Ahh… Selfies… I really hated them back in the day when they first became popular. Truth be told, that’s mostly because all those “popular” chicks became so obsessed with them that it simply killed all the selfie fun for me.
But, nowadays, selfies have evolved and adapted to the modern world. Nowadays, everyone takes them and everyone loves them. It’s a whole another story than what was the case a couple of years back. With that being said, the fact that the drones’ market is becoming flooded with pocket selfie drones comes as no surprise.
Selfie drones – scroll down to :
– TOP 10 Small Selfie Drones
– How to take a perfect drone selfie
– Selfie drones FAQ (Very helpful)
These mini selfie drones are characterized by their small size (plus they’re usually foldable as well which makes them perfect traveling companions), solid camera and ease of use. Even though they have just started to grow in popularity, there are already a bunch of models available on the market.
Table : What is the best selfie drone ?
| Image | Name | Camera | Range | Time | Best Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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10. GDU Byrd 1.0 | 4K | 1000m | 30 min | See price now |
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9. Baby Elfie | 720p | 100m | 7 min | See price now |
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8. GI FOLLOW | 4K | 100m | 20 min | See price now |
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7. WingsLand S6 | 4K | 100m | 10 min | See price now |
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6. Zerotech Dobby | 13MP | 100m | 8 min | See price now |
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5. Xiro Xplorer Mini Selfie drone |
13MP | 100m | 8 min | See price now |
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4. Yuneec Breeze | 4K | 1000m | 12 min | See price now |
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3. Hover Camera | 4K | 20m | 8 min | See price now |
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2. DJI Spark | 1080p | 2000m | 15 min | See price now |
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1. DJI Mavic Pro | 4K | 7000m | 26 min | See price now |
What makes the best selfie drone?
Getting a drone that will suit all of your needs can be tricky, especially if that need is for selfies. But still, since this is an informative portal, I am going to help you with that. So, if you want to purchase a new selfie drone there are 3 things you should keep in mind:
10. GDU Byrd Premium 1.0
Design
This amazing drone occupies a small amount of space when folded… but in its full might, you’ll be witnessing a giant in every sense of that word. That’s primarily due to huge landing legs that fold separately from the motor arms.
So, even though it can clock in at close to 35mph, it will seem a lot faster thanks to its massive size. The plastic used in the manufacturing process seems sturdy and not prone to breaking. However, due to its mass, I suspect falling from high altitudes will result in a complete havoc.
Performance
As far as the performance of this beast drone is concerned, I’d say it fairs quite well with competitors such as DJI Mavic Pro. Starting off with the flight duration, you will be positively surprised by what this 6700mAh battery is capable of doing. Believe it or not, it can achieve close to half an hour of constant flying. Plus, the operating range is no slack either – you will be getting somewhere around 1 kilometer. While this is no match to DJI’s OcuSync, it still comes as a good number matching other competitors.
Final words
One thing we still haven’t discussed is the camera. GDU Byrd Premium 1.0 sports a 12MPX CMOS sensor by Sony. 4K resolution is supported which means you’ll get to enjoy smooth and crystal clear ultra HD aerial footage. Smooth because this baby packs a 3-axis gimbal as well. All in all, for a price of slightly under $1,000, I believe GDU Byrd Premium 1.0 has good credentials for making it big in the high-end tiers.
9. JJRC H37 Baby Elfie
Cheap selfie drone
JJRC H37 Elfie was a major toy-grade pocket selfie drone success that must have brought JJRC a ton of profit. Encouraged by just that, they’ve decided to up their game and have come up with Baby Elfie, an even better toy-grade flying selfie camera drone that could give you a couple of clues on what the aerial selfie game is all about. Driven by those words, we couldn’t resist but to take a closer look at it!
Performance
Performance-wise, JJRC H37 doesn’t fail to deliver by any means. This cheap drone can fly approximately 6 to 7 minutes thanks to its 1S battery. Charging, on the other hand, isn’t brilliant since it takes roughly an hour or so for a full battery charge. Operating range is fine considering the price tag. You will be getting approximately 50 to 100 meters which is a good rough number for this price point.
