It's no exaggeration to say that drones have transformed photography and made it possible for both hobbyists and professional photographers to take breathtaking aerial shots.

Have you ever considered buying a drone? Do you want to join in some high-flying competitions or some outdoor photography & live stream activities? If you say "Yes", you will get endless relaxation and excitement drones to provide. You can also improve your capability of photography & videography and record the charm of life & nature. If you suddenly have the urge to own one. Read this article to guide you on how to choose the suitable drone to meet your need.

What is a drone?

Drones are remote-control (RC) multi-rotor flying devices equipped with cameras. Drones are now used in various civilian roles, including Search and Rescue, Surveillance, Traffic Monitoring, Weather Monitoring, Firefighting, Personal Use, Drone-based Photography, Videography; Agriculture; Delivery Services, etc.

For Beginners: How to choose the suitable drone?
The use (commercial & consumer), the structure they were built, and the quality & footage they can capture determine the drone's price, which ranges far and wide. For beginners, drones are mainly used for video recording and photography. So beginner models are reasonably priced. There's something for every budget and requirement—you need to know where to start choosing. You can refer to the following 6 points:

1. Hovering Capacity: To avoid capturing blurry images and videos because of floating up and down, a camera drone must be able to steadily hold its position in the air. Stable hovering capacity helps you capture any explicit scene, which is usually affected by various aspects, including sophisticated flight control systems, sensors, barometers, six-axis gyroscopes, etc.
   Generally, there are three ways to determine the height of drones: GPS, barometer, and ultrasonic radar. For beginners, it is enough to choose a drone with a barometer. ( A barometer can measure the air pressure, and then the altitude can be calculated. The barometer is now the most used in drone altitude measurement. Its height error is within 0.5m.). And with the help of GPS, the drone can achieve greater precision hovering. This can also make it easier for you to get started and easily control the direction of flight.
2. GPS Feature: A drone is a flying robot that can be remotely controlled or fly autonomously using software-controlled flight plans in its embedded systems that work in conjunction with onboard sensors and a global positioning system (GPS). Almost all camera drones need integrated GPS, which makes the drone devices know where they are outside. Powerful GPS function improves the drones' stability and navigational capacity and achieves precise hovering in one place.
   GPS also leads to more intelligent drone performance to complete the shooting more efficiently, such as Follow-me Mode (allowing your drones to track you on the ground or in the ocean.), Flying Along A Preset Trajectory, Altitude Holding, etc. Whether low power or lost, Return-to-Home (RTH) & GPS features can help the drones find their way home safely.
   You do not need GPS features if you are only shooting indoors or at a low altitude.
3. Camera & Footage Quality: As we know that the footage quality mainly depends on the sensor. The larger the sensor (target surface size), the better the footage. Compared with the exact resolution of the cameras, the larger the sensor size, the larger the area per pixel, and the better the image quality will be. (eg. The same 5-megapixel camera, 2/3" sensor imaging quality is better than 1/2". ). Pixel ranging from 480P to 1080P is very different in image quality. If you want the high-quality footage possible, camera specs should be a significant consideration. It would help if you needed real-time image transfer functions. While flying, your recordings and photos will appear on your phone immediately.
   If you are practicing aerial photography and have no particular need for image quality, you can choose a 1080P camera.
4. Obstacle Avoidance: To avoid damaging your drones while learning the flight controls or operating them to take photos & videos, you'd better choose a model capable of avoiding obstacles and navigating tight spaces. If the drone can automatically recognize the flight environment and avoid obstacles, you can focus more on the camera control and reduce your drone loss.
5. Brushed/Brushless Motor: A motor is the heart of a camera drone and determines the flight speed. Which one should we choose? The drone's engine can be divided into two kinds: brushed motor and brushless motor. The brushed motors are widely used in drones. Brushless motors cost more than brushed ones, but in exchange, they offer quieter operation and a longer lifespan, so you won't have to replace them as often. Because brushless motors do not have brushes, the process dramatically reduces friction, which provides excellent support for the stability of the hovering and movement.
6. Sufficient Battery Life: Many people like drones to fly as long as possible. The general drone single flight time averages anywhere from 10-30 minutes. The flight time always depends on some conditions (e.g., battery capacity, wind, flying speed, flying style, etc.). Drone batteries can be cyclically charged. Given how fast these batteries charge, preparing a few extra spare batteries while you fly would give you longer flight time! More importantly, professional operation experience allows you to capture satisfactory images in a short flying period.