The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free.
If you have a man on your shopping list for Father’s Day who loves adventures, going fast, climbing, loves heights and see the world from a different perspective, I have the perfect Father’s Day gift for you! Best Buy is the destination for drones, including the new Solo™ by 3DR. Now is the time to explore for Father’s Day.
The Solo™ is more than just your typical remote-controlled drone; it is a Smart Drone, but what does that mean? The Solo™ has been created for both beginners and experts, it has a video game style controller which includes one-button, automatic flight controls including take off, land and return home. And like every other video game controller, this one comes with a pause button, in case things start getting out of control the Solo™ will stop midflight.
But wait, there’s more; if flying around your very own drone wasn’t enough the Solo™ was built to capture video and photography with your GoPro camera. The screen on top of the controller is your smart phone or tablet; you can download the free full-featured app for both iOS and Android. You can even control your GoPro, change how the controller responds to commands and change the color of Solo’s LED lights directly from the app on your device. All this combines to make the Solo™ an all-in-one drone that offers live streaming of HD video from your GoPro directly to your mobile device. (GoPro sold separately)
When you are watching a movie and you see a gorgeous aerial shot panning across a beautiful landscape, most likely it was filmed by a helicopter or a drone pilot that had years of experience. With the Solo™ you can do it too. There are 4 Smart Shooting modes built into the Solo™: Cablecam, Orbit, Selfie and Follow Me.
Cablecam: You know how when you are watching a football game and you see that camera on cables above the field going back and forth capturing all the action from above? That is was the Cablecam mode does. You fly the Solo™ to the first point and press a button, then you fly to the second point and press a button, and the Solo™ is locked onto a virtual cable between those two points. Then, using just one stick on the controller, you can move the Solo™ up and down the virtual cable. With that taken care of you can focus on the camera while the drone stays in steady flight. Solo™ can even memorize your first and last view and pan the camera between them.
Orbit: Solo™ can automatically circle a subject, keeping the camera pointed inward to capture a wraparound shot. You can adjust the circle’s radius to get the exact view you want.
Selfie: It’s always funny to see people stretching their arms as far as they can to get the ‘perfect’ selfie. The Solo™ takes it to the next level. With just one touch, the Solo™ will fly up and away, keeping the camera centered on you so the scenery around you expands in a dramatic aerial shot.
Follow Me: This is for those adventure seekers out there that can’t be bothered with holding a camera on a selfie stick. The Follow Me mode allows you to go completely hands-free. The Solo™ can follow where you go, automatically keeping the camera on you to capture your every move.
All of these modes allow you to create professional shots right out of the box regardless if you are a beginner or pro. What makes all this ease of use possible is that the Solo™ runs on two 1 GHz computers — one on the Solo™ itself and one in the controller. The Solo™ is the perfect gift for the up-and-coming videographer that wants to take their videos to the next level or that great adventurer that wants to have video proof of all the of all their grand adventures.
You can get your hands on Solo™, the Smart Drone at Best Buy for $999. There are some limited time offers available for you: Get a FREE Solo Smart Battery (Reg. Price: $149.99) when you purchase the 3DR Solo Drone. Valid 6/7-7/11 at Best Buy. (Disclaimer: Offer valid with purchase of the 3DR Solo Drone SKU: 5351035)
Father’s Day is Sunday, what awesome gift will you be bringing home?
