Top RC Drones With a Camera
Updated With New Drone Models for 2019
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Drone aerial photography is, wait for it, taking off.
Whether you’re using them for recreation, to build an aerial service business, or to integrate UAS into your existing business or organization, the goal of this article is to explore the best RC drones with a camera on the market today.
The Best Professional Camera Drones for Sale
Construction-Filmmaking-Marketing DJI Mavic 2 Pro Camera | 20 MP, 4K 10-bit Dlog-M Flight Time | 31 minutes Camera | 20 MP, 4K 10-bit Dlog-M Flight Time | 31 minutes |
Construction-Filmmaking-Marketing  DJI Mavic 2 Zoom Camera | 12 MP, 4K Ultra HD Flight Time | 31 minutes Camera | 12 MP, 4K Ultra HD Flight Time | 31 minutes |
Hobbyists, FPV Racing  U49WF FPV Camera Drone Camera | 720p HD Flight Time | 12-15 Min Camera | 720p HD Flight Time | 12-15 Min |
For Hobbyists  F111WF Folding Drone Camera | 720p HD Flight Time | 7-8 Minutes Camera | 720p HD Flight Time | 7-8 Minutes |
For Hobbyists  DJI Spark Camera | 12MP/1080p/30 Video Flight Time | 16 Minutes Camera | 12MP/1080p/30 Video Flight Time | 16 Minutes |
There are a lot of good remote control drones to buy out there, so it’s important to think about what kind of sUAS best fits your intended operation, and then to perform proper research on the best options. This article is an attempt to help you learn the bullet points of each of the most popular camera drones on the market today.
From pricing and different camera specs and handling/responsiveness to flight software and battery life, it’s important to do your research and to make sure you’re buying a drone that’s suited to your needs.
All of the models in this list are ready-to-fly. After charging your LiPo battery and reading through your user manual a few times, you’re ready to power up, calibrate, configure, and then to start racking up those flight hours.
For a quick look at all the models we’ll be discussing in more detail below, here’s the full list:
Yes, a list of the best camera drones is quite arbitrary.
There are many, many companies and models that are not being represented in this article. We know that. But we also have a good feel for the big prosumer / commercial drone manufacturers, we’ve flown most of these models ourselves, and we’re doing our best to curate and to highlight the most popular models in this list.
Click here for a much bigger list of drone companies to check out in the industry.
Enjoy!
DJI Mavic 2 Pro
Camera
20 MP, 4K 10-bit Dlog-M
Battery Life
31 Minutes
Good For
Construction Filmmaking Marketing
The DJI Mavic 2 Pro is one of the most popular drone models on the market because of its compact size and a large array of intelligent features. With a professional-grade camera from Swedish camera manufacturer Hasselblad; the 1-inch CMOS sensor, Hasselblad camera offers 20-megapixel photography with enhanced HDR and color sensitivity.
The Mavic 2 Pro may be small but it is perfect for professional photographers, videographers, and content creators just to name a few. Its portable design makes it an essential companion for travel bloggers, documentary compilers, and commercial drone pilots in any industry.
Omnidirectional obstacle sensing can sense obstacles from five directions (forward, backward, downward, left, right). Plus, it’s equipped with upgraded versions of Active Track, Waypoint, and Point of Interest modes, so professional photographers and videographers never have to place a cap on their creativity.
See our review of the Mavic 2 Pro here.
Key Specs/Features
- Still image resolution: 20 megapixels
- Video resolution: 4K 10-bit HDR Video
- Max flight time: 31-minutes
- Max speed: 45 mph (72 kph) in sport mode
- Notable attributes: foldable/portable, intelligent flight modes, obstacle sensing
The Mavic 2 Pro is great for professional photographers, videographers, and content creators. Its portable design makes it an essential companion for travel bloggers, documentary compilers, and commercial drone pilots in any industry.
