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TheBestCameraDronesSellingToday:TheUltimateBuyingGuide
POSTEDONAUGUST14,2017BYANDREWNIXON
TopDronesWithCamerasForSaleRightNow
Herearethetopdroneswithcamerasforsale,rightnow:
DJISpark
YuneecBreeze
DJIMavicPro
DJIPhantom4Pro
DJIPhantom3
DJIInspire2
DJIMatrice100
YuneecQ5004K
YuneecTyphoonH4K
3DRSolo2.0
ParrotBebop2
Notallcameradronesarethesame.Somearefullyintegratedflyingcamerasthatareready-to-flyandshootawesome
images.
Othercameradronesarebasicallyacheaprcdronewithacameraslapped-on.Thesearegoodforlearninghowtofly,butnotforaerialphotographerswhocareaboutimage
quality.
Andthentherearetheprofessionalflyingcameraplatforms.Thesedesignedforprofessional filmmakers,journalistsandseriousphotographerswhoneedtocustomizetheir
rigs.
Alotofcameradronesareoutdated junk.ThisiswhyIpublishthisandupdatethisbuyingguide.Iwantyoutoavoidmakingthe
samemistakesthatIandothershavemadeoverthepastcoupleofyears.
Thisguiderecommends field-tested,reliableflyingplatformsfromreputablemanufacturers thatareheretostay.
I’vefiltered-outthemanufacturersandmodelsthataren’tworthyourmoneyoryourtime(in
myopinion).
Ihopethisguidehelpsyounarrow-downyourshortlist.
Iupdatethispageregularly,andI’malwayslookingforinput.Ifyounoticeanerrororhaveasuggestion,thenpleaseletmeknowusingourcontactpage.
Happyshopping
Andrew
Contents
MyTop3PicksBestCheap/StarterCameraDronesBestProsumerCameraDronesBestCameraDronesforProfessionalsWhatIsACameraDrone?WhyBuyACameraDrone?CameraDronesAtWorkProfessionalvs.AmateurFilmmakingReady-to-Flyvs.BuildingYourOwnWhatDoesItCost?FeaturesToLookForGetTrainedGetInsuredLearnMore
Thesearethemostpopularmodelsmadebyreputablemanufacturers.Theycarrygood
warranties,arepackedwiththelatestfeaturesandcomeoutoftheboxreadytoflyand
shoothigh-quality4Kimagesandvideo.
Ifyouarelookingforacheapercameradrone,orforahigher-endprofessionalflyingcameraplatform,thenskippastthistableformypicksinthesecategories.
1,499w/4Kcamera&gimbal
Phantom4PRO
$ 1,999w/Inspire1cameraandgimbal
Inspire1v2.0
$
Single-operatorvideographerswilllovethePhantom4foritsoutstanding4K-60fpsvideo,advancedobjectdetectionandcollisionavoidancesystem,andmanyautomatedfly-and-shootmodes.
DesignedforseriousHDvideoprofessionals,theInspirecanbeequippedwithvariouscamerasystemsfromDJI4KZenmusecamerastoMicroFour-Thirds&RAWformats.For1or2operators.
999w/4KCamera&3-axisGimbal
MavicPro
$
Arguablythebestconsumer-gradeHDcameradronesoldtoday.Foldingarmsmakeiteasytotakewithyou.
MyTop3PicksYoucan’tgowrongwithanyofthesethreecameradrones.
Ifyou’veneverflownaradio-controlledhelicopter,multi-rotordroneorfixedwingdronebefore,thenIrecommendbuyingacheap“starterdrone”tolearnon.Beforeyou
endupwasting$1,000onaweekendofmisery.
Thefollowingstarterdronesareunder$500.TheyshootgoodqualityHDimagesand
videoandwillteachyouanawfullotabouthowtopilotanRCcameradronecorrectly.
Allofthesedroneswillworkfineforconsumers.Somearebetter-suitedforserious
photographers,becausetheylaythefoundationonmoreadvancedcameracontrolsand
flightplanning.
BestCheap/StarterCameraDrones
TheHubsanH107DX4isasurprisinglysmallRCquadcopterwithaintegratedfirstpersonview(FPV)camera.
Itpacksanamazingamountofsophisticationandfeaturesintoanaffordablestarterdronethatanyonecanpilot.
Thefixed-mountquadcoptercamerafacesforwardandcaptures720x240resolutionSDvideoand0.3MPstillphotos.
Obviously,withafixed-mountcamera,thisisnotthebestdronetolearnhowtomovea
cameraaroundonagimbal.Butit’sgreatforlearninghowtoproperlypositionacamerain
theair,whichisimportantifyouarethesoleoperator.
Thecameratransmitsitsvideostreamwirelesslytothecontrollervia5.8GHz.Itcaptures
videoandphotosontoaMicroSDmemorycard(upto16GB)inaslotbuiltintothetransmitter.
TheHubsanH107Dusesa4-channel,2.4GHztransmitterthatprovidesaflightrangeofupto300feet.Butseriously,that’sfine–becausethisthingissosmallyou’dprobably
loseitfromsightbeyondthatrange.
Thecontrollerincludesa4.3″LCDscreenthatletsyoumonitorreal-timeFPVvideoandseeflighttelemetrydatatokeepyouontopofwhatishappeningintheair.
HubsanX4H107D(About$80)
Apalm-sized,full-featuredquadcopterdronethat’sdesignedforfun.GreatstarterdroneforFPV/racingenthusiasts.
Duetoitstinypropellersizeandoveralllightweight,theHubsanX4resistsdamagewell.Thatsaid,itisverysensitivetowindandweather.Itisperfectforflyingindoors.
Forbestresultsoutside,operatethislittlespeeddemoninlightwindconditionsornear
groundlevel,wherewindspeedisminimal.
BestFeatures
Bestentry-levelFPVdroneonthemarket.
Smallsize(4inchdiameter)andlightweightmakeithardtodamage.
6-axiscontrollerprovidesexcellentcontrol
CHEAP,especiallyforwhatyouget
Greatforindoorracing
Issues
Verysensitivetowind
ImagequalityisOKandabitshaky(nogimbal)
Tiny:aboutthesizeofyourpalm
Limitedrange&flighttime
Specs
720×240SDVideocamera/0.3Mpstills
Fixedmountcamera(nogimbal)
RCTransmitterwithbuilt-in4.3″LCDlivevideoFPVmonitor
2.4GHzTransmitter
5.8GHzVideostreaming
LEDNightLights
BladeProtectorsandRubberFeet
MicroSDCardSlotforupto16GBCards
7minflighttime
300ftrange(WiFilimited)
READMYREVIEW
YuneecBreeze(About$399)
Acompact4Kselfiedronethat’ssuper-easytooperate.Notforseriousphotographers,though.
TheYuneecBreezewasdesignedforconsumerswhomainlywanttoshootselfiesin4K.ThisisauniquerigthatfitssomewherebetweentheoutdatedParrotBeBopanda
Phantom3Standard.
TheYuneecBreezeisn’tahigh-endcameradronethatwouldbemistakenforaPhantom4
PRO,TyphoonHorevenaMavicPro(seebelow).
