Drones are among the most exciting gadgets available. Whether for fun or photography, piloting a small flying robot is thrilling. They are especially valuable for photographers, offering unique perspectives for stunning landscape shots.
The best drones of 2023 capture breathtaking scenery that few have witnessed, combining features, video quality, and price to cater to all drone enthusiasts. I’ve summarized the top options for beginners, intermediate users, and professionals.
- The best all-around drone: DJI Air 2S
With its large 1-inch image sensor, the DJI Air 2S is capable of taking beautiful photos and videos from the air. It is capable of shooting videos at up to 5.4k resolution, while still images can be captured in DNG Raw format up to 20 trillion pixels.
The drone features multiple intelligent flight modes that allow for cinematic shots, even when hiking alone. It includes a mode that follows you through hilly terrain and one that automatically circles a point of interest.
However, it doesn’t rotate the camera for vertical shots, making it challenging to create vertical videos as they will require cropping, which diminishes resolution. If vertical shooting is a priority, consider the DJI Mini 3 Pro.
Similar to other DJI models, it is easy to fly and is equipped with obstacle sensors for safe navigation. With a maximum flight time of 31 minutes, it offers sufficient duration, and an additional battery pack can be added for more aerial shots.
Its folding design allows for easy packing in a photography backpack, but it is bulkier and heavier than DJI’s “Mini” series. If lightweight travel is your goal, keep this in mind. Nonetheless, its flight time, automatic modes, and high image quality make it a strong all-around choice.
- Best beginner drone: DJI Mini 2
The DJI Mini 2 has been available for a long time, but it is still an excellent choice for those who want to enter the field of aerial photography. Its compact folding size means it is very easy to put in a bag and carry around.
It uses the same control method as other DJI drones, which we found easy for beginners to master, while allowing more advanced pilots to flexibly test their skills. It can fly for up to 31 minutes on a single charge and has a flight range of up to 10 kilometers.
Its small camera has been stabilized and can shoot smoother shots, and can shoot 4K videos at a speed of up to 30 frames per second. Still images are shot at 12 MP pixels.
One of the reasons why foldable drones are so light is that they don’t have obstacle avoidance sensors. This means there will be a learning curve and there may be some problems.
Therefore, although this is an affordable beginner’s choice, those without any flying skills should start practicing from open spaces until they master the trick. Once you become more confident, the DJI Mini 2 is stable, flexible, safe to fly, and quieter than other DJI models.
- The best drone for creators: DJI Mini 3 Pro
Although DJI’s Air 2s and Mavic 3 provide excellent image quality in the air, they lack the ability to flip the camera and shoot videos and photos in portrait mode.
As a result, those who want to use the video on the web will need to crop the video from the middle, losing a lot of resolution in the process and making it harder to compose out-of-place shots.
The DJI Mini 3 Pro doesn’t have this problem. Simply press a button on the screen and the camera will flip to portrait mode, allowing you to use the sensor’s full view and maximum 4K resolution to shoot content. Videos can be shot at speeds of up to 60 frames per second, while still images can be shot in DNG format at an impressive 48 MP pixels.
Its folding design allows it to shrink to a size slightly larger than a standard Coke can, but it still has various sensors that can help you prevent it from hitting a tree.
Remember that its tiny size and weight of 249 grams do mean that it is vulnerable to strong winds, and it will have to work harder to stay in the air in windy conditions, thus reducing your flight time.
- The best drone for photographers: DJI Mavic 3
The starting price of the DJI Mavic 3 is relatively high, making it much more expensive than other products on this list, but if you are a professional or passionate photographer who wants to take beautiful photos and videos from the sky, then this may be a worthwhile choice.
The DJI Mavic 3 is equipped with a 4/3 size image sensor, which is physically larger than any other image sensor on other drones on this page.
The larger sensor enables it to capture more light and provide better dynamic range. Therefore, its 5.1K resolution video looks excellent, even in high-contrast scenes, it can crop out a lot of details and has excellent exposure.
It’s also equipped with omnidirectional sensors to ensure it doesn’t crash into obstacles, and its maximum flight time of 46 minutes is better than almost any other drone around.
It folds up to the size of a large camera lens, making it relatively easy to fit into a photography backpack, but those who want to travel with a small drone should still choose the DJI Mini 3 Pro.
- The cheapest full set of FPV aircraft: DJI FPV
DJI FPV is the company’s original first-person drone, providing beginners with an entry point into the exciting world of FPV drone flight.
I like its lightning-fast speed and stable 4K video quality. Although DJI FPV replaces the smaller, lighter, and safer new DJI Avata to some extent, the original DJI FPV is still worth considering.
This largely depends on its price, which includes everything needed for flying, from the drone itself to the controller and original FPV headphones. But if you want to get the FPV experience at the lowest cost, then cheaper DJI FPV may be a better choice.
