Alright, Brett Garamella with BrettGaramella.com here.
We are going to start by figuring out which drone you should buy.
So what you need to do is decide what your budget is for a drone.
Is it $150?
Is it $800?
Is it $2000?
Now keep in mind that there are a few accessories that you will likely need when flying your
drone, so keep that in mind for your overall budget.
I will talk about the accessories you need in part 2, or the next video in this video
series.
Also keep in mind that prices of drones are likely to change over time, so click the links
below for the most up to date prices.
There are so many drones I could mention, but for the sake of time and practicality,
I have narrowed it down to my favorite 2 or 3 drones for each price category.
To save you time and make it easier for you, you can skip ahead to the part of the video
where I talk about the drones in your particular budget, as seen right here: (list different
budget prices with the corresponding video time.)
Alright, so let’s get into it.
The first category is $150 and less.
I would recommend the DJI Tello because DJI is the leading company in consumer drones.
The Tello flies for up to 13 minutes and shoots 720 HD video and takes 5MP photos.
You can change the batteries easily, and it does some cool tricks like 360 flips and throwing
it in the air and it starts flying.
You could also land it in your palm.
For just $99 and $150 for the combo, it is a great drone for kids, families, and those
who want to fly mostly indoors.
It will fly outdoors on a non-windy day.
Next up is the Holy Stone HS161.
This is more than just a drone, and a great deal at just $85.
Its arms and legs fold up, turning it into a handheld camera for photos and video.
It also has a powerful light that can be used like a normal flashlight, along with a USB
port in the back, working as phone charger.
Thus it is a drone, handheld camera, flashlight, and charger all in one.
It records 1080p video and includes an 8GB memory card.
It folds up to: 7.08 x 1.57 x 1.25 inches.
It flies up to 10 minutes and can go up to 100 meters.
The Holy Stone HS110G has some tricks up its sleeve
for just over $100.
With a 110-degree camera angle, it shoots 1080p video, flies for up to 13 minutes, and
has a 984-foot range.
For a drone at this price, it is surprising to see such features as follow me and way
points.
So the drone can follow you, you set certain points in for a planned flight, and also make
it fly in a circle around you.
It can record your voice while you’re flying in the drone app.
For safety, it has automatic return to home feature when the battery is low.
The second category is $150-500.
If this is your first drone and you want to fly outdoors, I would recommend budgeting
at least $500 for your drone.
The reason is you want something that will be able to handle wind and have some distance
and speed.
That is why my recommendation in this price range is the DJI Mavic Mini.
The DJI Mavic Mini is smaller than many smart phones, weighs less than a Mavic 2 battery,
and flies for up to 30 minutes!
It is an upgrade from the DJI Spark, with a better gimbal (3-axis vs 2-axis gimbal)
and camera for video (2.7K).
Unlike the Spark, however, it doesn’t have any obstacle avoiding sensors.
This is why I would recommend getting the Mavic Mini Combo because it includes propeller
guards which can protect your drone while flying indoors or near obstacles.
In fact, it seems more like a propeller cage than a guard, providing more protection than
propeller guards for other drones.
For this reason alone, I recommend this drone for kids.
Folded up, the Mavic Mini is DJI’s most portable outdoor drone and unfolded it is
nearly identical in size to the DJI Mavic Air.
This is a great drone for someone who wants a light, portable drone, or who needs a backup
drone for more risky shots.
Unlike the DJI Mavic Mini, the PowerVision PowerEgg Drone shoots 4K.
I wouldrate PowerEgg ahead of the Spark, but
it is so heavy and bulky that it is not light and portable like the Mini, and it doesn’t
have quite as much flight time.
Most people don’t want to lug around a 4.6-pound drone.
With that said, you can move the 3-axis gimbal almost 360 degrees and fly for about 20 minutes
while flying up to 3 miles away, a little more range than the Mavic Mini.
The PowerEgg also has intelligent modes like follow me, way points, and circle, so it can
do these flight modes automatically.
For just under $500 this drone is a great deal if you don’t mind carrying around a
huge egg!
The next drone is the best bang for your buck, at just $299 the Holy Stone HS720 comes with
a lot of extra accessories, such as lipo bags for traveling with your batteries, a notepad
for taking notes, and nice carrying case for everything.
What I really like about this GPS drone is that you can replace the 2K camera with a
GoPro or Osmo Action, giving it a huge camera resolution upgrade.
Though keep in mind that the 2K camera it comes with is able to tilt down, which you
couldn’t do with a GoPro.
The drone flies for a little over 20 minutes and has intelligent modes like follow me,
orbit, and automatic return to home.
