Drones are now becoming a favorite gadget amongst avid videographers as well newbies. The numbers of flying drones in the skies are ever increasing. If you are to walk in your local neighbourhood, chances are you will be seeing one of these copters flown by your friend or a stranger.
The looks of these robots are spectacular, and the seamless movements in the sky can make just about anyone goes gaga over your flying machine – they will stop and stare. It gives a great excitement to the pilots, and the captured bird-eye-view footage adds a different touch to your videos.
Now, with the plethora of drone for sale options out there, it can be rather tricky to make a decision of which is the best for you to purchase. This quadcopter reviews will provide you the necessary information that helps you to make an informed decision for selecting your Drones.
Top 15 Quadcopter Drones
Model
Price
Camera
Wingspan
Flying Level
Baterry / Flight Duration
Usage
DJI Phantom 3
$1259
4K at 24fps UHD Video
590mm x 590mm
Advanced
15.2V 4480mAh li-poly
23 minutes
Outdoor
DJI Phantom Aerial UAV
$415,99
GoPro Mount
350mm x 350mm
Advanced
11.1V 2200mAh li-poly
15 minutes
Outdoor
Parrot BeBop
$499.00
1080p video 14MB camera
280mm × 320 mm
Intermediate
1 Lithium ion batteries
11 minutes
Indoor + Outdoor
Parrot AR
$299.95
HD 1280x720 pixels
525mm x 515mm
Intermediate
11.1V 1000mAh li-poly
12 minutes
Outdoor + Indoor
UDI U818A
$50.80
640x480 pixels
340×340 mm
Beginners
3.7V 500mAh li-poly
7-9 minutes
Outdoor
UDI RC
$77.99
HD 1280X720 pixels at 30fps
335mm x 327mm
Intermediate
3.7 V 500mAh li-poly
6-9 minutes
Outdoor
3d Robotics Iris
$599.00
GoPro Mount
550mm x 550mm
Advanced
5100mAh 3S 8C Lithium Polymer
16-22 minutes
Outdoor + Indoor
Hubsan X4 H107C
$48.29
0.3MP Videos 720x240 pixels
70mm x 70mm
Beginners
3.7V 380mAh li-poly
6-7 minutes
Outdoor + Indoor
Hubsan X4 H107D
$140.20
640x480 pixels
110mm x 110mm
Intermediate
3.7V 380mAh li-poly
7-8 minutes
Outdoor
Estes Proto X Nano
$29.99
None
45mm x 45mm
Beginners
3.7V 100mAh li-poly
5 minutes
Indoor
Syma X5C
$52.99
200W 720pixels HD
310mm x 310mm
Intermediate
3.7V 500mAh li-poly
6 minutes
Indoor + Outdoor
Syma X11
$25.56
None
180mm x 180mm
Beginners
3.7V 150mAh li-poly
5-7 minutes
Indoor + Outdoor
Dromida Ominus
$73,73
None
375mm x 375mm
Beginners
3.7V 700mAh li-poly
7-8 minutes
Indoor + Outdoor
Holy Stone Quadcopter Mini
$54.99
1280x720 pixels
135mm x 135mm
Intermediate
3.7V 350mAh
5-8 minutes
Indoor + Outdoor
Blade Quadcopter Nano QX RTF
$89.99
None
182mm x 182mm
Intermediate
3.7V 150mAh li-poly
7-10 minutes
Indoor
Complete Buyers Guide to Choose A Drone
When it comes to buying the best, there are several factors to consider. In this drone buying guide, we will take a close look at the following six metrics: camera specs, wingspan, flying level, and flight time. The price of the drone increases with the difficulty level of the copter.
Therefore, for a beginner, there is no need to splurge on a drone as the one with the basic functionality, for example, UDI U818A, should be enough to give you a taste of flying. Once you develop your flying skills, you may switch for a more advanced aircraft, say DJI Phantom 3 Professional. The last thing we want is for you to trash your money on a flying robot that you do not know how to handle!