TheBreezehasno3-axisgimbal,forexample.Thisreducesimagequalityinanykindof
windorroughconditions.
Rangeislimited,too.TheBreezecanonlyflyfewhundredfeetaway,duetoitsrelianceonyoursmartphone–forprettymucheverything.
Ontheotherhand,theYuneecBreezeisn’tdesignedforseriousphotographers.It’sforconsumers.
TheBreezeissuper-affordable,compact,portableandreallyeasytofly.Itshootsgreat
selfieswithoutalotofwork.Italsocomeswithabevyofautomatedflightmodesandtrickshots.
TheYuneecBreezeisalsoeasytoflyindoors,thankstoitsexcellentIndoorPositioningSystem,whichdoesn’trelyonGPSforposition.
Camerastorageislimitedto16GBofonboardinternalmemory,whichisnotexpandable.ThereisnomicroSDcardslot.Youtransferstoredimagestoyourphoneor
computerusingtheincludedUSBcable.
TocontroltheBreeze,youusetheBreeze’sintuitiveapponyoursmartphone.Thereisnoseparatecontroller.
Thedownsideofusingasmartphoneforyourcontrolleristhatusefulrangeislimitedtoafewhundredfeet.
Overall,theBreezedoesagreatjobtakingcrisp4Kselfiesandpersonalvideoswithincloserange,indoororoutdoor.
It’seasytoflyandcomesinaniftyplastictravelcasewithextrapropsand2batteries.
Ifyou’vebeenconsideringbuyingtheParrotBeBop,considergettingtheBreeze,instead.
Infact,itmightbetheonlycameradroneyoueverneed.
BestFeatures
Inexpensive
5trickshotsandpre-programmedflightmodes
Super-compact,withfoldablepropellers
Easytouse
Takessurprisinglygood4Kimagesandvideo
Issues
Lackof3-axisgimbaldeliversshakyimages(attimes)
Controlledbyyoursmartphone,sorangeislimited
Nolivestreaming(imagesstoredin16GBonboardmemory)
Specs
4Kvideo
13MPstills
Indoorpositioningsystem
Weighslessthan1lb
Inthebox:2Batteries,Charger,Chargingcord,Propellers,PropellerGuards,USB
cable,TravelCase
DJIPhantom3Standard(About$499)
Beststarterdroneforseriousphotographers,journalistsandfilmmakers.Somestillconsideritthebestconsumerdroneevermade.
ThePhantom3Standardisanaffordable,fully-integratedcameradronethatincludesan
intelligentsystemthatmakesiteasytoflyandstreamliveHDvideoupto1kmaway.
Itwillteachexistingphotographerseverythingtheyneedtoknowabouthowtooperate
moreadvancedfeaturesofahigh-endcameradrone–livestreaming,flightplanning,
waypointnavigationandtrickshots–withoutbreakingthebank.
ThePhantom3Standardshootsultra-highquality2.7Kvideo.
NowthatDJIhasmadegoodontheirpromisetoofferwaypointGPSautopilotandadvancedflightmodesintheirupdatedGroundStation,thePhantom3Standardoffers
hard-to-beatvaluefortheseriousaerialfilmmaker.
Justdon’texpecttomakecinematichistory.
Thecameraisgood,andtheimagestabilizationisexcellent.
Buttheimagequalityisaboutthesameasasmartphone,notaDSLR.
BestFeatures
Greatrange(1km)&endurance
Easytolearnanduse
LiveHDvideostreamingupto1kmaway
Automatedflightmodes&trickshots
EXCELLENTVALUE
Issues
Sensitivetofoulweather/rain
Cameraisnotthebest
Specs
Intelligentflightsystem
AutoTakeoff/AutoReturnHome
OnboardGPS
AdvancedFlightmodes
Integratedcameraandgimbal
2.7KUltraHDvideo(30fps)
12MPphotos
LiveVideoFeed(720pHD)upto1kmaway
25minuteflighttime
1kmrange
IntelligentBatteryremindswhenpowerisrunninglow.
1yearwarranty
24/7technicalsupport
READMYREVIEW
BestProsumerCameraDrones
Theready-to-fly(RTF)multi-rotorcameradrone(prosumerdrone,forshort)isthemost
populartypeofcameradronesoldtoday.
Therearedozensofmodelstochoosefrom.
Prosumercameradronesaretherightchoiceforpeoplewhowanttoshootprofessional-gradeaerialphotosandvideo,withouthavingtocustomizetheirrig.
TheprosumerdroneisalotlikethestarterDSLRcameraofthedrone/UAVworld,in
severalways:
Theycomeoutoftheboxreadytofly&shoot,withoutrequiringmuchtraining.
Theyemphasizeeaseofuse,seamlesssystemsintegration&advancedfeaturesover
camerasettings,precisionandflexibility.
Youcangetgreatshotswithverylittleeffort.
Infact,mostprosumercameradronesoffernochoiceofcamera,althoughsomewilllet
youswaplenses.
Ifyouneedtouseaspecificcamerasetup,thencheckoutmytoppicksforProfessionalCameraDrones,furtherdownthispage.
Theprosumerdronesbelowshoothighquality4.0K30-60fpsvideousingH.264andtakebig,bright13-20megapixelstillsatvaryingburstrates.
Tokeeppricesreasonable,someprosumerdronescompromiseonadvancedfeatures,
operatingrangeand/orimagequality.
Therearealotofchoicesinthiscategory,andpricestendtodropfast.Soshopwisely.
ThePhantom4’sportablecousin,theDJIMavicPro,isperfectforanyonewhoneedsa
small,lightweight,highly-portable4Kcameradronethat’ssuper-simpletoflyandshoot.
Thiscoollittledronereallyisportable.Theliftarmsfold-insoyoucaneasilyplaceitinabackpack.Thecontrollerfitsinyourfrontpantspocket.
It’spackedwithadvancedautomation,too.
TheMavicProcomeswiththesametap-to-fly,obstacleavoidanceandadvancednavigationfeaturesfoundonthemoreexpensivePhantom4PRO.Italsohasacooltap-to-focusfeaturethatworksonobjectsasfaras25metersaway.
TheMavicProisslightlyfasterandmoremaneuverablethanthePhantom4PRO,too.Topspeedis40mph,witharangeof4miles.
Youcanflyitusingtheincludedcompactcontrolleroryoursmartphone.
Thatsaid,theMavicProdoeshaveacoupleofissues/drawbacks.
Firstdrawback:thecamera.Imagequalityisaboutasgoodasalatest-generation
iPhone.
Whichisstillverygood,butDJIadmitsthattheMavicPro’sincludedvariable-focus4KcameraisnotasgoodasthePhantom4PRO.
DJIMavicPro(About$999)
Aportable,exceptionallyeasywaytocapturehighquality4Kvideofromalmostanywhere.
TheMavic’scameraalsohasanarrowerfieldofviewthanthePhantom4.Ifyourtargetis
lessthan25metersaway,you’llhavetousethetap-to-focusfeaturetogetagoodshot.
