Drones are a great way of reaching video and photo shots you never would have been able to reach before. Using a drone, you can get HD shots from the skies, and you’d be surprised how affordable they have become.

In order to make the right decision when buying a drone, simply take a look at this handy buying guide.

The Best Drones with Cameras Available Today

A drone is an unmanned aerial vehicle. These are aircraft that are controlled remotely and which fly using wings and rotary blades. The most common commercial drone uses rotary blades to create a downwards thrust, allowing it to move through the air.

There are numerous varieties of drones available on the market. The most popular kind of drone uses at least four rotary blades and has a camera attached to it, allowing a user to see where they are flying on a remote screen or enabling them to record video and take photographs from the air.

Commercial drones sometimes use wings, too, though these are significantly less common. There are drones available that do not have a camera installed, and these will tend to be much cheaper and have shorter ranges.

What to Look for in a Commercial Drone

If you’re looking to purchase a commercial drone, it’s important to understand the aforementioned differences and to know what to look for when you’re buying. There are two important things to consider before making your purchase – the price of the drone and its flight time/range.

Price

The price of drones really varies. Some of the best drones for kids are surprisingly inexpensive, with some camera-less models selling for as little as $20. There are also many drones (or quadcopters, which are essentially drones that use four rotary blades) which can cost as little as $50. Above the $100 range, however, you will find plenty of mid-range drones that have reasonably high-quality cameras attached to them.

Above $1,000, you will begin to find drones with longer ranges and higher definition cameras.

Flight Time and Range

The cheapest drones will tend to have a flight time of around 10 minutes before they will need to be charged. These small, inexpensive drones are typically charged using USB, and can take anywhere between 30 minutes and an hour to fully charge. If you intend to use an inexpensive drone, but you don’t want to have to wait to charge the device, consider purchasing a drone that uses replaceable batteries. That way, you can fly the drone back to you, replace the batteries, and begin again.

For these drones, as well as mid-range drones, you might be able to achieve a range of around 100 meters. However, it is much safer to assume a distance of around half that, as going beyond your range could result in you losing the drone. This is especially important on a windy day, as wind can easily move your drone and make it harder to fly it back to you.

If you purchase a more expensive drone, then you should be able to enjoy flight time of up to half an hour or more. In order to achieve it, these drones have significantly larger batteries, making them heavier and larger. These drones have varying ranges, though typically fall at around the 100-meter mark. To keep your drone safe, be sure to keep it within your sight at all times, and don’t risk sending it too far—once it gets out of range, it can fall to the ground and break.

If you are looking for a short range and flight time, an inexpensive, entry-level drone will do. For anything more than that, your budget will need to increase.

Tips for Buying the Best Camera Drone

If you’re planning on purchasing a drone, it’s a good idea to make sure you purchase a model which has spare parts easily available to purchase. Crashing a drone is easy, so be sure to see how easy it is to purchase replacement blades and parts for your drone before you make your purchase.

Be sure to check customer reviews, too. There are many drones available on the market today, and reviews give you the best insight into which one would fit your needs the best.

Below are 3 of the Best Drones you can Buy?

DJI Phantom 4
The DJI Phantom 4 is a 3lb drone with four rotors. It offers a number of camera options from 720p and 1080p and up to 4K and 2.7K. The cameras have 12MP, and it uses microSD for storage. It also has a return-to-home automatic flight setting.

DJI Inspire 2
The DJI Inspire 2 is a heavier cousin to the Phantom 4. Weighing 7.3lb, this drone has four rotors and a 1080p 4K or 5.2K camera with 20 megapixels. It uses microSD, has a dedicated app for controlling it, and features a return-to-home feature.

Yuneec Typhoon H Pro
The Yuneec is another popular and high quality drone. With six rotors, this drone weighs just 3.7lb, and offers 1080P and 4K video recording from a 12-megapixel camera. It uses microSD storage, and it has a dedicated remote control that uses an LCD screen for you to see where you’re flying.

These are just some of the best drones of 2017, but there are many others. To get the drone that suits your exact needs, be sure to consider your budget, flight time requirements and the other facts mentioned above.