This is my fourth quadcopter, and a second RC vehicle of any kind to feature a recording video camera. Prior to this quadcopter I’ve used a “regular” small RC helicopter, and three different small quadcopters. That experience has prepared me well for all the perils and joys of RC multicopter flying. All of these RC ‘copters have been a great experience and preparation for the ultimate challenge of flying some of the more advanced modern RC multicopters.

If you’ve flown an RC helicopter before, the first thing you’ll notice when switching to the quadcopter is how stable and much more maneuverable a quadcopter is. This is, of course, one of the main advantages of having multiple rotating blades – it provides you with additional stability. Even so, you still need to use a decent amount of skill while flying this quadcopter. It will not spontaneously hover in place and it needs constant adjustment when it comes to its positioning. This is OK with me – as I’ve already mentioned, one of the primary uses of this quadcopter for me is as a training device for more advanced multicopters. In my case a few weeks of not-too-regular practice was sufficient to get the hang of it and feel very comfortable flying this thing under all sorts of conditions.

At first I was apprehensive about flying this quadcopter indoors – I was really concerned that it would hit all sorts of objects around my house and either break them or get itself damaged in the process. However, eventually I got over it and became really good about avoiding most major obstacles. I am still not good enough to be able to do some of the more demanding maneuvers, and probably never will be.

Flying outdoors is where the real fun lies with this quadcopter. Initially I tested it around my back yard, not venturing beyond my fence or much higher than the top of my house. Eventually I got bolder and let it soar high above at the point where I was hardly able to see it any more. The danger with this is that bringing it down can be really tricky, and I was unable to avoid a few crash landings. Fortunately for me, this quadcopter is fairly durable and was able to survive even some more hair-raising crashes.

This quadcopter comes with a set of replacement blades and a protective bumper. I’ve only slightly worn out the blades thus far, but I can see them needing a replacement before too long. I would strongly recommend getting an extra set of replacement blades down the road. From what I’ve seen on Amazon, most of them are shipped from China, so you might want to order them well in advance.

The video quality is pretty decent. This is a nice way of getting to see your neighborhood from above or getting a first taste of areal footage. However, video footage made with this quadcopter will probably not be of much interest to anyone except your family and friends, unless it gets to films something truly rare and remarkable. I have really had fun using the video feature and will continue to shoot videos with this thing.

This quadcopter is one of the most fun purchases I’ve made in a while. The prices of RC multicopters keep coming down, and there is an increasing number of manufacturers and vendors specializing in this product category. Syma X5SC still leaves a lot to be desired, but at this price point I can hardly think of a better RC quadcopter. You will definitely want to get a lot of experience with the cheaper quadcopters before you move onto something more serious. Because, you *will* eventually lose or crash one of these. There is just no way around it.

**** Product provided for review purposes. ****