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

FollowMe

About

AndrewNixonOwner/EditoratBestDronefortheJob

Aviddrone/UAVenthusiastformanyyears.Byday,Idesignwebsitesandmobileapps.

OTHER BUYING GUIDES ON MY SITE

AgDroneBuyer’sGuide

RacingDroneBuyer’sGuide

RealEstateDroneBuyer’sGuide

UAVOperatorTrainingCourses

DroneInsurance