If you’re an aspiring aerial photographer or videographer, drones are your ticket to the sky. A high-quality drone can add production value to a film project or help you get a unique view for your travel vlog—and it's also just really fun to fly. Below you will see some options. Those are the best drones we've tested.
These cheap, lightweight marvels provide perspectives that you’d otherwise be able to re-create only with expensive equipment such as cranes or dollies, which is why they’ve become a staple of many online creators’ gear lists.
What is a Drone?
A drone, also known as an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), is an aircraft that operates without a human pilot on board.
Instead, a drone pilot or operator controls it remotely. Drones rely on various components to navigate and stabilize during flight, which we’ll talk about later in this article.
Initially developed for military use, drones have expanded to civilian applications and are now used for a wide range of tasks, including mapping, surveying, filming, and photography.
Today, drones are used for a wide range of tasks, including mapping, surveying, filming, and photography.
Let’s dive into the different types of drones.
Types of Drones
You can find a variety of drones in the market today. Here are the common ones:
Consumer Drones: Perfect for recreational photographers and videographers, these drones are typically more affordable, accessible, portable, and easy to operate.
Professional Drones: Primarily designed for commercial applications like delivery services, surveying, construction monitoring, and inspections. They offer advanced features such as high-resolution cameras, longer flight times, and higher security capabilities, but come with a higher price tag.
Racing Drones: Built for speed, agility, and high maneuverability, these lightweight and stripped-down drones are often used in competitive drone racing, reaching speeds of up to 60 mph.
But what exactly makes up a drone? Understanding the crucial components that make up a drone can help you make an informed buying decision.
Key Components of a Drone
Here are some crucial components of drones:
Propellers: Blades that spin rapidly to create an airflow that lifts the drone off the ground.
Motors: Provide the thrust needed to propel the drone into the sky.
Flight controller: Receives commands from the pilot through the transmitter and interprets signals from various sensors to control the drone.
Electronic Speed Controllers (ESCs): Connect the drone’s motors, battery, and flight controllers to control its speed and direction.
Camera: Used for aerial photography and videography.
Gimbal: Keeps the camera stable even during rapid movements to ensure smooth video footage and sharp images.
GPS module: Picks up signals from satellites to determine the drone’s exact geographical location.
Battery: Provides the necessary power for the drone’s flight.
Sensors: Help the drone better understand and interact with its surroundings, such as accelerometers, gyroscopes, and magnetometers.
Landing gear: Supports and protects the drone during takeoff and landing.
The Best Drones for 2024
After test-flying 33 drones, we’ve concluded that the DJI Air 3 is the best because it combines a high-quality main camera, a useful telephoto camera, and the latest autonomous technology in a light-enough and relatively affordable package.
The DJI Air 3 is easy to fly, has an ample 46-minute battery life, and is equipped with two cameras, giving you options for more varied and interesting shots than its predecessor. We recommend buying the Air 3 as part of DJI’s Fly More combo because it’s the only package that also includes the DJI RC 2 controller, which features a built-in screen and is a marked improvement over the standard controller’s reliance on your phone’s screen for live view.
The Air 3 can sense and avoid obstacles approaching from all directions, as it adds side sensing, which our previous pick lacked. These new sensing abilities make the ActiveTrack feature, which directs the drone to autonomously follow and film a subject while also avoiding obstacles, easier to use in more situations.
It can hold its position steadily, even in moderate winds, so you can focus on your cinematography. And it can go with you almost anywhere: Measuring 8 by 3.5 by 3.25 inches folded and weighing roughly 1.5 pounds, the Air 3 fits well in most standard-size backpacks.
