What Is the Best Drone on the Market? Even if you have no good reason to justify buying one, you have to admit that drones are cool. Some are glorified tech toys, but most models we highlight here are fit for use in imaging and cinematic applications small and large. If you think you can use a flying camera in your next project, there's some good news—the tech has come a long way in a very short time. There are models on the market now that put earlier copters to shame in terms of video quality and stabilization. And now the bad news. You get what you pay for, and if you want an aerial video platform that can capture stunning footage, you need to be ready to spend some cash. Because drones are such pricey propositions, it pays to do your research before buying one. We've tested many of the ready-to-fly models on the market to determine what's important to look for, and the best models available. There are low-cost drones on the market (we've rounded some of the top-rated options under $100 on Amazon), but you're still looking at spending a few hundred dollars to get a solid model that's stable in flight with an excellent integrated camera. See How We Test Drones The drones we review are ready-to-fly models, so you can use them right out of the box. In most cases, you'll need to bring your own Android or iOS device to view the camera feed in real-time, but we've reviewed a few models that stream video directly to a remote control. We don't cover racing, industrial, or agricultural aircraft here—our focus is on aircraft intended for aerial imaging and videography. Drone Safety and Regulations Almost all of the models featured here have some safety features. Even the DJI Spark, which isn't built for long-distance flight, includes a GPS and automatic return-to-home functionality. If your control signal is interrupted, or if the battery gets down too low (most drones can only fly for about 25 minutes on a single battery charge), you drone will start to head back to its takeoff point and land. Flyaways still happen, and there are horror stories on various web discussion forums. Of course, negative experiences are amplified in this context, simply because uneventful flights that don't result in a crash or missing drone aren't hot topics for discussion. If you're flying within the United States, you need to take heed of FAA guidelines—or be prepared to face potential fines or jail time. There are no-fly zones set by the FAA, so don't take off if you're near an airport without notifying the control tower first. And, even if you're out in the middle of nowhere, don't take your drone above 400 feet. Most are set to obey these regulations out of the box, but controlling a quadcopter is just like driving a car—even if you missed seeing that speed limit sign, you're still liable to pay the ticket. Be sure to read up on the current FAA guidelines before buying. Racing and Toy Drones There are a number of products on the market that are sold as drones, but don't quite fit the bill. Remote-controlled aircraft have been around for ages. (Check out this clip from Magnum, P.I. if you don't believe me, or just want to see Tom Selleck in a bathrobe.) But with the recent surge in popularity, quadcopters that would simply be sold as RC products are now being tagged as drones. These don't include GPS stabilization, return-to-home functionality, and other automated flight modes that make a drone a drone. We've reviewed a handful of these products and placed them in our Toy reviews category. If you're interested in something you can use on the International Drone Racing Association, keep your eyes tuned there for reviews. What Are the Best Brands of Drones? DJI models currently dominate our top picks, and there's a good reason for that. The company is simply a few steps ahead of its competition right now, and has a product catalog with models at various price points, which take up a good number of the slots in our top ten. It made a huge splash with its iconic Phantom series, and now makes the best small drones we've tested in the form of the Mavic series. DJI's pro line is dubbed Inspire and is currently in its second generation. Inspire models offer functionality well beyond what you get with a Phantom, including dual-operator support—one person flying and the other working the camera—as well as interchangeable lenses and camera modules, a Raw cinema workflow, and retractable landing gear. While DJI may be the first name