10 Best Drones With Camera You Can Buy
We have to admit that drones have come a long way in the past few years. We used to have drones that were too bulky to carry around and needed a carrying case which we could use to carry our pets instead. They were also too expensive for the average consumer, but nowthings have turned around. Today, we have drones for every price point, just like a smartphone. Most of the drones available these days, come with built-in cameras, so you don’t have to worry about mounting a DSLR on it just to record some high quality footage. So, if you’re in the market to buy a new camera drone, you’ve come to the right place. Without further ado, here are the10 best Drones with camera you can buy in 2017:
1. DJI Mavic Pro
If portability is your thing, then look no further. The DJI Mavic Pro is an ultra-portable drone with the ability to shoot professional grade videos. It’s probably the drone that people have always dreamed about, which is finally a reality, courtesy of DJI. It can shoot4K videosat30 frames per second, take12 megapixel photosand it’s packed with several smart features. These include ability to avoid collisions if you try to fly it into an object. It can remember its initial take-off position, and return to it, if the drone is on low battery.
The Mavic Pro also featuresintelligent flight modeslike a “Follow Me” mode, which actively tracks you and follows you wherever you go. Its battery is also good enough and lasts you27 minuteson a single charge.For a price of $999 and the portability it offers, this drone is a great buy.
Buy on Amazon:(Starts at $999)
2. GoPro Karma
The GoPro Karma is pretty special because it comes with theGoPro Hero5 Blackaction camera, which is capable of taking12MP stillsand shoot4K video at 30 fps. On the other hand, if you have been following the news regarding drones, you would know that the GoPro Karma drone had a rocky launch. It was universally recalled by the company because the drones were crashing during flight without any warning due to a sudden loss of power. The drone has now been re-released by GoPro after they took 3 months to resolve the issue. It’s priced appropriately and can be bought with or without the GoPro camera. If you already have a GoPro Hero 5 camera, you can just buy the Karma drone for $799. It also comes bundled with GoPro Hero 5 Black for a price of $1,099.
The Karma is easy to maneuver even for beginners as the controller comes with an integrated touchscreen, so you can watch what you’re shooting. This is unlike most of DJI’s drones which require you to connect your smartphone in order to view the real-time footage. It can soar at amaximum speed of 35mphwhile managing to keep everything steady with the help of a 3-axis gimbal. GoPro says the Karma has aflight time of 20 minuteson a single charge. It’s considered as a worthy contender to the DJI Mavic Pro by many, even though the Mavic is better in many aspects.
Buy on Amazon:(Starts at $799)
3. DJI Phantom 4 Pro
DJI announced the Phantom 4 Pro, just eight months after the release of the Phantom 4, leaving many of the Phantom 4 users with the question, whether it’s worth the upgrade or not. It depends, because Phantom 4 Pro isn’t a minor upgrade in any way. It boasts a20MP camerathat can shoot4K video at 60fpsat a maximum bitrate of 100 Mbps using the H.264 codec. It also features a better battery, but the same battery can be used on the older Phantom 4 as well. However, the Phantom 4 Pro has some intelligent flight modes similar to the Mavic Pro, which will be available soon to the older Phantom 4 as well via a firmware update.
Apart from this, the Phantom 4 has betterflight speed, max bit rate, improved burst mode, ISO rangeand featuresdual camera obstacle avoidancein the front and back in addition to theinfrared sensors, making the drone almost crash-proof.
The Phantom 4 Pro also comes with an optional controller with a built-in display, so you don’t have to connect your smartphone to view the real-time footage. A single charge can provide you with30 minutes of flight timewhich is slightly better than the 27 minutes offered by Phantom 4 and Mavic Pro. It’s priced at $1499 for the standard variant and $1799 for the one with the controller which has a built-in display. At this price point, there’s no better drone on the market right now, and it’s aimed atprofessionals who want high quality footage from their drones.
Buy on Amazon:(Starts at $1499)
4. DJI Inspire 2
Targeted at film-makers and enthusiasts, this is DJI’s best and most expensive drone to date. It features theZenmuse X5S camera, which is extremely capable of capturing5.2Kfootage in CinemaDNG and Apple ProRes formats. It can also recordstunning 4K video at 60 fps. The drone has a dual battery system letting you fly for about25-27 minuteson a single charge with the Zenmuse X4S camera and20 minuteswith the Zenmuse X5S camera.
The Inspire 2 has aflight speedthat tops out at94 kmphand has a maximum descent speed of 9 m/s, which is phenomenal for a drone. The drone can be purchased separately without the camera for $3000, whereas the starter bundle with the Zenmuse X5S costs approximately $4900. It can also be purchased with a Zenmuse X4S camera for nearly $3600.
Buy on Amazon:(Starts at $3000)
5. Yuneec Typhoon H Pro
Coming from a brand that everyone isn’t aware of, the Typhoon H Pro drone has impressive specs and packs some serious capabilities. The drone comes with a built-in12.4 MP camera, capable of recording4K footage at 30 fpsand1080p footage up to 120 fpsto satisfy all your slow-motion desires.
