Looking for the best camera drone on the market? You’re certainly spoiled for choice considering the range of high-quality camera drones currently available. Some of the best drones with cameras aren’t too expensive either, with cost-friendly options available alongside the higher end models, so it’s easy to find something to suit every budget.
Choosing the best camera drone is often difficult given all the options available, not to mention the various technical specifications that can be challenging to understand. So, to make things easier we’ve created a list of the best drones with cameras and what makes them such a great buy.
Check out some of the best camera drones currently available below:
DJI Phantom 4 Pro
- Camera: 4K/20 megapixels
- Battery: 30 minutes
- Range: 4.2 miles
The DJI Phantom 4 Pro is equipped with a fantastic 4K camera and boasts some impressive specs including 30-minute flight time, 45mph top speed, 4.2-mile range, and a four-sided obstacle avoidance system.
Made from a magnesium alloy, the sleek white body of the Phantom 4 Pro is certainly attractive, but it also has well-designed camera gimbal that offers improved stability, while the overall build of the drone is very robust.
At 1380g it does weigh more than most other DJI drones and isn’t foldable like most of the newer models. Bear this in mind as it means the Phantom 4 Pro isn’t the most compact or lightweight camera drone on the market.
The Phantom 4 Pro is one of the easier drones to operate, as it comes with a selection of modes that make it easy to operate.
For example, the ActiveTrack feature follows an objects positioning, while the TapFly feature automates the flight of the drone in a specific direction, meaning you don’t even need the control sticks to operate the Phantom 4 Pro.
Automatic take-off and landing modes make controlling the drone even easier, while there is a beginner mode that adjusts the speed and distance to ensure easy operation. Common command modes are also included, such as follow me, waypoints, and return home.
There is also a 5.5-inch screen built into the controller that provides a live feed from the 4K camera, which is essential for capturing the best photographs and videos from aerial positions. Simply stream the footage to the screen on the controller or on a compatible smartphone or tablet using the DJI Pilot application.
The ability to live stream footage is one of the biggest selling points of the Phantom 4 Pro. You can capture incredible footage without too much difficulty, making it very appealing to photographers and drone enthusiasts alike.
Camera quality plays an important role in the overall performance of the Phantom 4 Pro, as it is one of the best cameras you’ll find on a drone. It features a one-inch CMOS sensor and is capable of capturing footage at 4K, 2.7k, and 1080p HD (which records at 120fps.)
In fact, the camera is such high quality that it captures perfect footage a high speeds and in slow motion, allowing for kinds of incredible video to be recorded.
You control the camera gimbal directly throughout the app and there are a nice selection of photo and video modes to capture a diverse range of footage, including various frame rate and resolution options that are easily interchangeable using the app.
Auto and manual controls are available for photos and videos too, so there is no shortage of ways to capture interesting footage with the Phantom 4 Pro.
Thanks to a larger battery design, the Phantom 4 Pro has an impressive flight time of almost 30 minutes in perfect conditions. There is also light indictor to show the amount of battery life left, with most users getting around 28 minutes of flight in a single charge.
Newer technology was used to create this improved battery, which sadly means older DJI batteries are not compatible, so it’s a good idea to buy a second battery if you want to fly for longer periods.
The DJI Phantom 4 Pro is a high-performance drone that comes with a host of useful features for a more affordable price, especially compared to DJI’s newer line of high-end drones.
An outstanding camera is the main highlight here, providing exceptional quality footage and plenty of fun capture modes that make the Phantom 4 Pro a must-have for budding aerial photographers.
DJI Mavic Air
- Camera: 4K/ 12 megapixels
- Battery: 21-Minute
- Range: 2.48 miles
With an impressive 4K camera at 60fps and a design so compact it fits into your pocket, the DJI Mavic Air provides one the best performing camera drones for a reasonable price.
Taking the best parts of the DJI Mavic Pro and combining it with the smaller build of the DJI Spark, the Mavic air offers the perfect balance between performance and affordability.
Despite its small size, the DJI Air doesn’t sacrifice much in performance, coming with an impressive 21-minute run time, although you may find 18 minutes is a more accurate time when the weather is considered.
It’s recommended to invest in some additional batteries however, as you’re going to want to spend a lot of time flying the drone after your first few flights!
The Mavic Air Fly More Combo is therefore a great buy as it includes 3 batteries, a remote controller, six sets of propellers, a battery charging hub and a host of other valuable accessories for a decent price.
In terms of the overall build, the Mavic Air is similar to the Spark while also including foldable arms to make the body even more compact for transporting. For instance, if you fold the Mavic Air it can easily fit inside of a pocket, weighing just 420g, making it almost double the weight of the Mavic Pro and over three times heavier than the Phantom 4.
Although small, the build remains surprisingly robust, offering plenty of protection when carried around in a bag or any collisions when flying. There is also a receded camera gimbal that includes a clip-on cover to protect the camera during transit.
Speaking of performance, the Mavic Air has an impressive speed, thanks in no part to its compact design, reaching top speeds of 42mph.
With an impressive 2.48-mile range you can expect some enjoyable flights, while features such as an enhanced avoidance system and gesture controls make flying fun and enjoyable, even for beginner pilots.
