Most drones are widely used today for photography and filming purposes. They’re amazing equipment to use to capture gorgeous aerial photos and footage. If you want to film your own cinematic videos, you have to get a good and high-quality drone for that.
Since there are a lot of drones on the market, this article aims to help you with a compilation of the best drones for videography. To help you further narrow down your choices, below are things you should consider when choosing one. This way, you get a head start on your shopping journey.
What to Consider When Buying a Drone for Aerial Videography
There are essential factors or qualities that you need to consider when choosing a drone you intend to use for aerial videography. Generally, these elements are already considered, but to refine and limit one's options, it’s recommended to have a personal comprehension of these criteria.
- High-Quality Camera
If you want to capture high-quality videos, you need a drone with a great camera. This would depend on your budget and footage needs, but getting a drone with at least a 4K camera is ideal. This ensures you’ll get good-quality, stable, and clear videos.
- Long Battery Life/Flight Time
Check how long the drone can stay in the air without changing its battery. Since taking footage and filming aerial shots can take time, it’s best to look for a drone with a long flight time. If you’re a professional, you’ll need drones that can fly for hours. Ideally, the best flight time to get good footage would be at least 20 minutes.
- Ease of Use
The ease of use can make all the difference in using a drone. Most drones nowadays can be operated and controlled with a phone application. Depending on your experience and knowledge of drones, you should look for a drone that you can easily use. There’s no point in getting a quality drone with a good camera if you’ll have a hard time using it all the time.
- Durability and Portability
A drone must be strong and durable enough to avoid inevitable crashers, like accidentally bumping into things while in the air. That’s why you must ensure your drone is made of strong and durable materials. Moreover, getting a portable drone is best if you like capturing videos while traveling or in different places. It’s ideal that they’re compact and lightweight or can be folded for easier transportation.
5 Best Drones for Videography
1. DJI Air 2S
This is one of DJI’s best drones for aerial shots and footage. If you want to focus on videography or filmmaking, the DJI Air 2S is a good all-around drone. First, it’s handy with its small size and lightweight design. It also has a high-quality camera that can shoot 5.4k videos and a built-in 1-inch sensor to avoid obstacles.
Since it’s lightweight, you can easily carry it with your other equipment during shoots. It has a long battery life, so you can fly it for a relatively long time. It even comes with an internal storage of 8GB.
Specifications:
- Weight: 595g/1.3lb
- Flight Time: 31 minutes
- Camera Resolution: 20MP and 5.4K up to 30fps / 4K up to 60fps
- Range: 12km
Pros
- Quiet operation
- High-quality camera with a great sensor
- Long flight time
- Small and lightweight
Cons
- Others may find the sensor to be too small
- No automatic transfer of footage to smartphones
2. DJI Mini 3 Pro
If you want an extremely portable drone with a camera, this Mini 3 Pro is a top pick. It’s a compact drone packed with all the great features of the DJI Mini drones. Although it may cost a little more, it has a better camera with good avoidance sensors. It comes with an Advanced Pilot Assistance System 4.0 that helps you detect and avoid obstacles as you fly in real time.
Additionally, despite its size and weight, it’s durable enough to withstand breezy flying conditions. You can even fly it in three different modes: normal, cinema, and sport flight modes.
Specifications:
- Weight: 249g/0.55lb
- Flight Time: 34 minutes
- Camera Resolution: 4K up to 60fps
- Range: 8-12 km
Pros
- Compact and lightweight
- High-quality camera
- Built-in obstacle avoidance sensors
- Useful automated flight modes
- Long flight time
Cons
- Comes with a higher price tag
3. DJI Mavic 3 Pro
This is a consumer drone from DJI with three cameras. The Mavic 3 Pro is popular for its exceptional cameras: a Hasselblad-branded wide-angle lens with a Four Thirds sensor plus two telephoto lenses. Thanks to this top-notch feature, it can capture more detailed footage and on a broader band of lighting conditions.
Additionally, despite being considered a pro drone, the Mavic 3 Pro is easy to fly and has safety features that help you do so. Although it’s relatively heavier than the previous two on the list, this drone is compact and portable enough to bring in your travels compared to most drones on the market.
Specifications:
- Weight: 958g/2.1lb
- Flight Time: 43 minutes
- Camera Resolution: up to 48 MP and 5.1K up to 75fps / 4K up to 120fps
- Range: 12-15 km
Pros
- Compact and portable
- Three exceptional cameras
- Long flight time
- Up to 5.1k videos
- Ideal for pro photographers and videographers
Cons
- Comes with a more expensive price tag
4. Autel EVO Lite+
If you prefer a different brand from DJI, Autel is an excellent choice. The Autel EVO Lite+ competes against DJI’s Air 2S regarding quality and features. The EVO Lite+ can shoot up to 6k footage and comes with a decent price tag.
It’s easy to fly using an app you can download directly from the Apple or Google Play store. Moreover, if you like to do some vertical filming, the EVO Lite+ has a four-axis gimbal that will allow you to do that.
Specifications:
- Weight: 835g/1.8lb
- Flight Time: 40 minutes
- Camera Resolution: up to 6k at 30fps/ 4K video at up to 60fps
- Range: 12km
Pros
- High-quality camera
- 6k videos
- Long flight time
- Vertical filming
- Three-direction obstacle avoidance
- Comes with a 1-inch sensor with an adjustable aperture
Cons
- More expensive than DJI’s Air 2S
5. Autel EVO Nano+
The Autel EVO Nano+ not only features obstacle avoidance, it also has a Quickshot feature. These flight patterns allow you to capture pro-like videos at the touch of a button. It has a folding design that makes it compact enough for transportation.
Additionally, this is a good option for capturing footage during the day and night. The EVO Nano+ has a good camera that can capture good footage even in the dark. It’s also easy to control with its obstacle-avoidance capabilities and Dynamic Track 2.1 subject-tracking programs.
Specifications:
- Weight: 249g/0.55lb
- Flight Time: 28 minutes
- Camera Resolution: up to 4K up to 30fps
- Range: up to 16 km
Pros
- High-quality camera
- 4k videos
- Extremely lightweight
- Comes with a lower price tag
- Three-direction obstacle avoidance
- Automatic flight modes and subject tracking
Cons
- Shortest flight time on the list
Conclusion
The best drones for videography are those designed and made with high-quality cameras. But, when choosing one, you must consider other factors such as the drone’s ease of use, flight time, portability, and durability so you can bring and use it anywhere. You can refer to the list above for the best drones on the market.
If you want to look at more options, you can always check out our massive drone collection. We offer high-quality drones and accessories from the market’s top brands, like DJI.