In terms of features this birdie brings to the table, there’s altitude hold and one key return, but don’t get your hopes up since they are not GPS based. Still, such a thing would be just too much to ask from a tiny toy-grade model such as this one.
Camera
The original JJRC H37 Elfie sports a mere VGA camera that is not really that good when it comes to shooting decent aerial selfies. However, this new cheap selfie drone Baby Elfie fixes that with a 720p-ready sensor which does its work with better marks. However, there is no software or hardware stabilization so some vibrations are bound to happen. That’s the case with all other toy-grade drones so there’s no point deducted because of it. All in all, JJRC H37 Baby Elfie seems like a solid model. As such, I believe it is definitely worth dropping a look especially for beginners who never touched a drone in their life.
8. GeniusIdea Follow
Innovations
As stated above, GeniusIdea is a highly innovative drone. First of all, we should put the focus on the building material. We are talking about a highly durable (and bendable) rubber-like material that can take quite a beating. It was not only used for making the drone’s body but for its propellers as well.
Thanks to such a resistant materials, GI Follow is pretty much indestructible. Now, now… don’t go trying to destroy your drone to prove me wrong. The second innovation with GI Follow is surely the unconventional battery choice. Unconventional because 99% of the market uses LiPo batteries and the folk over at GI decided to go with 18650 ones. Good news – they’re insanely cheap.
Bad news – if you want a proper flight time I suggest going for top brands… otherwise the performance will greatly suffer. Which leads us to the next segment…
Performance
Even through it’s not the best selfie drone available, GeniusIdea Follow spots a 4K-ready camera with digital image stabilization. Unfortunately, this only works in full HD so 4K is apparently a no-go for smooth videos/photos. Don’t let this drive you away since the image quality in FHD seems more than appropriate for the price. As for the specs, GI Follow has approximately 100 meters operating range and flies anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes, depending on your batteries.
Lastly, it is equipped with GPS as well as supporting features including Follow (as if the name did not imply this), Face Recognition, Gestures and more.
7. Wingsland S6 – Cheap Selfie drone
Within the next few paragraphs, you will have the chance to read more about this flying selfie camera as well as general flight performance. So, without much further adue, let’0s see what does Wingsland S6 bring to the table!
Camera and features
First off, this little birdie supports an outstanding 4K UHD camera with WiFi app control. The quality is outstanding, as well as the various autonomous flight modes which can come in handy more often than not. Regarding its features, Wingsland S6 is not shy by any means – return to home, follow me, orbit around me are just some of them that you will end up using on a daily basis. This is especially true for the latter which performs amazingly for selfies.
Specifications
You’re worried that it’s too heavy and you won’t be able to carry it around wherever you go? Well, there is no reason to worry since this little fella weighs less than a pound. Yup, you read that correctly! Lastly, I guess I need to say a word or two about the battery duration and operating range. Airtime goes as long as 10 minutes while the operating range isn’t shy at close to 100 meters. So, all things considered, I think you will agree with me when I say that Wingsland S6 can very well be the ultimate DJI Spark alternative. 100 meters (12 drones with longest operating range).
6. Zerotech Dobby – Pocket selfie drone
Small selfie drone
As some of you already figured out by now, these new selfie drones all kind of look similar to each other… and nothing different can be said about Zerotech Dobby either. It’s a flashy, glossy white drone with a beautifully designed foldable layout.
When it is folded, it easily fits into your pocket without you having to worry about breaking it (bendgate confirmed!). Is this the only good thing about Dobby? Not by a long shot!
Camera
The most important thing of every selfie drone is its camera, and it is pretty safe to state that Dobby does not disappoint in that department. With its 13MPX built-in camera, it is able to capture high-quality aerial footage… and most importantly – crystal clear selfies that will be the main talking point of your next family gathering.
What’s even better, this tiny flying selfie camera has some interesting features that are quite rare to see with drone cameras – facial recognition and drone target tracking. These will ensure you always get the perfect selfie no matter how clumsy you are when it comes to actually maneuvering with the drone itself.
