There are a lot of drones on the market today. With all these options at the end of your fingertips, how do you know which one is the best fit for your needs as an amateur filmmaker? We’ve compiled a list of the best drones from the leading manufacturers today.
Best “Value for Your Money” / Starter Drones for Amateur Filmmakers
If you’ve never flown a drone before or you’re just starting to get into the hobby, then we recommend getting a cheap starter drone that you can use while you’re still learning the ropes.
Hubsan X4 H107D
This is a palm-sized quadcopter drone that boasts full features but which you can get for less than a hundred dollars. It is considered the best among entry-level FPV drones on the market as it offers you value for your money. One of its downsides, though, is that it offers limited flight time and range. It is also very sensitive to the wind, so the image quality might be a bit shaky.
DJI Phantom 3 Standard
This drone will teach you everything you need to know about operating high-end camera drones with advanced features like flight planning, live streaming, trick shots, and waypoint navigation, all without busting your budget. It has great range and provides live video streaming up to one kilometer away, and it also offers trick shots and automatic flight modes. But make sure you don’t fly this during a rainstorm, as it is sensitive to rain and other foul weather elements.
Best Prosumer Camera Drones
Prosumer camera drones are perfect for people who want professional-quality captures without the need to customize their equipment. Think of it as the DSLR camera of the drone industry as they are able to give you great images with minimal effort.
DJI Mavic Pro
If you are looking for a portable drone that will give you high-quality performance without the complicated user experience, the DJI Mavic Pro is the perfect one for you. It’s small and lightweight and can easily fit in your backpack. It boasts many automated features that ensure smooth and effortless capturing and recording. It also protects against accidental crashes with its object detection and collision avoidance feature. Its image quality, however, is not as good as its more well-known cousin, the Phantom 4 PRO.
DJI Phantom 4 PRO
Speaking of the DJI Phantom 4 PRO, this drone is considered the most intelligent and most user-friendly drone in the “less than $2,000” market. If you’re into high-resolution filmmaking and photography that’s of professional quality, then this drone is one for you. It boasts a wide selection of automated flight modes as well as an obstacle detection and collision avoidance feature. It also has a fail-safe mode that enables the drone to return home if its battery gets low. But look out when using this in stormy weather as it is also sensitive to rain and foul weather.
Whatever drone you choose, it is a must that you protect your investment by getting a GPS drone tracker. This way, you’ll be preventing drone flyaways, which happens more often than you’d think.
