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RC Drones with a Camera: Our Top Picks
Hobbyists Scoot Mini Drone Flight Time | 8 Minutes Flight Time | 8 Minutes |
Hobbyists UFO 4000 LED Mini Drone Flight Time | 18 Minutes Flight Time | 18 Minutes |
Hobbyists Holy Stone HS270 2.7K Drone Camera | 2.7K Flight Time | 18 Minutes Camera | 2.7K Flight Time | 18 Minutes |
Hobbyists U49WF FPV Camera Drone Camera | 720p HD Flight Time | 12-15 Minutes Camera | 720p HD Flight Time | 12-15 Minutes |
Hobbyists DJI Tello Camera | 720p Flight Time | 13 Minutes Camera | 720p Flight Time | 13 Minutes |
Construction-Hobbyists-Marketing DJI Mavic Air 2 Camera | 48 MP, 4K Video Flight Time | 34 Minutes Camera | 48 MP, 4K Video Flight Time | 34 Minutes |
Construction - Filmmaking - Marketing DJI Mavic 3 Camera | 20 MP, 5.1K/50 fps Flight Time | 46 Minutes Camera | 20 MP, 5.1K/50 fps Flight Time | 46 Minutes |
Public Safety - Inspections - Construction DJI Matrice 300 RTK Camera | Compatible with various payloads Flight Time | 55 Minutes Camera | Compatible with various payloads Flight Time | 55 Minutes |
We’ve spent hours testing and researching the top UAVs and quadcopters out there, and we’re happy to say we’ve narrowed it down to a select few.
This article lists some of the best remote control (RC) drones for sale on the market right now. Whether you’re looking for a cheap indoor flyer or a professional rig for aerial videography, we’re confident you’ll find a quality drone on this list that will meet your needs.
Want to skip the details and go straight to the list itself? No problem:
“RC drones” can mean many things (cars, boats, planes, etc) but this article focuses on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
Why?
Because they’re awesome! (And they’re our specialty ;).)
Read on to find out which sUAS is right for you:
Note #1: All specs/features are obtained from the manufacturer or retailer.
Note #2: On this list, we’ve included models available for sale on Amazon and DJI — as Amazon and DJI Associate partners, we earn a small commission for qualifying purchases. Please know that we’ve tested many of the models on this list, and we wouldn’t recommend anything we wouldn’t fly ourselves!
8 Minutes
Hobbyists
Looking to fly without worrying about a remote controller? Then the hands-free operation of the Scoot Mini Drone is a perfect choice. It a great drone for all ages, with an enclosed frame and infrared obstacle sensors, it is also safe for use in any indoor space.
It comes with a USB charging cord making it easy to charge it anywhere and it gets a full charge within an hour.
With 8 minutes of nonstop flight time, this drone is great for playing fun interactive games with your friends at a very affordable price.
18 minutes
Hobbyists
Bright red, white, and blue LEDs make it easy to spot the UFO 4000 LED Mini Drone as it zips through the sky.
Propeller guards wrapped in LED lighting increase the durability and visibility of the drone and make this affordable drone great for beginners. The simple remote controller makes this drone perfect for all ages with 1-Key Start/Stop and easy joystick directional controls.
Looking for a beginner stunt drone? Look no further, with 4 channels, 2 speeds, Altitude Hold, and Headless Mode; this beginner drone also performs 360° mini flips.
2.7K
18 Minutes
Hobbyists
The Holy Stone 2.7K GPS drone proves that you do not have to drop hundreds of dollars for a great starter drone. The 2.7k camera system features 5G image transmission, ensuring crisp pictures every time. The included follow-me, tap fly, and point of interest modes allow you to capture cinematic footage or even capture a selfie.
Enjoy up to 18 minutes of flight time with the intelligent flight battery system. The rugged design of the HS270 and its altitude positioning system ensures a stable and safe flight experience. The ease of operation and the number of robust features make this the perfect drone for beginner drone pilots.
720p HD
12-15 Minutes
Hobbyists
The U49WF FPV Camera Drone offers an outstanding 720p camera for clear HD pictures and live video. Altitude-hold and a first-person-view (FPV) screen with Camera Live Video allow the pilot to 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.
5 MP, 720p
13 Minutes
Hobbyists, FPV Racing
The DJI Tello is a great drone for beginners that can even be flown indoors due to its small footprint. It comes packed with advanced features that we have come to expect from DJI. Low battery protection, vision positioning system, and auto takeoff and landing are just a few of the advanced features that make this a great beginner drone.
Capture crisp 5-megapixel pictures and 720p videos with the Tellos onboard camera system. With VR headset compatibility, fly with a breathtaking first-person view with an 82.6º FOV/
13-minutes of flight time, DJI technology, and FPV headset compatibility at such an affordable price ($100!), make this a very compelling option for an inexpensive drone.
48MP Still Photos, 4K Video
34 Minutes
Construction Hobbyists Marketing
DJI has done it again with the Mavic Air 2, it is the first consumer drone to be equipped with AirSense. Which is essentially ADS-B In tech that enables the drone to pick up on nearby aircraft. DJI has done an incredible job packing this new drone with a large array of features.
The popular foldable design from the Mavic series has carried on in the new Mavic Air 2, making it one of the highest tech portable drones on the market. With a 34 minute flight time, 48-megapixel camera, and an 8K Hyperlapse feature, it will be difficult to find a comparable aircraft in this size and price range.
The Mavic Air 2 is going to be the drone to beat for the serious hobbyist and content creators, and even for new professional pilots looking to get into the industry with an affordable drone.
See our review of the Mavic Air 2 here.
20 MP, 5.1K/50 fps
46 Minutes
Construction Filmmaking Marketing
The DJI Mavic 3 is a lightweight, highly portable prosumer drone that comes with two high-quality cameras. Compared to its predecessor, almost every aspect of it has been upgraded from the Mavic 2 Pro. The dual-camera system features a Hasselblad 4/3” sensor and a ½” Tele camera sensor that has 28x hybrid zoom.
One of the biggest upgrades in the new Mavic is that its flight time has increased by almost 50%—it can fly for 46 minutes, 15 minutes longer than the Mavic 2 Pro’s 31 minutes. The Hasselblad sensor provides a 12.8-stop dynamic range that retains more details in highlights and shadows, upgrading your work to a professional level. Advanced Active Track 5.0 and the new omnidirectional collision avoidance sensors ensure a safe and smooth flight every time.
Compatible with various payloads
55 Minutes
Public Safety Inspections Construction
The DJI Matrice 300 RTK is DJI’s newest and most capable enterprise drone that can be configured for a multitude of applications. The M300 is designed to safely operate in the most challenging circumstances. Some of its safety features include an anti-collision beacon, object detection up to 98 feet away, and AirSense, which is an ADS-B receiver that picks up signals from manned aircraft and alerts the drone pilot of the location of the aircraft. It’s compatible with the two new Zenmuse H20 cameras and various other sensors. The H20 series have optical and thermal sensors, making it a compelling choice for a variety of commercial applications.
The M300 RTK can carry up to six pounds and up to three different payloads at the same time. Need to change a payload or battery? Not a problem, with Hot-Swappable Batteries, the battery can be changed while still providing power without shutting down the drone. Automate routine inspections and capture consistent results every time. There are two many advanced features to list, but here are a few: AI Spot Check, Live Mission Recording, Pinpoint, and Dual Control.
To see all of the features, check out our in-depth analysis of the DJI Matrice 300 RTK here.