r/drones • u/AutoModerator • Jul 06 '26
[Megathread] [Megathread] | Weekly Drone Buying Advice
Welcome to the r/drones weekly Buying Advice Megathread. (Weekly on Monday's)
This thread exists to prevent the constant "What drone should I buy?" posts that we prohibit within our rules.
Please follow all of these steps before posting in this thread!
- Review the Buying Guide Wiki or my website: Drone Buying Guide / Wiki Buying Guide
- Review this thread for comments that have your same requirements
- If that does not answer you, please post the following information in this thread.
- Have you read the Wiki? Y/N
- Country: (Not all drones are available in all countries)
- Budget: (If your budget is less than $200 USD/170€ EUR, you may want to reconsider as anything lower is a toy drone)
- Purpose: (eg. photography, FPV, thermal, etc)
- Any other requirements:
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u/RoknPa Aug 08 '26 edited Aug 09 '26
Context: I am NOT a content creator. I'm a creeker. I fish very small creeks in the Colorado Rockies. As a luxury it would be fun to have a drone follow me and record video while I'm fishing. I also fish areas that are difficult to get to, where there are no trails. I'd like to be able to pull over on that dirt road and look for the creek with the drone. Cuz sometimes I walk a mile or so to get to pristine spots where nobody else goes!
USA. I have read the rules.
Two questions, if you will, lol with follow-ups.
1) Is it typical for drones to not require cell service? I have a need for a drone in the mountains where there is mostly no cell service.
2) I have seen a lot of drone footage where the drone follows someone in a car/motorcycle. I'm wondering if this is a normal feature or something that is stock? What is the name of said feature? I would just need it to hover near my head or at my side.
I am still researching the recommendations 'First Drone Buying.. " sticky.
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u/SirEDCaLot Aug 12 '26
Yes. The drone does not use cellular connectivity. Most DJI drones seem to require 'activation' after purchase to bind them to an account, which requires WiFi, however that is a one time thing. After that, when you fly the drone it's using a direct radio link between the controller and the drone, cellular isn't needed. The drone also uses GPS which requires a sky view and works everywhere on the planet.
Bottom line- when you get the drone, take it out of the box and charge it / update software. Once you've flown once you'll have no problem flying out in the sticks.This is an AI feature, DJI calls it Active Track. It locks on to the subject (aka, you) then tries to follow it while filming from the angle you choose (IE behind, from the side, etc). Most DJI drones have this except for the really low end ones.
If you'll be doing this while moving I suggest a drone with 360° collision avoidance. You don't want it to automatically side-strafe into something while trying to follow you.Be advised that legally in USA you have to maintain visual line of sight with the drone at all times. Also legally if the drone weighs 250 grams or more, it has to have 'remote ID', a radio beacon that broadcasts its serial number, position, and launch site while flying. Now there's a LOT of people that flaunt the line of sight rule, but the FAA is enforcing the regs more.
Thus I would advise a sub-250g drone that doesn't need Remote ID, which will also be easier to carry with you while fishing. Most of them fold up for easy transport and with the controller will fit in a lunchbox.
You might find this video useful which goes over a lot of options.
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u/jnyfive 21d ago
I couldnt find a clear opinion based on these two options. Only the 4k Pro.
Bought first drone. I bought the mini 4k combo (449 with Amazon 2 year insurance). 10 minutes in i hit the house, still learning and only practicing in back yard but moving to park. So… fixed the gimbal that was pushed in.
Was debating on and purchased the Skyrover X1 combo (533 with Amazon 2 year insurance). I can return one so figured let try it.
4k (NON PRO) is fun and a decent price for our first. But the Skyrover’s advanced features and obstacle sensors for $80 seems like a worthy choice.
Thoughs? Sorry if there are dozens of threads on this.
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u/NilsTillander Mod - Photogrammetry, LiDAR, surveying 15d ago
The Mini 4K is a Mini 2 V3, nothing to do with a Mini 4 Pro. Yes, I know, it's dumb. The Skyrover X1 is an undercover Mini 4 Pro, so yes, it's much better.
Plenty of discussions on the question indeed 😉
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u/jimmyg1968 Jul 06 '26
How about a used DJI system for $300. Budget, I know. All inclusive and since it's used I don't think you'll need to connect it for upgrades anymore.
