With the drone market booming, it can be very easy to get completely lost in numbers, stats and prices when looking to purchase one for the first time, just know that you are not alone. It is thought that approximately one million unmanned aerial vehicles were purchased last Christmas. Luckily for you, we have a great guide detailing exactly what you need to consider as well as the prices on the market at the moment.
Firstly, you have to consider exactly what it is going to be used for. Is this going to be your first drone that you will use every now and then Are you somewhat of a professional that likes to fly drones on a regular basis This will have a big input on what you should be buying and for what price. Also, think about whether you will be using it mainly outside or whether you want it for inside as well.
The main things that you need to consider when it comes to drones are quality, features, value and finally, ease of use. When looking at a drone, make sure that you take all four factors into consideration and decide how they apply to you. For example, if you are a beginner, you will want a product that is fairly easy to fly and keep in the air.
Once you have considered all of the above, prices will vary depending on your answers. DJI is one of the most well-known company’s when it comes to quadrotors and has a great reputation. The ‘Phantom 3’ is their most popular product and in many people’s opinion, the best. The Phantom 3 offers live HD streaming, 12 megapixel photos, a detailed app as well as 20 minutes flight time. You can currently find this particular drone at around $1200. It is notoriously easy to fly making it perfect for beginners.
Also from DJI is the ‘Inspire 1’ which offers a lot of the same features and more. This quadrotor is twice as big and twice as fast as the Phantom 3 and also includes a 360 degree camera that can be rotated completely independent from the aircraft itself. As a result of this, it is the perfect drone for specialists in photography and video. This model is also used for search and rescue and is available for just under $3000. Despite the price, this drone remains fairly easy to fly as with most DJI products.
If you wanted something away from DJI, the Yuneec Q500 4K offers something slightly different. As the name suggests, the camera shoots 4k video and is also detachable from the quadrotor so can be used as a handheld device. The company isn’t as well-known as DJI so their products aren’t as popular but they still offer a great drone and one that should be consider at around $1300.
Don’t be over-awed by the many options available to you, use it to your advantage instead. Once you have it clear it in your head what you want, you will find many options that range from less than $100 to $2000+. You can also find drones that will last around 5 minutes compared to those that will last 25 minutes. Drones come in all shapes and sizes; why not spend some time looking for the perfect one for you?