Holy Stone/MJX X400C -An Entry Level FPV Drone

The Holy Stone X400C is an entry level FPV drone.  It is good for beginners that want something inexpensive and durable. The FPV works by live streaming video from your drone to your phone via WiFi using a free app that you can download for either iOS or Android. The drone itself is fairly quick and responsive.  Like many drones in this class, it does flips with a press of a button.  The X400 is a fun drone to fly. Keep in mind the Holy Stone X400C is a rebranding of the MJX X400. We will discuss that later in the article. The new MJX Version 2 of the X400 is probably the drone you want. They have worked out some of the kinks we experienced with the Holy Stone version.

The camera on the Holy Stone X400C isn’t the best. Unfortunately, most toy grade copters like this use cheap cameras, and this small drone is no exception. The camera is best used for FPV to position the drone for pictures and video, not for positional awareness or racing. Keep in mind that there is no gimbal, so your video and picture will move with your drone.

The FPV has some lag time, so flying this drone using FPV is nearly impossible. There is also a mode for 3D goggles.  It works, but the execution is poor.  You can use this drone to take decent pictures in good lighting, but the camera is the weak link on this drone. If you want good really nice aerial photos then you will need to invest in a professional grade drone.

The X400C comes with a set of prop guards, an extra set of props, a 3.7V 750mAh LiPo battery, the transmitter, a cell phone holder, and a pair of sunglasses.  Why does it come with sunglasses? We have no idea. They are lame sunglasses, not sweet Detour Sunglasses like the guys at Half Chrome wear.

Holy Stone or MJX?

The Holy Stone X400C is a rebranding of the MJX X400.  They are the same quadcopter. Holy Stone has built a decent reputation rebranding these Chinese manufactured drones and selling them on Amazon. Holy Stone basically purchases their drones in bulk in China then repackages them and sells them on Amazon. Their prices are typically a little higher, but they do have very good customer service. We have dealt with Holy Stone customer service when we fatally crashed our X400C. They replaced it for us with a previously returned item. We do not have any experience with MJX customer service.

The MJX version is typically less expensive, sometimes almost half the cost. We would recommend you go with the MJX if you want a better value, but Holy Stone if you value the comfort of decent customer service.

The transmitter on this drone is more complicated than it probably should be. It has two levers for right/lleft-handthrottle mode and both must be in the same position or the drone won’d bind. We may or may not have struggled with this feature… Also it typically starts in mode 4, which is not the typical setup for most transmitters. It is likely that you want mode 2. This drone does have three speeds. It is very stable in Beginner mode and is easy to fly. In Intermediate mode it gains speed and is very agile. Advanced mode triggers the “flip” mode when you use the right stick and is definitely a challenge to fly. Overall this drone was way too difficult to figure out how to operate. Syma has simplicity mastered; their small X5C-1 and larger X8W get our high praise for far simpler operation than this Holy Stone (MJX).

We tested two separate Holy Stone X400C. The first one operated as expected.  It flipped and streamed FPV video as you might expect. The headless mode and return home functions were spotty at best, but like a lot of toy grade quadcopters these features are overstated.  The second drone we received did failed to stream WiFi FPV and refused to flip on command. Perhaps it was because the second drone was a previously returned item, we do not really know.

We would recommend the MJX/HS X400 drone if you are looking for an agile FPV starter drone. It is more responsive and perhaps more fun to fly than the larger Syma X8W.  For its size it is a very stable drone. Know that this drone does have limitations with the FPV and you aren’t going to get good quality photos and video without a HD camera or a decent gimbal.  For the right price (when on sale) this is a good drone to start with.

Check out our unboxing, first impressions and comparison of the X400 vs. the Syma X8W, another FPV drone

Not sure what is the best drone for you???

No worries, Half Chrome Drones has you covered. Maybe you want an aerial photography drone, or maybe you want a fun toy. Want FPV? We’ve developed an advanced system to match you to the right drone. We call it our Half Chrome Drone Cipher™, go check it out. We also are constantly updating our Best Drones Now page to help you stay current.

Best Drones Now

Maybe you want us to do the work for you???

We’ve flown, crashed and taken pictures with a ton of drones. You want to know which one we think is best? Sure. Are you on a budget? Of course. We have three great articles breaking down the best drones in your budget. Check them out.

Best Drone Under $50

Best Drone Under $100

Best Drone Under $500

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