As previously mentioned, the Mavic Air is equipped with a 4K camera on a 3-axis gimbal at the front of the drone. As you’d expect from 4K, the footage quality is incredible, with 4K resolution available at 60fps, while 1080p and 720p HD video is also available.
The gimbal maintains good stability even at top speeds and different altitudes, while there are various shooting modes to capture amazing aerial photos and videos.
If you’re looking for an affordable, compact drone that is easy to fly and not too expensive, then the look no further than the DJI Mavic Air. Simply put, you’ll struggle to find a compact drone with such a high-quality camera than the DJI Mavic Air.
DJI Spark
- Camera: 1080p HD/12 megapixels
- Battery: 16 minutes
- Range: 1.2 miles
The DJI Mavic Air is one of the best compact camera drones around, but you can go even smaller with the equally impressive DJI Spark. It also happens to be DJI’s most affordable camera drone, so if you’re looking to buy a quality camera drone without breaking the bank then this is one worth considering.
A little smaller than the Mavic Air, the Spark is easily one of DJI’s most consumer-friendly drones, with hand gesture controls making it easy to take all kinds of awesome photos and videos with little drone flying experience.
Weighing just 300gs, the Spark is roughly the same size as a can of Coke so can easily fit into a pocket. There is a foam box included that’s not much bigger and offers more protection, although the Spark is certain strong enough to handle being transported around.
For such a small drone you’d be forgiven for expecting a low-quality camera, but the Spark comes with a fantastic camera that is more than capable of capturing similar quality footage to its larger counterparts.
The camera features a 12MP ½.3 CMOS sensor capable of recording 1080p HD footage at 30fps. While the lack of 4K camera may disappoint some, it’s important to remember that the Spark comes with the lowest price of any DJI, with the camera quality being better than most other drones in the same price range.
A 2-axis gimbal offers plenty of stability for the camera, which really shines when you start using it the various shooting modes available. For instance, the DJI GO 4 app records the entire footage from the camera in a single flight, letting you easily pick and choose from the footage to create awesome highlight reels.
Another great feature that helps take fun photos is the hand gesture mode known as PalmControl. When the camera is forward facing you make a hand gesture for a certain function, such as creating a photo frame with your fingers to command the drone to take a selfie.
This feature is also hand for flying the drone without any controls, as you simply make a gesture to command the drone to fly, land, and take various predefined photos. While the gestures aren’t read 100% of the time, it’s still a responsive feature that makes using the Spark even easier.
The DJI Spark is one of the best-priced camera drones available. Fitted with a quality HD camera capable of taking high resolution photos and videos, the drone is compact and lightweight for easy use on the go.
Hand gesture modes make using the drone even easier, not to mention great fun to operate, making this a fantastic camera drone for beginners and hobbyists alike.
Parrot Anafi
- Camera: 4K/21 megapixels
- Battery: 25 minutes
- Range: 2.4 mile
The Parrot Anafi is one of the first hobby grade camera drones that has challenged DJI’s incredible range of products without falling too far behind.
Yes, it hasn’t got the handling as the DJI Mavic Air and isn’t as compact as the DJI Spark, but the Anafi is still equipped with a powerful camera, is great fun to operate, and is available for a much lower price than its DJI competitors.
A compact and lightweight drone, the Anafi weighs only 320g and is collapsible so it’s very easy to use on the move. The length of the drone does make it slightly too large to carry in your pocket, but it does come with a hard carry case that keeps the drone well protected when carrying in a bag.
In terms of flight performance, the Anafi does lack an obstacle avoidance system that means collisions are more likely, although the flight controls are very intuitive so it should be easy to operate for beginners.
Controlling the drone is done through an ergonomic joystick that you can attach your smartphone to. When connected you can use the Parrot FreeFlight 6 application to fly the drone, which provides a live HD video feed straight from the camera for easier handling, navigation, and camera operation.
The total range for the drone is 2.4 miles, which is certainly impressive enough considering its smaller size, while you get a good 25-minutes from the battery. One drawback about the battery is it takes several hours to fully charge, so buying an additional battery is highly recommended for longer flights and recording more footage.
When it comes to camera quality the Parrot Anafi delivers on all fronts. The camera has a ½.4-inch CMOS sensor and a 4K video resolution and 21 megapixels for still images. These specs produce similar quality footage compared to market leader the Mavic Air, with low light shooting mode often performing even better.
Granted, the frame rate at 4K is only 30fps but the detail remains exceptional. The inclusion of HDR shooting and Abode DNG formats is a nice touch, making post production of video footage much more efficient with appropriate software.
One of the most impressive aspects of the Anafi’s camera is its 180-degree vertical range. This means that the camera can take photos directly above the drone, which is a feature not found in any other camera drone on the market. Not only that, it boasts a 2.8x zoom that allows the camera to capture distance images without any reduction in image quality.
There is also a great selection of one touch flight that automate the drone’s flightpath to capture all kinds of great images and video. For instance, the CineShots mode directs the drone upwards with the camera facing down before raising the camera and flying outwards for various panoramic shots.
With a fantastic camera, compact size, and fun and intuitive flight modes, the Parrot Anafi is one of the better drone cameras on the market. Perhaps the biggest selling point is its incredible price, being much cheaper than top line DJI drones without a noticeable drop in quality.
If you are looking for the best camera drone in the mid-price range, then be sure to check out the Parrot Anafi.