How to choose the best drones with cameras

As camera drones tend to dji drone camera be quite similar in terms of specifications, picking the right one tends to be a matter of balancing features and price.

Higher priced drones will have better battery life, which means longer flight times. They also often can shoot video at higher resolutions and frame rates, and may also have sophisticated features like omni-directional object avoidance sensors and image stabilisation for getting smooth footage even in choppy, windy conditions.

Another thing to bear in mind though is that all these features don’t just make the drone more expensive: they also make it heavier, which as we’ve seen, can mean you need a licence to fly it.

Brand-wise, DJI is the dominant force in the drone market and each year it brings out increasingly sophisticated models that promise to enable you capture better images more easily than before. It’s not the only player though, so we have included the best non-DJI drone in this guide to allow you to compare. So let’s take a looks at our choice of the best drones with cameras this year.

Drone weight and the law: what you need to know
For most people, the simplest way to get up and running, without additional expense or worry, is to look for a drone under 250g / 0.55lbs, as there are stricter rules for drones that weigh more than this. This is not very much in terms of weight – a bag of microwave rice generally weighs about 250g. However, drones are typically constructed from extremely lightweight materials, so you can get quite a sophisticated drone that still comes under this limit.

In the US you’ll need certification called TRUST, for recreational flying of drones under 250g. Luckily this is simply an online test that takes around an hour to complete. You can find more information on the FAA website. If your drone weighs over 250g (0.55lb), then you’ll need to register your drone with the FAA, on the FAADroneZone site.

In the UK you’ll want a a sub-250g drone if you don’t have a licence, and you will need to get a Flyer ID and Operator ID from the CAA to fly a drone over 250g.