Performance
Specification-wise, the battery kind of disappoints with its up cca 8 minutes of juice. This is not a huge downside considering other new selfie drones out there (10 minutes on average), but generally speaking, I was expecting a bit more. On the bright side, the flight range is much better, hovering around 100 meters which is way more than you will ever need for a proper aerial selfie. Also, this is sort of a standard for this drone market section so there’s no need for complaints.
5. XIRO Xplorer Mini selfie drone
Now, its selfie successor, the XIRO Xplorer Mini selfie drone aims to take the market by storm with similar tactics. So, what does it have to offer to selfie lovers from all around the globe? Well, I guess there’s only one way to find out…
Camera
Even though it does not have a 4K drone camera like the 2 last selfie drones in this list (Wingsland S6 and Zerotech Dobby), it is still capable of providing you with quality aerial shots with its 13mpx FHD camera with 190-degree lens. It works with both Android and iOS devices and supports FPV transmission which, of course, allows you to see from your camera’s perspective in real time.
Features
The biggest selling point of this drone is its visual positioning system which relies on dual navigation from GPS and GLONASS. This will ensure it has pinpoint accuracy whether its flying indoor or outdoor, especially when combined with features such as auto return to home, lost connection protection and one-click media sharing. All of these features might seem boring at first, but if you end up buying this drone, you will realize just how useful they really are.
Specifications
XIRO Xplorer Mini runs on a 1650mAh LiPo battery which can provide approximately 15 minutes of flight time. Considering the average flight time with mid to high tier selfie drones is 10 minutes, It’s safe to say XIRO Xplorer is above average in this department. However, the operating range doesn’t share the same trait and falls on the standard 100 meters. Despite that, XIRO Xplorer Mini is still worth every penny!
4. Yuneec Breeze – affordable selfie drone
Small selfie drone
Breeze is basically Yuneec’s entrance to the mini selfie drone market. This gorgeous little fella is not only blessed with an excellent design but with lightweight and foldability too. Specifications should not be left out of the equation since they’re more than decent, especially for the price this little fella goes for.
Performance
The 4K camera is leading the charge with a miniature lens located at drone’s tip. Don’t let its small size fool you though as it’s able to shoot outstanding aerial selfies any day of the week. Specifications-wise, you’re looking at approximately 12 minutes of flight time and 1 kilometer of range.
Top speed isn’t far off either, clocking in at roughly 35km/h. FOr such a small drone, this is more than a welcome addition. However, if you are looking for something with extreme speed on its side, then take a closer look at AirDog ADII which is listed as the honorable mention.
Features and design
When you take a closer look at its features, then you’ll begin to understand that Yuneec Breeze is a proper flying selfie camera drone. With 5 smart flight modes including a Selfie Mode, you’ll be able to take all sorts of magnificent aerial selfies that’ll amaze everyone following you on social media.
Final words on Yuneec Breeze
In the end, I would just like to point out one more thing and that’s weight. Believe it or not, Yuneec Breeze weighs less than a pound and is rather compact (when folded), allowing it to fit into virtually any type of backpack or purse. That makes it ideal drone for travel. All in all, Yuneec Breeze is definitely one of the best selfie drones available on the market.
3. Hover Camera – Pocket selfie drone
Performance
Before I start splashing you down with numbers, you should know that Hover Camera is built specifically for selfies and nothing more than that. It cannot do any sort of exploration and the suggested maximum operating distance is 20 meters. More than enough for selfies but nowhere near any exploration capabilities. Furthermore, the flight time of this birdie goes from 8 to 10 minutes which is just below the standard. However, the package gets you 2 batteries which means you’ll have roughly 15 to 20 minutes of flight time with 1 pit stop.
Camera
Hover Camera boasts with a miniature (tiltable) CMOS imaging sensor that can shoot outstanding 4K aerial videos. Unsurprisingly, the frame rate has been capped at 30 frames per second. Salt to the wound, HD and FHD are also capped at 30fps which means you’ll have to be satisfied with console-friendly framerates. If that’s not a big issue for you, then I can warmly recommend going for Hover Camera, if not for its actual camera then surely for its autonomous flight capabilities. It does a great job with taking selfies, but then again, it would be surprising if it failed the only thing it was created for…
2. DJI Spark – small selfie drone
Small selfie drone
If you’re a DJI fanboy then I am sure you’ve already heard about the DJI Spark pocket selfie drone. This amazing new drone is the talking point of entire drone industry and there’s no way you could’ve missed its announcement. So basically, we are talking about the smallest DJI drone yet… yup, even smaller than the Mavic Pro.
