Drones are remote-controlled flying devices that capture incredible views of the world. Whether you want to live out your dreams of being a pilot or take your photography business to a higher level, there’s a drone for you. In addition to the photography world, other industries that can benefit from having an eye in the sky are real estate companies, construction firms and agricultural operations. Drones are a lot of fun for hobbyists, too. Here are some tips for choosing your first drone.
There is a broad spectrum of drone types and price points, and that variety is expected to continue to expand. You can have the best drone for $1000 or even under $300. The best drone for you depends mainly on how you plan to use it. There are three main categories of drones for consumers.
1. Toy drones
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Toy drones are excellent choices for beginners in the world of remote-controlled aviation. Toy drones tend to be small and light, and they can even be flown indoors without trashing the place. Because of their light weight, they can be tricky to control outdoors, especially in windy conditions. You can find toy drones with and without cameras. If you plan to enjoy your drone indoors mostly, a toy drone is a great option.
Tips for choosing a toy drone
Since toy drones will often be flown indoors, look for models with blade guards to protect your walls and furnishings, especially if children will be flying the drone.
2. Photography drones
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If you’d like to use a flying camera in your upcoming project, drones have come a long way in terms of video stabilization and quality. Photography drones are heftier than toy drones and are made for flying outdoors and capturing still images and video from the sky. These drones are excellent choices for taking selfies from above and otherwise getting a birds-eye view of your environment. Everyone from real estate agents to Instagram enthusiasts is tapping into the exciting world of drone photography.
Tips for choosing a photography drone
You can narrow your options by considering whether you’ll be shooting images mostly during the day or at night; a larger image sensor can take better-quality photos in low light. Many photography drones come with smart features, such as the ability to track you from the sky automatically or take a selfie when you make a specific gesture.
3. Racing drones
Source: Pexels
Racing drones are equipped for live, first-person viewing (FPV) that places you in the pilot’s seat even though your feet are firmly planted on the ground. They offer a thrilling joyride and let you explore from a pilot’s perspective. This type of drone is made for speed and durability. They’re also designed for agility, allowing you to perform stunts in your own miniature airshow. The live FPV footage can stream to your smartphone, a control or FPV glasses.
Tips for choosing a racing drone
As their name implies, racing drones are made to fly fast, so look for models that are aerodynamic and lightweight. Crashes are almost inevitable when you’re learning to race a drone, so it’s smart to select a sturdy model that can stand up to rough handling.
General features to consider
When you’re selecting your first drone, the main things to consider are how you intend to use the drone and your budget. Focus on the features that will suit your intended purposes the best while staying within your preferred price range. Here are a few drone features to keep in mind.
Fly-package type
There are two general types of drone fly packages: do it yourself and ready to fly. Ready-to-fly packages give you drones that have everything you need to get your drone in the air. You might have to do some minor assembly, like putting on the propeller or installing batteries, but that’s about it. A do-it-yourself drone is sometimes called “bind and fly.” This type of drone can be paired with any compatible control system, but you have to bind the drone to your remote controller yourself. Most people choose a ready-to-fly drone as their first one.
Motor type
Drones that are powered by a brushless motor are more expensive than drones with brushed motors, but brushless ones tend to fly quieter and have longer lifespans. The sound level is something to keep in mind if you’re planning to photograph weddings or otherwise want to be as minimally intrusive as possible.
Wind capabilities
If you plan to take your drone outdoors and you live in a windy area, make sure to check the drone’s maximum wind resistance. Drones that have a feature called an integrated gimbal are made to hold the drone and its camera steady while flying in high winds.
Flying time
The amount of time your drone can stay in the air is dependent on its battery capacity. Keep in mind that flight time includes the time to fly away from you and then back. General flight times for drones are up to seven minutes, up to 10 minutes, up to 15 minutes and more than a half-hour. The battery’s capacity will vary based on the features or capabilities you’re using as you fly the drone, such as streaming video.
Flying range
A drone’s range is how far away from you it can fly before it loses communication with its controller. Drones can have ranges of 500 feet to over 4 miles. Many drones have a feature called return to home (RTH). If the device goes out of range, the RTH feature should activate and pilot the drone back into range.
Replacement parts
It’s not unheard of for a drone to crash. Thankfully, if a propeller gets bent, for example, you can order replacement parts. When selecting your first drone, you may want to check out the price of replacement parts for that model to see if you’ll have the budget to cover them if needed.
Live feed
Drones that allow for live feeds enable you to stream video to your computer or another device. Drone enthusiasts love the feeling of virtual flight that this gives them. Some drones come equipped with that live-streaming capability, but you can also add on a camera if your drone accepts add-ons.
Ease of flying
Some models of drone have a feature called headless mode that can make flying the drone easier for beginners. With headless mode, the drone will turn in a direction relative to you instead of relative to the virtual pilot in the drone. For example, if you press the controller stick to the left, the drone will move to your left whether the drone is pointed backward or forward.
There is an eye-in-the-sky out there that’s just right for you. The hardest part of getting started with drones is deciding which one to get out of so many great options. You’ll increase your chances of buying the right drone when you take a methodical approach. Consider how you plan to use your drone and the features you’d like. Keep them in mind as you browse through your choices. Regardless of the model you choose, you’re bound to have fun once you enter the exciting world of drones.
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