• The Hoverair X1 Promax is a drone built for any level of pilot, making it a perfect high-quality camera drone for beginner-level fliers.
• It has several pre-programmed flight patterns that help you shoot easy, smooth footage.
• It’s incredibly compact for a camera drone. Folded in half, it’s small enough to fit in a backpack side pocket.

Filming with a camera drone, whether you’re just fooling around or shooting footage for a film project at work, can unlock some truly mind-blowing cinematic opportunities. The problem is, it takes equally mind-blowing piloting skills to get the perfect shot. If you’re still earning your drone-flying wings or simply want a drone that can shoot decent footage easily, the Hoverair X1 Promax has built-in flight patterns that can make it happen.

This slightly larger, souped-up version of the Hoverair X1, which we’ve recommended for a while as our favorite portable drone, features a longer range, better wind resistance, and an 8K video camera. It falls neatly into that “prosumer” bucket; it’s too well-equipped to call it a toy, but may not deliver the same performance as a top-tier drone like the DJI Mavic 4 Pro, and its price tag reflects that truth.

Approached with that mindset, I found that the X1 Promax is a great middle ground for folks who want a drone that’s easy to use and get good footage for video projects, and doesn’t cost as much as professional-grade video gear.

Even after years of testing out drones, I’m still a far cry from a pro-level pilot. I can get ‘em up in the air and fly around, sure, but I still tend to have trouble with complex maneuvers or following a winding path to get a specific aerial shot. The X1 Promax helped me record some really fun footage cleanly and effectively, thanks to a set of 15 pre-programmed maneuvers that follow, circle, rise, or retreat with the press of a button.

Those movements range from basic standing orders, like the ability to follow you around or orbit around you, to complex flight paths like a rising spiral for sweeping shots of a solo subject in a beautiful landscape, or a dolly zoom shot where the drone moves forward while the camera zooms out, which has been used to iconic effect in movies like Jaws and Vertigo. There are also some action cam modes, including two specific settings for recording cycling and skiing.

Hoverair isn’t the only brand to offer programmable flight paths like this, but it is the most robust selection of flight patterns that I’ve come across. Depending on the task, it felt like I could almost put the X1 Promax on autopilot by stringing together pre-programmed flight modes. That’s a first for me.

Of course, manual control is still essential. You can pilot the drone with your smartphone through the Hoverair app, which is remarkably easy to use and has a pretty straightforward interface. Simply connect the drone, and choose a flight mode. Each flight mode button on the app comes with a small diagram and description showing off what the drone will do before you activate it.

The controls were responsive and nuanced: I could make small adjustments on my screen, and the drone would respond with an equally small, deliberate movement in almost real time. I had enough control to feel comfortable flying around through a neighborhood littered with trees and cars.

If you’re looking for something a bit more tactile, Hoverair also makes a dedicated joystick and beacon set that gives you more nuanced control, which you can purchase separately or buy in a bundle with the drone.

And durability is pretty important for any drone, big or small, but it’s especially crucial when it has sensitive components like a camera. When I did eventually crash the drone into a tree (because of course I did), the X1 Promax proved itself durable enough to take a hit.

That’s a big relief: With other drones I’ve tested, each crash had me holding my breath. Many have delicate plastic parts that, were they to take the brunt of the impact, would easily break off. The X1 Promax is not that type of drone. The propellers are tight to the body and surrounded by a cage-like exterior which protects them.

The body is made of a proprietary material that Hoverair calls highly elastic material, or HEM, which the company claims is lighter than carbon fiber. Holding it in my hands, the material feels like lightweight plastic, but is clearly far more flexible. I could bend the cage surrounding the propellers with a fair amount of force, and the frame quickly snapped back into place. And that means you can crash this thing into a brick wall and have it drop 10 feet onto concrete without taking any lasting damage.

The X1 Promax’s highly durable construction is impressive, but its compact design really stands out. Some drones have legs that fold into the body, but the wide, flat X1 Promax takes things a step further: The four rotors of the butterfly-shaped drone fold in over the center body, closing like a book. Once folded down, I was actually able to fit the entire drone in a large pocket on my coat. And since it weighs less than 200 grams, I barely even felt it while walking around. This was particularly impressive considering the upgraded camera and propellers only added around 70 grams in comparison to the standard X1.

The X1 Promax’s light build does come with one key drawback: You can only expect about 15 minutes of flight time on a single charge. That’s enough time to get one or two key shots, but may hold you back if you need it for a full day of filming.

One of the key upgrades I noticed right away when comparing the Promax to the original X1 was the camera quality. The Promax drone can shoot in up to 8K resolution, at up to 30 frames per second. While I would have preferred to also have the option to shoot at a higher frame rate for certain action shots, the overall clarity and quality of what the drone does offer is apparent.

In the actual footage I shot, I couldn’t put my finger on the exact difference in quality between the Promax and other drones I’ve tested, but every shot I filmed with the Promax looked vibrant. The colors were bold and the footage was clear. I could put it on a movie theater screen and I doubt I’d notice a pixel.

The Hoverair X1 Promax prioritizes portability, durability, and ease of use. On all three fronts, it succeeds. I have yet to use a drone with a lower skill threshold that still captures such high-quality footage. You’ll want to buy a few extra batteries if you’re using it for a serious film project, but even the poorest pilots among us will come home with a memory card full of professional-looking video.

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