you think of when it comes to drones, it isn't the only game in town. You can also look at models from Autel Robotics, Parrot, PowerVision, and Yuneec. Others have dabbled in the consumer drone space and exited quickly—GoPro pulled its Karma after a rocky launch and poor sales, and 3D Robotics tried to get in with the Solo, but also gave up the fight to focus on the industrial and enterprise spaces. Small vs. Large Drones For a long time, the DJI Phantom series was about as small as you could go if you wanted to get a full-featured drone that maintains stability in the air and includes strong safety features. That's no longer the case. Hikers and travel photographers appreciate a small, light kit, and they can now get a drone that fits into a backpack. Of course, not every small drone is a top flyer. Some are barely capable of getting off the ground and require you to use your smartphone as a remote control, which makes for a sloppy control experience. Make sure to read reviews before spending your hard-earned cash on a compact quadcopter. The Best Drones for Pros The DJI Inspire 2 is aimed at professional cinematographers, news organizations, and independent filmmakers. And it's priced as such—its $3,000 MSRP doesn't include a camera. You have the option of adding a 1-inch sensor fixed-lens camera, a Micro Four Thirds interchangeable lens model, or a Super35mm cinema mount with its own proprietary lens system and support for 6K video capture. Yuneec also has a model with a Micro Four Thirds camera. Its Tornado H920 is a huge drone with six rotors and room to hold three batteries, giving it an unheard of 42-minute flight capability. Its CGO4 camera is essentially a custom version of the Panasonic GH4, a favorite of many a terrestrial videographer. It doesn't record uncompressed video like the Inspire 2, but it's less expensive. Ultimately, you can't go wrong with any of the models listed here. For the latest field-tested drone reviews, check out our Drones Product Guide. And if you just bought a quadcopter and are looking to get started, read our guide on how to fly a drone. DJI Mavic 2 Pro Review MSRP: $1499.00 at Pros: Superlative 4K video. 20MP Raw and JPG still imaging. Great battery life. Compact, foldable design. Obstacle avoidance sensors.Cons: 8GB internal memory isn't much. No DCI format support. Expensive.Bottom Line: The DJI Mavic 2 Pro is the best small drone on the market, with superior image and video quality, obstacle avoidance, and excellent battery life.Read Review DJI Inspire 2 Review MSRP: $6198.00 at Pros: Magnesium alloy body. Interchangeable cameras. 5.2K video. CinemaDNG and ProRes recording. High-speed Sport mode. Obstacle detection and avoidance. Retractable landing gear and 360-degree camera rotation. Dual-operator control with FPV pilot camera. Intelligent flight modes.Cons: High-performance computer required for video editing. Expensive. Adobe Premiere CC bug hampers CinemaDNG workflow.Bottom Line: If money is no object, the DJI Inspire 2 is the best drone you can buy, delivering Raw video capture at 5.2K quality, superb build quality, and top-end performance.Read Review Pros: Compact, folding design. Stable 4K video at up to 60fps. Log video profile. Supports UHD and DCI formats. Obstacle avoidance system. Solid battery life. Works with or without a smartphone.Cons: Default video profile appears oversharpened. Memory card door is very tight. Not as many safety features as other drones.Bottom Line: The Autel Robotics EVO is a very solid small drone with strong battery life, a stabilized 4K camera, and an obstacle detection system.Read Review Pros: Smooth, sharp 4K video. 2x optical zoom lens. Excellent battery life. Compact, folding design. Obstacle detection system. High-resolution stitched image mode. Raw and HDR photos.Cons: Could use more internal memory. Omits DCI aspect ratio. Pricey.Bottom Line: The DJI Mavic 2 Zoom sets itself apart from other drones thanks to an optical zoom lens. It's loaded with features, including obstacle avoidance, and is a fine choice for enthusiast pilots.Read Review Pros: Very small. Charges via USB-C. 4K video with HDR. 3x digital zoom lens. Upward gimbal tilt. Big battery for 25-minute flights.Cons: No obstacle detection. Digital zoom cuts into 4K quality. Requires smartphone. Construction feels a little flimsy.Bottom Line: The Parrot Anafi puts all emphasis on size-the small, folding drone is ideal for travel, thanks to 4K video