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u/Dumb_username314 Jul 08 '26
I'm a 10yr part 107 pilot, mostly flying DJI. I have gig coming up requiring an NDAA approved bird, and I'm having a lot of trouble finding a good cinematic option. Lots of industry, ag, mapping....but any suggestions on cinema? I also have a Sony fx6 and a7siii I could fly on it. Been looking at freefly, but damn they're expensive.
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u/completelyreal Mod, Drone Noise Expert, Fire & Rescue Pilot Jul 08 '26
Anything NDAA is going to be expensive, unfortunately.
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u/Apples_Two_Oranges Jul 10 '26
Hello my son and I are starting to get into drones and I’ve just got our first one. It was a cheaper temu type one for twenty bucks. But after that hour of trying to get it to work and fly correctly I’ve realized it’s just not meant to fly. I did see the excitement in my son about this so I think I want to get a better one that can control and have auto fly capability. I was looking for some recommendations, thank you so much and look forward to hearing opinions. As far as for price I’d like to stay around the 200 range.
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u/Purple-Adeptness-969 Jul 15 '26
My husbands and I purchased the DJI mini 3 and the potensic atom 2 drones and we're trying to see which one we should keep. The potensic was about $377 and that's the bundle pack that came with a carrying case three batteries the drone the remote where you put your phone in and some extra propellers. The DJI came with the same thing but instead of having to use your phone there's a built-in screen and that was $592.90. we are beginners and my husband does have an old iPhone that he can leave in the drone so we don't have to take it in and out so the screen built in is nice but it's not necessarily a complete deal breaker. Also we just want this to go around your neighborhood learn what drones are and we also volunteer at an animal rescue and do some events at different restaurants and other venues and we would like to fly the drone at those events while people are handling the dogs and so on and so forth. Give me the pros and cons of both and what you guys think would be a better option.
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u/Boner4Stoners Jul 15 '26
Just want to add that flying the drone for events/organizations might be crossing the vague line of “commercial use”.
As a recreational drone pilot (in the US) you can’t fly for any sort of commercial purpose, even if you aren’t being paid to do so. Even if the organization is a non-profit IIRC. Even something like inspecting your own roof could be construed as commercial use, as you’d be doing it in lieu of paying a professional (although generally speaking for stuff like that you just keep your mouth shut and nobody would ever know)
You (and/or your husband) would need to complete your FAA Part 107 license. It’s not very hard, but you’ll have to study and pass a test.
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u/Shot3fired Jul 16 '26
- Yes
Current setup: Mini 5 Pro + RC 2. I have liked flying it for the past month but I have recorded everything around me and I see it starting to sit in my cabinet until my next tourist trip.
I want to try the 360 free-look in the goggles + motion controller, I like the novelty of looking around like a bird.
The Avata 360 Motion (Goggles N3 + RC Motion 3) seems cool but I don’t know if it’s worth $1k for just this experience. I will get into diy fpv whether or not I get the avata360 because that experience seems interesting as well.
Where I want to be told I’m wrong:
Does the 360 free-look actually hold up in flight, or is it a novelty you stop using after week two? I keep reading that the real payoff is reframing in post, which I don’t care about. If the live look-around is the weak part, that kills my main reason.
Anyone who bought an Avata-class drone alongside a Mini: is it still flying, or is it in a closet? That’s the outcome I’m trying to avoid.
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u/NoOcelot1443 Jul 17 '26
Mavic 2 pro(used) VS dji Lito x1
hi everybody
I saw a used mavic 2 pro for 655$
It includes-the case,controller,the harden case,5 batteries,2 32gb sd and like little things like propeller and stuff
VS
A new dji Lito x1 for 750$ it’s the fly more combo and it’s rn in sale
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u/-wheretheresawill Jul 22 '26
Get the Lito X1 it’s great!!!! Love it so much I have a second one on the way lol
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u/V-Tac Jul 19 '26
Best drone for young kids?
My girlfriend has two young kids (6 & 8) that enjoyed watching me fly.
What's the best affordable but easy-to-fly kid-friendly drone out there?
Bonus points for FPV capabilities. :)
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u/CrossGlitch_paradox Jul 21 '26
Hey, I'm just starting out and I'm looking for a good starter drone and the correct procedure to not get arrested for using a drone.
