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Anyone got any thoughts on First Camera Drone (Budget)


anthony_w.

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I dipped my toe into the water with a DJI Mavic Mini, for about $350. I think the Mavic Pro 2 has the best camera, but I wanted to see how it fit in my photographic life before spending that much. The controller consists of a cell phone slipped into a small device with an USB connector. It works pretty well and takes decent 1080p video. It's not hard to fly, but has little in the way of obstacle avoidance and very few "programmed" flight patterns. I bought it nearly a year ago, in November 2019, and have less than an hour of flight time to date. That's still better than having a $1600 Pro 2 sit idle. On the plus side, the Mini comes in a zipper case about 8"x6"x2", with drone, controller and 3 batteries, small enough to fit in a camera bag or suitcase (batteries must be in carry-on).

 

Any drone will take a lot of time to fly it proficiently. Then think of what you will use it for, photographically speaking. Where will you fly it? It's not enough to be legal, you have to be discreet, with no kids or onlookers if possible. Have an air control map handy, and know the law.

 

I have used drone footage from others in introductions and closings for music videos. I'd like to do more of that. I'd like to shoot a pumpkin patch from a height of 5' at 20 mph, or fly off the edge of a cliff. That weathered barn looks totally different from 100' in the air. All things I can't do with an earthbound camera (more than once, anyway).

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I plan to use it as an extension of my Photography hobby. I would only use it now and again and would stay within the law by registering with the CAA. Its the law that you must do this in the UK anyway. This is (including model aircraft) weighing between 250g and 20kg.
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I don’t know those models specifically, so I’ll make some comments on things I see on spec sheets.

 

Battery life: if it says 13 minutes, expect to actually get less than that.

 

Radio range: a few hundred feet is a limitation. If you want aerial selfies or b-roll for YouTube or something it’s probably fine. If you’re looking at the Apple TV screensaver, or amazing landscape photos, and wanting to do that, you need more flight time and more distance. (And a good camera.)

 

No GPS: if it has short radio range and no GPS, I’d it able to return to you if it goes out of range? (I don’t know the answer to that.)

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Drones in the sub-$200 class are largely intended for use indoors, or in the back yard on a calm day. Even the cheapest DJI drone (Mavic Mini) has GPS, limited obstacle avoidance and automatic homing. 2.7K video is not awe-inspiring but useable for 2K clips. The drone provides a very stable platform for stills and video. Still I wouldn't fly it if the wind is 15 mph or more - about when you see the tallest branches with leaves move noticeably. Heavier drones have more power, more speed, and the ability to manage higher wind velocity.

 

Just for the fun of flying, even the least expensive drone is probably more entertaining than a model train or dune buggy.

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  • 1 month later...

Hello! Have you already decided on the drone? can you advise something?

I am also looking for a drone, but I recommend Holy Stone for the first drone. I studied different models for a long time, but for my budget. The simplest and cheapest Holy Stone F181W, but its functions are probably not enough for me. In the budget up to $ 300, there are still good options Holy Stone HS720 and Holy Stone HS700D. The description and reviews look like good models. Yes, the flight time would be better, but I haven't found a better one in my budget yet.

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  • 1 year later...

Anthony,

I am in your shoes so to speak.  Want a drone to extend photography, but understand there is a (steep) learning curve.  I went with the Tello Ryze combo (wanted the extra batteries and charging station) to wet my feet. Relatively inexpensive, under $150 US, and the app on a cell phone makes it very portable.

 

I don't play video games so controls (controller) is not intuitive for me.  The Tello does what I ask of it, understanding limitations.  Images and video are passable, but I didn't buy it for that. Learning to fly and shoot from a radically different perspective is what I was aiming at.

Besides, if I screw something up I'm not out that much ... not like the Mavic 3 I'm really wanting to get 🙄

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The DJI Mini 3 Pro has an excellent camera, 48 MP. You have a choice of controllers (or none), which can save you money. The cheaper controller works in conjunction with a cell phone. The more expensive RC controller is self-contained. Both are functional, but the RC is much quicker to set up and easier to see in sunlight. The net weight is under 250 grams, so you can fly it nearly anywhere without a license.

Sign up for the DJI protection policy before you activate the drone (or within a day or so). They will replace the drone if you wreck it or it flies away (unlikely).

Edited by Ed_Ingold
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On 10/6/2020 at 10:00 AM, anthony_w. said:

I have the EACHINE E58, purchased during one of those highly charged promotional sales on MSN. I think I paid $65 or so. It is supposed to be a clone of the much more expensive and way better built DJI Mavic Pro. I had a lot of problems trying to understand the Manual written in broken english. Plus, I also had to order a missing part from the manufacturer which took weeks, if not months... 

