Drone Advice

smoke665

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My curiosity itch with drones is getting closer to needing to be scratched, however I'm hesitant to go out and drop money on a new toy that loses it's appeal quickly. My son had one of the lower end models a few years ago, and had problems with the motors.

I know absolutely nothing about them. This would be for occasional, pleasure use for arial photography Any and all suggestions on where to look, or things to consider to get me started would be appreciated.
 
whats your location? If your in the UK you should do the Cofc test before getting out there. And you should get insurance so that you can fly when you want and where you want. I have the mavic air 2. I totally get the "Im bored with this" scenario. Havent flown it for months BUT right now as I type this I am charging my batteries and intending to go out and do some long exposures tonight and get back in to it now that the good weather will be back soon. I have the A2 COFC and insurance so no one can complain about what im doing.
 
@barry100 I'm in southern US. There are similar license/testing requirements here. Hadn't thought about the insurance requirements, might need to look into that.
 
I'm hesitant to go out and drop money on a new toy that loses it's appeal quickly
If you're basically looking for a pro-level toy that is fun to fly and takes very usable photos, I would recommend checking out the DJI Mini 2. It comes at a price point that won't break the bank, gives you 30 minutes of flight time, and is below the weight limit that requires registration and licensing. It may not come with all the bells and whistles included in higher end models, but it is a current generation product that I've heard good things about. For comparison, I bought a DJI Spark a few years ago, which was their smaller entry-level drone at the time, and have been very pleased with it. I would have liked a bigger sensor and the ability to shoot raw, but at 2-4x the price, a higher-end drone still would have spent most of its time sitting in a case on my shelf. It's fun to fly and I take aerial photos of my area a few times a year in good light. My only complaint was the short flight time, which was addressed in the Mini and Mini 2 models.

Of course if you want something better, they have plenty to offer. But that's my 2 cents.
 
My curiosity itch with drones is getting closer to needing to be scratched, however I'm hesitant to go out and drop money on a new toy that loses it's appeal quickly. My son had one of the lower end models a few years ago, and had problems with the motors.

I know absolutely nothing about them. This would be for occasional, pleasure use for arial photography Any and all suggestions on where to look, or things to consider to get me started would be appreciated.
DJI Own the market on high end but affordable drones and for good reason! have a look at their stuff, lots of 0% deals available. I've had a few of their drones and my main piece of advice would be to consider portability - if you can chuck it in a backpack you'll get much more use out of it than something which takes up a ton of space. They hold their value pretty well too. they offer a "flymore" package on most of their drones which comes with additional batteries etc and is worth going for IMO.

If you can get a Mavic 1 on ebay for a decent price that would be a good starting point for a second hand one which wont totally break the bank. Light and fast with a pretty good camera.
 
dji Mini3 is about to drop! And the Mini2 is still great. I have both, and now an Air 2S.
 
I came close a while back and I was looking at the low to medium priced DJI's as well. Even download the app but never actually bought one. Watched hours of videos, reviews and tutorials on the DJI's tho and that's what I'd have gone for if I'd taken the plunge. They do seem awesome.

For me it would have been a part time toy as well so decided not to invest and went for a mirrorless set up instead.
 
I am using the DJI Mini 2 But love the Air 2s. Air 2s is great to use it has low-noise propellers ensure smooth flight and reduce noise to an absolute minimum and the Range also, If you want to cover a big area, It will not disappoint you because its range 12000 meters. 1-inch CMOS sensor offers outstanding image quality and the 4-directional obstacle sensing allows it to detect obstacles in front, back, below, and above. Every feature I loved, you can try this.
 
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I started out in drones first before buying a dslr ...

Hands down best drone and bang for you're buck ... Is a DJI Mini 2.
I bought mine secondhand and have since bought more batteries ... I also have an Air2S ... The mini2 is ready to fly as soon as all is switched on. The Air2S ~ Takes a tad longer ... 2/3 minutes sometimes to get enough sat locks so I can safely fly higher.

I go too my Mini2 - For ease of use, 100ft up no one can hear it ... And it just works!
 
I started out in drones first before buying a dslr ...

Hands down best drone and bang for you're buck ... Is a DJI Mini 2.
I bought mine secondhand and have since bought more batteries ... I also have an Air2S ... The mini2 is ready to fly as soon as all is switched on. The Air2S ~ Takes a tad longer ... 2/3 minutes sometimes to get enough sat locks so I can safely fly higher.

I go too my Mini2 - For ease of use, 100ft up no one can hear it ... And it just works!
I can hear all of my drones at 400 ft if I listen. I prefer the Air 2S because of the camera. Way more latitude and more resolution than my Mini 2 camera. Both are great drones, though. I may try out the Mini 3.
 
Thanks guys, but life has a way of changing your priorities. Afraid a drone got shuffled to the bottom for the foreseeable future.
 
I have Mavic 2 since early 2018.
Haven't used it as much as I should have but have made it a New Years resolution to use it this year more!
 
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