Camera Specs
Most drones come with its built-in camera. These cameras are either permanent (the drone camera system locks you to the provided camera) or changeable (you may replace the camera as you see fit). The cheaper drones usually have a less-powerful camera, but the price makes it all perfect for the beginners.
Therefore, it is crucial to decide the quality of footage that you would like to capture. Purchasing the udi quadcopter might not be a clever move for a professional videographer, what with its low-quality camera and small resolution. The drone in the market with 4K videos is highly recommendable for cinematography purposes.
Wingspan
Wingspan is the length of the blade that you can find on the drones. Knowing the length of the blade, which is normally in a millimeter measurement, gives you a sense of the overall size and the flying strength of the machine. Plus, it helps you further in knowing which one flies best indoor and which one flies like a strong bird in the outdoor.
A smaller aircraft with shorter blades are ideal for indoor flying as it less likely to damage any valuable objects inside the property. A bigger drone provides smooth footage even on a windy day. The wingspan measurement typically ranges between 100mm to 400mm.
Flying Level
The flying level is also one of the important factors that you should consider before buying a drone . If you are a first-time flyer, we do not recommend DJI Phantom 3 Professional as you get overwhelmed by the complicated handlings and fragile body. Purchase an inexpensive aircraft that is more durable and easy to handle. It will take you less time to get familiar with the flight controller (also known as a transmitter).
Flight Time
Flight time is the duration of time that the drones can survive flying in the skies when fully charged. Unlike smartphones that have hours of battery life, drones typically have a shorter battery life. There are several reasons for the short flight time, and they are the battery size itself, weight of the drone, and the flying manoeuvres.
Normally, a drone can fly as short as 5 minutes and as long as 20 minutes. Another aspect of flight time that you will need to think about is the charging time. It usually takes some time between 45 to 90 minutes for a battery to go into the full capacity. If you wish to capture a long aerial footage for a longer period, it is advisable to purchase a larger charger that can charge quickly and several batteries simultaneously.
Additional Tips on Buying the Best Drone on the Market
Besides than the factors above, there are several additional tips that we would like to share with you in these reviews. We hope that by providing you these points, you will be able to learn more about the ever-evolving world of these quadcopter drone.
Know the acronyms of a drone
When you scour over the internet looking for the specs details of a drone , chances are you would bump into several acronyms – BNF, RTF and ARF.
BNF is an acronym for Bind-and-Fly. A BNF aircraft comes in a fully assembled state, but without a controller/transmitter. You will need to buy the controller separately and make sure that it works well together with your drone.
RTF stands for Ready-to-Fly. It means that the drone comes in a complete setup and a controller. All you need to do is to install the propellers, charge the battery, and link the controller to your drone.
If you see an ARF (Almost-Ready-to-Fly) label, be prepared to do some extensive installation. The drone might not have all the components (e.g. ESC, motors, battery or flight controller) and sensors and transmitters are available separately.
Know the rules and regulations of your country
Different countries have a different set of rulings for drones. It is to ensure zero interference between the recreational drones and the commercial aircrafts. In the USA, the Federal Aviation Administration ruled out that personal drones must fly lower than 400 ft and at least five miles away from the airport. Get more information of how should you flight safe your drone in USA.
Short 9 Reviews of Top Quadcopter
Before you spend your money on the drone on the market, study these short reviews of the top 7 quadcopter as they give you a helpful insight on each aircraft.
Phantom Aerial Drone : Best Quadcopter for Your GoPro
DJI Phantom Aerial Drone is the perfect drone for you if you wish to own a high-quality aircraft that comes with a full set of components. The software control, transmitter, and advanced navigation come together in the box. However, there is no camera readily attached to this DJI Phantom.
You may use your personal GoPro camera since it comes with a mount for that action camera. Have a go with this drone and fly it in an open area with soft landing such as in the park. You want to avoid crash landing it on a concrete, asphalt or a water surface (the drone cannot swim!). Moreover, keep the drone close throughout the flying adventure and keep the flying
regulation in mind whenever you pilot this aircraft.