The specifications are nowhere those on Mavic but are still respectable nevertheless. If you ask me, this is pretty much the second try for DJI to squeeze themselves into the selfie drone market. Even though the initial job of Mavic Pro was just that, with such a huge price tag the majority of selfie market was driven away to cheaper alternatives… But it did not last for very long before DJI came up with the perfect solution of their own…
Performance
That’s where the Spark kicks in. With a very aggressive price tag and excellent specifications, this could indeed be another major success for the drone giant. 2 kilometers of range and cca 15 minutes of flight time, in addition to the FHD camera, make up for an awesome package that’s already available for pre-orders. With all that being laid out on the table, the Spark could be set for this holiday’s selfie season. We know they’re just around the corner and I’m certain DJI Spark sales will start incresing at a much higher rate.
Features
“DJI Spark mini selfie drone” has access to ActiveTrack and TapFly among other smart flight modes available from the DJI GO App. However, it supports gesture control too. More precisely, PalmLaunch and PalmControl features seem like great finishing touches, allowing you to control this birdie with just your bare hands. If that’s not enough to drive you towards buying DJI Spark, then I don’t know what else to say…
1. DJI Mavic Pro
So, if you’re not only looking for a good selfie drone but for a sophisticated aerial platform that can be used for various other things, then DJI Mavic Pro is defintiely an option worth looking into.
Performance and Features
With its 7 kilometers of seamless operating range, and roughly 65km/h top speed, Mavic Pro makes sure to point out that it can be used for much more than just plain selfie shots. For instance, with such fast top speed, it can even be used for casual drone racing at the local park; and with such a huge range, it can even serve as a surveillance drone that can make sure there are no intruders on your farm or property. It is, of course, poised with quality features such as ActiveTrack and TapFly, which will allow you to concentrate more on taking the perfect shot than controlling the actual drone.
Camera
DJI Mavic Pro is an excellent aerial photography platform thanks to the amazing 4K ready camera with its own dedicated 4-axis gimbal. Smallest one in the world actually. Needless to say, it’s capable of delivering professional-grade footage… toe to toe with Phantom 4 which is a full sized flagship quadcopter by DJI. That’s all thanks to the 1/2.3-inch 12MPX sensor found inside. It does its job in an astonishing manner.
Final words on DJI Mavic Pro
And last but not least, it is important to mention that the Mavic Pro comes with obstacle avoidance and dual GPS+GLONASS positioning system, which, on top of its 27-minutes in-air-endurance, make up for an outstanding all-around drone that will definitely find its way into the hearts of many.
Honorable Mention
AirDog ADII
Even though AirDog ADII is not a flying selfie camera oriented drone, it can still serve the purpose of selfie drones as good as any other model from the list above. This high-speed beast delivers across all departments, especially when it comes to extreme outdoor sports.
Athlete-oriented
That’s mostly because AirDog ADII is oriented towards athletes who require a fast drone to follow them around and record their reckless moves. This is further helped by the highly innovative controller called AirLeash. Mind you, we are not talking about a classic handheld controller. Nope! AirLeash delivers a handsfree controlling experience as it straps around your wrist or biceps. Plus, it’s easy to use and best of all – it is completely waterproof. So, for all you water sports lovers reading this, AirDog ADII is basically made for you!
Performance
Final words on AirDog ADII
Lastly, I’d like to mention the fact that AirDog ADII has comprehensive obstacle avoidance system that is able to avoid obstacles even when Follow me mode is turned on and it’s following a person or an object at high speeds. With that said, I’d like to make a short summary. Considering everything stated about AirDog ADII, it seems to me that it will become an even bigger hit than the original. It has upgraded hardware and software nicely poised with a better design… and personally, I believe the purple/white color combination looks much better than yellow/purple… which was childish at best.
