Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

The 8XG is nearly identical in physical size to the Phantom 3. This is truly an excellent investment in a 'toy grade' quadcopter that will teach you how to truly fly a quadcopter of this airframe size without smart assistance. Knowing how to truly fly your quad without relying on the technology to do it for you is something that WILL save your a$$ one day when the technology goes wrong (and it will.) There is something to be learned by practicing with a quad on a breezy day that cannot hold it's own position in space. Simply learning to hover with a 'dumb quad' like this will provide you an invaluable experience to draw upon as you move forward with your skills. You'll also become tethered to your machine because flying LOS Line Of Sight is the only option! If you think you feel anxiety flying your Phantom to 300' now, try doing it with a dumb quad and compare the experience. Flying the X8G is an experience (a good one) once you become comfortable and familiar with how it responds. I own a Phantom 3 as well and I still enjoy taking the X8G out as it is just a completely different flight experience - you are constantly more involved in piloting your craft the entire time. The 8XG features 'headless mode', which is excellent for beginners to become acquainted with controlling their quad's orientation. I've lightly crashed this quad several times throughout the time I've owned it while honing my skills and it has held-up very well. It would be nice if the prop guards that are included were a little more robust, but that's the only 'complaint' I have about build quality. I'm still on the original props, if that says anything. The 1080P camera is actually pretty decent for an offering in this price range. It will also help you perfect your skills as you learn to keep the camera on your point of interest while maintaining frequent stick inputs. Don't expect buttery smooth video as this is a direct mount camera (no gimbal system.) Regardless, you can take some beautiful pictures and video if you learn how to properly fly it. (example attached) Battery charge time SUCKS (which is par for the course in this category) so I'd recommend getting an extra battery or two to extend your flight times. I highly recommend people to take a stepped approach to this hobby. Save yourself A LOT of money and learn how to fly before making a major investment in technology like the excellent DJI Phantom series. Making mistakes while learning on this Quad is much easier to swallow than when you invest $1000+ into a hobby. Parts are widely available on Amazon and are cheap.