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Best Beginner Drone with Camera
Finding the best beginner drone with a camera is challenging with the overwhelming options. How can you find the best one for yourself out of the thousands of beginner drones with cameras?
Starting with an inexpensive drone is perhaps the best approach to gaining substantial drone operation experience.
After all, you don’t want to unintentionally drop a drone worth $2000 in the sea during trials.
You should first learn the basics to advance to more expensive and capable drones.
In addition, you should also be familiar with the latest drone operation rules that dictate if you buy a drone over 250 grams, you must take an online exam.
Drones under 250 grams are considered toys and safe to use.
In addition, the basic controls in lightweight drones will come in handy when you’re a beginner, giving you more room to build on your flying skills.
That said, we’ve selected some of the best beginner drones with cameras out there, but keep in mind the designs and prices will vary from drone to drone.
Best Beginner Drone with Camera | Camera Resolution | Video Resolution | Max Speed | Max Range | Battery | Controller | Weight |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BETAFPV Cetus RTF Drone | 12 Megapixels | Full HD (1080p) | 50mph | 0.1 miles | 450mAH (5 minutes) | Yes | 35 grams |
DJI Mini 2 | 12 Megapixels | 4K (2160p) @30 fps | 35mph | 6.2 miles | 2250mAH (30 minutes) | Yes | 242 grams |
DJI Mini SE | 12 Megapixels | 2.7K (1520p) @30fps | 29mph | 2.5 miles | 2400mAH (30 minutes) | Yes | 249 grams |
Parrot Anafi FPV Drone | 21 Megapixels | 4K HDR @30fps | 35mph | 2.5 miles | 2700mAH (25 minutes) | Yes | 310 grams |
Ryze Tech Tello | 5 Megapixels | HD (720p) @30fps | 22mph | 0.08 miles | 1300mAH (13 minutes) | No | 80 grams |
1. BETAFPV Cetus RTF Drone
The BETAFPV Cetus Drone Kit is perfect for beginners because it includes goggles. Flying a drone with goggles gives you a virtual cockpit experience that can be useful when practicing.
In addition, you can use the goggles for stunts and racing.
This drone also has a self-protection feature whereby it can make an emergency landing when the battery is low or the connection is poor.
It will also automatically drop to the ground if an intense collision occurs with an object.
Key features include:
- Camera Resolution: 12 Megapixels
- Video Resolution: Full HD (1080p)
- Max Speed: 50mph
- Max Range: 0.1 miles
- Battery: 450mAH (5 minutes)
- Controller: Yes
- Weight: 35 grams
2. DJI Mini 2
If you know your way around cameras, the DJI Mini 2 might be the best drone for you.
It’s handy indoors and outdoors thanks to the downward-facing sonar and visual distance sensors that help it fly even without GPS.
There are optional propeller guards that you can use to prevent accidents when flying near obstacles.
Moreover, you can link the Mini 2 with the DJI app, making it easy to transfer photos to your phone if you can’t wait to access a computer.
Key features include:
- Camera Resolution: 12 Megapixels
- Video Resolution: 4K (2160p) @30 fps
- Max Speed: 35mph
- Max Range: 6.2 miles
- Battery: 2250mAH (30 minutes)
- Controller: Yes
- Weight: 242 grams
3. DJI Mini SE
The DJI Mini SE is DJI’s cheapest foldable camera drone, and it’s a good pick if you’re a beginner and reside in one of the countries where it’s sold.
Unfortunately, the Mini SE is only sold in select countries such as Australia, Canada, and the U.S.
DJI has taken the internal components from the 2019 Mavic Mini, put it in a new body, and slashed the price. The Mini SE is an incredible drone for the price, but it lacks the range and quality of its bigger brother, the Mini 2.
Key features include:
- Camera Resolution: 12 Megapixels
- Video Resolution: 2.7K (1520p) @30fps
- Max Speed: 29mph
- Max Range: 2.5 miles
- Battery: 2400mAH (30 minutes)
- Controller: Yes
- Weight: 249 grams
4. Parrot Anafi FPV Drone
The Anafi FPV Drone from Parrot epitomizes the combination of fun and the functional aspect of drones.
You get to fly this drone with goggles and have an immersive experience.
Moreover, the drone has a very high-res camera that you can use to capture superb images.
You also get a new white balance adjustment feature that enables you to customize the color control of various lighting conditions.
Key features include:
- Camera Resolution: 21 Megapixels
- Video Resolution: 4K HDR @30fps
- Max Speed: 35mph
- Max Range: 2.5 miles
- Battery: 2700mAH (25 minutes)
- Controller: Yes
- Weight: 310 grams
5. Ryze Tech Tello
The Ryze Tech Tello is a drone from a collaboration between Ryze and its neighboring firm, DJI. This is a compact drone that’s outfitted with a lot of tech.
For instance, it can beam HD footage or 5MP stills to your phone within 100 meters.
The app records the footage and stills; what’s more, the data link between the phone and the drone can show the battery percentage.
Key features include:
- Camera Resolution: 5 Megapixels
- Video Resolution: HD (720p) @30fps
- Max Speed: 22mph
- Max Range: 0.08 miles
- Battery: 1300mAH (13 minutes)
- Controller: No
- Weight: 80 grams
Final Thought
Finding the best beginner drone mainly depends on where you will use it.
For instance, racing drones mainly focus on speed and maneuverability, whereas photography drones focus on camera quality and stability.
But perhaps the DJI Mini 2 is the best drone with a camera for beginners; it has impressive camera quality, top speeds, and impressive range.
See Also
How to Operate a Drone Camera?
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