8 Best Drones for Photography

1. Holy Stone F181G Camera Quadcopter | Best Budget

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Editor’s Rating: 4.5/5

The Holy Stone F181G is a brilliant choice for folks who want to have a go at aerial filming. It’s not on a par with the mid-range camera quads, but it’s a huge step away from cheaper toy-grade models.

• Best feature 1: Optimized 720p Camera w/ 120° field of view (FOV)
• Best feature 2: Remote controller (RC) with LCD screen
• Plus points: Pilot-friendly, 4 speeds, First Person View (FPV), Headless Mode, Altitude Hold
• Minus points: Short flight time, not stable in the wind

Standout Photographic Features

This drone has a built-in 720P HD optimized camera. Capturing aerial video and photos is easy thanks to the one-button video/stills activation. The quality isn’t breathtaking, but it’s decent for a small and inexpensive camera quad. The F181G is sure to please anyone with realistic expectations. It’s also First Person View (FPV) ready which adds to its value.

Another thing worth mention is the built-in LCD screen on the remote controller (RC). The RC screen lets you view 5.8G FPV real-time video transmission from the drone’s camera. That also means you don’t have to use a smartphone or tablet to enjoy the FPV experience.

Holy Stone’s F181G Flight Features

Taking video and shooting aerial photos is straightforward thanks to the pilot-friendly features. The 1-key takeoff and landing is a doddle. An altitude hold function allows the quad to auto-hover as it awaits your next command. Headless mode lets you fly the drone in the direction of the controls no matter what way its nose points. And the Emergency Stop makes sure this bird never flies away.

The Not So Good

The flight time is 10 minutes on a full battery. That’s average for a camera quadcopter in this class, but it’s still depressing. Charging time is 60–90 minute, so most users invest in extra batteries. Finally, the drone isn’t easy to control in windy conditions because of its lightweight.

2. Parrot PF728000 ANAFI Camera Drone | Best Value

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Editor’s Rating: 4.6/5

The Parrot ANAFI is for anyone who wants a high-quality, foldable, and ultra-portable camera drone. It’s a feature-rich model that some say is a serious rival to DJI’s travel-friendly quadcopters.

• Best feature 1: 21MP 4K digital zoom wide-angle camera
• Best feature 2: Ultra-portable, foldable design
• Plus points: Easy to fly, powerful, quiet flier, decent flight time, advanced features
• Minus points: No obstacle avoidance, Follow Me is an extra cost, long charging

Standout Photographic Features

Parrot’s ANAFI 3-axis stabilized gimbal camera quadcopter has a unique look. It’s an easy to use drone that performs well despite a few minor setbacks. The camera has a wide-angle aspherical (ASPH) lens with an f/2.4 aperture. The 180° tiltable gimbal opens lots of aerial filming and photographic opportunities. Other standout features are the 2.8x digital zoom, 4K HDR videos, and 21MP photos.

Parrot ANAFI’s Flight Features

They call it the ‘anytime anywhere’ drone, and it’s an apt description. The quad unfolds and folds down with little effort and stores neatly in its purpose carry case. Even the controller is collapsible. All it takes to get this bird airborne is a simple hand launch. The ANAFI is powerful and can manage around 25 minutes of steady wind-resistant flying. The 2.5 miles (4km) range is also decent.

One of the ANAFI’s advanced software features is Geofence. It works by letting pilots set a virtual predesignated perimeter. The drone then flies within those preset boundaries. Other features are slow-motion video, Follow Me, Find My Drone, and Return to Home (RTH).

The Not So Good

The ANAFI doesn’t have any obstacle avoidance (OA) system. That means users must be extra vigilant during flights. No OA does help people to become better pilots, though. The Follow Me function is an in-app purchase. That seems a bit petty considering the price of this quadcopter. The last con is the 2–3 hour charging. That’s long enough to force new owners into buying extra flight batteries.

3. DJI Mavic 2 Zoom Camera Quadcopter | Top Pick

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Editor’s Rating: 4.7/5

The Top Pick goes to DJI’s Mavic 2 Zoom camera quadcopter. This bird produces remarkable aerial footage. You can’t find this cinematic zoom quality and perspective with other camera quads.