$415.99 on Amazon
Iris+ Quadcopter: Best for Flying Experience
IRIS+ quadcopter is the drones for you if you seek to enjoy customized flying experience. It is an RTF (ready-to-fly) drone that listens well to your instructions and can maneuver automatically according to your specified location. With the Mission Planning application, you may set the flight path and waypoints, and it will do the flying automatically for you.
Having an autopilot setting does not mean that it will go just about anywhere. You may use the GeoFence that cleverly sets boundaries for your drone. It returns to the launch point upon a single command of toggling! Reference tag: 3drobotics
$599.99 on Amazon
DJI Phantom 3 Professional: The Best to Buy
DJI Phantom 3 Professional is an impressive upgrade from the Phantom 2. It serves many advanced videography and filmmaking needs, what with the enhanced camera and live high-definition streaming. It comes fully equipped with an outstanding 4K camera and 3-axis gimbal technology.
Since it bears the RTF label, it means that you will receive a ready-to-fly aircraft that is complete with a handheld transmitter, flight battery, charger and a 16GB micro SD card. You can always purchase additional accessories to boost up its power – bigger memory cards to store more footage and photos, additional batteries for a longer flying duration, and a mobile device for app-based controls.
$1259.00 on Amazon
New Version Syma X5C 2.4G 6 Axis GYRO : Best Beginner Quadcopter
Syma X5C is one of the favourite drones amongst beginners and intermediate users. This aircraft can give you a peek into the world of drones. You can simply browse through the comments section on Amazon.com and find many satisfied reviews and excitement over this drone.
With a flight time of seven minutes and over 50m sensor communication, it is a perfect aircraft for beginners who want to fly their drone in the outdoor. Syma x5c review show it has a reasonable price that goes below $100, Syma X5C comes fully equipped with a mounted camera that can shoot videos at 1280×720 resolutions.
The controls system of the drone is also relatively easy to operate compared to other advanced drones. If you wish to sharpen your flying skills without minding the mediocre video quality captured by the camera, it is a highly recommendable drone for you. With a cost of only $58, you can fly this drone in a park and train your flying skills. Just remember to keep it within 50 meters from your position and have it fly in the sky for no more than 7 minutes (you will need to recharge the battery after this flying duration).
$52.99 on Amazon
Parrot Bebop : Intermediate Flyers
Parrot Bebop is perfect for ambitious beginners who want to have a few advanced features on their drone. Just like AR Drone 2.0, Parrot Bebop is controllable via a mobile app (AR Free Flight 2.0). If you are not comfortable with flying it from a smartphone, you may purchase a separate sky controller.
The Bebop can shoot a 1080p video recording with its 14MP camera, and it also comes together with 180-degree Fish-Eye lens. The AI extends further as you may also edit any image distortion caused by this lens directly on your smartphone. With such great features, you might think that it will be very fast to run out the memory space, correct? Well, wrong.
The drone provides a highly satisfactory 8GB of onboard memory space. If there is one drawback that we would have to point out to you, it would be about the lagging video streaming. The delayed videos can frustrate you if you wish to focus on your shots. However, you can expect the real recording to be all smooth and clear.
$499.00 on Amazon
DJI Inspire I : Best Professional Photographers
DJI Inspire 1 boasts 4K video recordings, optical flow stabilization, high-definition streaming and 12-megapixel frame definition that can satisfy the hearts of any professional photographer and advanced users. The price tag can be rather intimidating at $2,859 but if you take videos and photos for a living, it is a worthy investment!
The streaming can go up to a mile away from your position, and the GPS waypoint flies the drone directly to your desired location – in an autopilot mode. Another cool feature about this drone has got to be its impressive speed and long flight time. It can reach a speed of 50 miles per hour, and you should face no problem of having Inspire 1 to fly above a moving train for as long as 18 minutes.
Now, you might think how on earth are you going to shoot the train footage? Well, with the powerful sensor in this drone, you can be as far as 2000 meters away from your shooting location and still be able to control the drone efficiently. With an impressive camera, incredible speed, powerful sensor and long flying duration, it is the best quadcopter for aerial photography. Lastly, the transforming design promotes portability. The packing process is quick and easy that makes it a perfect drone on the go.