Secondissue:durability.SomeownerscomplainthattheMavic’srotatingarmsand
overallconstructionarenoticeablyflimsierthanthePhantom’s.
Asidefromthesetwoquirks,theMavicProofferscompellingvalueandextremeportability.
It’sarguablythebestvalueforahigh-quality4Kcameradrone,rightnow.
BestFeatures
Foldablechassisfitsinabackpack
ActiveTrack,TapFlyandmanyotherautomatedfeaturesmakeplanningandtaking
shotsabreeze
True4Kimagecapture
ObjectDetectionandCollisionAvoidance
Issues
ImagequalitynotasgoodasPhantom4PRO
Somewhatflimsyconstruction
Specs
Variable-focus4Kcamera
3-axismechanicalgimbal
Upto4.3miles(7km)of1080plivetransmission
40mph(64kmh)maxspeed
27minflighttime
1.6lbs
Visionpositioning
DualGPSandGLONASSnavigation
16GBMemorycard,controller,battery,andACChargerincluded
DJIPhantom4Pro(About$1,499)
Themostadvancedready-to-fly4Kcameradroneintheworld.
TheDJIPhantom4PROisthemostintelligent,easy-to-operateflyingcameradrone
availableforlessthan$2,000.
Likeitshighlysuccessfulpredecessor,thePhantom3Pro,thePhantom4PROisdesignedforprofessionalhigh-resolutionaerialphotographyandfilmmaking.
ThePhantom4PROcomescompletewitha4Kcamera(1inchCMOS),gimbal,controller
andintegratedsoftware.It’sreadytoshoot,rightoutofthebox.
ThenewPhantom4PROisalsoequippedwithdual-modeGPS+GLONASSreceiversforautopilotredundancyandDJI’suniquevisionnavigationsystem.Thismakes
navigatingclosetothegroundandinsidebuildingsabreeze,withouttheneedforGPS.
ThePhantom4PROoffersasetofadvancedfeaturesyouwon’tfindinanyother
prosumercameradrone,including:
Built-inObstacleDetectionandCollisionAvoidance
AWideRangeofAutomatedFlightModes
UniqueTap-to-FlyandTap-to-Followcameramodes
Fail-Safemodebringsthedronehomeonlow-batteryalert
CanbeoperatedindoorswithoutGPS
BestFeatures
SmallestPortableAerialVideoPlatform
BestAutomaticCollisionAvoidance/ObjectDetection
Easytousebyanyone
LiveHDvideostreaming–fromamileaway
Excellentflightrange&endurance
Issues
Sensitivetofoulweather/rain
Expensive(foraprosumerdrone)
Specs
AcceptsanysizephoneortabletforFPVvideodisplay
20MegapixelPhotoCameraw/1-inchCMOS
Shoot4KVideoat60fps
Takeburst-modestillsat14fps
Integrated3-AxisStabilizationGimbal
EasytoFly,IntelligentFlightSystem
LiveHDView
DedicatedRemoteController
DJIGoMobileAppw/AutoVideoEditor
GPS-freePositioningforIndoorFlight
30minflighttime
45milesperhourtopspeed
7kmrange
1-yearwarranty
24/7technicalsupport
READMYREVIEW
YuneecTyphoonH(About$999)
Asafe6-rotordesign,lowerpriceandconfigurablecontrollersetthis4Krigapartfromitsnearestcompetitor,thePhantom4PRO.
NippingattheheelsofDJI’sPhantom4,YuneecreleasedtheTyphoonHinNovember,
2016.
TheTyphoonHisasophisticatedflyingcamerathathasseveraluniqueadvantagesover
competingquadcopters.
Bothdronesarepricedaboutthesame,butthePhantom4differsfromtheTyphoonHin
severalimportantways,including:
Phantom4AdvantagesovertheTyphoonH
thePhantom4(P4)usesabetter,longer-rangelivevideodownlinktechnology
(Lightbridge)
theP4batteriescharge2Xfasterandincludeconvenientbuilt-inindicators
theP4isalittlefasterandabitmorestableinhighwindandgroundturbulence
theP4hassuperiorobjectdetection/tracking
TyphoonHAdvantagesoverthePhantom4
theTyphoonHisa6-rotordesign,whichmakesitmorereliableinthecaseofamotoror
proplossandmakesitsaferforuseovercrowds
theTyphoonH’sST-16controllerdoesn’trequireaseparatephoneortablet.Itisalso
moreconfigurableandiseasiertouse
theTyphoonHhasafull360degreeunobstructedcamera
theTyphoonH’slandinggearretracts,makingunobstructedshotseasier
theTyphoonHtakeslongertostartup(1-2mins)
Honestly,though,onfeatures&pricethesetwodronesareveryevenlymatched.Camera
qualityisaboutthesame.
Ifyouneedlivevideofeedsbeyond1000meters,thenthePhantom4PROisthebetter
choice.
Ifyouwantasafer,moreconfigurableflying4Kcamera,however,thentheTyphoonHisthewaytogo.
BestFeatures
Excellent4Kvideocamera(30fpsor60fpsin1080p)
Dual-operatorTeammodeusingSTGroundStation+2ndcontrollerorWizard(not
availableonPhantom4PRO)
Hexacopterdesign=redundancy+safety
Excellentergonomictransmitterw/built-in7″displayandagreattouchscreeninterface.Adjustingcamerasettingsandcontrolsisasnap
MorestablethantheTyphoonQ500
AutomaticCollisionAvoidance&ObjectDetection
Issues
Longstartuptime
Batteriescantake2hourstocharge
Cannotidentify&trackobjectson-screenlikethePhantom4PRO
Specs
Livestreaming:720pat30framespersecondovera5.8GHzchannelwithHDMI
mirroredoutput
Video:4K(3840x2160)at24p,25p,30p
StillPhotos:12MP(notgeotagged)
Carbonfiberconstruction
Wingspan:410mm/16.1inches
Weight:1,850grams/4.1pounds
MaxSpeed:Anglemode:30mph13.5m/s;FollowMe:43.5mph19.4m/s
17-20minflighttime
1kmrange
READMYREVIEW
Doyoufindprosumerdronestoolimitingforyourneeds?
Thentakealookattheprofessionalcameradrones,listedbelow.
Theseserious–andexpensive–flyingcameraplatformsaredesignedforprofessionalaerialphotographersandfilmmakerswhoneedacustomcamera+gimbalsystemto
achievetheimagequalitytheirjobsdemand.
Cinema-QualityVideo
Professionalcameradronesaredesignedtocaptureimagesinawiderangeofcinematic-qualityformatsincluding:
RAW
MicroFour-Thirds
H.265
AppleCinemaPro
BestCameraDronesforProfessionals
Todothis,theyprovidemoreliftpowertocarryheavier,professionalcamerasystemssuchasthepopularREDEpic.
Mostprocameradronessupportawiderangeofcameraandgimbalchoices.
Onecaveat:unlessyoureallyneedthepayloadcapacityand/ortheadditionalcontrolover
yourimages,thendefinitelygowithaprosumerdrone.
