A professional drone is a great way to expand what your services include in your business. If you are a videographer or photographer, you can include a whole new type of shot that can add depth to the videos and photos you provide for your clientele.
From security to creativity, drones are a great way to not only provide quality end results but also have a lot of fun. Let’s review what to consider with professional drones, and some of the top options to choose from.
Quicklook: Best Professional Drones
DJI Mavic Air 2
Freefly Alta 8
DJI Mavic 2 Pro
Autel EVO II
DJI Mini 2
5 Best Professional Drones
After finding out what you need to consider for purchasing a professional drone, let’s review what the best options are.
DJI Mavic Air 2
While it is the less expensive option in the DJI family, the DJI Mavic Air 2 is a top of the line piece of equipment for any drone user. While it excels for photographs with its 48MP camera, it still delivers amazing 4K video quality.
Pricing: $799.00
Best For: Photography
Dimensions: 7.4×3.8×3.3 (folded)
Weight: 20.1 oz
Camera Resolution: 4K, 2.7K, FHD, 48MP
Flight Time: 34 min
Battery Capacity: 40.42 Wh
Range: 10km
Special Features:
- 42.5 mph max speed
Benefits:
- Real Time Battery Monitoring
- Intelligent Camera Tracking
- Lightweight and small
Disadvantages:
- Live camera has been known to stutter
- No screen on the controller
Freefly Alta 8
The Freefly Alta 8 is one of the larger drones in this list but it offers so much. It can roughly carry around 20 pounds in addition to the drone and accessories itself.
This means your camera should be under 20 pounds. Remember that you will need to attach your own camera to this drone.
Pricing: $17,495.00
Best For: Using your own camera
Dimensions: 26 in. diameter x 10.3 in. height
Weight: With camera, about 40 pounds
Camera Resolution: NA
Flight Time: 35 minutes
Battery Capacity: 6S / 22.2V
Range: An average of up to 2 miles
Special Features:
- You can change out the camera and lenses
Benefits:
- Can be setup and ready to shoot in less than 5 minutes
- Use whatever camera you want
- 8 propellers
Disadvantages:
- Accessories and spare parts can wrack up the price
- Built to order (long waiting period for it to be shipped)
- Cannot monitor the camera
DJI Mavic 2 Pro
The DJI Mavic 2 Pro is one of the current leading drones for video. While it is not the best option for photography, it excels in tracking and capturing the quality of any video needs.
And with a max speed of 44 mph, you should be able to keep up with anything you need to.
Pricing: $1,999.00
Best For: Video
Dimensions: 8.4×3.6×3.3 in. (folded)
Weight: 31.99 oz
Camera Resolution: 4K, 2.7K, FHD, 20MP
Flight Time: 31 min
Battery Capacity: 59.29 Wh
Range: 18km
Special Features:
- 44 mph max speed
- Can sense obstacles in all directions (makes for a safer flight)
Benefits:
- 4k camera quality
- Real Time Battery Monitoring
- 3 Joint Gimbal
Disadvantages:
- Extreme Price
- Does not do portrait shots
Autel EVO II
If lightweight and functional is your goal, the EVO II is right up your alley. It holds one of the highest quality cameras you will find on this list with 8k.
The smart flight controls are incredible as well with the ability to set a target and the drone fly an automatic circle around it for a 360 degree view.
Pricing: $1,495.00
Best For: 8k Video
Dimensions: 11.4×10.4×5.7 in.
Weight: 14.1 oz
Camera Resolution: 8k 20MP
Flight Time: 40 minutes
Battery Capacity: 82 Wh
Range: 5.5 miles
Special Features:
- Records 8k video
- Offers Smart Flight options
Benefits:
- Omnidirectional obstacle sensors
- Can shoot in day or night
- 45 mph top speed
Disadvantages:
- Quality drops when zooming in
- Poor Customer Service
DJI Mini 2
If you haven’t noticed, DJI is a popular company when it comes to drones and video tools in general. The DJI Mini 2 is a great choice for videographers and photographers who are looking for a good drone to start off with.
Pricing: $449.00
Best For: Budget
Package Dimensions: 55x32x22 in. (folded)
Weight: < 8.78 oz.
Camera Resolution: 4k 12MP
Flight Time: 31 min.
Battery Capacity: 17.32 WH
Range: Roughly 6 miles
Special Features:
- Super lightweight for portability
Benefits:
- 3 Joint Gimbal
- 4x digital zoom
- 35 mph speed
- Omnidirectional obstacle sensors
Disadvantages:
- No follow modes
- Very responsive to wind
What Is a Professional Drone?
Drones are a great way to have fun and focus on what’s in front of you. Professional drones, however. are focused on providing high quality photos and videos. There are cameras built into them that are for capturing high quality images.
The cameras work in combination with the drone to provide a steady image while in the air to avoid as much shaking as possible. There is some training and practice involved with getting these high quality shots, but it is well worth the effort.
How Does a Professional Drone Work?
When you have a professional drone you will have a remote control that allows you to fly the drone wirelessly. Not every remote has a screen, but it is a nice perk to have one so you can see the footage that is being recorded remotely.
What To Consider With Professional Drones
There are some factors that must be taken into account when you are searching for your drone. With these key points, you can start to make a more informed decision regarding your professional drone choice.
Flight Range
It is a good idea to know how far your drone can go without disconnecting from your controls, and having a drone that can fly extreme distances is everyone’s dream but there are some limitations that you need to know. Just because your drone can fly extremely far does not mean that you will be able to.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, you are required to keep your drone under 400 feet above the ground. It is also required that your drone remains in sight at all times.
Battery Life & Flight Time
Most drone flights are only going to be short spurts when you are capturing footage for b roll or photographs. The average battery lifespan of a drone seems to be around 30-40 minutes. That is if it is performing at the lowest power consumption.
Remember when you are going out for long days of flying to have your battery fully charged and even have multiple batteries on hand. You never know when you’ll be stuck in a place where charging is not an option.
Video & Image Quality
When shopping for your professional drone, you should consider what applications you plan to use the drone for. Certain cameras are going to be built better for photos and others are going to be built better for videos.
That being said, you can find amazing camera qualities in the current drones available. Everything from 4K video to 48 megapixel photos can be found on professional drones. The lowest that you would want to see on a drone is 20 MP.
Uses
How you plan to use the drone will affect which drone you choose. As said in the previous section, you can find some that excel for photographs and others that are better for photography.
Other factors of use cases that you should consider are what weather you plan to use it in, what sort of climate will you be flying in (extreme heat or extreme cold). Find out what sort of climates and temperatures your drone can handle before you make a decision.
Cost
Paying for a professional drone is no easy task. More often than not you need to be able to dish out hundreds if not thousands of dollars. The cameras that are attached to these drones are alone worth a lot of money without even including the drone itself.
There are also costs that are related to the drone that should be thought about. Having insurance on the drone as well as for any possible damages it could cause is a wise option if you yourself plan to use it for your job. You also may need to spend money on upkeep, maintenance, and replacement parts such as rotors or batteries.
Professional Flight
Drones are a great way to add new depths and angles to your photos and videos. When you have one of the best professional drones you can accomplish many different types of shots that would otherwise be impossible without giant cranes. Most of the drones on this list can accomplish any job but each has its own strong suits that should be taken into account.
FAQ
Professional photographers will use drones like the ones in this list for their shots.
A professional drone can cost anywhere from $1,000 to over $10,000 in some instances.
Some of the highest quality drones come from companies like DJI, Alta and Autel.
We are excited to announce the launch of move.freightwaves.com, a revolutionary resource designed to transform how consumers choose auto-shipping companies. Check it out today!