Expensive Drones - High-Quality Professional Drones

If you are going to spend over $959 for a drone, you want some quality for your money, but what should you be looking for?

*Note: See these reviews if you are looking for a less expensive drone (under $400) or a mid-level priced drone ($400-$959).

Drone Flight Time

Flight time is important. After all, if you are not flying your drone, you aren’t enjoying your drone. One would think as you get into a higher price range for drones, flight time would automatically increase. This is not the case. Drones at the higher price point are larger and heavier, requiring more powerful batteries. Even with that added power, however, your flight time is going to be in the 18–25 minute range (under the best conditions) with batteries taking from an hour to an hour and a half to recharge. You will definitely want to get at least one spare battery to increase the length of your flying experience.

GPS Tracking System

Drones at this price point come standard with GPS tracking and return to home buttons so you shouldn’t have to worry about losing your drone. Drones from DJI such as the DJI Phantom 3 Professional and the DJI Inspire 1 V 2.0 also have GLONASS tracking giving you access to up to 36 satellites at any given time.

Arial Photography and Video Quality

Aerial photography is one of the most fun parts of having a drone, so you will definitely want to check out camera capabilities of each drone. Cameras at this price point can offer professional quality photos and video with 12 MP still images and up to 4K video. Some drones such as the DJI Phantom 3 Professional and the DJI Inspire 1 V 2.0 come with their own cameras supported by a 3-axis gimbal designed to give you quality, clear, level shots. Others, such as the 3D Robotics Solo Aerial Photography quadcopter can be used with various models of cameras, including the GoPro Hero 3 or GoPro Hero 4. In those cases, you will need to purchase the gimbal and camera separate from your drone. This can be a hassle, but if you want a particular camera, this would be the way to go.

Controller Capability

Another feature to look for is controller capability. How far away can you be from your drone and still have control? What features are offered on the controller? Is it easy to operate? Are different flying modes available? Can you use dual controllers so that one person can be in charge of the camera and another can be flying the drone?

Customer Service

Lastly, at this price, it is worth looking into the customer service of the company that makes the drone. While you won’t know this first hand until a problem arises (and you might be one of the lucky ones who never needs customer service), you can check the company’s website for official return policies. For example, 3D Robotics offers a 30 day money-back guarantee if you are not happy with your purchase provided the drone is in new or like-new condition. Also, if the flight log shows that a crash was the result of a drone malfunction, they will replace the drone. You can also read online customer reviews to see what others’ experiences have been when things go wrong.