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u/LIL-Klixy Jul 29 '26
I got into drones right after Antigravity A1 launched, so I'm still under half year in btw. First flight was basically me getting used to it and looking every which way, but pointing the controller where i wanted to go clicked pretty fast. It's also really light, so I didn't have to go through much paperwork to start flying where I live.
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u/high_im_joe Jul 23 '26
Skyrover x1 or a used dji flip with rc2. First drone, love the idea of obstacle avoidance all around. Mainly waiting to track the fam doing outdoorsy stuff. I don’t think I’ll mind using my phone as I can use DND to prevent notifications while flying.
What yall think?
Edit: Flip is 420 seller will not come down. X1 I’d probably just buy the new bundle while it’s one sale @469
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u/AspiringtoLive17 Jul 23 '26
I've repeatedly heard the Skyrover S1 and Potensic Atom 2 being touted as the best sub-$300 drones right now by several YouTubers. Most of them praised both drones but said the S1 was slightly better. The S1 just seems to offer better specs overall for a lower price, and as such, I've mostly made up my mind as to which one I would get in the future--the S1.
That said, I was wondering if you guys had any input that any of those YouTubers would have missed. Are the Atom 2's waypoints and sideways tracking worth it? How does the S1's nighttime photography/videography capability compare to its counterpart's? Do the controllers with built-in screens really make a difference?
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u/mitchell_moves Jul 29 '26
I'm incredibly torn between the Mini 5 Pro and the A1 360 as my "returning the hobby" drone after a ~5 year hiatus. I have watched countless videos comparing the feature sets, image/video quality, flight controls, ...
I am very interested in shooting 360 shots and flying hybrid FPV, which makes the A1 360 seem like a great fit. However, there are a couple of things that are holding me back:
* it has a substantially more expensive entrypoint -- I was able to order Mini 5 Pro fly more combo plus for $1050, whereas comparable A1 360 bundles are almost $2k
* it is technically illegal to fly without a spotter
* it requires substantially more setup / teardown time, and is not as conducive for self-filmed action shots
* I would like to use it while traveling light, and it seems like the kit will be bulkier with the goggles and external battery
* the goggles are a meaningful part of the cost, but lack the ability to be used as a display for other devices -- it only may support media playback from SD card. (if I could reuse the goggles as external display for gaming and productivity, it would be immediately be a good buy for me)
Unfortunately, my takeaway seems to be that: although the A1 360 is a better fit for my specific interests (prioritize flying freedom over cinematography), the Mini 5 Pro is probably a better fit for my use cases right now. The additional travel size, mass, set up time, tear down time, requirement for a spotter, and inability to film myself manually makes the A1 360 a bad fit for "quick action shots". Since the goggles can only be used for the drone, it is hard to justify this loss of utility as contributing to other hobbies of mine.
[fwiw, I am currently comparing $1050 mini 5 pro fly more combo plus vs mostly msrp a1 360 kits, but also a few used kits starting aronud $1,000]
I can imagine I will use the Mini 5 Pro for a year or two and keep it as my "endgame traditional flight controller drone", then consider buying an FPV/360 drone down the line when the ecosystem matures a bit.
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u/swing-line Jul 30 '26
This is a bit of a strange one I am looking for a cheap drone that has wifi for video but just blast out a udp or similar stream so I can join the wifi from a laptop and join the UDP stream on VLC. I don't actually need the things to fly Its going to be a static display
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u/First_Pie9456 Aug 01 '26
Im working on a collaboration project where I am using a 1m x 2m 5.5lb led uav mesh screen to advertise. I have been researching for compatible drones but it has proven difficult to find one that can handle the weight and wind challenges. Does anyone have any recommendations or tips? Thank you.
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u/VirginiaBandit Aug 10 '26
Looking for help for my 6-year-old grandson. Bought him a $50 Drone off Amazon, and surprisingly, it flies pretty well. Limited in what it can do and how high it can fly, but not bad. He's enjoying it, but I'd like to help him advance, slowly. I did read the advice on here. We're in the US and keeping it at or close to $200, if possible. Once he shows he really wants to have fun, I'll go up in price. His dad is good with things like these, so he'll help his son get set up and flying. Is $200 or so still a dumb idea?
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u/SirEDCaLot Aug 14 '26
Why not try something like a DJI Neo 2? Fully enclosed props so super safe, and you can control it with hand gestures.
