Best Drones for 2024

CNET ^ | 12/3/2024 | Andrew Lanxon & Joshua Goldman

[fireman15]

Learning to simply fly a drone can be a great, entertaining hobby. Take it to the next level when you use a drone to take some beautiful pictures and videos. When you first start out, you'll want to make sure to familiarize yourself with the regulations, then you can take your hobby to new heights.

If you're a professional video maker, having a drone can help enhance your work with aerial shots. It doesn't have to be a huge investment because good drones no longer cost an exorbitant amount. You can now get quite a few camera drone models for less than $500 -- which is perfect if you want to snag an affordable drone for someone on your list this holiday shopping season.

The market is flooded with drone options. You get various combinations of features, video quality and prices. There are options that suit every enthusiast, regardless of your budget. Whether you want a drone only for the thrill of the flight or to add some flair to your photo and video work, we've got some recommendations.

Our picks of the best drones on the market include the top options for beginners, intermediate users and "prosumer" enthusiasts. We've also included an introductory drone for folks interested in racing -- a whole scene unto itself. To help you pick the best drone for you, we've also included a more in-depth buying guide and FAQ on the best drones below, as well as the key factors to consider before you buy. We'll update this list periodically.

Best drones of 2024

[fireman15]

With all the talk about drones in the news... I thought it might be interesting for Freepers to share the types of drones that they own and use.

I personally am an aviation nut who lives on an airport with two airplanes, four hang gliders, and a dozen drones of assorted sizes, capabilities and uses. In my case the drones are all for fun. The two that I have are best for photography are the DJI Mini 4 Pro and the DJI Mini 3. They both have interesting capabilities. The Mini 3 can use 3rd party software to enhance its capabilities. The Mini 4 Pro has built in waypoints that can be programmed using 3rd party software to take better video of buildings and scenery. Both have built in features that can aid in taking interesting video.

The controller that I have for the Mini 4 Pro has a built-in display, in addition I have AR glasses which connect to the video out port. The glasses provide an amazing view from the camera while still allowing one to glance down at the controller and up at the drone. They provide a fabulous enhancement to the experience. Both of these drones require very little actual flying skills to get good photos and video.

I also enjoy using "toy drones" that operate almost completely manually. They are actually very good for enhancing your flying skills. I also have drone simulation software and flight simulators for aircraft that are also good for enhancing your skills and checking out distant airports that we plan to fly to in our real airplanes.

[packagingguy]

Can we buy a Lancet drone that’s intact?

You can buy fragments but that’s no fun:

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=lancet+drone&_sop=12

[dragnet2]

I want one like the pilot the other day described that went from 50k to 30k in an instant.

[wally_bert]

I just got a Mavic 3 pro that I have not gotten a chance to try.

A while back I bought a DJI Neo and the camera impressed me.

My first drone is a BWine that is fun but has an oddball chipset so video does not render very well.

I’ve tried a few different editors including Final Cut.

Weather cooperating this weekend, I hope to test the Mavic. I live in the burbs and too much city around me.

My parents place about 90 miles away has plenty of open space for testing.

I hope to get something out of the FAA 107 I got this past summer.

[fireman15]

I want one like the pilot the other day described that went from 50k to 30k in an instant.

Maybe you could share a link to that one?

[Bullish]

My current drone is a DJI mini-3. I highly recommend DJI for anyone interested in a personal drone.

[dblshot]

I nominate Joe Scarbourgh.

[Sawdring]

I wanted to start flying a drone so I bought my own Christmas present. I watched a bunch of Youtubes and decide on a Holy Stone HS900. I have had it for a week and I still haven’t had it out yet. It has been wet and cold and I’m a little nervous but I’m thinking this weekend after I complete the wife’s chores.

[pt17]

I fly a DJI Air 3 for aerial camera photos and videos. It is a hobby.

[fireman15]

I just got a Mavic 3 pro that I have not gotten a chance to try.

I am a little jealous of that Mavic 3 pro. The weather here has been pretty crappy for the past few weeks, but there is usually sometime during the day that I can get a drone up.

I have 5 batteries including a couple extra capacity batteries for the Mini 4 Pro and the Mini 3. That usually gives me more than enough capacity to spend the day getting some good video and pictures.

My first drone is a BWine that is fun but has an oddball chipset so video does not render very well.