capture, a small airframe, and USB charging.Read Review Pros: Very small. High bit-rate 4K UHD video. HDR and Panorama still capture. Raw and JPG support. Asteroid video shot. Good obstacle avoidance. Automated flight modes.Cons: Doesn't support USB charging. No 4K DCI video. Panorama stitching needs some work. Real-world flight limited to about 18 minutes.Bottom Line: The Mavic Air is DJI's smallest, most portable drone, and is just as full-featured as its larger siblings.Read Review Pros: Small. Supports gesture controls. Smartphone-controlled flight. Automated shots. Subject tracking. Forward obstacle avoidance. GPS stabilization. Safety features, including return-to-home.Cons: Battery nets about 12 minutes of flight time. Limited range and speed when controlling with phone. Video limited to 1080p. No support for 24fps or high frame rate capture. App and video editing features could be easier to use. Dedicated remote control is a pricey add-on. Bottom Line: The DJI Spark is a $500 palm-size gesture-controlled selfie drone for the masses, but it's hampered by short flying time and an app that could be easier to use.Read Review Pros: Six-rotor design. Freely rotating 4K video camera. Raw and JPG image capture. Retractable landing gear. Remote control with integrated display. Solid operating range. Intel RealSense obstacle avoidance. Supports dual-operator control.Cons: Flight limited to 19 minutes. Obstacle avoidance system only works at low speeds. Controller is large and unwieldy. Battery life indicator is confusing to read. Spotty automatic white balance. Expensive.Bottom Line: The Yuneec Typhoon H Pro with Intel RealSense Technology has enormous potential, but its flight interface and video both leave some room for improvement.Read Review Pros: Inexpensive. Easy to fly. Programmable via Scratch. Bluetooth remote control compatibility. Automated flight modes.Cons: Pixelated, low-quality video. Limited control range. No GPS or return-to-home capability.Bottom Line: The Ryze Tello is a toy quadcopter flyable via smartphone or laptop (using Scratch). Its video quality isn't anything to write home about, but it's a fun tech toy and learning tool.Read Review The Best Drones for 2019
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What Is the Best Drone on the Market? Even if you have no good reason to justify buying one, you have to admit that drones are cool. Some are glorified tech toys, but most models we highlight here are fit for use in imaging and cinematic applications small and large. If you think you can use a flying camera in your next project, there's some good news—the tech has come a long way in a very short time. There are models on the market now that put earlier copters to shame in terms of video quality and stabilization. And now the bad news. You get what you pay for, and if you want an aerial video platform that can capture stunning footage, you need to be ready to spend some cash. Because drones are such pricey propositions, it pays to do your research before buying one. We've tested many of the ready-to-fly models on the market to determine what's important to look for, and the best models available. There are low-cost drones on the market (we've rounded some of the top-rated options under $100 on Amazon), but you're still looking at spending a few hundred dollars to get a solid model that's stable in flight with an excellent integrated camera. See How We Test Drones The drones we review are ready-to-fly models, so you can use them right out of the box. In most cases, you'll need to bring your own Android or iOS device to view the camera feed in real-time, but we've reviewed a few models that stream video directly to a remote control. We don't cover racing, industrial, or agricultural aircraft here—our focus is on aircraft intended for aerial imaging and videography. Drone Safety and Regulations Almost all of the models featured here have some safety features. Even the DJI Spark, which isn't built for long-distance flight, includes a GPS and automatic return-to-home functionality. If your control signal is interrupted, or if the battery gets down too low (most drones can only fly for about 25 minutes on a single battery charge), you drone will start to head back to its takeoff point and land. Flyaways still happen, and there are horror stories on various web discussion forums. Of course, negative experiences are amplified in this context, simply because uneventful flights