Also,ifyoudon’talreadyknowhowtooperateacameradronesafely,thenmakesureyou
trainonacheaperstarterdronebeforeyouspendbigmoneyononeoftheserigs.I
recommendbuyingthePhantom3Standardforprofessionalstotrainon.
Isaythisbecauseprofessionalcameradronesaretypicallyfarmoreexpensivetobuy,
repairandtofindreplacementpartsfor.
TrainingIsRequired
Finally,comparedwithaprosumermodel,learningtoflyandshootusingaprofessionalcameradronetakesabitoftime,forseveralreasons:
Lessautomation.Becauseyouaremixing-and-matchingcomponents,youdon’tthe
sameautomatedflightmodesandcameratricksasyoufindinprosumerdrones.
Flightandcameracontrolsarehardertomasterandmayrequirecalibrationbefore
eachflight.
Lackofadvancedfeatureslikeobjectdetectionandcollisionavoidance…without
modifyingyourbasiccontrolsystems.
Youmayhavetore-balancetherigforeachcamerasetup.
Butallofthisextraworkandexpensepaysoffintheformoffarbetterimagequality.
So,ifyoureallyneedthebest–andyourbudgetandschedulehaveroomforit–thenhere
aremytoppicks:
DJIInspire1&2(Startingabout$1,999)
Thepreferredflyingcameraformanyprofessionalaerialphotographersandfilmmakersaroundtheworld.
DJIInspire1
TheDJIInspire1v2.0isarevolutionaryHDcameradronethatmakesiteasyfor1-or2-
personteamstoproduceextremelyhighquality4KHDandMicroFour-Thirdsvideofromupto2kmaway.
TheNEWDJIInspire2upsthegamebyaddingCineCore2.05.2Kimageprocessing,a7kmlivestreamingrange,morefeatures,aruggedizedchassisandmorepowerfulmotors.
DJIhaspackedatonofnewtechnologyintotheInspireplatformtoimprovereliability,
safetyandvideoquality.
UsingDJI’snewPCGroundStation,GPSAutopilotandAdvancedFlightModes,takinggreatcommercialshotsjustrequiresabitofflightandshotplanning.That,andadd
oneskilledoperatoronthecamera.
Ifyou’relookingforacameradroneforprofessional-qualityfilmmaking,thentheInspireplatformistoughtobeatatanywhereclosetothisprice.
BestFeatures
1- or2-operatorconfiguration
Advancedautomatedflightmodesandtrickshots(unlikemostotherpro-levelrigs)
OptionalRAW,MicroFourThirds,CineCore2.0imagecapture
TouchscreencontrollerintegratesflightpathmonitoringandFPV/livestreaming
Easytousebyanyone(notjusthobbyists)
LiveHDvideostreamingupto7kmaway
Excellentflightrange&endurance
Issues
Relativelylargesize
Expensive
Limitedcamerachoices
CameraOptions(Inspire1v2.0)
DetachableDJI9-Lens4KCamerawithnofish-eyeeffect
Record4.0KinH.264,H.265,RAWandMicroFourThirds
4.0K@24fps
1080p@60fps
H.264/H.265at100Mbps
CameraOptions(Inspire2)
DJIZenmuseX4S,X5S
CineCore2.0imagecapture
Record5.2KinCinemaDNGRAW,AppleProResandmore
5.2K@30fps
4.0K@60fps
20fpscontinuousburst
H.264/H.265at100Mbps
Specs(Inspire1v2.0)
ProfessionalDJIflightcontrolsystem
RCControllerdisplayscamera,telemetryandflightpathallinonescreen.Acceptsmost
mobiledevices.
HDMIMonitor($500)availableforsecondcameraoperator
DualGLONASS+GPSforgreaterprecision,redundanttrackingandfastersatellite
acquisition.
LiveHDvideostreamingupto2kmaway
Fullcameracontrolwithmanualsettingadjustments
GPS-freeindoorstabilization
Sparesetofprops
High-qualitycarryingcase
58mphtopspeed(Inspire2)
18-20minuteflighttime
2kmrange
Travelcaseincluded.
Specs(Inspire2)–alloftheaboveplus:
Ruggedizedchassis
Objectdetectionandcollisionavoidancesystem
Advancedtracking&automatedflightmodes
58mphtopspeed
2kgperrotorliftthrust
27minflighttimew/secondbatteryoption
7kmrange
live1080pvideostreamingupto7kmaway
Self-heatingbatterysystem
READMYREVIEW
Unlikeprosumerdrones,theM100waspurpose-builttobemodifiedbyitsowner.
Usingitshardwareexpansionbays,theMatrice100canbeconfiguredtocarryanysetofcameras,sensorsordevices(upto1kg)thatyouwanttoputintothesky.
DJI’snewSDKsletdevelopersbuildcustommobileappsandadvancedflightcontrolsforanyrequirement.TheM100’scombinationofflexibilityandprogrammability
opensnewdoorstodevelopreliableandinexpensiveaerialphotographysolutionsfor
manyverticalapplications.
Unlikemostcommercialdroneplatforms,however,theMatrice100isnotakit.
It’sanhonest-to-goodnessready-to-flyfullyintegratedflyingplatform.Itcomescompletewithaflightcontroller,propulsionsystem,flexiblecargobays,GPS,
dedicatedremotecontroller,agreatmobileappandarechargeablebattery.
Pricedatabout$3,000withoutcameraorgimbal,theM100offerscompellingvaluefor
anyonewhoneedsacustom-builtflyingcamerasolution.
Whichistosay:mostoftheprofessionaldrone/UAVmarket,today.
DJIMatrice100(About$3,000)
Aflexible,programmableflyingworkhorsesuitableforawiderangeofaerialimaging
Excellentvalueforitsclass
Ready-to-flyandfullytested
Expansionbayssupportalmostanysensor/imagingsetupupto1kg
Greatrangeandflighttime
Issues
Vision/proximitysensorssoldseparately
Cameraandgimbalsoldseparately
Assemblyandcalibrationrequired
CameraChoices
Any,upto1kgtotalpayload
Specs
PowerfulnewDJI3510motors
DJI1345spropellers
ESC:DJIESERIES620D
FlightControl:DJIN1
RemoteController:C1
VideoTransmission:2.4GHzLightbridge
Camera:recommendZenmuseX3Camera+Gimbal(additionalcost)
1kgpayload
Flighttime:upto40minutes(nopayload,twoTB48Dbatteries)
Range:upto2km(outdoors/unobstructed)
MaxSpeed:17m/sor20m/s(dependingonnavigation,ATTIorGPS)
Windresistance:upto10m/s
READMYREVIEW
Best Features
DJIMatrice600(About$4,599)
Aflexible,powerfulsix-rotorworkhorsethat’sperfectforprofessionalfilmmakers,newsteamsandcommercialcustomizers.
Withits6kgpayloadcapacity,36minuteflighttimeandcentimeter-precisenavigation(withupgrades),theM600canmeetthemostdemandingneedsofalmostanyaerial
imagingjob,including:
professionalfilmmaking
liveHDvideo(newsbroadcast,liveevents)
thermalimaging&inspection(oil-and-gas,wireline)
andmore
TheM600exploitsDJIsnewA3Flightcontroller,whichworkssynchronouslywith
Lightbridge2advancedvideotransmissionallowingittoproduceHDlivestreamingfromasfaras5kilometersaway.
