This coming holiday season will see a veritable swarm of drones unwrapped and unleashed upon the world. That may or may not be a good thing, but if you are looking to join this airborne horde and haven't yet decided where to spend your dollars or how many of those dollars to spend, the following list may be of assistance.
- At the high-end of the consumer drone market you'll find the likes of the DJI Inspire 1 Prowhich, with its carbon fiber construction, can reach speeds of up to 50 mph. Oh, and it can shoot 4K video from a 360-degree camera mount. That's just awesome. But it will set you back $4,500.
A little further down the tree there are some very capable drones such as the
DJI Phantom 3 (Standard and Professional), 3DR Solo and Parrot Bepop 2, which wecompared in detail last month. In this round up we're working our way down from there to bring you a selection of the most popular, well-reviewed drones for those on a budget.
Of course, there are clear trade-offs at lower price points. These include how long the drones can fly on a full battery, how easy they are to navigate, or whether it comes with its own camera, or gimbal? More experienced drone pilots will probably want something with built-in video transmission and first person view (FPV) capabilities – to see exactly what the drone sees as it happens. These rarely come cheap. No surprise, then, that most inexpensive models rely on controlling the device from your own smartphone, or via a remote unit worthy of the sub-$100 price. But don't fret. There are still many great drones to buy in more affordable.
YUNEEC Typhoon G Quadcopter RTF Drone
There was one notable omission from our recent look at the "mid-range" Phantom 3, 3DR Solo and Parrot Bepop 2 drones – the YUNEEC Typhoon G. The Typhoon G looks ferocious, can reach speeds in excess of 50mph, and it sends real-time aerial footage directly to the remote control's LCD screen, and all for about $900. This is a well-constructed drone, offering stable handling, and includes a flexible camera gimbal to help pilots capture amazing footage. The big caveat is that it's optimized for the GoPro Hero line, which you supply.
DJI Phantom 3 (Standard and Professional), 3DR Solo and Parrot Bepop 2, which wecompared in detail last month. In this round up we're working our way down from there to bring you a selection of the most popular, well-reviewed drones for those on a budget.
Of course, there are clear trade-offs at lower price points. These include how long the drones can fly on a full battery, how easy they are to navigate, or whether it comes with its own camera, or gimbal? More experienced drone pilots will probably want something with built-in video transmission and first person view (FPV) capabilities – to see exactly what the drone sees as it happens. These rarely come cheap. No surprise, then, that most inexpensive models rely on controlling the device from your own smartphone, or via a remote unit worthy of the sub-$100 price. But don't fret. There are still many great drones to buy in more affordable.
YUNEEC Typhoon G Quadcopter RTF Drone
There was one notable omission from our recent look at the "mid-range" Phantom 3, 3DR Solo and Parrot Bepop 2 drones – the YUNEEC Typhoon G. The Typhoon G looks ferocious, can reach speeds in excess of 50mph, and it sends real-time aerial footage directly to the remote control's LCD screen, and all for about $900. This is a well-constructed drone, offering stable handling, and includes a flexible camera gimbal to help pilots capture amazing footage. The big caveat is that it's optimized for the GoPro Hero line, which you supply.
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