Ever dreamed of becoming a director? Of capturing dramatic landscapes from above? Or of tracking your own skateboarding, biking, or climbing adventures in swooping HD video? Just a few years ago, only Hollywood directors could afford to do these things. But with a camera drone, you don’t need a helicopter and a filming crew—you have a whole movie studio in your hands.
Ideal for inspiring creativity, concentration and building a love of cinematography, there’s a camera drone for every age and skill level, for amateurs and pros alike. Here’s our top list to help you choose the right one for you or your junior Spielberg.
7 Best Camera Drone Options
 | Kolibri Discovery Delta-Recon | Check price at |
 | DJI Phantom 4 Pro | Check price at |
 | Yuneec Typhoon H | Check price at |
 | Yuneec Breeze | Check price at |
 | Syma X11C | Check price at |
1. DJI Phantom 3 Standard
Set new standards with the DJI Phantom 3 Standard! A bestseller from market leaders DJI, this mid-range quadcopter offers incredible bang for your buck. Its 12-megapixel camera takes crystal clear photos and stunning 2.7K HD videos (4K with the Pro model), with live HD streaming to your connected smartphone or tablet. At the touch of a button, it will return home to you and it can be programmed to follow you too. It even automatically avoids obstructions and collisions. Losing control? Don’t worry—just let go of the control pad and your drone will hover still, even in gusty conditions. With a max. 1km range, enough battery power for 25-minute flights and easy flight controls, it’s an amazing product for both novice and advanced pilots. The sky’s the limit!
2. Kolibri Discovery Delta-Recon
Packed full of features, the Kolibri Discovery Delta-Recon is the perfect starter drone for first-time fliers. This awesome quadcopter comes with a 4GB microSD card, 4 spare blades, and 2 USB-chargeable batteries, each powering 8 minutes of flight. The included controls let you hover, glide, bank, and roll with ease. Connect to your smartphone, tablet, or VR headset to get a live stream from the camera. Download the app to get full controls on your phone—as well as easy editing and social network sharing. Delta Force, it’s all systems go!
3. DJI Phantom 4 Pro
The DJI Phantom 4 Pro is the ultimate consumer camera drone. Featuring a 20MP camera, this incredible device can take 4K HD videos at 60 frames per second, enough power for HD slow-motion captures. Get rocketing with a top speed of 45mph and 30 minutes of flight time. Avoid crashes with its 5-direction obstacle sensing, self-correcting hover function. Track and follow subjects with three Active Track options, and return home at the push of a button. Its remote control with built-in HD screen gives you complete control, including the TapFly or Draw options, where you simply tap or draw a route on the screen to head right there. With all these features and more, you can’t help but be a massive Phantom fan.
4. Yuneec Typhoon H
Get ready to be blown away! With its 6-rotor system and sonar collision prevention technology, the award-winning Yuneec Typhoon H is perfect for beginners and experts alike. Using its intuitive controls with an inbuilt 7-inch HD live camera display, you can effortlessly shoot 12-megapixel photos and 4K HD videos. Its smart controls make it easy to orbit a subject, plot a route, or manually maneuver your drone. With a tap of your finger, the Typhoon H will automatically take off, land, or plot a route home. What’s more, the Pro Bundle comes with a Wizard, which you can carry to have the Typhoon H smoothly follow you using GPS. With flight times of up to 25 minutes and top speeds of 43.5 mph, the Yuneec Typhoon H really is a blast to pilot.
5. Yuneec Breeze
Weighing less than a pound, the Yuneec Breeze is a highly portable, feature-rich little flier. Less than half the size of the Yuneec Typhoon H, this miniature model sports a powerful 13-megapixel camera. It can take crystal clear pics and record 4K HD videos as well as transmit a 720 pixel live HD transmission to your Android or iOS device. You can control it from your phone or tablet, too, by simply downloading the app. Just click one of the 5 smart flight modes—like Selfie, Follow Me, or Orbit—and you’re ready to go. With safe altitude hold, take-off, land, and return home features, flying this little beauty is an absolute breeze!
6. Holy Stone HS110
Get ready to rock with the Holy Stone HS110 Camera Drone! An excellent entry-level camera drone, this little gem is bursting with high-end features. With automated take-off, landing, altitude hold, and home return buttons, as well as a choice of 4 speeds, it’s an excellent quadcopter for rookie pilots. Its 2-megapixel camera takes quality photographs and records 720 pixel HD videos, which you can view live on your smartphone or tablet. Its battery is strong enough for 9 minutes of flight and recharges via USB. With excellent handling and performance, this camera drone is wholly worth the investment!
7. Syma X11C
Want to go out on a wing without breaking the bank? The Syma X11C Camera Drone offers incredible value and a great flying experience. This durable mini quadcopter comes equipped with a 2-megapixel camera capable of taking 720 pixel HD videos. It also comes with controls and a 4GB microSD card, enough for roughly 40 minutes of video. Although you can’t live stream the video to your smartphone or tablet, it can easily be transferred upon landing. It can fly for up to 8 minutes and can fully recharge in under an hour. With blade protectors, LED night lights, and 6-axis controls, this is the perfect option for younger fliers.
OK, I have droned on for long enough! Over to you—do you have a camera drone listed here? Or do you have another one that didn’t make our list? Let us know all about it in the comments section below!
Feature image courtesy of Flickr, Andrew Turner.