You’ve, no doubt, heard about them and probably considered buying one yourself. With a plethora of attractive brands and models, it may become a chore to find one that’s right for you.
Whether you’re seeking a fresh perspective on the world or trying to up your game with professional aerial photography, here are a few things you should consider for your new drone.
Maximising Flight Time
Whether you’re soaring thousands of feet into the air or hovering just high enough to get a group selfie, drones usually hold a flight time between five and 20 minutes on a single battery. It’s pretty likely that no one wants to sit and wait for their only battery to charge when they could be getting some cool shots. When looking up a potential drone, don’t forget to consider extra batteries. Also keep in mind that more expensive drones would carry more expensive batteries.
Selecting the Right Camera
Let’s face it, it’s the main reason you want a drone anyway. Fortunately, cameras are pretty common with most drones available today. It’s also a no-brainer that if you have intentions of furthering your craft and making it an investment, you’ll need a good enough camera on your first drone.
Where each one stands out however, is in the photo/ video quality. So don’t expect the DJI Spark to carry the same camera package as the Inspire 2.
Some drones have fixed cameras. Some have detachable ones, like the GoPro Karma. So if and when you crash it, the camera can easily be replaced should it be damaged. Plus, the Karma Drone would be an attractive option for GoPro owners.
Know Your Range
Basically, this is how far your drone can be from its operator while still being operable. This is an important factor depending on what you expect to do with your drone. Obviously a professional videographer or photographer would have different needs compared to someone simply interested in what their house looks like from different aerial angles. Ranges go as low as 80 metres up to 5,000 metres in the DJI Phantom 4.
Yes, it matters. Smaller drones like the DJI Spark can fit in the palm of your hand, while other full- fledged drones will need their own carrying case. Also, controllers vary in sizes, among other things. Some use a smartphone to display your image in real time, others use dedicated monitors. Depending on the other factors above, this should be fairly easy to decide.
Now that you’re aware of what separates one drone from another, good luck!
