How to choose the right DJI drone for you
The best way to get great aerial photographs and amazing landscape footage is to send the drone to the sky. There are many choices, but DJI has dominated the market for several years.
The Chinese company was founded in 2006 and quickly took advantage of the growing interest in drones early on. Currently, it accounts for almost 70% of the world’s drones.
DJI’s professional drones are often used in Hollywood movies, music videos, and even some government and law enforcement agencies.
Drone for all purposes
With such a huge selection of drones, it can be confusing to settle on the perfect model. But breaking it down into what you need makes things a little easier. DJI is very familiar with a particular industry and develops the best drones for each.
The most common DJI drone for aerial photography is the Phantom. It has a long battery life, a good camera, and can fly at a top speed of 45 mph. It’s great for taking a leisurely landscape, but it’s the last in a drone race.
To do this, you need a DJI FPV that can reach 62 mph in just 2 seconds from a stationary position. With hair trigger controls, pilots can wear a head-mounted display to see everything from a first-person perspective.
However, there is no better way to capture the natural beauty and fast-paced action than using the DJI Inspire 2. It has a control range of over 4 miles, but is equipped with a very complex camera that captures 6K and 5.2K Apple ProRes resolution footage.
Camera is important
Factors such as flight control and range are important, but most people use drones for photography and video recording. If you need professional footage, you need a built-in camera that can catch up with it.
But even when shooting family holidays, you need a drone camera that won’t blur, focus, or shake. If you spend hundreds of dollars on a drone and find that your videos and photos are of poor quality, you’ll be disappointed. A DJI drone with a camera resolution of 1080p (Full HD) is suitable.
Battery life
Unfortunately, battery life is something that every drone pilot needs to deal with. In general, the higher and heavier the drone, the shorter the flight time.
This is a bit of a catch 22 as it requires more rechargeable batteries to fly longer, but it adds weight and reduces flight time. On average, you can expect about 30 minutes of flight time from a DJI drone.
Flight range
Drone battery life is not always related to flight range. For small drones, this is usually limited to the range of the communication receiver. Drones usually have two limits: flight range and transmission range.
- Flight range: This is determined by the receiver and indicates the absolute maximum distance the drone can leave you. Beyond that, the connection will be lost and the drone will automatically return home.
- Transmission range: This is the distance the drone can send video and photo signals. When you store footage on an external drive, the drone wirelessly pushes the data to storage. The transmission range is also related to the distance the drone can see the live feed from the camera.
The transmission range is usually shorter than the flight range, which is not necessarily a bad thing. Many professional drones can fly a given course well outside the transmission range. All recorded video is saved on the internal memory card.
The best DJI drone
DJI Mavic3 and 4/3 CMOS Hasselblad Camera
This drone captures stunning footage with a 5.1K Hasselblad camera. The maximum flight time is 45 minutes and the transmission range is about 10 miles. It weighs only 31 ounces and uses a cellular connection. Sold by Amazon
DJI Air 2S Fly More Combo
One of the lightest DJI drones, the Air S2 weighs only 21 ounces and has a flight time of 30 minutes. Capture video at 5.4K resolution at 30 frames / sec or 4K resolution at 60 frames / sec. It has a transmission range of 7 miles. The combo includes a spare battery, propeller and cable. Sold by Amazon
DJI Mini 3 Pro
This small drone weighs only 8 ounces and can be folded and stored compactly. Record 4K video at 60 frames per second and take pictures at a resolution of 48 megapixels. The flight time is 34 minutes and the transmission distance is 7 miles. Sold by Amazon
DJI FPV combo
For the ultimate experience of drone flight, this gadget will go from 0 mph to 62 mph in just 2 seconds. Great for drone racing, but also for fast-moving actions. The drone is controlled by a joystick and the pilot wears first-person view goggles. Sold by Amazon
DJI Phantom4Pro Quadcopter Drone
The Phantom was one of the most popular DJI drones and helped spread the company. It has a 4K resolution camera that captures video at 60 frames per second and still images at 20 megapixels. It has a battery life of 30 minutes, a top speed of 45 mph and a mileage of 4.3 mph. Sold by Amazon
DJI Inspire 2.0 Quadcopter Combo
Few professional drones can catch up with Inspire 2.0. Record 4K and 5.2K video in low-compression CinemaDNG raw and Apple ProRes formats. It has a top speed of 34 mph and is equipped with advanced obstacle sensors with forward and downward visibility. Sold by Amazon
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Charlie Flip is writing for Best Reviews. BestReviews helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions and save time and money.
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