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Drones might look like toys at first glance, and even if they’re fun to operate, they offer more than a fun time. Many have a high-performing camera attached to them that allows you to capture breathtaking aerial shots. Drones can make anyone’s life easier because you won’t have to go to great lengths to take a photo or video of a place usually hard to reach. You can even use them to capture fast-moving objects like a car, motorcycle, bird, etc. Purchasing a drone is worth the investment if you’re a videographer, aerial photographer, or you want to step up the content you post on social media. The cameras attached to drones usually have high resolutions, large sensors, and superb stabilization capabilities. Those who plan to start filming with drones need a ton of practice because the last thing you’d want is to crash and break it accidentally. Before purchasing, you should check if the drone is sized right, if it’s foldable, and if it has a decent battery life. Here are some of the best drones on the market in 2022.
The DJI Air 2S is a drone perfect for professionals, and it offers a compact and portable design. The drone can shoot 5.4K video at 30 fps and 4K video at 60 fps with ease thanks to its large 2.4 μm pixels and one-inch image sensor. Users will find its MasterShots feature helpful because it can automatically give you the best shots possible by flying different routes while focusing on your chosen subject. It’s also intelligent enough to focus on whatever you’re subject is because it has a FocusTrack feature with ActiveTrack 4.0, Spotlight 2.0, and Point of Interest 3.0. All your footage will look detailed and vibrant because the drone has a 10-bit Dlog-M color profile that can record about one billion colors. The Air 2S will consistently deliver a trustworthy and smooth image feed when you’re flying since it comes with advanced O3 image transmission technology. The drone has a maximum speed of 42.50 mph, but it won’t easily bump into things when flying since it analyzes its environment and can go forward, backward, down, and up. The Air 2S is undoubtedly a fantastic drone, but we wish it had side sensors.
1-inch sensorCompact and portableExcellent AICan shoot 5.4K Video
Needs side sensors
The DJI Mavic 3 is the drone videographers, and photographers should invest in if they want a perfect mix of image quality, portability, and long battery life. It comes with a 4/2 CMOS Hasselblad camera with a 12.8-stop dynamic range and can perform well under low-light conditions. The Mavic 3 films 5.1K video at 50fps and 4K video at 120fps. It has an O3+ transmission system that gives users a maximum transmission range of 15 kilometers. You also get a live feed at 1080p/60 fps. Mavic did an outstanding job with the drone’s battery because it is powerful enough for the drone to stay in the air for 46 minutes. The drone has Omnidirectional Obstacle Sensing, so you won’t have to worry about it getting into accidents in the air. It has an advanced Return to Home feature that automatically makes the drone return to its starting point while thinking of the fastest and safest route possible. The Mavic 3 also has the ActiveTrack 5.0, Mastershots, Quickshot, and Hyperlapse features for when you want to leave the drone to do its thing without that much work coming from your end. The drone also has a high-speed QuickTransfer feature that makes it easy for users to transfer content from their drone camera to their phones.
Impressive battery lifeMaximum transmission range of 15 kilometersAperture is customizableShoots 5.1K video at 50fps and 4K video at 120fps
Not so beginner-friendlyPricey
The DJI Mini 2 is perfect for beginners when it comes to flying drones. It has a compact, lightweight, and foldable design, perfect for traveling. The drone comes with a 12 MP camera that can film 4K video at 30 fps. It comes with a 3-axis motorized gimbal that ensures your footage is stable. It has a maximum altitude of 4,000 meters and can survive level 5 winds, but some users reported that the drone struggles under strong wind conditions because of its size and weight. You can fly farther with the drone because it has an HD video transmission of up to 10 km, and it even has excellent anti-interference capabilities. Users will have more than enough time to capture breathtaking aerial shots because the Mini 2’s battery life lasts up to 31 minutes per charge. Even if the drone can reach distant places, you don’t need to maneuver it to get close to a subject since it has 4x digital zoom. The Mini 2 has the Quickshots feature of DJI that allows the drone to automatically shoot a professional-grade video and share it to social media. Beginners will love how the DJI Fly app lets you create beautiful videos complete with filters and background music. Sadly, the Mini 2 cannot capture Raw videos.
Compact, lightweight, and foldableUser-friendly interface fit for beginners4x digital zoom31-minute battery lifeMore affordable than competitors
Stability struggles when faced with strong windsLacks Raw video support
If you find the DJI Air 2S too expensive, you can opt for the DJI Mavic Air 2, which also offers decent overall performance for its price. It features a 1/2-inch CMOS sensor that can take 48 MP photos and film 4K video at 60 fps. It also comes with a 3-axis gimbal for more stable footage, and its Quad Bayer image sensor allows you to get HDR video. Its video transmission uses OcuSync 2.0, and it can reach a maximum distance of 10KM. You can also expect a 1080p FHD Livestream from the drone. The Mavic Air 2 can fly up to 34 minutes per charge, and it will always be safe in the air since it has three-directional obstacle sensing. The drone is beginner-friendly because it comes with Spotlight 2.0, Active 3.0, and POI 3.0, which helps you track your subjects automatically without any extra work. The drone will work best if you download the DJI Fly app compatible with most Apple and Android devices. Along with the Mavic Air 2, customers will receive a free intelligent flight battery, RC cables, a remote controller, a control stick, low-noise propellers, a battery charger, an AC power cable, Type-C cable, and gimbal protector.
Beginner-friendlyFantastic specs for its pricePortable and lightweight design
Smaller sensor compared to competitors
If you need a drone that you can gift to a child or anyone who doesn’t need it for professional use, the Ryze Tech Tello would be an excellent budget option. It only costs $99, and you already get a high-quality image processor with a camera that can shoot 5 MP photos. Unfortunately, the drone’s affordable price comes with limitations; you can only film HD 720p videos with a maximum flight distance of 100 meters and a maximum flight time of only 13 minutes. As we already said, this drone is perfect for those who plan to use the drone for fun and capture footage for personal use. Its two antennas will give users a stable video transmission while flying the drone. Thanks to the user-friendly DJI flight controller, controlling the drone was also made easy. Upon purchase, customers get propellers, propeller guards, a propeller removal tool, a micro USB cable, and a battery along with the drone.
AffordableBeginner-friendlyLightweight and portable
Not the best video and photo qualityLimited flight distance and flight time
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