Parrot Bebop 1.0 Review
Whilst DJI has taken over as the undisputed king of the drone manufacturers, it is worth saying that their drones are not for everyone. I bought the Parrot Bebop 1.0 because it fit what I needed better.
Personally, before I purchased the Bebop 1.0, I was looking at drones that were cost effective as well as good for a beginners.
Mostly I was looking for a drone in that was durable and not too expensive cost wise but still had a good photo and video quality, similar to the DJI Spark or other drones in that category
I was also looking for a drone that could help me capture moments to share with people on my Instagram. I live in Israel and love diving, spearfishing, drone photography & underwater photography and want to share these experiences with others.
Finding the Parrot Bebop 1.0
I had seen the Parrot Bebop 1.0 online and started doing some research. The Bebop had good reviews, was within my price range and looked to be a very good drone for a beginner like myself.
Controlling the Parrot Bebop 1.0
The Bebop is small and compact. It can be controlled by a Parrot Sky Controller or by a smartphone through the Parrot FreeFlight Pro app (iTunes/GooglePlay).
Parrot’s FreeFlight Pro app is very easy to operate and great for beginner who wants to dip their toe into the world of drone photography.
One issue I have noticed with the FreeFlight Pro app is it has a tendency to crash or freeze sometimes. However, these crashes or freezes are uncommon and overall Parrot’s app works and functions as expected.
The crashes and freezing that the FreeFlight Pro app experiences are annoying but, the Bebop has a return to home function. This means that the drone will return to home and come back to its take off point automatically when it disconnects from the app.
As a beginner to the world of drone photography, this is not a fun experience.
Touching on the overall build quality of the Parrot Bebop 1.0, it is really sturdy. It is made from foam, strong plastic and fiberglass. I have had a few crashes with the drone but, as it is very durable, it has seen no lasting damage.
Parrot Bebop 1.0 Photo Quality
The Bebop 1.0 drone has a 14 megapixel camera and can record video in Full HD 1080p. It also have 3 axis stabilisation. All of this results in great quality video and photos.
I was surprised that the Bebop’s photo and video quality are as good as they are when you compare how much the drone costs compared to other drones in the market
I have included some examples of photographs and videos taken with the Bebop below.
A negative that I have about the Bebop is the lack of memory card slot. The drone has 8gb of internal memory but does not include the ability to extend that with SD cards.
This can be limit your record time in high quality and restrict the number of photos taken. It means I need to plan what I want to capture with more precision.
Instead of a phone, I actually use a Lenovo 7-inch tablet with the Sky Controller. The slightly larger screen is useful in seeing the details I am capturing.
Parrot Bebop 1.0 Battery Life & Flight Time
Per charge, you have approximately 12 minutes of flight time. Obviously, this changes depending on how you use the drone. If you are worried that this may not be long enough, you can purchase higher volume batteries that can double your flight time.
Accessories for the Bebop 1.0
When I bought the Bebop, I ordered a cover bag for it as well. The cover bag is durable, waterproof and keeps everything in place.
Additionally I got 5 additional batteries to keep my in the air longer.
You can also buy the Parrot Sky Controller for the Bebop. The Sky Controller upgrades your flight experience dramatically. It extends your flight range from 500m up to 2000m when compared to flying it with a smartphone. The Parrot Sky Controller also gives you joysticks for control, improving how manoeuvrable and responsive the drone is, and includes quick react buttons on the remote
Overall Reaction
My overall feedback on the Parrot Bebop 1.0 is it is a very comfortable and effective drone. It may lack additional storage and have limited flight time, but for a beginner like myself, I find it exceeded my expectations.
I’m very happy with the drone I chose. The Parrot Bebop 1.0 drone answered my criteria and met expectation and more.
Editing My Work
To edit my photos and videos in post production, I mainly use Quik (iTunes/GooglePlay) and Go Pro app. Both are very use friendly and simple to use.
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I had the Bebop 2. First drone. It was so much fun to fly. The video and pictures were OK. Lots of aliasing in video. Really bad in lowish-light situations.