Aerial Photography Drone:Top Product Picks and Expert Opinions
An experienced photographer knows that it’s important to have a vast array of different types of drone shots in their portfolio; that way new clients can see that their aerial photos will be unique. Using a drone for aerial photography is a great way to expand your knowledge and all around further develop your skillset as a photographer.
However, keep in mind that aerial photography is much different than using a regular camera at ground-level.It’s a whole new type of thought process because you have to know the best way to get the great looking shots you’re looking for but from a bird’s eye view, as well as know how to fly the drone itself without crashing it.
You will want to get a drone that has a high-resolution built-in camera and controls that are easy to learn how to use. Some drones have much more complicated controls than others, which can make it hard to get nice looking images, but most of the newer drones that are designed for aerial photography are suited for amateur flyers.
A drone that has the autopilot feature can help you get steady images as well as one that has a gimbal. There are also drone flying classes that you can take online to help you understand the controls a little better.
Top Aerial Photography Drones:
DJI Phantom 4 Pro
DJI is one of the top companies that produces camera drones for aerial photography and videography. Besides the Phantom 4 Pro and the Phantom 3 Pro, some of their other drones are the Mavic 2 Pro and the Inspire 1, along with many other great options.
The Phantom 4 Pro has a 4K camera with a 1-inch,20-megapixel CMOS sensor. It has various modes for taking pictures and for navigation: FollowMe, Point of Interest, GPS Waypoint, Course Lock, Return to home, Gesture Mode, ActiveTrack and TapFly. The last three modes mentioned are the highlight of this drone.
The Gesture Mode is a useful feature because you can program the drone to follow instructions that you have set to be used when you make certain gestures with your hands. This mode is good for taking selfies because it eliminates the need for the controller, and it gives you a 3-second count down before taking the picture.
The TapFly mode allows you to easily set the flight direction by tapping on the controller screen the place you want it to go and the drone does the rest for you. This sort of navigation is possible because of its ability to identify obstacles that are in the way when flying and automatically maneuver itself out of the way. It has obstacle detection in 5 directions.
DJI Phantom 3 Pro and Phantom 3 Standard
The DJI Phantom 3 has a nicer look than the Phantom 4 with its gold accents. It is equipped with a 4K camera that shoots video at up to 30fps at 720p and uses a 3-axis gimbal. 720p is a good resolution for videos, but a resolution of 1080p is better if you’re looking for a drone that shoots a higher quality video resolution. The camera also takes 12MP pictures, also not the very best but still exceptional. The gimbal helps to stabilize the camera and prevent blurring.
If it’s your first time using a drone for your aerial photography, this drone has a beginner mode that will help you keep it within a close range.
The four versions of the Phantom 3 are Professional, Advanced, 4K and Standard, in order from most advanced to most basic. Professional is the best Phantom 3 drone, also the most expensive.The Standard version of the DJI Phantom 3 is a few hundred dollars cheaper than the Pro and has a 2.7K camera rather than a 4K.If you’re going for the cheapest version you can get, you’ll want to at least get the 4K version so that your pictures come out well.
Yuneec Mantis Q
The Mantis Q has several useful features. Voice control is one of them.You can control it completely hands-free when taking pictures or videos by simply saying, “Mantis, take a picture,” or, “start recording.” The rest of the voice commands are listed in the settings on the Yuneec Pilot app.It also has a facial recognition feature which detects the user’s face when smiling and then snaps a picture automatically.
This drone is very compact and relatively small in size. The propeller legs fold into itself for easy traveling and its lightweight allows for faster flying. It weighs about 2 pounds and easily fits into the palm of your hand. It’s much smaller than the DJI drones, which are around the size of a football or larger.
Unfortunately, the Mantis Q doesn’t have a gimbal to help stabilize videos, so the results are sometimes unsatisfactory in harsh weather. Although, it does fly smoothly at 72 km/h or about 45 mph for up to 33 minutes and has electronic image stabilization at 1080p.
The piloting app used for this drone, Yuneec Pilot, lets you instantly post on social media during and after flying.
Conclusion
Here are some other Aerial Photography drones you should look at as well-click on the links for further information and pricing:
DJI is the most reliable brand to go with, followed by Yuneec, who also has high-quality drones that are designed for aerial photography that provide you with great photos and videos.
Aerial Photography is great for wedding photos, getting a better view of real estate, taking videos of large monuments or landscapes and for anything you want to photograph from a distance. Even though they provide a new and unique point of view, drones can be hard to operate sometimes so learn how to properly maneuver one before you start taking pictures.
Kennedy Martinez
kennedy@dronethusiast.comKennedy Martinez is a resident writer who joined Dronethusiast at the beginning of 2019. She has years of experience reviewing drones and other tech products. When it comes to flying drones, Kennedy loves the ability to create artistic videos from a unique point of view. Kennedy enjoys researching new drones and other exciting products that are available to consumers which is why she is committed to creating the best buyer's guides for our readers.