DJI Mavic 2 Zoom
Camera
12 MP, 4K Ultra HD
Battery Life
31 minutes
Good For
Construction Filmmaking Marketing
The Mavic 2 Zoom introduces brand new zooming capabilities. The 24mm – 48mm zoom lens offers 2x optical zoom and 2x digital zoom, giving photographers and filmmakers more flexibility when it comes to framing their shots. It also offers an upgraded QuickShot mode with the fun and creative Dronie, Circle, Helix, Rocket, Boomerang, and Asteroid and Dolly Zoom flight modes.
Both the Mavic 2 Pro and the Zoom have advanced tracking capabilities, but the Zoom takes it up a level. With Hybrid Autofocus, the Zoom improves autofocus speed by up to 40% with better accuracy.
If image quality is your priority, then you might opt for the Mavic 2 Pro over the Zoom. The 2 Pro is equipped with a 1” CMOS, 20-megapixel camera co-engineered in partnership with Hasselblad, the world’s leading manufacturer of medium format cameras and lenses. The Zoom’s camera system is still professional-grade however, with a 1/2.3” CMOS, 12-megapixel sensor.
Key Specs/Features
- Still image resolution: 12 megapixels
- Video Resolution: 4x Lossless Zoom FHD Video
- Max flight time: 31-minutes
- Max speed: 45 mph (72 kph) in sport mode
- Notable attributes: foldable/portable, intelligent flight modes, obstacle sensing, 2x optical zoom 2x digital zoom
Two Buying Options
U49WF FPV Camera Drone
camera
720p HD
battery life
12-15 Min
good for
Hobbyists, FPV Racing
The U49WF FPV Camera Drone boasts altitude-hold and a first-person-view (FPV) screen with Camera Live Video, so you can see exactly what the HD camera of your drone sees in real-time.
It also comes with an extra battery to help you fly for even longer before having to charge, and an outstanding 720p camera for clear HD pictures and live video.
Add to that it’s impressively long flight time of 25 minutes with the extra battery, and you’re looking at a great drone for beginners (or intermediate pilots, for that matter) at an inexpensive price.
Key Specs/Features
- Camera resolution: 720p HD
- Flight time: 12-15 minutes (Per battery)
- Notable Attributes: Altitude Hold, Headless Mode, Full Trim, and Real-Time WiFi FPV
F111WF Folding Drone
camera
720p HD
battery life
7-8 Min
good for
Hobbyists, FPV Racing
The The F111WF Folding Drone is an affordable drone that is exceptional for traveling due to its folding arm design typically found on high-end drones.
Its impressive 6-axis gyro offers optimal stabilization for the 720p HD camera to easily capture high definition aerial photos.
Live stream allows the drone operator to see exactly what the drone is seeing through your smartphone via the iPhone/Android mobile app. The extra battery, propeller guards, and propellers that are included make this the perfect camera drone.
Key Specs/Features
- Camera resolution: 720p HD
- Max flight time: 7-8 minutes
- Notable Attributes: 6-axis gyro offers optimal stabilization, foldable arms, 1-Key Take Off/Landing
DJI Spark
camera
12MP Still Photos / 1080p/30 Video
battery life
16 Min
good for
Hobbyists
The DJI’s Spark is a selfie drone that takes off from the operator’s hand and automatically enters “Gesture Mode”, which lets users send it into the air and shoot a video with pre-defined flight paths, like circling, following, or filming from straight up. The Spark features DJI’s QuickShot mode, which automatically creates a 10-second video from the footage captured in your flight.
With its gesture recognition and obstacle avoidance technology, it’s not an exaggeration to say that DJI’s Spark is probably the most user-friendly drone on the market.
If you want to fly longer distances with the Spark you have the option of using a smartphone app for flights over 100 yards away, or you can use a remote control (the Spark can fly a distance of 1.2 miles). The Intelligent Flight Modes available with more professional DJI drones—such as TapFly and ActiveTrack—can also be found on the Spark making it a great drone for the price.
Key Specs/Features
- Still image resolution: 12 megapixels
- Video resolution: 1080p at 30 fps
- Flight time: 16 minutes
- Max speed: Up to 31 mph
- Notable Attributes: Intelligent flight modes: Quickshot, Tapfly, ActiveTrack, and Gesture, 1/2.3 Sensor Powerful Lens