Asanyoneclosetotheindustryknows,DJI’slivevideotransmissiontechnologyissecond-
to-none.
TheMatrice600canhandlemostcamerasetupsweighingupto6kg,whichmeansyou
READMYREVIEW
caneasilycarryanyofDJI’slatestZenmusecameras,DJI’sRoninMXgimbal–orevenaREDEpic.
BestFeatures
Massive6kgpayload
Broadcast-qualityLiveHDVideoStreaming
Super-flexibledesign:expansionbayssupportalmostanysensor/imagingsetup(upto
~1kg);suitableformanycommercialapplications
Excellentrangeandflighttime
Issues
Expensive
Assembly&calibrationisrequired
CameraChoices
Upto6kgtotalpayload
REDEpic
RoninMXgimbal
ZenmuseX3,X5,XT,Z5series
Specs
PowerfulnewDJI6010motors
DJI2170propellers
VideoTransmission:2.4GHzLightbridge
DryWeight:9.6kg
Payload:upto6kg
Flighttime:upto36minutes(nopayload)or16minutes(maxpayload)
Range:upto5km(outdoorsandunobstructed)
MaxSpeed:18m/sor20m/s(dependingonnavigation,ATTIorGPS)
Flightceiling:2500m
MaximumAscent:5m/s
MaxAngularVelocity:300degrees/second(pitch),150degrees/second(yaw)
WhatIsACameraDrone?
DJIInspire1CameraDrone
Acameradroneisaradio-controlledaerialflyingplatformdesignedtocarryanHDcamera
thatshootshigh-qualityvideosandstillphotography,vibration-free.Itcanbeeitherafixed-
wingormulti-rotorconfiguration.
Mostcameradronesaremulti-rotorslikequadcopters,becausemulti-rotorsare
exceptionallystableandmaneuverableflyingplatforms.
Themostpopularcameradronestodayareready-to-fly,withanHDor4Kcameraand
gimbalinstalled.Somecanbeeasilyfittedwithapopular2-axisor3-axisgimbalcapable
ofcarryingacameraofyourchoice.
AdvancedSoftware
Manyleadingcameradronescomeequippedwithadvancedsoftware-drivenfeaturesthatsimplifytheplanningandproductionofavideoshoot,forexample:
pre-flightplanningsoftware:createyourflightplanbydrawingwaypointsonamap
usingatabletortouchscreeninterface
GPSautopilot:executeyourflightplanhands-off,viaautopilot,soyoucanfocusongettingagreatshot
automatedtrickcamerashots:follow-me(3PV),regionofinterest(ROI)targetingand
circle-mearesomeofthenewerautomatedcameramodesmakinglifeeasierfor
filmmakers
safetyfeatures:AutoReturnHome(RTL),LowBatteryReturn,andPause-and-Hover
modesarenowavailableinmanymodels.Thesewillhelpyouavoiddamagetoyour
aircraftandinjurytoothers.
flightsimulator:learnhowtoflybeforeriskingyourequipment
videoeditingandpublishingsoftware
andmore
Whileitmaytakealittletimetomasterallofthefeaturesofyourcameradrone,today’s
best-sellingdronesareeasytoflyandtakecrisp,stutter-freeHDvideoandstillshots.
WhyBuyACameraDrone?Becauseyoucanproduceawesomeaerialimages!
Drone-basedaerialvideoscanbereallycool.
Buttherearefarmoreimportantreasonssomanypeopleandcompaniesareinvestinginto
cameradrones.Flyingcamerasarehelpingusworksmarter,seebetterandworkmore
efficientlyindozensofindustries.
CameraDronesAtWorkEveryday,hundredsofthousandsofcameradronesperformjobsthatpeople,pilotsandsatelliteshavebeendoingfordecades.
Jobsperformedbycameradronestoday
Whichcameradroneisrightforyourjob?
Tohelpyounarrow-downyourshortlistforaparticularindustryoruse,I’vepublishedafew
morebuyingguidesonthissite,including:
RacingDroneBuyer’sGuide
AgricultureDroneBuyer’sGuide
RealEstateDroneBuyer’sGuide
Professionalvs.AmateurFilmmaking
Manypopularcameradronesareusedbybothamateurandprofessionalfilmmakers.
However,seriouscinemaprofessionalssometimesrequireflyingplatformsthatcancarry
heavier,customcamerasystemslikethepopularsuper-high-resolutioncamera,REDEpic.
Forexample,professional-gradecameraplatformsliketheDJIMatrice600cancarry5-10lbpayloads.Buttheytypicallycostmorethan$4,000andsometimesintroduce
complexitiesandchoicesthatmostamateursandsemi-profilmmakerswouldratheravoid.
Inadditiontoaheavierpayload,someofthemoreadvancedfeaturesthataprofessional
filmmakermayneedinacameradroneinclude:
2-operatormode:onepersonflieswhiletheotherdirectsthecamera;mostcommercial
filmsareproducedthisway
customgimbal/cameramountstoholdprofessionalvideoorfilmcameras&to
stabilizetheshot
redundantliftpower:professionalfilmmakersoftenpreferdual-motorand6-or8-propellerliftsystemstoprotecttheirexpensivecamerasfromdamageincaseamotor
fails.
advancedGPS-basedflightplanning&controlsystemstoplanandexecutecomplex,time-synchronizedflightpaths&automatedcamerashotsin3dimensions
objectdetectionandcollisionavoidancesystems,liketheonesofferedintheDJIPhantom4andYuneecTyphoonH
advancedcameracontrolstoadjustthecamera’saperture,shutterandothersettings
whileinflight
morepreciseGPSautopilotpositioning,usingredundantGPS/GLONASSreceivers
andinertialsensorslikethecentimeter-levelprecisionavailableintheDJIMatrice600.
moredurableconstruction,likethemagnesium-aluminumframeusedinthenewDJIInspire2
cinema-quality5.2kvideocapturewithAppleProRes/CinemaDNGcompatibility,
alsoavailableintheDJIInspire2.
LiveVideoStreaming
ThevastmajorityofcameradronesareusedforrecordingHDvideoforplaybacklater,not
forlivebroadcasting.
Whilenewsstationscontinuetoexperimentwithlivedronevideofeeds,theresolutionand
reliabilityofliveHDstreamingfromdronesisnotquitethereyet.
Thisisbecausetherearelotsoftechnicalissuesinvolvedwithtryingtostreamlive4K
videoat30-60fps.
Thatsaid,DJIclaimstheirnewM600hexacoptercandeliverreliablebroadcast-qualitryHD
videofromupto5kmaway.
WiththeFAA’srecentapprovaloftheNFLusingdronesforlivevideo,Iexpectmoredrone
manufacturerstofollowinDJI’sfootsteps.
Ready-to-Flyvs.BuildingYourOwn
Formostamateursandprofessionalsjuststartingout,aready-to-fly(RTF)cameradrone
isbyfaryourbestoption.