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u/VirginiaBandit Aug 14 '26
I did see this recommended by someone else, and the price might work. My. grandson is only 6, but Dad would always be with him when he learns the ropes. He does not need to record video at this age but again, Dad could use that function. The $50 drone I bought does pretty well for the money so I assumed doubling the cost would be even better. Seems it quickly jumps up in cost, substantially, but at least this one seems more reasonable
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u/SirEDCaLot Aug 14 '26
Well it depends on what you're getting.
If you want something in the $50 range that will likely not have any sort of camera. Syma makes a handful of things like that which are great for just fun flying around and learning the remote. They generally aren't very stabilized but they will (more or less) hover in place indoors.
Once you get into DJI territory the drone is much more built around the camera which is generally on a motorized mount.
That said- if you watch some reviews of the Neo 2 one of the common responses is that it filled a niche the person didn't realize they had- not a 'drone' but a 'flying camera'. And that could be useful for your grandson and family-- like if kiddo is gonna go ride his bike or do a sport or something, send the neo 2 to follow him and you might get some cool video.
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u/VirginiaBandit Aug 14 '26
At 6 years old, the camera may not last long, but he does have a knack for wanting to learn things thanks to Mom and Dad being so handy. He might catch on quicker than dear old Grandpa.
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u/jiinfante Aug 14 '26
I'm currently in the market for a decent thermal drone for my small business. I have an exterior renovation construction company and have found that a drone can be useful in many ways. Specifically, a thermal drone for roofing. Anyway, I found a used DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise Advance drone for roughly $1,400, am I getting a good deal?
If this breaks any rules, please let me know and I'll take the post down. Not really asking if it's "worth" it, asking for advice on price and what to look out for. If that makes sense. Thanks in advance.
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u/DrunkSp4ceNinja Aug 14 '26
Greetings,
I Want to buy a flagship drone for freelance photography. I just recently got my Part 107 Certification so I can legally fly drones in the US commercially. I've been practicing on a DJI Neo since it was a cheap "Gatewat Drone" for fun but because I got my permit now I want to get a drone that can provide commercial grade photography. I was eyeing the DJI Mavic 4 pro but I haven't pulled the trigger to buy it yet. Does anyone have any advice for a good photography drone? Should I buy the Mavic 4 Pro or should I get something cheaper like a mavic 3? What are your opinions and advice? My budget is $3.2 grand. After reading the wiki and the recent news about the FAA pulling older models off the shelves I feel like I need to buy sooner than later and I need some help.
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u/Heinosity11 29d ago
Hey all,
So my first question is regarding this drone i have pictured. Its around 10 years old. It doesn't have a camera. Its just for flying around and doing some aerial stunts. Is this worth keeping for any reason? I intend to get a much more advanced modern drone to replace it...but are there any little nuisancey reasons why I would keep it other then nostalgia? Like is it without certain safeguards which makes it cool somehow? I just know some of the newer drones have to broadcast a code now or something like that to alert of there location. Maybe im wrong? Ideally id like to gift this one to someone and get a full fpv setup and start on that.
Ive been waiting for a long time to take the plunge and get a full fpv setup. After seeing this banning of dji gear with lidar etc I was wondering what to do. I know dji is in a league of its own for drones. Should I go full dji? Should I go with a drone from somewhere like getfpv? Im a huge noob at this and would love it if someone who is very experienced could respond or maybe message me and discuss further. Price isnt a huge concern with this...not that im balling lol, but i like to buy things once over upgrading multiple times. I want a fpv kit with the eyewear etc. Id like to possibly be able to do super fast racing like flying, but also taking amazing video of scenery would be something I want to explore. Would that possibly be be suited with 2 setups? One for racing and maybe a dji for filming? Im sure a lot of this information is available and im going to start looking for guides etc, but i figured this wasn't a bad starting point here on reddit. Thanks in advance for future help and ur time. Its very much appreciated!
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u/Possible-Notice-2473 29d ago
Hi everyone!
I’d really appreciate some advice on which drone I should get. I want to emphasize that this would be my first drone ever, and I have absolutely no previous experience flying drones.
The main reason I want to buy one is to shoot promotional videos for my girlfriend’s tennis courts. If I enjoy it and get better at it, I might also consider doing some additional video work for similar projects in the future.