I also like the fact that the arms and legs fold up making it very portable.
I also like Holy Stone because it has some of the best customer service of any drone
company.
This drone is definitely a steal for that price.
The third category is $500 - $800, which is what I consider cinematic drones at a reasonable
price.
First up is the DJI Mavic Air, which 4K video is so good that viewers could easily think
the footage came from a $2000 drone.
So if you want excellent footage with a drone that you can fit in your pocket, the Mavic
Air is the one for you.
It is the best truly portable travel drone.
It also flies up to 42 miles an hour, can travel 2 miles away, and has intelligent flight
modes like active track, which follows you around, boomerang, which comes toward and
around you like a boomerang for cool cinematic effect, and asteroid mode, which flies up
and makes the entire place around you a circular globe shape.
The only thing I don’t like about this drone is the flight time, with a max of about 20
minutes.
The Mavic Air is also very stable in up to 20 mph wind and can shoot 1080p at 120fps
(slow motion).
Other than that, this drone is one of my favorite all-time drones.
Next is the versatile Parrot ANAFI, which is the only portable drone with a camera that
tilts 180 degrees (including straight up).
It also has a 3-axis gimbal that shoots 4K HDR video with a 100 MB/s bit rate that zooms
optically 2.8 times from 26-78mm for video.
The Anafi can fly in winds up to 31 miles per hour and shoots 21 MP photos with an ability
to fly up to 2 miles away.
It also gives you up to 25 minutes of flight time and is portable for travel.
Last up in this price category is the Xiaomi FIMI X8 SE, a 4K drone that flies up to 27
minutes, while supporting a 3-axis gimbal with a video bit rate of 100 MB/s.
It can fly up to 3 miles away and is lightweight
and portable.
It also has a follow me feature like its peers.
If you needed a little extra flight time, this is the drone for you.
Alright, now we move up to my favorite category, the fourth category at $800-1500.
This is where you can get professional drones at a consumer price.
I would recommend, only slightly over its peers, the DJI Mavic 2 Zoom.
Besides its obvious ability to zoom from 24-48mm optically, it can also fly up to 5 miles,
shoots 4K footage up to 30fps, and can fly 44 miles per hour.
It is the same as its twin brother, the Mavic 2 Pro, only it has a different camera.
This means obstacle avoiding sensors on all six sides, it can fly up to 31 minutes and
with advanced features like hyperlapse and a much improved active track.
This is a tremendous option for someone who travels as it easily folds up.
The next drone in this category is the Autel EVO, one of only two U.S.-based manufacturers
in my selected list.
The EVO is better value than the Zoom for what you pay for it.
At around $1000, it is the only drone that is portable and folds up, with the ability
to capture 4K up to 60 fps.
It flies up to 30 minutes and can travel up to 4.4 miles away from the controller.
It also has a 3.3-inch HD screen built into the controller, so you don’t have to use
your phone or device to fly.
Other features, include a 3-axis gimbal, front and rear obstacle-avoidance sensors, and 12
MP photos.
The last drone in this category is world’s best fully autonomous, self-flying drone,
the Skydio 2, which is great for vloggers and anyone who wants to film themselves without
technical skills.
Skydio guarantees that this drone will not crash, and will repair or replace the drone
if this happens during the first year.
In this category, the Skydio 2 produces the best color in its images, and can shoot 4K
up to 60 fps and 12 MP photos.
It also has a Beacon, or magic wand that allows the drone to follow you up to 1.5 km away.
With the remote controller you get up to 3.5 km range.
This drone is portable, but doesn’t fold up like its peers.
It is also newer on the scene than DJI or Autel, and it’s an American company with
the best artificial intelligence on the market.
It could be the darkhorse in this category, but some might view it as a one-trick pony.
I would still go with the Mavic 2 Zoom because of its longer flight time, range, and reputation,
but I’m sure DJI is working on another drone with comparable artificial intelligence.
The next category, category five is $1500-2000, which includes professional drones that are
only slightly better than the previous category.
Let’s start with my overall favorite drone, the one I fly the most and my recommendation
in this category: the DJI Mavic 2 Pro.
This drone is DJI’s most recent so it has the newest technology in a portable size.
Sure it only shoots 4K up to 30 fps, but I often find myself never shooting in slow motion
with my drone because it moves so smoothly and is so far from the objects I am filming.
Therefore, this is not as big a deal as some people make it out to be.
Other than that, it is a dream - with obstacle-avoidance sensors on all six sides, flies up to 31 minutes,
and has up to 5 miles range.
It also has a Hasselblad camera with a one-inch sensor with a 28mm lens, and the ability to
shoot in 10-bit log video as well for those professionals wanting to color grade.