• Best feature 1: 12MP 4K 24–48mm 2x optical zoom camera
• Best feature 2: 3-axis stabilizing gimbal
• Plus points: Long flight time, fast focus, quiet, fast flier, avoidance system, high-speed tracking
• Minus points: No WiFi connectivity, pricey, high cost of flight batteries

Standout Photographic Features

DJI’s Mavic 2s are their best consumer 3-axis gimbal camera quadcopters yet. The version here comes with a 1/2.3” 12MP sensor and up to 4x zoom with a 2x 24–48mm optical zoom. Its 4K camera has super fast, accurate hybrid auto-focus. Pilots can zoom in and out for more creative, dynamic aerial perspectives. It’s the kind of cinematic look you can’t achieve with fixed focal length lenses.

DJI Mavic 2 Zoom’s Flight Features

Flying the Mavic 2 Zoom is as rewarding as filming video and shooting aerial stills. DJI’s low-noise flight technology makes the Mavic 2 among the quietest drones in the sky. It flies fast too, with a top speed of around 44 mph. That means it can reach far out destination and back in no time. The maximum range is an impressive 5 miles (8 km).

You can see the potential with the long 31 minute flight time, long range, and high speeds. The aerial footage saves to 8GB of internal storage or an SD card up to 128GB. Other standout features include obstacle avoidance, high-speed tracking, and panorama modes. There’s also QuickShots (including the new Dolly Zoom feature), return to home (RTH), and a host of other features.

The Not So Good

The Mavic 2 Zoom isn’t cheap, but it is an excellent value quad. It costs less than the Mavic 2 PRO that boasts a world-class Hasselblad camera. The PRO is worth considering if you don’t need the zoom feature. The high cost of flight batteries and the lack of WiFi connectivity is sure to disappoint some.

4. Potensic T25 1080p FPV Camera Quadcopter

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Editor’s Rating: 4.4/5

This camera drone is the Potensic T25. It sits somewhere between toy and hobby-grade quadcopters in quality and performance. It’s an excellent introduction for first-time aerial photographers.

• Best feature 1: 1080P HD WiFi camera with adjustable 90° angle lens
• Best feature 2: First Person View (FPV) transmission
• Plus points: Dual GPS, easy to fly, Follow Me, Draw the Dot, 3D VR function, failsafe modes
• Minus points: Low average flight time, no stabilizing gimbal

Standout Photographic Features

Potensic’s T25 comes with a 1080P 90° HD adjustable wide-angle camera. It’s First Person View (FPV) capable, meaning you can see what the camera sees in real time. The controller has a clamp to attach a regular smartphone. The phone’s screen displays FPV and gives access to various flight controls.

The camera footage is quite good considering the price of this affordable quad. Its 9-axis gyro helps to steady the drone during flights, and that includes moderate winds. The T25’s flight app lets you share aerial stills and video to social media with a simple one-key action.

Potensic T25’s Flight Features

There are a lot of favorite features packed into the Potensic T25. They include a 1-key Return to Home (RTH), Follow Me mode, and dual position GPS Altitude Hold. Others are Headless Mode, 1-Key Takeoff & Landing, and an Emergency Stop. These beginner-friendly features make flying the T25 a stress-free experience for all pilots. The bright LEDs facilitate flying the drone at night.

Draw the Dot is a popular feature, especially for newbies. All you do is mark the map screen and the quad moves in that direction at a set altitude. There are three automatic Return to Home (RTH) tools. You get the Low Battery auto RTH, Out of Range auto RTH, and Remote Power Off auto RTH.

Another nice touch is the extras that come with the Potensic T25. These include four extra propellers, four extra prop guards, and extra landing gear.

The Not So Good

The flight time is only 10 minutes at best, and there’s no bonus battery. Extra batteries cost around 40 dollars but there are probably cheaper options online. The quad doesn’t have a stabilizing camera gimbal. It’s 9-axis gyro helps to steady the craft, but it’s not as effective as a gimbal would be.