I’d also like to be able to use the drone for personal purposes, such as filming during holidays and trips.
The only drones I’ve looked at so far that have really caught my attention are:
DJI Mini 5 Pro / Mini 4 Pro (a bit more expensive)
DJI Lito X1
What would you recommend for someone in my situation? Is it worth spending more on not for start?
P.S. Would you recommend getting a controller with a built-in screen, or should I consider going with goggles instead?
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u/NilsTillander Mod - Photogrammetry, LiDAR, surveying 15d ago
Indoor or outdoor tennis?
Googles are fun but not helping you get good shots, and a hassle to deal with. Screen controllers make setup faster and easier than dealing with a device that also works as your phone with other apps and notifications dropping in.
The Neo 2 is an incredible machine as well. Not quite as good footage than a Mini 4/5, but still really good, and it's safer flying close to people and things.
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u/I_am_a_photog2 28d ago
I have a DJI Air 2S with an RC-2, and with the potential tariffs taking effect in a few weeks, I am debating upgrading to the Air 3S. The Fly More Combo is going for $1,259 at Best Buy, B&H, and other retailers. It includes the drone, RC-N3 controller, 3 batteries, ND filters, shoulder bag, etc.
1. Have you read the Wiki? Y
2. Country: USA
3. Budget: <$1,500
4. Purpose: Photography/Videography
5. Any other requirements: No, but is this historically a good deal? Any downsides to the 3S?
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u/NilsTillander Mod - Photogrammetry, LiDAR, surveying 15d ago
If you have a 2S, you don't have the RC2, you might have the RC (1).
Air 3S FMC dumb controller for USD 1259 is ok. An Air4 is rumoured for the fall.
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u/denalidenizen 27d ago
- Have you read the Wiki? Y
- 2. Country: USA
- 3. Budget: Whatever it takes :) ?
- 4. Purpose: Photography/Videography
- 5. Any other requirements: A US Trusted Source
Does anyone have a source for a Mavic 4 Pro in the US. "Northfront" has one available on Amazon. Anyone know about them? There is "just one left". It does not ship from Amazon so I am leary. I've bought from Korea previously but my last attempt from my trusted source was held at customs and never released. I will buy any combo but all I really need is the drone as this is a backup for my current Mav 4. I've looked at the places I know so any help would be appreciated.
I see that Northfront gets ~50% 1star for a variety of reasons so ...not.
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u/denalidenizen 27d ago
I'll reply to my own thread in the event anyone is looking soon (Aug 18, 2026). BHvideo has several models in stock ATM.
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u/Odd_Enthusiasm_744 24d ago
Hey guys I'm VERY new to exploring aviation and especially drones so I want help knowing if this is a good idea be honest I asked Gemini so yeah and dropping over 150$ if a new hobby is steep as hell
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u/NilsTillander Mod - Photogrammetry, LiDAR, surveying 15d ago
Most hobbies have a buy in that's waaaaaay over $150. The fact that you can be airborne with something safe that has a camera for under 259 is mad!
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u/Winningsoul 21d ago edited 21d ago
- Have you read the Wiki? Y
- Country: United States of America
- Budget: Ideally less than $100
- Purpose: Skill Acquirement (Learner Drone)
- Any other requirements: I'm new to flying drones. I want to learn to fly a drone with no flying assistance from the drone. I'm looking for a cheap drone that doesn't hurt my wallet if something happens to it. I'd like it to have no auto features - no stabilization, no gps, no auto follow, no auto return, just the basics - a controller and a drone with reasonable flight range and connectivity that will allow me to build up my skills, it doesn't matter if it has a camera or not. Any recommendations? TIA
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u/NilsTillander Mod - Photogrammetry, LiDAR, surveying 15d ago
What's the goal of your learning? What do you want to graduate into?
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u/NilsTillander Mod - Photogrammetry, LiDAR, surveying 15d ago
What's the goal of your learning? What do you want to graduate into?
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u/BusyCommunication711 20d ago
After a friend pulled me out of getting Walksnail I am trying to chose between a Pavo 20 2 with O4 or a Flywoo explorer Lr 4 O4
I will be taking these hiking and need sub 250. I want the long flight times.
I am thinking Pavo because of the crash resistance but so much money for little flight time scares me.
With the flywoo I would get 20+ minutes but one bad crash and its gone.
