Aerial photography and videography are quickly becoming one of the most popular forms for artists and photographers to express their work. High-end drones provide photographers the tools they need to be able to capture images from the aerial. Thus, unlocking a new section in the photography marketplace. If you ever want to become a photographer and want to work with the drones. Than read more because I am going to show you the top 5 best drones to buy for photography in 2018.
Most expensive and advanced drones built for photography can easily cost you over $5,000 to $10,000. Depending on the custom build and specifications you are looking for. Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be that way. We have assembled the top 5 best drones to buy for photography under $3,000 from three well-known brands: DJI, Autel, and Yuneec.
Why Should You Buy A Drone for Photography?
Believe it or not, the bar to enter photography for a drone with professional-grade cameras such as DJI Mavic 2 Pro, for instance, is much lower and very easy. Which means if you never have an experience taking aerial shots before. It is relatively easy to pick up and learn how to produce your stills and videos with some training experience using Lightroom and Photoshop.
This presents the golden opportunity to start your journey and blogging (we recommend Siteground for web hosting) with one of these top 5 best drones for photographers. Photography is the art of work that tells a million words. The use of drones allows you to run your imagination wild and the possibility of creating amazing results is endless.
We spend most of our time staying on the ground level. So we rarely get to see how our homes from the eyes of the bird. The introduction of drones for consumers makes aerial photography possible. Best of all, these top 5 drones that you should buy for photography are very easy to fly. Which means a beginner can even learn how to fly and get to building aerial photography skill right away.
Can You Make Easy Money With Drones?
Absolutely. From my experience, it is very easy to make money with drones if you have clients. However, if you own a photography business (we recommend PhotoJobs for selling your photos), it will take at least a while before you will attract attention from those who look for your brand. Aerial photography adds more value to the pictures that are otherwise unobtainable via regular camera.
You can even sell it for at least a few more dollars. With a large photo collection and hot selling pictures, drone pictures and videos are great additions to have. You can easily sell pictures for $10 to $20 while videos can go between $40 to $100. Well-known professional photographers sell their pictures and videos for hundreds and hundreds of dollars.
With the use of drones, it is very easy to capture aerial shots and transform them into beautiful pictures that you call it a masterpiece. Because the drones are advanced, intelligent and easy to control thanks to impressive stability. You can easily blend multiple pictures and take advantage of RAW files to produce high-quality images that speak for themselves.
Top 5 Best Drones To Buy for Photography & Filmmaking
DJI Inspire 2
Amazon.com | Price history for DJI Inspire 2 Drone | |
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The best drone for photography is the DJI Inspire 2. This is a no contender quadcopter that has its own Zenmuse camera family line. The starter bundle (See Price) comes with additional batteries, a Zenmuse X4S camera and along with useful accessories. The Zenmuse X4S is its system that functions independently apart from the DJI Inspire 2 and has its slot for micro SD card.
This starter bundle camera packs a punch with the capability to record videos up to 4K at 60 frames per second While it is on par with Phantom 4 Pro and DJI Mavic 2 Pro in terms of camera quality. The DJI Inspire 2 allows you to upgrade its camera system. This means you can upgrade the drone with the latest and best camera system available: The Zenmuse X7 camera.
This camera is equipped with a mouthwatering 24MP and an incredible resolution of 6K at 60 frames per second. The Zenmuse X7 camera elevates the quality of images and videos at a professional level. Moreover, its 24MP camera means the image and videos are much more vibrant in its true color formation. Not only the quality of the camera is amazing, but it can also zoom in and out. Thus, allowing you great flexibility for aerial photography and videography. Check out the video below to see the quality of the Zenmuse X7 camera mounted on DJI Inspire 2.
back to menu ↑DJI Phantom 4 Pro
Amazon.com The DJI Phantom 4 Pro is the second runner-up behind Inspire 2. Best known for its friendly and professional appearance. This quadcopter is widely used in different types of areas such as professional aerial services, traveling, farming and even for photography. It comes with a powerful 3-axis gimbal 20MP 1″ CMOS sensor camera that is very capable of recording videos on 4K UHD at 60 frames per second.
Although, if you do plan to travel around the world with an intelligent drone. DJI Phantom 4 Pro might not be the choice due to its bulky size and heavier weight compared to DJI Mavic 2 Pro. However, the real significant advantage that DJI Phantom 4 Pro brings to the table is the latest features and high-quality image. Even though DJI Mavic 2 Pro was released, Phantom 4 Pro remains a hot contender among professional and beginner aerial photographers.
Plus, its price tag is way much cheaper compared to the overly expensive DJI Inspire 2 which is geared toward professionals and expert remote pilots. Because of its low price and high camera quality, it is very easy to produce beautiful shots and videos with DJI Phantom 4 Pro. Be sure to check out the quality of DJI Phantom 4 Pro in the video.
back to menu ↑DJI Mavic 2 Pro
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DJI recently released two brand new types of Mavic 2. The Mavic 2 Pro is equipped with a Hasselblad camera that features 20MP 1″ CMOS sensor. There is a choice which is called Mavic 2 Zoom which features 12MP 1/2.3″ CMOS sensor with dolly effects from 24mm to 48mm. Although, the primary focus that we will talk for the top 5 best drones to buy will be DJI Mavic 2 Pro.