5. DJI Mavic Air 4K 30fps Camera Quadcopter

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Editor’s Rating: 4.5/5

The DJI Mavic Air continues to be a big hit with ultraportable drone enthusiasts. It folds down so that it can fit into a small bag or even a large pocket. The drone flies like a bird and uses a physical controller.

• Best feature 1: 12 megapixel 4K gimbal camera
• Best feature 2: Foldable, portable quadcopter
• Plus points: Easy to fly, hand gestures, ActiveTrack, QuickShots, 8GB internal storage
• Minus points: Average flight time, cost of extra batteries

Standout Photographic Features

It may be small but its huge on features. The DJI Mavic Air comes with an onboard 3-axis mechanical gimbal camera. The gimbal steadies the camera to create footage that’s shake and blur-free. The Air can shoot 4K video at 30fps (frames per second) to produce smooth UHD video of impressive quality. Stills are equally as impressive thanks to the camera’s 12MP CMOS sensor and f/2.8 lens.

The built-in camera and autonomous flight modes give pilots lots of creative potentials. Best of all is that professional results are easy to produce at the novice level. Some of these include slow-motion video, six different QuickShots, and TapFly. There’s also HDR photos and panoramas to name others. Users can save all footage to the built-in 8GB internal storage and a MicroSD card.

Mavic Air’s Flight Features

Falling in love with this travel-friendly camera quadcopter is easy. It does everything an aerial photographer could hope for plus some. You can even control it using hand gestures up to a point. DJI’s Mavic Air is the perfect compromise drone. Some folks need a quad that sits between casual and hobby use. The Air fits the bill with its flight time, control range, camera, and functions.

Pilots get a plethora of intelligent flight modes to explore and exploit. The Mavic Air is a good choice of foldable mini-drone for fans of physical joysticks. RC controls reward pilots with a more interactive experience than virtual controls on smartphones. The preference is subjective, of course. The quad comes with a reliable obstacle avoidance system to make flying safer and stress-free.

The Not So Good

The flight for the Mavic Air is only 21 minutes at best. The battery life is okay for occasional selfie shots around town, but it’s on the short side for most other uses. Either way, no one ever complains about having too much flight time. Unfortunately, extra batteries for the Mavic Air are expensive.

6. Yuneec Typhoon H Camera Hexacopter Bundle

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Editor’s Rating: 4.4/5

The Yuneec Typhoon H is the only hexacopter on this page. Hexacopters have six rotors. There are good reasons why six motors are a better choice for pro-level camera drone pilots.

• Best feature 1: 12MP, 4K Ultra High Definition (UHD) gimbal camera
• Best feature 2: 6 rotor safety
• Plus points: 360° filming, retractable landing gear, obstacle avoidance, return to home (RTH)
• Minus points: Not travel-friendly, short range, long charging time

Standout Photographic Features

The Yuneec Typhoon H has a CGO3+ 4K UHD camera stabilized by a 3-axis anti-vibration gimbal. The camera captures vivid 12MP aerial photos with its 360° unlimited range of motion. The wide-angle low-distortion lens has a 98° field (FOV). Pilots have remote access to the camera settings during flights. And the retractable landing gear results in clear footage void of ugly distractions.

Yuneec Typhoon H Flight Features

Yuneec’ Typhoon H is an advanced drone for pro-level aerial photography and videography. It’s quite gangly to look at, but its six collapsible arms make it surprisingly compact. The hexacopter can also land safely with five blades if one of its six motors or props fail.

The Android-powered remote controller (RC) is the result of a demand for something new. They call it the ST16 Ground Station, and it has an impressive 7” touchscreen display. Pilots can view live footage on the ST16 in 720p HD. You also have access to a variety of Typhoon H autonomous flight features.

Other standout qualities include obstacle avoidance and multiple intelligent task modes. Some of these are Follow/Watch Me, Return to Home (RTH), and Point of Interest (POI) to name a few.