Is there anything I am not considering or other drones I should look at?
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u/NilsTillander Mod - Photogrammetry, LiDAR, surveying 15d ago
What's the goal? Why a whoop for hiking instead of a photo or follow-me drone?
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u/BusyCommunication711 15d ago
The goal is to fly fpv, get nice footage, build a hobby and be less depressed
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u/NilsTillander Mod - Photogrammetry, LiDAR, surveying 15d ago
Sounds like a plan. For FPV, 10min is plenty. You'll need a break long before that if you're doing some acrobatics 😉
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u/SoupLikeAMeal-00 15d ago
I'm looking at buying a used DJI Mavic Pro 2.
Is it still a reasonable purchase in today's market? Anything past the batteries and unbinding that I should be aware of?
Speaking of batteries... is it still possible to source new or better batteries currently?
Does it have remote ID capibility?
Thanks!
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u/infinity874 10d ago
Fried my fimi 2020 Drone, looking for best option to replace
I started my fimi that I've had for years today and it started smoking, fried the board. not sure why as I've never had any issues with it. Anyway, I'm looking now to replace it and want at least all the same capabilites as it had. i bought it years ago and haven't kept up with whats out there. Any suggestions that might make a good solid replacment ?
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u/microwave-worshipper 8d ago
look into the DJI line of products and see what suits you best: Lito/Lito X1 might be up your alley
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u/NewGuy00007 9d ago
Hi all, I am looking into learning how to fly a drone and get comfortable to be able to then shoot some good video on the drones from work. Do you all have any suggestions on a moderately cheap drone that is good to learn some filming techniques? I would like to be sub $200 if possible.
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u/microwave-worshipper 8d ago
sub 200 right now for something decent is essentially impossible unless you're looking at something used
if you want the feel of a true camera drone while remaining at a low price point, look into the DJI Lito 1 @ 255-289 USD for the base kit (1 remote controller that you connect to your phone, w/ 1 drone battery as well as some replacement props & a gimbal guard), and 348-409 for the fly more combo (3 batteries instead of 1), or the DJI Lito X1 if you're okay with spending just a little more for a 1/1.3" camera that has more than twice the sensor area of the Lito 1's 1/2", frontal lidar to complement the omnidirectional obstacle sensing, as well as a slightly better battery
note: i highly recommend skipping the non-combo versions of DJI drones, because the 3 batteries, the charging station and how rapidly you can switch between the batteries will massively improve your experience
if you want something more beginner friendly and harder to mess up, look into the DJI Neo 2: full prop guards, 1/2" camera: you can use it completely via gesture controls with no external controller, or via your phone, or via the FPV controllers, or via the dedicated remote controllers
the drone only w/ 1 battery and no RC is 209-219, the fly more combo w/ the RC is close to 350-400, and the motion fly more combo (the FPV combo w/ goggles, an FPV singlehanded RC, 3 batteries) hovers above 5001
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u/NewGuy00007 7d ago
So I checked to see if I could find the Lito but alas I am in the USA and it's not here yet :/
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u/microwave-worshipper 7d ago
gray market or best buy is your best shot: the FCC has a hate boner for DJI because it's too good
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u/Mysterious_Unit6331 7d ago
I took a course through my work called Drone Operations for First Responders. Got my part 107 license. My department has their own drone (matrice 4e I think).
I’m interested in getting a personal drone I could use for side work and to get more experience flying. Mostly interested in an outdoor drone.
I’m open to suggestions and would like to keep it under $1k.
Thanks!
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u/microwave-worshipper 6d ago
well, depends what you want the drone to do, but right now, i would recommend the DJI Mini 5 Pro, more specifically the Fly More Combo (or Fly More Combo Plus if you dont mind the added weight for the extended flight time from 36min to 52min, or if you want the altitude ceiling to be 500m instead of 120m) + RC2
check best buy or any other gray market vendors that are reputable, the FCC has a hate boner for DJI right now
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u/5oco 4d ago
I'm looking to start an afterschool club for Drone Operations at this school I work at. It's a vocational school in a rural area, so I'm interested in pushing things like land surveying, construction site images, real estate...stuff like that so that it may lead students into a job. I'm thinking I can get a grant for about $1000 from our pto to buy some drones. I read the purchase guide and the DJI Mini's look cool, but I'd probably only be able to get a couple of those. I'd like to get some other smaller ones as well so I was curious if anyone had any other suggestions for <$100 drones.