RTFcameradronesliketheonesDJI,3DRoboticsandParrotsellhaveworked-outthe
bugsandinconsistenciesamongtheironboardandgroundstationsystems.This
integrationmakestakinghighqualityshotsoneveryflighteasyandstress-free.
RTFcameradronessacrificeflexibilityincamera&payloadchoices,butmostamateurs
andsemi-profilmmakerswon’tnotice.
Buildingyourowncameradronefromscratchisanotheroption.
ButgoingDIYitisn’trealisticformostpeople.
Instead,mosthobbyistsprefertomountacameraandgimbaloftheirchoiceontoaprovencommercial-gradeflyingplatformliketheDJIMatrice600thatmeetsthe
minimumrequirementforfilmmakingandphotography:
acceptsprofessionalgimbalsandcameras(mountingspaceandpayloadcapacity)
includesanonboardGPSwithanintegratedflightcontrollerandautopilot
comeswithintegratedflightplanning&controlsoftware
hasbeenproveninthefieldforcamerawork.
Custom-mountingagimbalandcameratoadronerequirescareduetocenter-of-gravityandpossibleequipmentinterferenceissues.
Inaddition,custom-builtcameradronesmaylackadvancedcameracontrolanddirectionsuchasfollow-me(3PV)andregionofinterest(ROI)targeting.
Finally,warrantiesmaynotcoveraDIYflyingcamera.
Ifyouneedacameradroneforspecializedjobssuchasdataacquisition,agricultureorsurveillance,thenyoumaywanttoconsiderpurchasingaspecial-purposeworkdrone,instead.
Industry-specificdronestendtobemoreexpensiveandmorecomplextooperate,however.
Thisiswhymanyprofessionalsoptfor“prosumer”dronesliketheInspire1orPhantom3,
whenevertheycan.
WhatDoesItCost?
Ifyou’rewillingtosettleforlimitedrangeandlessthan4Kvideoquality,thenyoucangetadecentRTFcameradroneforabout$500.Agreatchoiceinthispricerangeisthe
Phantom3Standard.
Complete,ready-to-flycameradronescapableofshooting4Kvideousuallycostbetween$1,000-$2,000.MostflyingcamerasinthispricerangeofferaLOToffeatures,
includingflightplanningsoftware,agroundstationcontrollerwithintegratedtouchscreen,
GPSautopilot,advancedtrickcamerashots,a3-axisprofessionalgimbal,andaGoPro3/4
orsimilar-qualitycamera.ThemostpopularRTFcameradronesinthispricerangearethe
Phantom4PROandtheTyphoonH.
Formoreprofessionaldemands–forexample,ifyouneedtofilminMicroFourThirdsorneedadronethatallows2-personoperation–pricesgenerallystartataround$2,500andcangomuchhigher.TheleadingRTFflyingcamerainthispricerangeistheDJIInspire($2,000-$8,000)whichoffersmanydifferentcamerapackagesincludinga
professional-gradeMicroFourThirdscamerasystem.
IfyouneedtoflyaheaviercamerarigliketheREDEpic,thenyou’llneedtoupgradetoahigher-payloadmulti-copterliketheMatrice600($4,500),whichiscapableofcarryingamassive6kgofgear.Butheavy-dutyflyingcamerarigslikethiscost$6,000-$10,000after
youaddacameraandgimbal.
SEEMYCAMERADRONEREVIEWS
Arguably,thecameraisthemostimportantfeatureofanyfilmmaker’sdrone.
Mostleadingcameradronesuseproprietarycamerasthesedays,forlotsofpracticalreasons.Themostimportantadvantagesofusingthedronemanufacturer’scamera
include:
bettercontrolovercamerapositioning
controlovermorecamerafeatureslikeshutterspeedandzoom
camerafeaturescanbebeplanned,automated&synchronizedw/yourflightplan,and
executedwiththemanufacturer’sflightcontrolsystem
Thebiggestdownsideofusingaproprietarycameraisobvious:itcan’tbeswappedout,as
technologyadvances.Formostconsumers,aproprietarycamerasystemisn’tabigdeal.
Manyprofessionalfilmmakersprefercameradroneswithprogimbalsthatcanaccept
manydifferentcameras.
Popularthird-partycamerasusedinaerialfilmandphotographyinclude:
CanonEOS5DMarkIII
PanasonicLumixGH4
SonyNEX7
REDEpic
GoProHero4
BlackMagicPocketCinema
FeaturesToLookForTherestofthisguideexplainsthefeaturesthatmattermostwhenselectingadronefor
aerialphotographyandfilmmaking.
Camera
CameraMount&Gimbal
Thebest-qualitycameradroneslikeDJI‘sPhantom4areequippedwithahigh-quality
professional3-axisgimbaltocontrolcamerapositioningandtoprovideastableimagein
allconditions.
Thequalityofyourgimbalwillmakeorbreakthequalityofyourvideoimage.Acamera
gimbaltakescareoftwocriticaljobsinfilmmaking:
1. camerapositioning:agimbalcontrolsthedirectionofthecamerain2or3axesusinga
seriesofhigh-precisionelectricmotors;and,
2. imagestability:agimbalensuresthatnormalvibrationsandsuddenmovementsofthe
dronedonotimpactthequalityoftheimage.Itdoesthisbyusingitshigh-speedelectric
motorstocompensateformotionsdetectedbyanonboardgyro.
DigitalgimbalsliketheoneusedintheParrotBeBopimproveimagestabilityforfixed-
mountcameras,butonlysomuch.
Avoidfixedcameramountsifimagequalityisyourpriority.
Therearemanydifferenttypesofflightcontrollersavailabletoday.
Theyrangefromsimple6-axisRCflightcontrollerstosophisticatedtablet-basedcontrollersthatintegrateflightstatus,mapoverlay,waypointcontrolandlivestreamingvideointoasingledisplay.
Someflightcontrollersaretouchsensitive,allowingyoutopinchandsqueezestatusand
videostreamwindowswhileyoufly.
Dronemanufacturerstodaycompeteonthedifferencesintheirflightcontrollersand
associatedsoftware.Everydaythere’sanannouncementofsomenewfeature.
Thatsaid,takecaretoensurethatyourcontrollerhasthefollowingbasicscovered:
batterylife:howlongdoesyourcontrolleroperatewithoutabatteryswap?ifitonlylasts
30minutesandtheunitrebootsonabatteryswap,thenyoumaybereallyfrustratedin
thefield.
manualflightcontrol:makesureyouhave6-axiscontroloveryourdroneusingtwin
sticks.Don’tgofornovelorfancierdesigns.
flightcontrolfrequency:mostcameradronesusethe2.4GHzor5.8GHzfrequency
bandforflightcontrol.Ifyoursisswitchable,thengreat,becauseeitherspectrumcanget
crowdedinasuburbanorurbanarea.
telemetrydatastreaming:doesyourcontrollerprovideequipmentandflightstatusto
youinrealtime?telemetrydatacanbealifesaverifyourdronefliesoutofviewandhas
anaccident
firstpersonview(FPV)videostreaming:doesyourcameradroneprovidealivevideostreamfromitsonboardcamera?isitinHD? can you attach FPV glasses via an HDMI port?
