HoverAir Versa Review: $539 Gimbal Camera Doubles as Mini Drone
The HoverAir Versa, a $539 handheld gimbal camera that turns into a mini drone, gets a mixed hands-on verdict after a couple of weeks of testing. Sharp 4K footage and swappable batteries come with cramped controls, no obstacle avoidance and unclear US availability.
The HoverAir Versa, a $539 handheld gimbal camera that becomes a mini drone when a magnetic accessory is attached, comes with real convenience and several compromises, according to a hands-on review after a couple of weeks of testing. Its availability in the United States is unclear.
A camera first, a drone second
The Versa is a handheld gimbal camera in the vein of DJI's Pocket 4 or the Insta360 Luna Pro. Snap on the accessory and it flies. HoverAir's first drone, the Passport selfie drone, launched more than 10 years ago, but the Versa is the company's first handheld camera.
The camera shoots 4K at 60 frames per second with a 1/1.3-inch sensor. That sits between the Pocket 4's 1-inch sensor and the ½-inch sensor in DJI's Neo 2 for pixel size and low-light performance.
Other specs include 2x in-sensor zoom and a 10-bit HDR mode. H-Log, a flatter color profile for editing, is promised in a future update. The gimbal has three axes, one more than the Neo 2. Photos top out at 12 megapixels, and storage is 55GB, expandable by SD card.
HoverAir claims 17.5 stops of dynamic range, a selling point of DJI's pricier Osmo Pocket 4P.
Flying with the Versa
In drone mode the batteries are swappable, which is rare for a handheld gimbal camera. With the propellers on, the 1.64-inch screen shows a menu of preset flight patterns instead of the usual preview.
Downward sensors hold the drone's position and allow palm takeoff and landing. There is no obstacle avoidance. In follow mode the Versa tracks you from behind, but if it flies in front of you it cannot see what is behind it.
Where it falls short
The reviewer called the boxy handheld design unstylish and guessed that aerodynamics drove it. The screen is practical but cramped next to the larger 2-inch displays on the Osmo Pocket 4 and the Luna Pro.
HoverAir lists a 19mm-equivalent lens at f2.0, against f1.8/20mm on the Luna Pro and f2.0/20mm on the Osmo Pocket 4. That 1mm difference makes the Versa shoot noticeably wider. An ultra-wide mode gives an action-camera look. Zoom is either 1x or 2x, with nothing in between.
Footage is sharp and the gimbal smooths motion naturally, the reviewer said. Color is less natural than on the DJI and Insta360 rivals. Sky blues look heavily saturated in bright sunlight, and indoor white walls take on a slightly beige, warm cast.
US availability
A reversal by the FCC, the US communications regulator, has left the Versa's American availability in doubt. The reviewer said the handheld camera could arrive at some point, but the drone feature raises the same legal tangles that cleared shelves of DJI products in the US.
Most of the rest of the world, including Canada, will get the full kit.
