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Shoot stunning aerial footage with state-of-the-art drones, complete with
clear, cinematic resolution. Finding the one that fits your needs and budget
best takes time and effort. However, among the many models available, some
have emerged as clear winners.
The best drone for you depends on factors like your experience and your
budget. The best choices, however, still need to meet a bare minimum of
requirements, such as being user-friendly and requiring little in the way
of piloting skill and featuring automated shooting modes that allow for
steady, imaginative shots.
The DJI Mini 3 Pro is, in our opinion, the best drone for the majority of
consumers. The DJI Air 2S is dethroned by this tiny drone, which packs a
seriously impressive set of capabilities for its size, including a
fantastic camera and three-directional obstacle avoidance. Upgrade to the
DJI Remote Controller for a more powerful kit. However, the Ryze Tello is
our top pick for the best budget drone.
However, the DJI Mavic 3 is an excellent tool for professional pilots
with deeper pockets. That new standard for consumer drone camera quality
was set by the inclusion of two lenses. Especially now that its full
feature set has been made available via firmware updates—including raw
shooting with its telephoto lens—the claim holds water.
1) DJI Mini 3 Pro
We think the DJI Mini 3 Pro is the best compact drone available and the
most powerful of its kind. It's expensive, but if you can afford it, the
Mini 3 Pro is a significant upgrade over the Mini 2 . The price is
reasonable considering the high-quality camera, obstacle avoidance
sensors, and other features that are usually reserved for much larger
drones.
The Mini 3 Pro's 12.1MP 1/1.3-inch sensor produced stunning results in our
tests, with low noise even at very high ISO settings. With its bright f/1.7
lens and dual native ISO technology, this tiny drone achieves impressive
low-light performance. The drone's ability to shoot in portrait mode without
cropping proved particularly useful during testing, as did its
tri-directional obstacle avoidance. That is the best backpack-friendly
package for aerial photography and videography if your budget allows for the
new DJI RC controller.
2) DJI Mini 2
Our only real gripe with the DJI Mavic Mini was that it couldn't record 4K
video, but this excellent sequel not only addresses that issue but also adds
some welcome bonuses. While the Mini 2's ultra-compact design remains
unchanged, making it the joint-smallest drone in DJI's lineup, the drone's
new controller increases its range and provides a more refined flying
experience.
The drone can be set to perform a variety of predetermined maneuvers,
known as QuickShot modes, making it ideal for novice pilots. The Mini 2
isn't just better for casual photographers, though; it also caters to
professionals with the addition of raw photo shooting and the arrival of a
100mbps boost in bit-rate for 4K video. The DJI Mini 2 is still a great
drone, but you should keep in mind that there are persistent rumors of a
DJI Mini 3.
3) DJI Mavic 3
You want the most potent little drone you can find, right? You need the DJI
Mavic 3 now. Front and center on this aerial workhorse is a dual-camera
setup including a massive 20MP Four Thirds sensor and a convenient 162mm
telephoto lens. Incredibly, the Mavic 3 is lighter than the Mavic 2 Pro, the
model upon which it is based, while still fitting into a package that can
easily be carried in a backpack.
Additionally, it can now record in 5K at 50p or 4K at 120p slow motion,
and its battery life has been increased to 46 minutes. The DJI Mavic 3
Cine bundle adds the ability to record in Apple ProRes 422 HQ and includes
1 terabyte of onboard storage as well as a high-end DJI RC Pro
controller.
The Mavic 3 is currently the finest camera drone for outright image
quality after receiving a number of substantial firmware updates that
brought it up to par with what we had hoped to see from it at
launch.
4) DJI Air 2S
Although the DJI Mini 3 Pro is now DJI's best-selling drone, the Air 2S is
still a great option if you value image quality over portability. Although
smaller and more portable than the Mini 3 Pro, this drone's 20MP 1-Inch
sensor is identical to that of the earlier Mavic 2 Pro, giving it superior
light-gathering abilities. Because of this fantastic combination, the Air 2S
earned our recommendation as the best camera for enthusiasts and
professionals alike who have a pressing need for a bigger sensor.
Although even smaller than the Mini 3 Pro, the camera on this drone is
superior. You'll have more room to experiment with your shots thanks to
the 30 frames-per-second recording of 5.4K video and the inclusion of a
digital zoom feature (which, to be clear, is best used at a 2x
magnification). When you factor in its excellent high ISO performance and
the fact that it can shoot 1080p at 120fps, you have a fantastic flying
machine that is head and shoulders above its mid-range competitors.
However, the Mavic Air 2 should still be considered by those on a tighter
budget.
5) Autel Evo Lite Plus
To compete for head-on with DJI's flagship Air 2S, Autel released the Evo
Lite+, its most advanced DJI-counterpart drone to date. Capable of recording
5.4K video at 30 frames per second on a 1-inch sensor, it has very
comparable technical specifications to the Sony A6300. The 40-minute flight
time and the variable aperture (from f/2.8 to f/11) put it ahead of the Air
2S and Mavic Pro 2. While the Evo Lite has four-axis stabilization, the
Lite+ model only has three. However, the Lite+'s bigger sensor pixels mean
it can capture more light in low-light situations.
A lack of side sensors for obstacle avoidance is disappointing, and the
lack of 10-bit video and D-Log profile may make professional drone
videographers think twice. In our review, however, we found the Lite+ to
be an incredibly adaptable piece of aerial photography gear. Its 20MP
sensor is likely the greatest camera on a drone today, making it a
formidable competitor to the Air 2S.
DJI has been widely regarded as the best brand of drones that are equipped
with cameras for many years. And despite the fact that this is still the case,
the Chinese corporation has recently been under fire for a variety of reasons,
including growing competition as well as run-ins with the government of the
United States. Although this does not change our recommendation about whether
or not you should purchase a DJI drone, it is nice to see that the drone
market is finally starting to see some healthy competition.