that don't result in a crash or missing drone aren't hot topics for discussion. If you're flying within the United States, you need to take heed of FAA guidelines—or be prepared to face potential fines or jail time. There are no-fly zones set by the FAA, so don't take off if you're near an airport without notifying the control tower first. And, even if you're out in the middle of nowhere, don't take your drone above 400 feet. Most are set to obey these regulations out of the box, but controlling a quadcopter is just like driving a car—even if you missed seeing that speed limit sign, you're still liable to pay the ticket. Be sure to read up on the current FAA guidelines before buying. Racing and Toy Drones There are a number of products on the market that are sold as drones, but don't quite fit the bill. Remote-controlled aircraft have been around for ages. (Check out this clip from Magnum, P.I. if you don't believe me, or just want to see Tom Selleck in a bathrobe.) But with the recent surge in popularity, quadcopters that would simply be sold as RC products are now being tagged as drones. These don't include GPS stabilization, return-to-home functionality, and other automated flight modes that make a drone a drone. We've reviewed a handful of these products and placed them in our Toy reviews category. If you're interested in something you can use on the International Drone Racing Association, keep your eyes tuned there for reviews. What Are the Best Brands of Drones? DJI models currently dominate our top picks, and there's a good reason for that. The company is simply a few steps ahead of its competition right now, and has a product catalog with models at various price points, which take up a good number of the slots in our top ten. It made a huge splash with its iconic Phantom series, and now makes the best small drones we've tested in the form of the Mavic series. DJI's pro line is dubbed Inspire and is currently in its second generation. Inspire models offer functionality well beyond what you get with a Phantom, including dual-operator support—one person flying and the other working the camera—as well as interchangeable lenses and camera modules, a Raw cinema workflow, and retractable landing gear. While DJI may be the first name you think of when it comes to drones, it isn't the only game in town. You can also look at models from Autel Robotics, Parrot, PowerVision, and Yuneec. Others have dabbled in the consumer drone space and exited quickly—GoPro pulled its Karma after a rocky launch and poor sales, and 3D Robotics tried to get in with the Solo, but also gave up the fight to focus on the industrial and enterprise spaces. Small vs. Large Drones For a long time, the DJI Phantom series was about as small as you could go if you wanted to get a full-featured drone that maintains stability in the air and includes strong safety features. That's no longer the case. Hikers and travel photographers appreciate a small, light kit, and they can now get a drone that fits into a backpack. Of course, not every small drone is a top flyer. Some are barely capable of getting off the ground and require you to use your smartphone as a remote control, which makes for a sloppy control experience. Make sure to read reviews before spending your hard-earned cash on a compact quadcopter. The Best Drones for Pros The DJI Inspire 2 is aimed at professional cinematographers, news organizations, and independent filmmakers. And it's priced as such—its $3,000 MSRP doesn't include a camera. You have the option of adding a 1-inch sensor fixed-lens camera, a Micro Four Thirds interchangeable lens model, or a Super35mm cinema mount with its own proprietary lens system and support for 6K video capture. Yuneec also has a model with a Micro Four Thirds camera. Its Tornado H920 is a huge drone with six rotors and room to hold three batteries, giving it an unheard of 42-minute flight capability. Its CGO4 camera is essentially a custom version of the Panasonic GH4, a favorite of many a terrestrial videographer. It doesn't record uncompressed video like the Inspire 2, but it's less expensive. Ultimately, you can't go wrong with any of the models listed here. For the latest field-tested drone reviews, check out our Drones Product Guide. And if you just bought a quadcopter and are looking to get started, read our guide on how to fly a drone. DJI Mavic 2 Pro Review MSRP: $1499.00 at Pros: Superlative 4K video. 