Active Track is much improved and it has cool new hyperlapse, active track, and asteroid
mode features.
I highly recommend this drone.
In a close second to the Mavic 2 Pro is the DJI Phantom 4 Pro V2, which is often out of
stock.
However, if you look on Amazon you might be able to find one or perhaps wait because DJI
occasionally adds it to its website store.
This drone is much bigger and difficult to carry around than the Mavic 2 Pro, which is
why I chose it second.
However, when shooting for clients a bigger drone looks more impressive and may be what
you want.
It does have an advantage of shooting 4K up to 60fps and also shoots in D-Cinelike mode,
which to me looks slightly better than footage from the Mavic 2 Pro.
However, I am splitting hairs here.
If you’re a pixel peeper and need the best for under $2000, this is it.
It also includes obstacle avoidance on four sides and is slightly faster than the Mavic
2 Pro.
With that said, I find my Mavic 2 Pro doesn’t drift as much as the Phantom 4 Pro and is
easier to fly.
For that reason as well, I have to recommend this drone as my second favorite in this price
category.
Lastly, there is the DJI Inspire 1/Pro.
This is the most stable drone and can handle slightly higher winds than the Mavic 2 Pro
or Phantom 4 Pro.
With that said, this drone is big!
But with size comes a gimbal that rotates 360 degrees.
In addition, the gimbal and lenses can be changed.
The best compatible gimbal is the Zenmuse X5 or X5R because it shoots 4K on a micro
4/3-inch sensor, providing better resolution than the Phantom 4 Pro, and 12.8 stops of
dynamic range for post production and color grading.
Compatible lenses are made by DJI, Olympus, and Panasonic, and the X5/X5R camera comes
with the DJI 15mm f/1.7 (35mm equivalent).
This will put you well over the $2000 mark, but this drone gives you many options, making
it in a class of its own.
You could also put a thermal camera on this drone and use it for inspections and other
areas.
With that said, the two biggest drawbacks other than its size, which I already mentioned,
is the lack of obstacle avoidance sensors on the sides or back, and limited flight time
- about 20 minutes max.
Alright, moving on to the sixth category, the final category, which is $2000+.
In this category you have two choices: the DJI Inspire 2 or the DJI Matrice 200/210 V2.
If money is no object, I would recommend getting the DJI Matrice 200 Series V2 because it does
everything the DJI Inspire 2 can do, only it has much longer flight time, the ability
to fly in the rain, and most of all is not affected by telephone wiring and other electric
circuitry in and around buildings that cause interference on the Inspire 2.
The Matrice 200/210 is the Swiss army knife of drones.
It is t he most versatile industrial and cinematic
platform available today.
Its uses range from surveillance, thermal inspection, topography, and cartography.
The Matrice performs in extreme temperatures and weather conditions, such as arctic and
rainy conditions.
With the Matrice 210, pilots can mount a thermal camera and zoom camera simultaneously (as
seen in the photos), such as the Zenmuse XT and Z30, and it is also possible to mount
a camera on top.
The Cendence Remote and Crystal Sky Monitor is the best way to fly this platform.
And for cinematographers, you can now use the Zenmuse X7 camera with either Matrice
drone, giving it 6K capabilities with up to 38 minutes of flight time.
Now the one advantage the Inspire 2 has is speed.
The Inspire 2 is the fastest drone, reaching up to 65 mph, and also is capable of capturing
stable video in 40+ mph winds.
The Zenmuse X7 gimbal camera has a Super 35 Sensor with 14 stops of dynamic range, and
the ability to shoot up to 6K in CinemaDNG and 5.2K in Apple ProRes while capturing RAW
photos at 20 fps and 24MP photos.
This camera is compatible with 4 prime lenses (fixed focal lengths).
With a front FPV camera, 360 rotating gimbal, and dual-heating batteries, the Inspire 2
has the features needed for a true professional.
Alright, hope this video helped you find the right drone.
If you have a DJI drone and want help getting set up and feel confident flying, I created
a video course called DJI Drone Pro, where I walk you through everything step by step.
It’s a great way to get set up and learn fast.
Plus it’s easy, just watch my videos and follow along as I show you step by step how
to do it.
You can get this video course by clicking right over there or on the link below in the
video description.
Now you can continue on to my next video where I show you the 5 accessories that every drone
pilot needs.
You can watch that video by clicking right underneath this video or right over there.
It’s been fun hanging out with you.
If you haven’t done so, please subscribe to my channel and share this video with a
friend if it would help them out.
My name is Brett Garamella with BrettGaramella.com, and I will see you in the next video.