You don’t need to have the budget of film production companies to own a drone for filming. Thanks to manufacturers like DJI, drones have become so much more accessible and affordable for professional filmmakers and hobbyists alike.
It is a common misconception that flying a drone is difficult. These days, many top-of-the-line drones are easy to pick up and are ready to reach for the skies. But, selecting the best drone can be a daunting task based on the sheer volume of drones available in the market today.
Therefore, this list details some of the best drones that can help make your cinematic vision a reality.
Filming wildlife is no child’s play. So instead, take the job seriously with the DJI Phantom 4 Pro. This drone features propeller winglets for a quiet operation to minimise disturbances to animals. With 30 minutes of flight time, you have enough time to record with a regular, back-and-forth flight pattern as to not interfere with the animals in their natural habitat.
Featuring a state-of-the-art 5-direction obstacle avoidance system, the Phantom 4 Pro is basically crash-proof, even in the wilderness. In terms of footage quality, the camera is capable of shooting absolutely stunning 4K resolution videos at up to 60 frames per second.
As an additional safety measure for yourself and the animals, the camera is capable of providing a live HD video feed to the on-ground operator at up to 7 kilometers away.
With its impeccable specifications, the DJI Inspire 2 charters into professional level videography territory. While other drones are raving about their 4K resolution videos, the Inspire 2 can record at a jaw-dropping 5.2K resolution at 30 frames per second.
Besides the dual battery that gives 25 minutes of flight and recording time, professionals will also love that theres video transmission system enabling of dual operation. So, a pilot can concentrate on flying the drone, while a camera operator focuses on getting the money shot.
You can up your real estate photography business too by impressing your clients with some stunning videos courtesy of the Inspire 2. The drone comes with a ZENMUE X5S camera which gives you the option of switching to the right lens for the job at hand for complete and professional control.
DJI Trello may just be the perfect solution for people who are new to drones and want to record stunning videos. The drone comes with a pressure sensor altitude hold function to automatically adjust and keep the drone at a height that’s accurate as possible. With that, you can pay more attention to the movement of the drone rather than the hard-to-master altitude maintenance.
Another highlight of the drone is its easy-breezy one touch takeoff/landing feature. Simply press the button to start flying, and press it again once you’re ready to land. Furthermore, its built-in electronic image stabilization helps in keeping footage consistently clear while its advanced 14-core Intel processor helps in yielding high-quality recordings.
The DJI Spark is your best bet if you’re going to be shooting most of your videos indoors. It comes with a set of propeller guards to protect people and objects from the oh-so-scary spinning propellers. For another layer protection, there’s also the “Snatch & Flip” manoeuvre option where you can grab the Spark midair by its belly and immediately flip it over to turn off the motors— giving you instant control over the drone in the event someone or something gets too close.
The Spark also has an intelligent flight mode where the controls allow you to pilot it around every nook and cranny at a deliberate pace. With its electronic image stabilization coupled with its two-axis gimbal, most of the vibrations from the drone flying around are eliminated. On top of it all, through the DJI Go 4 App, you can automate the editing process of your videos clips and share them instantly.
The extremes of outdoor aerial filming for sports are no problem for the DJI Mavic 2 Pro. This drone is able to handle tricky lighting conditions with its one-inch sensor size and adjustable aperture for impeccable colour depth and dynamic range. Thanks to its ten sensors, the drone has omnidirectional obstacle avoidance to prevent it from crashing into any obstacles that are bound to be present in any sporting environment.
Its ActiveTrack 2.0 feature can track and follow subjects more accurately leaving you more room to focus on piloting. Football coaches can use this feature to track multiple players simultaneously which is helpful for gameplay strategies thanks to detailed play-by-play analysis during games.
Reminisce about the wedding ceremony in all its glory at an angle unlike you’ve never seen before with the DJI T600 Inspire 1. With a flight time of 18 minutes, you will be able to capture the main highlights of such a momentous occasion.
The camera is capable of shooting at 4K resolution for detailed and vivid videos. Featuring a two-controller option, this allows one person to pilot and the other to control the camera so for focused and coordinated footage.
By virtue of its full 360 degrees unobstructed view and the fact that the drone is capable of reaching great speeds, nothing goes unnoticed under this camera’s watchful lens.
The IDEAFLY Poseidon-480 should be your go-to choice for filming your water sports adventures. This drone is technically meant for fishing but its features make it a great choice for recording water sports.
First off, its IP67 waterproof rating gives you peace of mind while you film above waters. Windy day? No problem. The Poseidon-480 is able to handle up to level 5 winds without any difficulty thanks to its sturdy carbon fiber propellers. This drone is destined for the waters as it can even take off and land on water, giving you extra versatility in your cinematography choices.
While the drone comes with a 700TVL camera, you still have the option to swap it out for something else as it is compatible with many different cameras and gimbals on the market.