20MP Raw and JPG still imaging. Great battery life. Compact, foldable design. Obstacle avoidance sensors.Cons: 8GB internal memory isn't much. No DCI format support. Expensive.Bottom Line: The DJI Mavic 2 Pro is the best small drone on the market, with superior image and video quality, obstacle avoidance, and excellent battery life.Read Review DJI Inspire 2 Review MSRP: $6198.00 at Pros: Magnesium alloy body. Interchangeable cameras. 5.2K video. CinemaDNG and ProRes recording. High-speed Sport mode. Obstacle detection and avoidance. Retractable landing gear and 360-degree camera rotation. Dual-operator control with FPV pilot camera. Intelligent flight modes.Cons: High-performance computer required for video editing. Expensive. Adobe Premiere CC bug hampers CinemaDNG workflow.Bottom Line: If money is no object, the DJI Inspire 2 is the best drone you can buy, delivering Raw video capture at 5.2K quality, superb build quality, and top-end performance.Read Review Pros: Compact, folding design. Stable 4K video at up to 60fps. Log video profile. Supports UHD and DCI formats. Obstacle avoidance system. Solid battery life. Works with or without a smartphone.Cons: Default video profile appears oversharpened. Memory card door is very tight. Not as many safety features as other drones.Bottom Line: The Autel Robotics EVO is a very solid small drone with strong battery life, a stabilized 4K camera, and an obstacle detection system.Read Review Pros: Smooth, sharp 4K video. 2x optical zoom lens. Excellent battery life. Compact, folding design. Obstacle detection system. High-resolution stitched image mode. Raw and HDR photos.Cons: Could use more internal memory. Omits DCI aspect ratio. Pricey.Bottom Line: The DJI Mavic 2 Zoom sets itself apart from other drones thanks to an optical zoom lens. It's loaded with features, including obstacle avoidance, and is a fine choice for enthusiast pilots.Read Review Pros: Very small. Charges via USB-C. 4K video with HDR. 3x digital zoom lens. Upward gimbal tilt. Big battery for 25-minute flights.Cons: No obstacle detection. Digital zoom cuts into 4K quality. Requires smartphone. Construction feels a little flimsy.Bottom Line: The Parrot Anafi puts all emphasis on size-the small, folding drone is ideal for travel, thanks to 4K video capture, a small airframe, and USB charging.Read Review Pros: Very small. High bit-rate 4K UHD video. HDR and Panorama still capture. Raw and JPG support. Asteroid video shot. Good obstacle avoidance. Automated flight modes.Cons: Doesn't support USB charging. No 4K DCI video. Panorama stitching needs some work. Real-world flight limited to about 18 minutes.Bottom Line: The Mavic Air is DJI's smallest, most portable drone, and is just as full-featured as its larger siblings.Read Review Pros: Small. Supports gesture controls. Smartphone-controlled flight. Automated shots. Subject tracking. Forward obstacle avoidance. GPS stabilization. Safety features, including return-to-home.Cons: Battery nets about 12 minutes of flight time. Limited range and speed when controlling with phone. Video limited to 1080p. No support for 24fps or high frame rate capture. App and video editing features could be easier to use. Dedicated remote control is a pricey add-on. Bottom Line: The DJI Spark is a $500 palm-size gesture-controlled selfie drone for the masses, but it's hampered by short flying time and an app that could be easier to use.Read Review Pros: Six-rotor design. Freely rotating 4K video camera. Raw and JPG image capture. Retractable landing gear. Remote control with integrated display. Solid operating range. Intel RealSense obstacle avoidance. Supports dual-operator control.Cons: Flight limited to 19 minutes. Obstacle avoidance system only works at low speeds. Controller is large and unwieldy. Battery life indicator is confusing to read. Spotty automatic white balance. Expensive.Bottom Line: The Yuneec Typhoon H Pro with Intel RealSense Technology has enormous potential, but its flight interface and video both leave some room for improvement.Read Review Pros: Inexpensive. Easy to fly. Programmable via Scratch. Bluetooth remote control compatibility. Automated flight modes.Cons: Pixelated, low-quality video. Limited control range. No GPS or return-to-home capability.Bottom Line: The Ryze Tello is a toy quadcopter flyable via smartphone or laptop (using Scratch). Its video quality isn't anything to write home about, but it's a fun tech toy and learning tool.Read Review - Zugriffe: 151