FlightController
GPSAutopilot
GPSautopilotisastandardfeatureonthemostpopularcameradronessoldtoday.
TherearethreetypesofGPSsystemsusedtocontroldronestoday:
1. standardGPS:usesasingleGNSSreceiverchip:accuratetowithinameterortwo;
usedonmostconsumerdrones
2. redundantGPS:uses2ormoreredundantGNSSreceivers,typicallyastandardGPS
plusaGLONASSreceiver;thisisagoodchoiceifyou’llbeflyingoverpopulatedareas
oranyspacewherelosingGISpositioningcouldbecatastrophic.
3. parallelGPS:twoormoreGNSSreceiversworkinginconjunctiontodeliversub-meter
precision;usefulwherehighlypreciselocationaccuracyisrequired,suchascovering
stadiumsportingevents.
MostpeoplearefineusingasingleGPSsystemtooperateacameradrone.Butifthe
speedofsatelliteacquisition,safetyorlocationprecisionarecriticaltoyourjob,thenyou
maywanttoupgradetoamoresophisticatedsolution.
FlightPlanning&Control
Ifyouwanttoproduceaprofessionalqualityfilmorvideo,thensolidpre-flightplanningis
essential.Thiscanbedonewithorwithoutsoftware.
Thatsaid,integratedflightplanningandcontrolsoftwareisanessentialpartofflyinga
cameradronetoday.Itfreestheoperatortofocusonlyoncapturinggreatcamerashots.
ThebestcameradronesforsalelikethePhantom4includeintegratedflightplanning&controlsoftwarethatletsyouvisuallyplanyourflightpathaheadoftimebyoverlayingwaypointsontoavisualmapofyourflightregion.
Later,thewaypointflightplanusedtodrivethedrone’sGPSautopilotsystemtoflythedronewithlittletonointerferencefromthepilot.
Ingeneral,amateurandsemi-provideographersandphotographersshouldavoidcamera
dronesthatdonotcomeequippedwiththisvitalcapability.
AdvancedCameraControl
Thedronemarketcontinuestoreleasenewautomatedcameracontrolfeatures.
ThemostpopularoftheseareFollow-Me(3PV)andRegionofInterest(ROI)cameramodes.
FollowMecamerapositioningletsasingleoperatordirectadronetomaintaincamerafocusontheoperatorwhilethedroneexecutesanautopilotormanualflightplan.
Follow-MemakesiteasytotakeanHD“filmselfie”ofyouenjoyingyourfavoriteextreme
sportandoutdooractivitieswithoutneedingasecondpersontooperatethedrone.In
Follow-Memode,thedronewillfollowtheoperatorwherevers/hegoesusingalocation
beaconthatistypicallywornonthewristorasapendant.
RegionofInterestcamerapositioningmaintainsthecamera’sfocusonaGPS-defined
region,ratherthanamovingperson.
ROImodeisusefulinbuildingandconstructionmonitoring,eventandtourismmarketing,
realestatemarketingandotherapplicationswherethecenterofactionisafixedlocation.
Usingtherightdrone,afilmmakercanprogramaflightpathandaddaRegionofInterestto
doacompletesweepofanareaorevent,allwithouttouchingthecontrols.
Real-TimeObjectDetection
Thelatestinnovationintheready-to-flycamera
dronemarketisreal-timeobjectdetection.Thisisthebuilt-inabilityto“see”thedrone’ssurroundingterrainin3Dandtorecognizeobjectswithinit,inrealtime.
TheDJIthePhantom4wasthefirstready-to-flycameradroneequippedwiththisground-
breakingcapability.ThePhantom4usesasetofforward-anddown-lookingcameras&
sensorsthatmonitoritsenvironment.
Objectdetectionaddsanotherlevelofintelligencetoacameradrone.Thisenablesreally
coolandusefulfeaturessuchasadvanced“follow-me”&“follow-that”navigation,newtrickcamerashotsandautomaticcollisionavoidance(describedbelow).
AutomaticCollisionAvoidance
Collisionavoidanceisafeaturethatdroneoperators&manufacturershavebeen
dreamingabout,foralongtime.Andnow,it’sfinallyhere!
Enabledbyrealtimeobjectdetection,the
newestcameradroneslikethePhantom4canliterallyseeobjectsintheirflightpathandautomaticallyrouteanewcoursearoundthem.
Thisfeatureoffersanumberofimportantbenefits.
Firstoff,youreducethechanceyouwillcrashanddamageyourdroneduetounexpected
obstacles.
Thesecondadvantageisthatflightplanningissimplified,withoutincreasingrisk.With
intelligentre-routingaroundobjects,youdon’tneedtoworryasmuchaboutunseenobject
likesmalltreesandlightpoles.Justletyourdronetakecareofit.
Ofcourse,thissoundsalotsimplerthanitworksinpractice.Ifthereisanobjectinyour
drone’sway,thenyoumaynotgetthecamerashotyouwereafter,andyou’llneedtore-
planandflytheshotagain.
Butatleastyoudidn’tdestroyyouraircraft!
StreamlinedVideoEditing
Don’toverlookthesoftwareprovidedbythedronemanufacturer.
Specifically,appsthatstreamlinevideoeditingandpublishingsequence.Afterall,editing
videousuallytakesmoretimethanshooting.
Aftercapturingthatgreattrickshot,wouldn’titbeawesomeifyoucouldreviewtheclipright
onyourflightcontroller–andeveneditit?
Well,withthenewestpopularcameradrones,youcan.
Forexample,DJIoffersafreemobileapp,theDJIVideoEditor,witheveryInspireand
Phantomdrone.
Theapprunsonthesamedeviceyouuseforflightplanning,GPStracking,livevideofeeds
andtelemetry.
Thissortofintegrationmakesfly>shoot>editabreeze.
FlightTime
Flighttimeiscritical,obviously,foranyfilmingorphotographyjob.
Mostquadcopter-styleflyingplatformshaveausefulflyingtimeof10to25minutes.
Butsomeofthistimeiseatenupflyingtoandfromyourcameratarget.Whichmeansthe
majorityofready-to-flycameradroneswilldeliver10to15minutesofusefulcameratime
beforehavingtoreturntobase.
Ifmoretimeisrequired,afixedwingdronemaybeabetteroption.Fixedwingcamera
dronesarecapableofflighttimesupto1hour.However,duetothespeedtheyoperate,the
qualityandflexibilityoffilmmakingisreduced.
Alternatively,youcanusemultipledronestoshootspecificsectionsofyourshot’sflight
path.
FlightCeiling
Flightceilingisusuallynotanissuewithmostcameradrones,becausetheshotisalmost
alwaysfocusedonthegroundoronabuilding.
Butifyouarefilmingwildgeeseflying,parachutistsorbasejumpers,thenbeawareofthe
limitations.
Flightceilingisalmostalwaysartificiallyimposedbythedrone’ssoftwareoralineofsight
limitationorthewirelessradio’srange,notbytheflyingplatformitself.