So my Drone sat there in the box it came in for about 2 years. It wasn't untiI recently that I found a pretty good translation on this website https://the-gadgeteer.com/2018/09/30/eachine-e58-rc-pocket-quadcopter-drone-review/ That's when I decided to give it another shot.

The drone comes with a tiny camera that records to a micro SD card, but I have'nt gotten that far in the manual yet. So far, I was able to get the thing to fly and manipualte it a little bit. It crashes pretty hard when landing, so I only use it on grass. Trying to connect to the internet is not for the faint of heart, but I was somehow able to do it. The good thing is you only have to do it once.    

Edited by hjoseph7
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  • 2 weeks later...
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The thrill of flying soon wains without the benefit if good photos and videos. Think of buying a camera that flies, rather than a drone that has a camera. Otherwise, it will sit in a closet.

+1. If you're buying the drone for photography, not for the fun of flying, pay a lot of attention to the camera. I fly a DJI Air 2S, which I chose in part because of the camera, which was a step up from what had been available before. Even with that, having been used to shooting with a Canon 5D mark IV, I've been disappointed by several aspects of the quality of the images. It makes sense: you can't expect a camera that is a minor part of a $1000 drone to compete with a camera that costs $2500.

What I've found is that with some additional work in postprocessing, I can get images that I'm willing to  post and print, but I wouldn't want to go lower in quality.

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I know nothing about drones or drone photography. I do note that DJI Mavic drone cameras consistenly top recent lists of 'best drone cameras'. I've seen some truly amazing footage from drone cameras that give a completely different (and enhanced) persective than 'on the ground' cameras.

My only advice is to look at the 'best drone camera' lists and pick the best one that your budget allows. The difficulty, it seems to me, is to anticipate how much you may really get into drone photography. So buying a first 'cheapo' drone to try things out might be an option. TBH, if I was really intersted in (the potential of) drone photography, I would go with the best set-up that you can afford.

IMHO (without any drone experience!), you can probably only discover the 'drone photography/video experience' with a camers drone with at least reasonable specs, including:

- ease of maneuverability

-range of control and battery life

- image quality

 

 

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The more powerful the drone, the better able to handle wind. My Mini 2 was almost blown away one time. I had to drop the altitude to about 15' where the wind was less. I flew the Air 2S last weekend in wind gusts approaching 20 mph. I could hear the rotors get angry in response to the wind. Larger drones also have better object detection and avoidance. The Mavic is protected on all six sides, whereas the Air 2S only four (none on the sides). The 2S uses object recognition for landing, in addition to GPS and GPSS navigation. On a still day, it lands within a foot of the takeoff point. It helps to take off from something with distinctive markings, like intersecting cracks in the pavement, or painted lines. The Mini 2 was lucky to land within 5', and usually much further.

The Mavic 3 also has a better camera, M43 v 1" for the Mavic 2 and Air 2S. M43 has a cropping factor of 2.0, compared to 2.7 for the smaller sensor. Both have a Zeiss lens, the same except only the Mavic lens has an adjustable aperture. 

DJI drones are easily controlled. Unlike conventional RC aircraft, the drone stops and hovers if you let go of the control sticks. The control range is at least 4000 feet, more than the legal 1500 foot limit. If the drone loses signal, or the battery gets too low, it automatically returns home (or makes a valiant attempt).

Object avoidance is ineffective against thin objects, like tops of trees or electric wires. I usually fly forward, using the camera to avoid trees and such, and visual contact to avoid wires. The camera has quick controls to point it perfectly level or straight down. I've used that feature to manually land if the home point is lost.

DJI_0153_AuroraHDR2018-edit.jpg

Edited by Ed_Ingold
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  • 3 weeks later...
On 10/5/2020 at 12:12 PM, anthony_w. said:

Does anyone have any advice or thought on a First Camera Drone (Budget) Buy?

 

I like the DJ ones but they are too expensive lol. I was looking Syma etc.

Lots of people are upgrading to the Mavic 3 series. Look for used Air 2 models at bargain prices. Great first drone.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I can recommend DJI Source: https://www.extremefliers.com/best-fpv-drones/ the first one, I use it. The quality of the video is excellent, you can check it with help of youtube. It's a bit pricey, yes, but worth it. I fine the it a very good drone for the price. In a wide open space like the beach or open field the GPS lock works great but flying in my backyard the drone will hunt for holding position. This corrects itself after about 5mins of flying. There was a lens cover for one of the rear LEDS that fell off during a flight. I was unable to find it but after contacting customer support at DJI the lens is being replace at no cost. Very easy customer service to deal with.

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