In the drones priced from $400-$959, you want a reliable drone that offers a wonderful flying experience along with a camera that can take amazing photos. Perhaps you’ve practiced with lower-quality drones and now want to upgrade to a more powerful machine. Or, maybe you want to master your flying and photography skills with a quality machine. In either case, this price point has much to offer.
Recommended Mid-Priced Drones that Cost $400-$959 |
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|---|---|---|
| Drone | Features | Price |
|
1st DJI Phantom 3 Advanced |
|
$799 |
|
2nd Yuneec Q500 4K Typhoon |
|
$959 |
|
3rd DJI Phantom 3 Standard |
|
$499 |
*Note: Here are guides if you are looking for a low cost drone (Under $400) or higher priced professional drones ($959-$3,000+).
GPS Feature
GPS tracking comes standard in this price range. Some good abilities are the ability to record your starting point so that your drone can return to you, as well as being able to track your drone live on your mobile device or controller. Safety features such as being able to program the drone so that you can stay within legal flight limits are also helpful. For example, the Yuneec Q500 4K Typhoon Quadcopter ($959) creates a Smart Circle around the operator, not allowing the drone to take off or land unless it is at least 26 feet away from the controller. It also prevents flying higher than 400 feet from the ground.
Photography and Video Quality
Aerial photography is one of the most fun aspects of flying a drone. The drones in this price range have the ability to provide professional results, recording high quality video (ranging from 2.7K to 4K) and 12 MP still photos that can be saved as JPEG or DNG Raw. Mobile apps such as DJI Go and CGO3 allow you to have a live feed of video. DJI Go also enables you to edit that video and share it to social media. On the DJI Phantom 3 Standard ($499) and DJI Phantom 3 Advanced ($799) models, a 3-axis gimbal holds the attached camera, keeping it level so that you can take sharp photos and video. The Yuneec Q500 4K Typhoon Quadcopter also features a 3-axis gimbal, but the camera is removable. With the included Steady Grip Handheld Device, you can also remove the camera and use it on the ground.
Flight Times
Flight time for drones in this price range tops out in the 20–25 minute range. Long flight times may be reduced due to environmental conditions and whether the camera is attached. Batteries that can tell you how much power they have left are very useful so that you can make sure the drone returns home in time. The Yuneec Q500 4K Typhoon Quadcopter battery charger comes with a cigarette lighter adapter so that you can charge the battery while you travel. It is always a good idea to purchase at least one spare battery.
Controller Settings
Controllers allow you to control both the drone’s flight and camera settings. Some provide updates on battery life as well as flight conditions such as altitude, speed, distance, and GPS location. You will want to find out how far you can fly your drone and still maintain control as those specs can vary widely depending on the drone.
Some controllers allow you to customize what each control stick is in charge of as well as give you the ability to preset your favorite functions. You may also want to decide whether you want your controller to hold your mobile device or if would you prefer that it comes equipped with its own touch-screen. The ability to have the drone auto-hover, or stay in place, when you let go of the controller is a positive feature as this allows you to take time to plan your next move or take the perfect photo.
Author: Stacey Miller
Copyright: 2016 BestDronesToBuy.org