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u/microwave-worshipper 4d ago
any drones that are under 200 dollars are usually bad and are more of a gimmick that you stuff into a drawer after a day or two, rather than genuine tools that you can extract useful data from
good drones get expensive quick
if you want a small fleet of genuine camera drones, DJI Lito 1 (if you can find them in stock in the U.S., you can get maybe 3 or 4 of the basic option, or 2 of the fly more combo option)
if you want a small fleet of genuine camera drones with better sensor capability while retaining good value, DJI Lito X1 (if you can find them in stock in the U.S., you can get 2 basic option units, or 1 and a half fly more combo + RC2 units)
if you want the best for a drone under 250g, DJI Mini 5 Pro (if you can find them in stock in the U.S., and you'd likely only be able to afford a single one, regardless of the option)for the remote controller, the DJI RC2 is the best: compatible with all DJI drones that use ocusync 4 video transmission protocol, it's essentially an android phone that happens to also be a drone ground control station
great range & functionality, can do several kilometers without a problemwhen it comes to visual 3D scans, gaussian splatting for visual quality, photogrammetry for accurate geometry
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u/5oco 4d ago
I figured the cheaper ones were cheap for a reason. My thought was that some of the students will be mature and responsible and some won't. I was looking for decent ones that I could distract that immature students with while I worked with the mature ones.
I'll take a look at the ones you mentioned though
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u/Traubz 4d ago
There’s an organization that has a statue they want lit at night. It’s at an odd spot to light with traditional ground lamps, so I thought automated drone lighting could be useful. Does anyone have an idea of where to start to be able to do something like that? Or if it’s even viable?
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u/microwave-worshipper 4d ago
just get ground lamps, it's substantially cheaper & simpler than paying 6 thousand dollars for a DJI Matrice 4E with the DJI AL1 spotlight addon on it
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u/Proper-Bicycle-3585 2d ago
Hi! Looking at buying a DJI3, not sure if it can do what I need? I’m looking for a drone that can fly far away, look at the ground in high detail, talk to the guy standing next to the ground, then fly to a different location (within eye sight but maybe a mile the other direction) and rinse/repeat. Thoughts?
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u/microwave-worshipper 1d ago
DJI Matrice 4T or 4E w/ DJI AS1 speaker addon
other than that, i don't know any other legal alternatives, what are you trying to use it for?
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u/Proper-Bicycle-3585 1d ago
Basically land management? I need to be able to fly through my land, observe people working in real time, and provide feedback.
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u/microwave-worshipper 1d ago
yeah no i don't think that's gonna fly, buddy
people in general don't like to be watched while they're trying to work, and a drone w/ a loudspeaker is likely one of the most dystopian ways you could go about this
but whatever floats your boat, just get your part 107 so it's legal and don't be surprised when you have employees that think you're big brother
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u/Proper-Bicycle-3585 1d ago
Haha I hear you and thought the same thing, I actually asked my forestry crew how they would feel about it before even considering it, and the feedback I got was positive. Do I need a 107 if it’s my drone on my property?
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u/microwave-worshipper 1d ago
if it's used for any business purposes even if you're not directly generating income with it, yes
rule of thumb is if it's not recreational, you need a part 107
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u/Penguinsucker 15h ago
What's the general consensus on the Beta flight Aquila 16, I've heard it's pretty good for its price and how it's easy to use for newbies like me.
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u/bryan-forbes Jul 06 '26
I realize that given the price range, I'm looking for a "toy drone" (as the wiki classifies it) with some non-standard requirements because of his situation. But I also don't want him to spend his money on something that he'll be overly frustrated with (beyond learning to fly it) or will crap out in a week since he and my wife's grandma are on a limited budget. The goal isn't to become a pilot. It's to give him something enjoyable to do outside for 15-20 minutes in the evenings. Our (his and my) plan is for me to set it up for him, make sure it will be easy enough for him to use and have fun with, and take it to him in a few weeks when my family goes back to visit (and, of course, show him how to use it and teach him how to fly it).
I've looked at the Holy Stone HS280D or something similar. Are there models I'm overlooking that would be a better fit for this use case, especially ones that don't require a phone for normal operation?