When DJI first introduced Mavic Pro as a compact, portable and lightweight drone for travelers and adventurers. It quickly became popular and was widely used for travel business. Because of how convenient it is to take a foldable drone with you anywhere you go. It was an immense success for DJI. Now that they have introduced DJI Mavic 2 Pro with upgraded camera quality, better battery life, upgraded OcuSync 2.0, Active Track 2.0 and of course improved obstacle avoidance detection systems.
DJI takes a step further in producing the next best foldable camera drone for travelers to take with them. The Hasselblad camera is capable of producing RAW + JPEG files at 20MP and recording videos on 4K UHD at 30 frames per second. Because the DJI Mavic 2 Pro has a recording speed of 30 frames per second at 4K, we rank this drone third best choice for photographers and filmmakers. Check out the showreel below to see the quality of videos that DJI Mavic 2 Pro uses.
back to menu ↑Autel EVO
Amazon.com | Price history for Autel Robotics EVO Drone Camera, Portable Folding Aircraft with Remote Controller, Captures Incredibly Smooth 4K 60fps Ultra HD Video and 12MP Photos | |
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There is a certain reason why I ranked Autel EVO fourth-best pick for photographers and filmmakers. The Autel EVO is built and designed by Autel Robotics as a choice to DJI Mavic 2 Pro and DJI Mavic Pro. It boasts a 12MP camera on stabilized 3-axis gimbal. While featuring the same design and concept of foldability and compact. It records videos at 4K / 60 frames per second while capturing stills at 4K UHD resolution.
Like the popular DJI drones, Autel EVO produces both RAW and JPEG files. However because the Autel EVO uses a 12MP camera with 1/2.3″ CMOS sensor, it isn’t a better choice compared to DJI Mavic 2 Pro. Although, it is a more recently released product that is better than DJI Mavic Pro in some aspects like flight time and additional features.
However because of Autel EVO’s unique design that focuses on compact and portable size while jamming a lot of features. I have to say that Autel EVO is a darn pretty good camera drone for photographers. With some training in Photoshop and Lightroom, you can easily turn any photos captured by Autel EVO into professional-grade images that contend against DJI drones. Check out the showreel video of Autel EVO below.
back to menu ↑Yuneec Typhoon H Pro
Amazon.com Finally, we have reached to the end top 5 best drones to buy for photographers. The Yuneec is a U.S-based company that was first to pioneer in electric aviation. One of the latest product release called the Typhoon H Pro is a large and rather powerful hexacopter. Unlike quadcopters such as DJI Mavic Pro 2, Inspire 2 and Autel EVO. The Yuneec Typhoon H Pro has six motor arms. This gives remote pilots the advantage in high altitude and especially in windy conditions.
You also have the option to upgrade Typhoon H Pro with Real-Sense technology which uses the camera to map out objects in real-time for detecting and avoiding colliding with them. As good as it does sound. However, the reason why I decided Yuneec Typhoon H Pro earns its spot in the top 5 best drones to buy for a photographer is mainly because of its reliable choice for a photographer.
The Yuneec Typhoon H Pro uses a 12MP camera with 1/2.3″ CMOS sensor which can capture stills and records 4K UHD at 30 frames per second. One key feature that every aerial photographers and filmmaker are going to want is a fully functional rotatable camera. The Yuneec Typhoon H Pro drone camera can rotate anywhere in the direction you choose. This gives photographers greater flexibility to produce their aerial shot without having to move the drone to achieve the images they want.
As I mentioned previously about the advantages that hexacopter has over the quadcopter. It is important to keep it in your mind even though this drone is very reliable. It has a considerable average flight time of 18 minutes compared to DJI Mavic Pro. Plus its control range isn’t exactly that stellar as you would hope to. However, despite its quality and drawbacks, the Yuneec Typhoon H Pro still makes an excellent choice for those who want to take pictures and videos in windy conditions. Check out the footage below.
Which Drone Do You Recommend?
Depending on what you are looking for and what you need. If you are a traveler who enjoys exploring new places. Then I would recommend DJI Mavic 2 Pro or Mavic Pro. I take Mavic Pro with me everywhere I go because it is easy to carry, lightweight and a perfect choice for those who move around a lot. However, if you are looking for the top 5 best drones to buy for photography in 2018. Then it will be either Inspire 2 or Phantom 4 Pro, depending on your budget.
What is Obstacle Avoidance?
Read my article about obstacle avoidance. It is commonly known as collision avoidance which the drones use built-in sensors that detect objects and sends data which tells them how close it is. It is rather a complex and in-depth technical term. If you have never heard of it before and want to learn more about it. Then you will find my article helpful and insightful that will explain why this feature is very important for beginners, photographers, and even professional remote pilots needs them.
Is Expensive Drones Worth the Money?
I would be lying to you if I told you that expensive drones aren’t worth the money. If you want to be able to cover up for the cost of investing your money into buying high-end drones like DJI Mavic Pro 2 or Phantom 4 Pro. Then I recommend you to sign up for drone training program here. It costs $49 a month but you will get complete access to tools such as meeting with the experts to stay at top of game and lead generation with clients looking for jobs. Grab 3 to 5 clients and you have already paid off your investment in your drone. So, yes, buying an expensive drone is worth the money if you are looking to own it for a long time.
