There are many types of drones on the market today, whether for hobby or for professional use. Drones accomplish many objectives, including aerial photography, filmmaking, marketing, security, and more. The cost of a UAV can range from $100 to over $10,000.
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There are a few questions to keep in mind when choosing your drone:
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Drones reflect a range of prices. You can pick up an inexpensive one at big box stores for under $100. These drones are typically for beginners and do not come with GPS or a camera. If you are a first-time flyer, stick within this price range to practice and learn the controls. You will inevitably crash (first-timer or seasoned pilot), so it’s best to crash an inexpensive drone when first starting out.
If you are ready to take it up a notch, you can purchase a drone with GPS and a camera for under $500. This drone is more for intermediate pilots who want to learn GPS capabilities and take aerial photos. The DJI Mini is ideal for this stage and will prep you for an easy transition into a more professional drone. The cameras at this price are considered entry-level and decent, for the most part, yet you will want to pay attention to the camera gimbal, which keeps the camera balanced. Drones in this price range may not have a quality gimbal which will affect the quality of your photos.
A step up are drones in the $1000 range. These drones typically come with a 3-axis stabilized camera gimbal, creating drastically better aerial photos. These drones may offer higher-end software and better processing features. Drones at this price point feature additional automated flight features and improved flight safety, such as forward obstacle avoidance sensors.
The most expensive drones are used for professional and commercial purposes and come equipped with many accessory options and the ability to swap out the cameras and sensors. Ranging from $1500 to over $10,000, commercial drones are used for various outcomes, from professional videos to inspections.
Drones have various purposes, and your intentions will help determine which kind of drone is right for you.
The Hobbyist – A drone without GPS will suit you if you are a hobbyist or drone racer. Made strictly for flying, these inexpensive UAVs lack a camera and fancy accessories. This drone can perform aerobatic stunts and aerial tricks that will knock your socks off, but that’s about it.
The Photographer – Say cheese! If you aim to take photos as a hobby or for events, you will need a drone with a camera. Although having GPS can make it easier to take a stable shot, GPS is not necessary. Depending on the drone, you may need to purchase a higher-end stabilizer to take quality pictures because not all stock stabilizers function at the same standard.
The Mapper – If you need more options for videography or mapping, you will need a drone with GPS. GPS allows you to use coordinates to pinpoint accurate locations and create autonomous flight plans around them. These drones tend to have better internal and software processing and computing capacities that allow them to follow the pre-made plans. These more expensive drones come with flexible and stable camera mounts and usually have extended battery life.
The Professional – A professional drone has more sophisticated sensors and controls with top-notch software. This drone is made with light equipment and is more of a flying platform to hold a camera. Because they are engineered to have a more extended range, these professional drones are used primarily for RGB and thermal inspections. The more professional, enterprise-level drones will allow you to interchange the camera and sensor for your purpose.
Like most aspects of life, experience plays a part in the drone suited for you. Beginner drone users should understand if any setup is required before flying. Basic drones are relatively easy to begin flying and need only a little calibration. These drones are typically labeled “ready to fly” or “RTF.” Other inexpensive drones require a bit more calibration and may need additional direction.
As a drone professional, you may understand the inner workings of a drone, giving you the experience to piece together spare parts to enhance the flying aircraft. Or, at the very least, be knowledgeable enough to repair your drone should you crash it.
Drones can be as basic as a multi-rotor flying toy that flies for ten minutes to an omnidirectional obstacle-sensing RC quadcopter with advanced auto return and 46 minutes of flight.
If your purpose for drone flying is more than just a cool hobby, there are some features to keep in mind.
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Drone range. Some drones fly longer than others, so keep in mind what your flight projects look like and how long you need to be in the air.
Battery life. Battery life is a drone pilot’s kryptonite. It’s essential to charge your battery and ensure it doesn’t completely die, so it lasts longer. Not all drones will send a warning when battery life is low, so be aware of this before flying!
Replacement propeller blades. Some drones come with replacement propeller blades, while others don’t.
Have you narrowed down the type of drone suited for you? Whether you are a drone enthusiast or a professional, here are our top drone picks from our pilot, JP Juneau:
At the lower end of the drone spectrum are toy drones, like the DJI Tello and the Holy Stone HS210. These simple and inexpensive drones range from $50 to $100 and focus more on fun than advanced features. However, their controls are straightforward to learn and can be accessed through a smartphone app or remote control.
The flight times of beginner drones and drones for kids are also more limited – generally less than 10 minutes, or even fewer than five for the very cheap models. Despite the limited flight time, beginner drones excel at performing tricks like mid-air . Because these economy drones receive rough treatment from users, spare parts are available at reasonably low prices if anything goes wrong.
And things will go wrong. Crashes happen. Some small drones also come with video cameras, though the image quality captured tends to be poor. But don’t count them out too soon – getting a cheap drone is a fantastic way to learn to fly before upgrading to a more expensive model. They also won’t cost a fortune to fix or replace in the event of a crash.
Drones with cameras – like the DJI Mini 2, the Holy Stone HS720E and the Contixo F22 are specifically designed to capture images and video and range in price from $500 to $1,500. In addition, camera drones are designed to provide a steady platform for the camera lens. As a result, these sophisticated flying machines are more focused on recording high-quality video and still images than performing mid-air tricks. Finally, video drones typically need to be registered with the FAA because they are larger and heavier than other drones due to the added equipment necessary to function.
Video drones often come with gimbals, a system designed to pan and tilt the camera – and cushion it from the motors’ vibrations – to cancel out the drone’s motion and keep the lens steady. Gimbals can either come as an electronic system built into the camera or as a physical system made of motors and gears. Either way, gimbals allow users to direct the camera at whatever angle they like, to capture beautiful pans like those seen in nature documentaries.
Larger drones require bigger batteries, which often translates to longer flight times. A fully charged battery typically lasts a camera drone for around 20 minutes, and batteries can often be quickly swapped out to extend a flying session.
Like toy drones, video drones are designed and built with repairs in mind, and replacement parts are generally readily available and inexpensive. For example, DJI’s Mini 2 has numerous replacement components, ranging from $15 to $30.
Camera drones’ video quality can vary widely, from the Holy Stone HS200’s adequate 720p resolution to the DJI Mini 3’s crisp, 4K HD quality video. So while the videos produced by cheaper models like the HS200 will be good enough for most use cases, it’s worth investing in a more sophisticated camera drone when video quality is your primary focus.
From photographing special occasions to surveying construction sites, drones facilitate an ever-expanding range of purposes. Dedicated drone film festivals have popped up in major cities like New York and Berlin to showcase the creative new ways amateur moviemakers utilize their flying cameras.
Not only that, but the more innovative drones – like the DJI Mini 3 – have functional object tracking modes for its camera to aid in a recording. They can even use cameras or sensors to detect and avoid obstacles obstructing their flight path in real-time. In addition, these more advanced drones allow users to play with their device’s autonomy by letting them navigate a predefined course on their own via GPS. However, the autonomous flight has some restrictions – these drones must be registered with the FAA and remain in the pilot’s line of sight. The pilot must also be able to take back control of the drone at any point.
With the rise of drones came the surge of drone-based competition – and drone racing might be the most exciting. Racing drones are on the smaller side and explicitly designed to offer pilots speed and agility. Users see through their drone’s lens via first-person-view headsets, navigating around a course and trying to beat other fliers. This aspect of competition means racing drones are also camera drones, though they typically have components removed to increase the drone’s speed. In addition, many racers adapt their drone by hand to shed unnecessary weight or increase motor power – similar to their automobile racing counterparts.
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