The Not So Good

Hexacopters are bigger than quadcopters, and that makes them less travel-friendly. The Typhoon H has a collapsible design, but it’s still awkward compared to regular quads. The one mile (1.6 km) range is okay for many users, but it’s short for a drone in this price category. The last con is the long 2+ hour charging time, but at least there’s a bonus battery included.

7. DJI Phantom 4 Pro 4K 60fps Camera Quadcopter

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Editor’s Rating: 4.7/5

This upgraded version of the Phantom 4 Professional is something of a showstopper. It’s a superb high-end camera quadcopter for aerial photographers and videographers.

• Best feature 1: High-quality 20MP 4K/60fps camera
• Best feature 2: Flight safety features
• Plus points: Easy-to-fly, quieter, obstacle avoidance, long flight time, long flight range
• Minus points: Not travel-friendly, extra batteries are expensive

Standout Photographic Features

The Phantom 4 Pro’s upgraded onboard camera is something special. It has a larger 1” 20 megapixel CMOS sensor and can shoot UHD video at an incredible 60fps (frames per second). That puts it on a par with many quality ground cameras. Bigger sensors contribute to better image quality. And the improved image details and image data give users more creative control post-production.

Phantom 4 Pro’s Flight Features

This Phantom quad is easy to fly even at the beginner level. That’s thanks in part to its four-direction obstacle avoidance, TapFly, and other pilot-friendly features. Those with experience of Xbox or PlayStation type consoles will soon get used to this bird. Auto takeoff & landing, and the Return to Home (RTH) add further to its user-friendly appeal.

Another exciting feature of the Phantom 4 Pro are the new aerodynamic props and FOC ESC drivers. Combined, they reduce noise by around 4dB or 60%. Quiet drones make flights less irritating and more enjoyable, especially flying close to the controller. The Phantom 4 Pro also rewards pilots with long 30 minute flight times and an extended 4.3 miles (7 km) range.

The Not So Good

This drone is an aerial photographers and videographers dream quad. It’s not, however, a practical drone to carry around in everyday life. There are smaller, lighter, travel-friendly drones to fit that purpose. The other gripe with this and other Phantom drones is the high cost of extra batteries.

8. DJI Inspire 2 High-End Camera Quadcopter Bundle

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Editor’s Rating: 4.6/5

Last on the list of best drones for photography is the DJI Inspire 2. The Bundle version here comes with a dual battery design that prolongs flight times.

• Best feature 1: 5.2K gimbal camera compatible
• Best feature 2: 2-Axis FPV stock camera
• Plus points: FPV, Dual battery design, fast, avoidance, intelligent flight & shooting modes
• Minus points: Expensive, not easily portable

Standout Photographic Features

DJI’s inspire 2 comes with a capable 2-axis FPV camera. Most filmmakers don’t buy this high-end copter for its stock optics though. The main attraction is the CineCore 2.1 processing system. It can record 5.2K video at 30fps (frames per second) in Apple ProRes and 6K 30fps in CinemaDNG/RAW. It needs the Zenmuse X7 camera (sold separately) for the cinematic-quality results though.

The front-facing camera and app display deliver a smooth first-person view (FPV) experience. An improved, upgraded video transmission system enhances the pilot to camera relationship.

Inspire 2’s Flight Features

The Inspire 2 is a well-built, high-end filmmaking drone with advanced obstacle avoidance. It boasts a magnesium aluminum composite shell and carbon fiber arms. The optimized propulsion system can fly this beast up to speeds of around 58 mph (93 km/h). The max flight time is 27 minutes with the dual battery system, and the control range can reach 4.3 miles (7 km).

One of the intelligent flight modes is DJI’s Spotlight Pro—a powerful visual tracking system. Others are TapFly, ActiveTrack, and a Smart Return to Home (RTH) feature.

The Not So Good

Alas, the Inspire 2 is not what you might call a consumer drone. It’s a pro filmmakers tool with a pro filmmaker’s price tag. Few other than the most enthusiastic of hobbyists could justify its high price tag. It’s also a big bird and not easy to travel around with at the casual level.