What is the best drone to buy?
First, there is no such thing as a perfect answer to this question. The best drone to buy changes based upon the answers to the questions below. There are many great drones on the market and the ones we note below could, at times, be replaced with newer alternatives. We expect this article to provide you with a set of questions, a framework, and an approach for determining the right choice for your personal needs.
As you consider your purchase, here are our thoughts on questions you should ask to help you determine the best drone to buy for you personally:
- What are your goals? Why are you seeking to buy a drone?
- What type of user are you, a hobbyist or a professional?
- What is your experience level with drones?
- How much money do you want to spend?
Once you are clear on the four questions above you should be able to begin to narrow down the answer to this question.
Are you a new hobbyist?
If you are just starting out you can begin by breathing a sigh of relief. You do not need to spend a great deal of money to begin, less than $100 will get you a great beginner drone that you can use to practice your piloting skills around your house and/or backyard.
Starting out keep it simple, the best drone to buy for you would be a Cheerson CX-10, Syma X5C-1 or something similar, as it will give you a feel for drones without breaking the bank.
Are you an experience hobbyist?
Once you have some experience flying we tend to recommend shifting to the DJI Phantom series as the best drone to buy. These drones are wonderful for aerial photography/videography without forcing you to spend lots of money. In general you can stay under $1000 and begin to get great experience with a high quality machine. DJI is the market leader and you can count on great service.
Of course, the truly experienced hobbyist, who also enjoys tinkering, should simply build their own. There are many great forums, Facebook pages, and more where you can connect with experienced drone builders and create a customized version that fully meets your needs.
Are you a professional
We would urge professionals to check with friends within their industries as there are so many great providers, some of which are building highly targeted solutions. You can also read about what other companies are using based upon what they have told us and the FAA. Read the articles on our site here to see what others are doing.