Best deals on drones this week
- DJI Mini 3 4K Foldable Mini Camera Drone With Controller (Opens in a new window)— $469.00 (List Price $559)
- DJI Mini 3 Fly More Combo (Opens in a new window)— $658.00 (List Price $718)
- Bwine F7 4K 3-Axis Gimbal Drone With Remote Controller (Opens in a new window)— $349.99 (List Price $789.99)
- Holy Stone HS440 Foldable 1080p Wi-Fi Drone Kit (Opens in a new window)— $76.49 (List Price $138.99)
- Holy Stone HS720E 4K Quadcopter With Remote Controller (Opens in a new window)— $241.99 (List Price $369.99)
Drone photography is the ultimate flex for hobbyists and professionals alike. Aerial shots were a headache when they first entered the scene, combining photography prowess with the thumb dexterity of video gamers. Now, manufacturers like DJI and Yuneec have released drone models for a variety of customers. And don’t worry, they come with a camera built-in.
Apple’s best Night mode photos of 2019
There are many factors that go into shopping for a drone, but we’re focusing on image quality for this list. If you’re looking for a good beginner drone, please stay away from Sharper Image and check out our list here. For budget-friendly options, we rounded up the best drones under $200 too. And if you’re not quite sure what you’re looking for, start here, but then come back to this list when you want to get serious about capturing some amazing images.
Before we get into our seven favorites, we have some explaining to do. Our initial expectation for drone photography meant finding options that could really capture those sweeping aerial shots. But in our research, we learned about drone selfies. Many of the following drones were programmed with selfies in mind, but can still handle those aerial shots we all know and love.
Here are our picks for the top seven drones with cameras.
Yuneec Typhoon H Plus(opens in a new tab)
- Video quality: 4k
- Range: 1 mile
- Maximum flight time: 25 minutes
- Speed: 30 mph
The Typhoon H Plus is a parade of bells and whistles, but we bet you could figure that out by looking at the six arms with multicolored lights.
It’s as functional as it is flamboyant with a setting for everything. Intel® RealSense™ Technology(Opens in a new tab) navigates the Typhoon H Plus around every obstacle. Set desired coordinates, and the software will do the rest. The device can take selfies too. But if you’re spending almost $2K for a selfie machine, you’re doing it wrong.
Unlike budget-friendly options, the drone’s controller is complete with a seven-inch screen and numerous abilities sure to keep you busy.
DJI Mavic 2 Pro(opens in a new tab)
- Video quality: 4K
- Range: 11 miles
- Maximum flight time: 31 minutes
- Speed: 44.7 mph
Usually to get the highest quality photos and videos, you have to sacrifice portability. But the DJI Mavic 2 Pro can be carried in a backpack and can produce stunning images. It’s no wonder this drone is consistently ranked as one of the best.
DJI released the Mavic 2 Pro alongside the Mavic 2 Zoom. The Pro produces better image quality, with more megapixels and a wider ISO range, but the Zoom will save you a few bucks and has a 3x optical zoom.
If you get nervous flying $2,000 around like a toy helicopter, there are a few features made for you. The drone is equipped with 10 sensors to detect obstacles at every angle. There’s also Advanced Pilot Assistance mode, meaning the drone will swerve around obstacles automatically (the Mavic Pro 1 stops and hovers). But please don’t hand the controller off to any beginners.
DJI Spark(opens in a new tab)
- Video quality: 1080p
- Range: 6,561 feet with controller, 262 feet with smartphone
- Maximum flight time: 16 minutes
- Speed: 31mph
Because of its size, we thought the Spark was a selfie drone. Surprisingly, it can do a lot more — and yes, it will radically improve your selfie game. You can control the spark with hand gestures to take the perfect, remote-free selfie and then cue it to land in the palm of your hand.
Amazon reviewers suggest buying the remote instead of relying on your smartphone to control it. The Fly More package includes the remote, extra batteries, extra propellers, and a carrying bag. It does, however, almost double the price on Amazon.
This two-year-old model will definitely impress your friends, but it’s not quite professional quality. If you want to make some money with a drone, you better upgrade. But for Instagram-worthy content and mouth-watering aerials, this more than does the trick.
DJI Mavic Mini(opens in a new tab)
- Video quality: 2.7k
- Range: Over 13,000 feet
- Maximum flight time: 30 minutes
- Speed: 42.7 mph
DJI released this drone right before Halloween, and it’s scary good. It weighs a bit more than the average smartphone, but it has the capabilities of larger models.
This tiny drone can withstand up to 30 minutes of air time, a stretch for even professional-grade drones. Features are aimed at beginners, with settings like QuickShot that give Instagram-worthy images in seconds. Advanced users may get frustrated at the lack of custom controls and the somewhat-average photo quality. But for a portable beginner model, it is impressive.