Byreplacingthecontrollerwithamorepowerfulunitorbyupgradingyoursoftware,you
maybeabletodramaticallyimprovetheceilingofyourdrone.
Speed
Mostready-to-flycameradronescannotflymuchfasterthan50milesperhourinastraight
line,withzerowindresistance.
That’sOK,sincethetypicalspeedusedonmostvideoshootslessthan20mph.
Ifyourcameratargetfrequentlymovesfasterthan30or40mph,thenyoumayneedtolook
atafixedwingcameradroneoryoumaywanttoattachagimbaltoaracingdrone(upto
100mph).
Range
Manycameradronesarecapableofoperatingupto1kmawayfromthecontroller.
Sometimesasfaras7kmwithwirelessboosters.
Thatsaid,weatherconditionsandradiointerferenceintheenvironmentcanreduce
effectiverangebyasmuchas90%.
Acameradrone’seffectiverangeisafunctionofthequalityofthewirelessconnections
usedfortheradiocontrollerunit,thevideostreamingchannel,andthetelemetrychannel(ifseparatefromvideo).Thelesscrowdedthefrequencyband,themorechance
youhaveofflyingalongdistanceandstreamingHDvideowhenyouarrive.
Ifyouneedlong-rangeoperation,thenmakesureyourdrone&controllerusethelatest
wireless/radiofrequencies&technologiesapprovedfordroneuse,suchas5.8GHzor5.0
MiMO.
SafetyFeatures
ARParrotBebop:propguards
Therearetwokindsofsafetytoworryaboutwhenoperatingacameradrone:thesafetyofthedroneandthesafetyofpeoplenearby.
Themostimportantsafetyfeaturestogetinacameradroneinclude
PropGuardstoprotectpeoplefrombeinginjuredbysharppropelleredges,andto
protectyourdronefromtrees.
ReturnHome:automaticallyreturnthedronebacktolaunchlocation,usingasingle
button.
EmergencyLanding:ifproblemsaredetectedbythedronesuchaslowbatterylife,
automaticallyattemptasafe,controlledlandingorexecutethereturnhomemode.
Auto-Hover:sometimescalleda“PanicButton”,hovermodeimmediatelystopsall
forwardmotionandhoversinplace.Importantwhenwindorweatherconditions
temporarilyruinashot;or,ifyoulosesightofthedroneandnolongerhavevideostream
ortelemetrydatatoconfirmitsposition.
FlightTracker:monitorandlogyouraircraft’sGPSpositionthroughoutitsflight.
Importantifyouflybeyondline-of-sight.TheFlytrex3Gisagreatchoice(about$180).
WindResistance
Thevastmajorityofcameradronesareusedoutside.So,windresistanceisimportantto
understand.
Thetruthis,everyquadcopterisatleastsomewhatwindsensitiveandwillbeimpactedby
windsgreaterthan20-30milesperhour.
Ifyourenvironmentexperiencesregularhighgustsofwind,thenconsiderusingafixed
wingdroneinstead.
WaterResistance
Thisisonefeaturewheredronesdifferdramatically.
Ifyou’retakingshotsofanysortofoutdoorsports,thenyouwillwantyourcameradroneto
bewaterresistant(IP5andIP6).Youcan’tcontroltheweather,afterall.
Ifyourvideoflightsareoveropenwater(chasingboatsorskiers),thenyoualsoneedyour
dronetofloat–andtoidentifyitslocationifitsplashesdown.
MostcameradronestodayDONOTFLOAT.
Thefewthatdoarewaterresistantenoughtocontinueoperating,whichmeanstheywill
continuetoidentifytheirlocation–untilthebatterydies.
Warranty
Warrantiesformostready-to-flycameradroneslikethePhantom3generallylast1yearandcoverallpartsincludingthecameraandgimbal.
Ifyoucustom-buildacameradrone,thenonlytheflyingplatformiswarranted–your
camera&gimbalareyourproblem.
ReplacementParts
Thisiswherethebrandyoubuycanmakeabigdifference.Therearethousandsofdrone
manufacturerstoday,butmostofthemarereallycustomjobshopswhoassembleother
company’sparts.
Replacementpartsareeasiertoobtainandoftencheaperforthemostpopularcamera
dronemanufacturers.DJI,3DRoboticsandARParrot,produce80%ofthecamera
dronessoldtoday,soiftheirproductscanmeetyourneedsyou’reprobablybetteroff.
GetTrainedMostdronebuyerstodayarefirst-timeflyers,andtakinggreatshotsfromtheairisnoteasy
todo.
Ittakesalotofpracticetofly,pointandshootin4dimensions(x,y,zandvelocity)usinga
remotecamera.
Ifyoudon’twanttodestroyafewdrones($$$)andcameras($$)andwasteweekslearning
howNOTtoflyacamera,thenIrecommendyougettrainedbyexperts.
Evenifyouhaveapilot’slicense,thenIrecommendgettingtrainedonthefollowing
techniquesandtopics:
1. flyingadronesafely
2. gettinglegallycertifiedtooperateadroneinyourcountry
3. flyingadroneonGPSautopilot
4. howtogetgreataerialshots:aerialphotographyandvideography
5. editingandprocessinghigh-resolutionimagesandvideo,usingthelatestsoftwaretools
Thegoodnewsistherearemanyoptionstodayforgettingtrained,eitherinpersonor
online.
CheckoutmynewlistofThe50+BestOnlineandGroundTrainingProgramstoseeacomprehensivelistofeducation,certificationandtrainingprogramsavailabletoday.
OnlineCoursePicks
Ipreferonlinecourses,becausetheyareself-pacedandflyingacameraisahobbyforme.
HereareafewcoursesIcanrecommend:
1. HowtoTakeGreatAerialShots&EditThem(usingFCPXorAdobePremiere):
StunningAerialVideographyandPhotographyUsingDronesbyBruceGeddes,
AerialVideographer,PhotographerandExpert.Thisisahands-on7hourcoursethat
teachesyouhowtoplanyourflightandyourshotstogether,howtotakeshotsandhow
toeditandaddeffectstoyourimagesandvideo.Cost:$99onUdemy.com(5-star
ratingwithover1,000studentsto-date).
2. HowtoFlyaDroneSafely:foraschoolorclassnearyou,checkoutthiscomprehensivelistofUAVtrainingcoursesonDroneTrainingHQ.com.Alsocheckout
the$3500UAVCertificatecourseofferedbyUnmannedVehicleUniversity.
GetInsuredIfyou’reflyingadroneorUAVforcommercialpurposes,thenyoudefinitelyneedto
considerbuyingliabilityanddamageprotectioninsurance.
Today,it’sfairlyeasytogetmultipleinsurancequotesintheUSforalmostanypurpose.
Readmyguidetobuyingdroneinsurancetolearnwhyyouneedit,wheretobuyitandhowmuchitcosts.
LearnMore
SEEMYCAMERADRONEREVIEWS
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About
AndrewNixonOwner/EditoratBestDronefortheJob
Aviddrone/UAVenthusiastformanyyears.Byday,Idesignwebsitesandmobileapps.
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