 € you get a real beginner-friendly drone with great features like photo and video recordings and 3D somersaults.

Advanced pilots will rather have less fun with this model aircraft. Especially if you are used to larger drones, the Syma X5C seems more like a toy, the low range of about 90 meters does the rest.

Nevertheless you get a drone with camera for so little money. If you have never flown a drone before, you can try it with this model without big financial risks.

Flying with the small quadrocopter feels quite safe, but in stronger gusts of wind you should rather land again.

When buying the Syma X5C, keep in mind that it makes sense to buy more batteries, as the flight time with the battery is only about 8 minutes ex factory. With a battery that has a higher charge storage capacity, the flight time can be extended even further. With a Lipo S1 750 mAh battery for example, you can fly about 11 minutes with one battery charge instead of 6.

The drone can be controlled in 2 different flight modes:

• L Mode (suitable for beginners)
• H Mode (For advanced users)

We recommend to fly in L mode for the first time to get familiar with the drone and its flight behaviour. In L Mode the drone is a little slower and slower. This is a good thing, because fast control commands can have fatal consequences if you don’t know what you are doing.

The landing gear and rotor guard are removable, making the Syma X5C even faster and more manoeuvrable in the air. Agile and manoeuvrable, it is already so, because it has such a low weight.

What we also like are the positioners, which give enough light even at dusk to start a flight in the evening.

All in all, the Syma X5C drone is a very inexpensive aircraft, which we can recommend to every beginner, but for professionals it is rather less suitable! Nevertheless a great beginner model!