Drones or quadcopters are exciting gadgets. They have different uses and therefore anyone who intends on purchasing one needs to be well informed on the different types of drones available on the market. As technology changes, it has brought different uses for drones.
As a beginner you may purchase a drone to play with as a fun hobby, however, if the drone is used for business purposes (commercial) then you do need to register the drone.
Commercial Purposes Of A Drone
Real Estate photography
One of the main uses of drones is for photography and videos. They are used to take photos and videos of homes by real estate agents or show concerts or festivals. Drones can show images from a totally different viewpoint.
Aircraft Inspection
Some airlines use drones to speed up aircraft inspection.
Search and rescue missions
Drones can be used for search and rescue missions. They may be used to help find people and animals that are trapped or unable to call out for help.
Exploring Natural Landscapes
They can be used to explore natural landscapes that are hard to reach, like, lava lakes making it simple for the people doing the research. Volcanoes can be dangerous for human beings to go close to. Farmers have begun to check on crops using camera drones.
Surveillance
Drones have been used for quite some time for the purpose of surveillance. They allow the military or security teams to see certain areas without being present in the actual scene.
Whatever the reason for owning a drone, it is a gadget that can prove to be useful or fun for anyone. As technology improves it introduces more uses for drones. More and more people have taken an interest in drones for different uses. There are people who have purchased and use drones for a long time while others are beginners with the quadcopters.
Beginners may not know the best drones in the market and therefore need guidance when purchasing them. Generally, one should look at the following key factors when purchasing a drone.
- Features
- Ease of use
- Quality
- Value (list below ranked by lowest to highest price)
Below are some of the best drones available in the market for beginners:
Hubsan X4
The Hubsan drone is about the same size as the Nano QX and goes for half the price of it. There are four different versions of this drone. This particular one from Hubsan is the cheapest and goes for $36.24 at Amazon, which is inclusive of the controller. It has an Agility mode and has 6 LED lights that can be turned off and on from the controller. There are two more versions of these drones that have cameras and are slightly bigger and heavier than the cheaper version of the X4. The most expensive of these is the H107D. It is mainly used for FPV and mostly allows the owner to see everything that it can see in real-time. This design is slightly different from the rest and it has a black antenna at the bottom.
Nighthawk DM007
Nighthawk has a terrific design for anyone who looks forward to joining the legion of drone enthusiasts. This drone is also wallet-friendly with a $39 price tag one can own it. This drone is quite easy to repair after any crash. It also has an adjustable 6 axis gyroscope and 720p HD camera which gives it an additional appeal. The remote is also easy to use.
Parrot Bebop
The Bebop 2 is an updated version of the original Bebop which was released last year. This drone retained the slender design that its predecessor had and provides one with a 14-megapixel fisheye camera which is outfitted with 3-axis video stabilization. It has a battery that is capable of going for 25 minutes of sustained flight time. The owner can control it using a Smartphone or tablet and this makes piloting the drone quite easy. For $379, a beginner can own this drone.
DJI Phantom 3
Phantoms are one of the best drones available in the market. The Phantom 3 has the following features, 12-megapixel photos, and a 4K video. It also has a very powerful mobile application and a fast-charging battery charger. When it comes to flight time, it has a 20 minute flight time. It is good for beginners because it has a free in-app simulator. This is a simulator for learning to fly. If the price is an issue check out the Phantom 2 series to start with, but pretty soon you may want more features.
It is one of the easiest to use drones that are available and comes in four models:
- Phantom 3 Standard, only $499
- Phantom 3 Advanced, this drone has a market value of $799
- Phantom 3 4K, also $799
- Phantom 3 Professional, kinda a hefty price tag for a beginner $999
Yuneec Q500 4K
This drone is manufactured by Yuneec which is not as well known. This has not stopped the company from being competitive in its field. This drone is capable of shooting 4K videos just like the Phantom 3 and the Solo. It comes with two batteries and one can remove the camera from the drone and use it in a handheld camera system. One of the most interesting features is that it has an android device that is built into the controller. With this, there is no need to use a tablet or a Smartphone. Currently one would cost you about $925 to own it.
3DR Solo
This drone is easy to use and has a lot of features that are similar to the Phantom3. One difference between the two is instead of using an inbuilt camera, the 3D uses the GoPro Hero 4. This simply means that as the owner, you can take out the camera and use it for something else. The biggest difference between this drone and others is probably the fact that the model is upgradable and is still easy to use. For around $999, one should be able to get this drone but this price does not include the GoPro or 3 axis gimbal. If you were to have this added, the cost would come to around $1900.
3D Robotic IRIS+
If you like many features then this drone may be a good choice for you. It is meant for people who have never owned a drone but are looking for something that they can tinker with and modify. If you are familiar with working on model airplanes, you are probably used to this sort of price tag and this one will set you back about $999.95. It has a number of autopilot features like auto takeoff and auto landing. It is an interesting drone for someone who is willing to learn flight control.
DJI Inspire 1 and Inspire 1 Pro
This drone looks great and will probably have any beginner want to own a drone, as long as the price is not an issue. Inspire is one of the most professional looking drones one can buy. It does what any other Phantom 3 Professional drone can do and comes in a great looking design. The Phantom 3 is twice as big and comes with a 4K camera that is completely independent of the Inspire 1. It comes in two other variants which have superior image quality. The Inspire 1 Pro is a version that features a micro-four-thirds 4K camera which has 13 stops of dynamic range. The Inspire 1 Raw will soon be coming out and will feature a 500GB SSD and 4K Raw video recording which can be used for Professional post-production environments
It is designed for people who want an amazing tool for videography, aerial photography, research and rescue, and any other professional application. To get an entire kit for the Inspire 1 series, one would have to spend around $3,549 while for the inspire 1 pro, one would have to pay $4,949.
With the above list, any drone enthusiast can be able to get a drone that is sure to fit their needs.