I was once having some difficulty getting video to render properly. I scoured the forums and could not find much helpful advice. I started using a conversion program that made it possible to use with it with my preferred nonlinear editor at that time. It turned out that Microsoft did not include the proper CODEC with Windows 10. They were holding people up for a $.99 add on from the Microsoft Store... This was totally cheesy and their part.

I would not have minded paying the $.99 but I was irritated that it took quite a bit of troubleshooting to figure out the source of the problem. I am guessing that there is probably a solution for your BWine, but with your Mavic 3 pro it would probably be a waste of time to figure out.

I have several drones that take fairly good video, I also have a tiny camera and transmitter that I can attach to almost any drone. But none of my setups have gimbals that are as good as what are found in most DJI drones.

[Sawdring]

To get the drone do you have to pass the FAA 107 test or is that to fly it legally?

[fireman15]

My current drone is a DJI mini-3. I highly recommend DJI for anyone interested in a personal drone.

I have a bunch of other drones, but the DJI’s take incredible videos and pictures. I use Litchi, Dronelink, Grid Mission Designer and other 3rd party software with the Mini-3. If you were ever interested in making a virtual map made up of many high-quality images stitched together - this video tells how.

https://youtu.be/8NN9ETHamwY?list=LL

It is easier with the Mini 3 than the Mini 4 Pro.

[fireman15]

To get the drone do you have to pass the FAA 107 test or is that to fly it legally?

You only need the FAA 107 to fly commercially. If your drone weighs less than 250 grams you don't need to register it, but you still need to follow the rules.

The rules are found here:

https://faadronezone-access.faa.gov/#/

If your drone weighs more than 250 grams you need to register it with the FAA for $5. If it weighs more than 250 grams you also need to get a Drone ID module for about $40 if the drone does not already have one... Any recently made drone which weighs more than 250 grams is required to have Remote ID when sold in the USA.

Here are the rest of the requirements from Google:

To legally fly a drone that weighs more than 250 grams in the United States, you must:
Register the drone: Register your drone with the FAA DroneZone:
The cost is $5 and the registration is valid for three years
You can use the same registration number on each drone
Display the registration number on the exterior of the drone
Take the TRUST exam: Pass the free, 15-minute TRUST exam to fly legally
Obtain Remote ID: If your drone weighs more than 250 grams, it must have Remote ID
Submit a Notice of Identification (NOI): If your drone is registered in another country, you must submit an NOI on the FAA’s DroneZone website
Obey the rules of the air: Follow all FAA guidelines and regulations, including:
Flying at or below 400 feet in Class G (uncontrolled) airspace
Using LAANC to get authorization for controlled airspace
Having a visual observer colocated with you if flying FPV
Staying below 400 feet Above Ground Level (AGL) or the maximum height allowed by LAANC for the area
Following all FAA airspace restrictions including TFRs and NOTAMs
Never flying near other aircraft
Never flying over groups of people
Never flying near emergency response activities
Never flying under the influence of drugs or alcohol

[dragnet2]

https://kval.com/news/local/life-flight-pilot-reports-seeing-ufo-near-eugene

[wally_bert]

The FAA 107 is only for commercial purposes.

Any drone over .55 has to be registered and it’s a one time thing.

[George J. Jetso]

All the drones on The View because they cannot think for themselves.

[dragnet2]

Another pilot on recording to ATC; “They’re moving at extreme speeds, I don’t even know how to describe it”.

[wally_bert]

The Mavic is one beefy little machine.

I bought it as investment to try to get paying gigs.

[Inyo-Mono]

I have a DJI MINI 2, it has a great camera on a gimble weighs less than 250 grams so no license or registration required. I use it to film video and it shoots beautiful video but if one wanted to put drone video on the internet, even on YouTube you need to license your drone.

[fireman15]

I watched a bunch of Youtubes and decide on a Holy Stone HS900. I have had it for a week and I still haven't had it out yet.

I saw some great deals on Amazon for variants of the HS900 during Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Even now you can get one of them for $299 with the $100 off coupon. My only reservation would be the price of the batteries which are $99 for a 7.7V 2250mAh battery. Even DJI charges only $65 for a standard mini 3 or mini 4 battery. I am pretty sure there will be a less expensive 3rd party solution for this sometime in the future.

https://www.amazon.com/Holy-Stone-Lightweight-Brushless-Transmission/dp/B0CYG1L5V7/

I hope that it works out well for you.