The ability to mount a camera in the sky appeals to most contemporary drone enthusiasts. Even though the largest drones are the greatest camera drones, you could prefer a little more discreet, compact, and small.
A tiny drone with a camera may be a lot of fun, but which of them is the best? Let’s examine some potential choices.
I’ve always loved flying, and although I haven’t had any opportunity to pilot manned aircraft, I’ve logged more and more time with my fleet of drones. I like to use my cameras to capture beautiful aerial photography. All pilots should be able to fly safely and legally, which is my aim.
Our Best Mini Drone Cameras
DJI Mini 2: Best 4K drone under $500
For most pilots, the DJI Mini 2 is the best GPS camera drone under $500, making it the best drone overall in this price range. It offers a respectable 4K camera with complete stabilization for silky smooth capture, a highly stable auto-hover, and a reliable connectivity range. Only the Mini series from DJI weighs under 250g, and the higher-end Mavic UAVs are better in almost every regard, but they are far more expensive.
Since the Micro 2 has the greatest camera of all the little drones on this list, it earns the title of our top selection. The longest flight range, high battery life, and continued mobility of the original Mavic Mini make it the most effective airframe.
Why We Love the DJI Mini 2
When I’d like to fly a drone for enjoyment, I am happy to choose the DJI Mini 2. The Mavic Mini 2 is my favourite pick for a lightweight drone that you can throw in your bag and take on the trail, although the current Mavic Mini is still a blast to fly because of its upgrades, especially the better camera. The Mini 2 is a great option if a higher-end camera is not something you require.
What we enjoy
- Small and portable
- Weighs less than 250g
- Simple to fly
- Good 4K camera battery life
What bothers us
- Too little for a respectable payload
- Compared to larger drones, it has a limited range and camera.
DJI Mini 2 Summary
- 4K camera
- Easily transportable
- Lightweight
- 249 grams
A great drone for under $500
With a 4K camera, Ocusync 2.0, and more power than the Mavic Mini, the DJI Mini 2 is a fantastic upgrade.
DJI Mavic Mini: A Respectable 2.7K drone
The DJI Mavic Mini proved that a viable GPS-enabled aeroplane with a respectable camera was affordable for below $500 and under 250 grams, opening up a whole new realm for DJI drones. Although the Mavic Mini’s 2.7K camera is far from being a spectacular camera, it is, at minimum, as good as your smartphone’s and is much better stabilized. The drone already has respectable flight times, ranges, and capacities. Worth every penny of the buying price.
Exactly why we use the DJI Mavic Mini
In a nutshell, we enjoy the Mavic Mini but prefer the Mini 2. If price is the deciding factor, rest assured that the original Mini will satisfy your needs; but, if you can purchase the more recent model above, we advise purchasing it instead.
What we like
- Affordable
- Good Easy to fly,
- 2.7K camera,
- Under 250g
What bothers us
- Restricted range
- inferior to V2.0
Mavic Mini by DJI Summary
- 249 grams
- Excellent 2.7K camera,
- Very transportable
Hover Passport: Super-simple flying camera
In its day, the Hover Passport was a cute little drone. It is now difficult to find, and some drones deliver better results. Still, we’ll give it credit for inventing a drone variety that is incredibly portable and specifically designed to serve one purpose: flying selfie cameras.
Why we fly the Hover Passport
The Hover Passport is no longer recommended because we don’t fly this drone. It’s a fun project to try out if you can locate it for under $100, but it is no longer worth its original MSRP.
What we enjoy
- Simple to use
- Fun
What bothers us
- Extremely restricted powers
- Poor Timely flights
- Expensive
- Quite old
Floating Passport – Throw and Run
The Hover Passport is a drone that is incredibly simple to use; to take pictures, you simply stand in front of it and make hand motions.
Ryze Tello: Fun educational drone
A fun tiny drone with some educational features is the Ryze Tello. It’s simple to use, has entertaining flight capabilities, and works well for indoor flights. Don’t let the small camera fool you into thinking that this drone is a competitor for the best camera drone, but it does include a camera to take some pictures from the air.
Why we fly the Package was developed by Tello
One of the top drones for beginners continues to be the Ryze Tello. We enjoy it most because you learn to program some navigational tasks for it. Watching a drone perform a task that you have programmed it to is exciting and satisfying.
What we enjoy
- Fun
- Affordable
- Educational
- Simple to fly
- By using a smartphone
What bothers us
- Limited flight time;
- Optional add-on: controller
- For outdoor flights, not very good
Tello Talent DJI Robomaster
Academic drone
The DJI Robomaster TT Tello Talent is a platform for learning drone navigational methods and more designed for the classroom. A useful instructional drone.
Tello, Ryze
- Academic drone
- Fying indoors is secure.
- A joy to fly
Academic drone
The Ryze Tello is one of the most capable and adaptable micro drones. You may choose from various designs, program your flying features, or simply fly the drone for Fun in your living room.
Yuneec Mantis G: Voice-activated controls
The Yuneec Mantis G is growing too big to fit on a list of small drones. Although it has a small, foldable form that makes it simple to travel, the ordinary living room is too large for it to fly securely within. The stabilized 4K camera performs best with still shots but provides passable video from the sky. The drone can be operated by speech, which is a wonderful feature. If you speak commands into the controller, the drone will obey you.
We fly the Yuneec Mantis G because
The voice control feature of the Mantis G is a lot of fun, but if you’re looking for a video drone to record video from the air, the Mantis G is not our top pick nor our first option at this price. Not to mention the difficulty we are having in locating the Mantis G on sale. It was introduced to Europe by Yuneec, but it hasn’t been widely used in the US.
What we enjoy
- Simple to fly
- Voice controls are a lot of Fun.
What bothers us
- Not a good camera
- Purchase is challenging to come by
Mantis Yuneec G
- Retired
- Voice controls
- compact camera drone.
Voice-activated drone
The Yuneec Mantis G adds a stabilized camera Gimbal to the Mantis Q, which was the original foldable drone’s lone missing component. You may now capture fluid 4K video. October 2019 was the launch date.