General step by step guide for snapping the perfect selfie :
1. Find the perfect location
Every good selfie is based on an interesting location. Whether we are talking about your home, the park or somewhere absolutely exquisite like mountain peaks, woods, lakes etc… they’re the vital part of a selfie. So, once you are comfortable with the location you plan on shooting your selfie, then feel free to move onto the next step.
2. Choose the perfect angle
Choosing the perfect angle for your selfie will depend on your particular drone and whether or not it has a gimbal. If it doesn’t, you will most likely have to adjust the camera angle beforehand. On the other hand, if it does, you will be able to adjust it while your drone is in midair. Keep in mind though, the camera angle will greatly affect the required flying altitude of your drone. Also, if you own a drone without obstacle avoidance, I am afraid you will be forced to pay a great deal of attention to the altitude of your drone.
3. Experiment with different features
Pricier selfie drones are equipped with GPS which brings a whole bunch of additional features you can play around with. Follow Me, Orbit, Cable Cam and so on… each of these features could give you a lot of room to work with. Experiment with them and I’m sure you’ll find the optimal method for shooting selfies with your drone. Remember guys, practice makes perfect!
Why are selfie drones so popular these days?
I think the better question would be – how come selfie drones did not become popular way earlier?
It’s true guys, come on, just think of it… Think of the global phenomenon called selfies. They’ve shaken the world with their popularity and have established themselves as a daily activity in our lives. It’s true! Realistically speaking, I’m sure most of you reading this have taken at least 1 selfie in the last few days. Perhaps not your proudest achievement, right?
So, with everything stated above, the conclusion is basically coming on its own – with the massive popularity of selfies, it was just a matter of time before first selfie-oriented drones hit the market. And it did not take them a lot of time. First, there were those tiny toy-grade drones with awful cameras which were marketed like selfie drones. Then, there was an uprising on the market with the introduction of Zerotech Dobby, Yuneec Breeze, DJI Spark and so on… This revolution is still going on and it does not seem like it will end anytime soon, especially with talks of DJI Spark 2 hitting the shelves next year!
Selfie drones FAQ
Yes! Pretty much all selfie drones fall into the beginner-friendly category meaning they are insanely intuitive and easy to use. However, this is not an accidental case – selfie drones are aimed at a much broader audience (with plenty of first-time flyers) than standard ones meaning they have to provide an encouraging learning curve.
However, do not think these drones have some limitations due to their simplicity. Quite the contrary, pricier models such as DJI Spark or Wingsland S6 offer most (if not all) features that are popular with full-sized models. So basically, what I am trying to say here is that selfie drones serve as great learning platforms but are not making any compromises in terms of features and functionality.
Well, even though drones are technically allowed to use in public places, there are still some remarks on how to use them. Most importantly, you need to know that you must not fly them in highly congested areas. Also, you are not allowed to fly them anywhere near other people in public areas. Anywhere near means roughly 20-30 meters (above doesn’t count, only away), otherwise, you will be breaking the law. With all that taken into account, I strongly suggest going to parks during the early morning or past the peak visit times when there aren’t many people around.
Unfortunately, there is not a single waterproof selfie drone out there. Actually, there might be a few of those toy-grade drones with cameras, but their sensors are awful and they’re not exactly made for selfies. So, yup… if you are looking for a waterproof selfie drone I am afraid you will not have any luck.
On the other hand, if you are looking for a drone that can take selfies and comes with a waterproof controller, then I have good news for you. AirDog ADII sports an innovative controller called AirLeash. it straps around your wrist or biceps and is fully waterproof. Plus, it allows navigating through features and will help you get that awesome wet selfie you’ve been craving for.
Drone technology is advancing at a rapid pace so it is not really that surprising to see Facial Recognition software present on a huge number of available drone models. Luckily, these include selfie drones which are heavy users of this Facial Recognition features. However, it is limited only to higher priced drones such as DJI Spark and Zerotech Dobby.
Drones take downloading selfies and other photos/videos in a wide variety of methods. Cheaper drones in most cases provide you with a micro SD card slot on the drone itself which will be used for storing media. On the other hand, there are also models that save them directly to your smartphone. This is, needless to say, present with app-controlled drones which are actually quite popular in selfie drones section of the market.