The drone featuresIntel’s RealSense technology, which can detect obstacles and self-navigate around them while flying or following the user. There is also asmart return home mode, which makes drone go back all the way to the initial takeoff point by automatically avoiding all the obstacles. The drone has also a360 degree camerathat lets the user take shots even from the back of the drone. It features 6 rotors, a retractable landing gear and high positioned props, which does not appear in the frame even while flying at high speeds.
The Typhoon H Pro has aflight timeof around19 minutes, which is a bit lessthan the DJI Phantom 4 Pro, which is priced at a similar range. Its controller comes with a built-in touchscreen, therefore you don’t have to connect your smartphone to watch what you’re shooting in real-time. The pricing is steep, especially considering the fact that it’s coming from a brand that’s not well-known. The Typhoon H Pro can be bought for a price of $1499 without Intel’s RealSense technology and the one with RealSense technology costs $1899, which is the main selling point of this drone.
Buy on Amazon:(Starts at $1499)
6. DJI Phantom 3 Standard
If you want a DJI drone, but you’re on a budget, Phantom 3 standard is the way to go. The price has dropped to $499 from the initial launch price of $799, making this a suitable choice for beginners. The drone boasts a12 MP camerathat can capture stable2.7K footageeven while flying at high speeds, thanks to the integratedthree-axis gimbal.
The Phantom 3 Standard has aflight timeof approximately25 minutes. The controller that it comes with has limited features only letting you tilt the camera up and down. The rest of the camera controls and settings are handled through the DJI Go app which is available for both iOS and Android. So, you will have to connect your smartphone to the controller for complete control over the drone.
Buy on Amazon:($445)
7. Parrot Bebop 2
Parrot SA has been making drones for several years now. They usually target the consumers who are on a budget by offering affordable drones. The Bebop 2 is no exception, boasting a14-megapixel camerathat can record1080p footage. This drone has a maximum range of 300 meters and offers aflight timelasting over20 minuteson a single charge.
The Bebop 2 is lightweight and easy to maneuver, which is especially important for beginners. The only issue with this drone is the unreliable Wi-Fi connection which frequently drops, which makes it hard to recommend over the DJI Phantom 3 Standard, especially considering the asking price. It comes with acontroller with a built-in displayand the drone can be purchased with the skycontroller for a price of $499.
Buy on Amazon:($499)
8. Holy Stone F181
Holy Stone has some of the best budget drones within the $100 price range that thousands of people buy on Amazon. The Holy Stone F181 is no exception, with the product page flooded with positive reviews. Well, reason being the features it packs for a veryaffordableprice. Marketed as an entry-level quadcopter, this drone is all about how easy and straightforward it is to fly.
The Holy Stone F181 features a6 axis gyrowhich is one of the key selling points of the drone. The F181 has a720p HD camera,4 channel transmitterand aHeadless return system.
It has arangeof50-100 metersand theflight timelasts for approximately8 minuteson a single charge. It’s currently available on Amazon for a price of $110 which I think is perfect for a beginner drone.
Buy on Amazon:($110)
9. Syma X5C-1 Explorers
The Syma X5C-1 Explorers drone is themost affordable dronein our list, but still packs a punch, even though it’s a drone for kids. It features a2 megapixel camerathat can shoot720p HDfootage. The drone also has a six-axis gyroscope for precise hovering in the sky. It uses spread spectrum technology to provide amaximum flight rangeof up to50 meters. The maximum flight time of this drone is about7 minutesand it can be charged via USB within 90 minutes. It can be purchased on Amazon for a price of roughly $55 and it’s aimed at children who are interested in flying toy drones.
Buy on Amazon:($55)
10. Autel Robotics X-Star Premium Drone
This drone literally looks like a DJI Phantom for the price of a DJI Phantom. Plus, it does pack some serious features for beginners and pros alike, featuring a camera with an integrated3-axis gimbalthat can record4K footage. It has a 108-degree field of view and can take12 megapixel shotswith the camera.
The X-Star Premium Drone has amaximum flight range of2 kilometersand can achieve amaximum flight speedof16m/swhich is same as the Phantom 3. It also packs a 4900 mAh battery, which can provide a maximum flight time of up to25 minutes. However, the only thing that makes this drone quite hard to recommend is the $799 asking price, especially considering the fact that the Phantom 3’s price has dropped to $499 and is a much better choice for what it offers.
Buy on Amazon:($779)
SEE ALSO:12 Best Gimbals for iPhone to Shoot Stabilized Videos
Get The Best Drones With Cameras!
So, those are the best camera drones between different price points. Depending on your budget, you probably have multiple options to choose from. However, we’re glad we could help you shorten your list. Are you planning on buying one soon? If yes, let us know which one you’re going for and why. If not, you probably still enjoyed reading the article. So, if you want similar articles in the future, please do mention it in the comments section below.
Hamlin Rozario
The guy who settles for nothing less than the absolute latest and greatest in technology. A sucker for anything hardware related and prefers iOS to Android. Because, reasons. Also, I spend the other half of the day playing Battlefield with gamers from around the world. That’s right, all hail the glorious PC Master Race.
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