$2859.00 on Amazon
Parrot AR 2.0 : Best Drone for Mid-price
If you want to fly a drone that has intuitive controls, durable body and mid-ranged price, Parrot AR 2.0 ( Parrot USA) is the perfect quadcopter for you. Intermediate users will find sheer pleasure in flying this drone. The company provides two sets of bodies to cater for indoor and outdoor needs.
The Styrofoam body with rings around the propellers is for indoor flying whereas the body with exposed propellers fit more for outdoor flying. Inside the box, you will find a charger, battery and four plug converters (non-US pilots will appreciate these converters!). There is no accompanying transmitter as this drone if controllable via smartphones or tablets.
Remember to download AR Free Flight 2.0 mobile application and get familiar with the settings and features to start flying this aircraft. With this app, you can see the live view of the camera while having the drone flying in the sky!
$299.95 on Amazon
UDI U818A : Best Quadcopter for Children
First-time flyers udi u818a review will find this is durable and tough. It suits well to the awkward nature of new pilots in maintaining the drone up high and stable in the sky. It is an electric-powered drone that requires zero installation. All you need to do is to charge the battery and power up the controller with AA batteries to start flying it.
A newbie can practise landing and flying with this quadcopter and expand their videography skills by learning how to take videos with this machine. With the 360-degree Eversion feature, you can show your stunt skills by making the drone do a flip in the air. The box includes four backup propellers, a charger, battery, mini camera, and a USB connector for charging purposes.
$50.80 on Amazon.
Hubsan X4 H107C : Best for Indoor
Hubsan H107C is also a great option for beginners or intermediate flyers. It comes with two different modes – basic and advanced – to help pilots to polish their skills accordingly.
Hubsan x4 quadcopter offers quite a decent camera that allows you to enjoy shooting aerial footage of your neighborhood.
Since the propellers of this mini drone are rather sensitive, it is highly recommendable for you to purchase the affordable Hubsan H107C Quadcopter Protection Cover to help it survive against crash landing.
$48.29 on Amazon
Learn to Fly
The next step after purchasing a drone is to learn to fly it correctly and legally. There are several techniques and regulations that you must know to become a great and moral drone pilot!
Before you can start flying a drone, it is crucial to learning and get used to the controller. Use the image above to guide you as you read this. The first thing that you should know and play around with is the joystick. The left joystick helps you to control the yaw and the throttle. Pushing it upward causes your drone to raise to a higher altitude, and pushing it down commands it to land.
Toggling the joystick to right and left will cause the craft to face right and left. The right joystick functions as a pitch controller. Pushing it upward increases the rear prop speed and causes the drone to move forward and pushing it down commands it to move backwards. For right and left movement, you may push the joystick to the right and left accordingly.
When you first fly your drone, try to do it in the morning as there is not so much wind and sun glare early in the day. Fly in the park to avoid unwanted accidents or vicious landing. Have the copter to face you for easy controls. Raise it three feet above the ground and pay attention to its stability. Once you gain stable control at this height, you may raise the altitude slowly as you see fit.
Try to hover and land your aircraft on many spots to test your maneuvering and landing skills. After mastering the art of hopping, you may challenge yourself by flying the drone facing away from you. The controls will turn into a reversed mode (pushing the right joystick to the left will cause the copter to drift to the right) and try hard not to get confused! Lastly, always keep your local regulations in mind whenever flying a drone. You do not want to get in trouble with your public forces! Also you can look for more technical fly.
Final Words
We hope that these reviews have helped you in understanding more about drones and the choices that are available out there. As you can now see, there are many types of drones that you can select. Identify your current flying level, consider the factors, and select the one that can serve your skills and needs.
Most importantly, be ready to upgrade your drone as you expand your skills since there are many new and more advanced drones being released every other month for your to consider and explore!
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The post Best Quadcopter and Drones for Sale in 2015 appeared first on Tips & Advice on Amazon Electronics Products.