Even though collision avoidance systems are usually seen with fully sized (flagship) models, there are several selfie drones that incorporate them as well. Mainly, I am referring to DJI Spark, DJI Mavic Pro, and AirDog ADII, but I don’t know if the latter counts as a real selfie drone. That’s why it’s been put as an honorable mention in the first place.
So, if you are looking for the benefits that collision avoidance systems bring to drones, then you should pick one among those 3 contestants. If you want raw performance, Mavic is the right way to go. If you want portability, DJI Spark is your pick. Lastly, if you want unparalleled and fast-paced autonomous performance, AirDog ADII is all for you.
We get this question from first-time users (and would-be users) a lot lately. So, we might as well answer it right away. So, if you have a strictly LOS flying drone without any sort of an FPV system onboard, you will have a tough time knowing when you’re in the camera frame. Of course, you can get a feel for it every now and then, but there’s no guarantee that you’re right an that your selfie will turn out as awesome as planned.
If that seems like a huge problem to you, there is a very simple solution – get an FPV capable drone. No matter if its WiFi or 5.8G, an FPV ready drone will do you a world of good in terms of knowing when you’re in the camera frame. Thanks to the live video feed, you will be able to see what your drone’s camera is seeing and effortlessly align it to your wishes.
Just a heads-up before answering the next few questions – there’s no “one size fits all” methodology on the line when it comes to GPS, Altitude hold, hardware stabilization and range. It’s all a highly subjective matter and instead of telling you what to buy, I’m going to give you my honest opinion about how I think the matter should be. So, let’s kick it off with GPS.
Even though GPS is not an essential part of what makes a drone, it is still a very important one… Especially when it comes to selfie drones which greatly benefit from GPS-based features such as altitude hold, waypoints and follow me. Because of that, I highly recommend getting a drone with GPS since you won’t be able to do nearly as decent selfies without it.
Like I said above, this is not a one size fits all scneario meaning altitude hold is not essential for every selfie drone out there. However, mid to high end models all come equipped with them. This draws to a conclusion that altitude hold is somewhat of a huge deal, right?
Well, technically – yes! Altitude hold will provide you with that extra bit of stability and allow your drone to hover at a constant altitude without the need for manually adjusting the throttle. Furthemore, this will allow you, as the user, to adjust all settings and enable the functionalities/features you want. Lastly, you will be able to get that perfect pose and snap the best dronie (aerial selfie taken with a drone) you can imagine!
Again, 3-axis gimbal stabilization system is not a must, but it greatly helps with the quality of your selfies. In addition to that, a gimbal, whether it’s 3-axis or 2-axis, will make up for smoother aerial videos so keep that in mind if selfies aren’t the only reason why you’re buying a drone in the first place.
When it comes to selfie drones, I’m sure you will agree with me when I say that the operating range isn’t of utmost importance. After all, most of the time you will be just trying to get the perfect angle with the drone being just a couple of meters away from you. That’s basically how aerial selfies are taken. So, if you are buying a drone strictly for the purpose of taking selfies, you should not be considered with the operating range.
However, if you are not only interested in taking selfies but have some exploration or aerial expeditions plans, then I advise you to pay big attention to the range. If we are to be more precise here, there are only 2 drones on the list below which are equally good at taking selfies and exploring. Of course, I am talking about 2 DJI’s models – Mavic Pro and Spark. Mavic Pro has an amazing operating range of up to 7 kilometers. Little Spark is not bad either, reaching as far as 2 kilometers when controlled with its dedicated controller.
DJI Spark 2 will kick things up a notch…
DJI Spark has already brought a ton of innovative things in the field of selfie drones. With a 2-axis gimbal providing hardware stabilization and an exceptional full HD camera, it is able to capture selfies like no other drone out there. With that being said, just imagine what a stir on the market will we have once DJI Spark 2 gets released.
Even though there is a ton of time before DJI Spark 2 goes onto the big stage, there are already some rumors available.
Read more about DJI Spark 2 here
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