Which is the best drone of 2019? Well, it totally depends on two factors, first what is your budget and second for what purpose do you need it. If you just want to have fun, then I would recommend one of the inexpensive drones on my list. If you want an aerial movie-making machine, then you should go for the high-end drones on the list. So, what are we waiting for, let’s roll.
DJI Mavic Air
Before I tell you about DJI Mavic Air, you should know a little about DJI (Dà-Jiāng Innovations Science and Technology Co.). It’s a Chinese company known for creating some of the best drones in the market. It is the most dominant in the civilian drone industry, accounting for over 70% of the world’s drone market. Its drone technology has been used globally for music (including K-pop music videos), television (such as Better Call Saul and Game of Thrones) and film industries.
Now coming to Mavic Air, this super-compact drone takes an excellent 4K video (at 60 frames per second) and fantastic photos. I think many will agree that it’s the best drone of 2019 (even though it was launched last year).
DJI Mavic Air comes with some impressive capabilities such as front and rear obstacle avoidance, can be controlled using hand gestures, have the ability to take 360-degree photos, around 4,000-meter range and so forth. Battery life is a little short at 20 minutes, which is typical for drones of this size, but the Air’s battery can be easily swapped out.
Heavily discounted now, the portability vs. power balance of Mavic Air cannot be beaten and that’s why it sits at top of the list. Whether you are a professional or a budding aerial photographer, this is the perfect drone to throw in your backpack or suitcase (whatever you have).
DJI Mavic 2 Pro
I would’ve put this drone at first position, why I’m not doing so is because of two reasons. First, it has a huge and bulky design which makes it less portable as compared to Mavic Air, second it’s more expensive. Other than that, it comes with a plethora of great and exciting features including a 20MP Hasselblad camera with a 1-inch CMOS sensor that allows for capturing high-quality photos and video when compared to its predecessor.
There are improvements on the software side too, such as there are new modes for capturing photos and videos – including hyperlapse, which creates stunning aerial videos
But as said earlier, this all comes at a heavy price – making it a pricier proposition when compared to its previous iteration. But don’t worry, soon you’ll find it among the premium drones that retailers offer special deals on.
Yuneec Q500 4K Typhoon
Let’s cast a look at a non-DJI drone. An ideal choice for fliers who have graduated from introductory drones, Yuneec Q500 4K Typhoon is the prettiest drones on the list or by an extension one of the prettiest I have ever seen in my life.
Apart from its sharp, sleek and modern design, it also comes with other exciting features too such as a 3-axis gimbal camera along with optimized fix focus lens that allows for capturing high-quality videos and photos effortlessly, different modes (smart mode, angle mode and home mode) for different requirements and so forth.
Despite all these great features, you’ll be surprised to know that it comes at a very cheap price (at least when compared to the competition), and that is certainly a good thing.
DJI Phantom 4
DJI Phantom 4 is another drone that I would’ve placed at the top if not for its huge and bulky design. Other than that, Phantom 4 is the most polished and professional aerial movie-making machine out there.
In case you don’t know, Phantom 4 is the most popular drone in the market right now (that should be reason enough to buy this quadcopter). If you want more reasons, well, don’t worry I have got you covered. 4K video recording is supported, and the sturdy construction means you get rock-steady footage even when the quadcopter is moving fast and changing direction. Like DJI’s other drones, Phantom 4 comes with an excellent dedicated remote control that connects to an equally feature-rich Smartphone app.
And it brings all these features at an affordable price thus making it an excellent option for amateurs as well as experienced professionals.
DJI Mavic Pro
Highly portable, DJI Mavic Pro can be folded to the size of a small bottle of water (I’m serious). Furthermore, it comes with the OcuSync transmission system, which gives the quadcopter a transmission range of over four miles (4.3 to be precise). While the controller can fly the drone at an impressive speed of 40mph.
Other than that, Mavic Pro comes with vision positioning technology that works in parallel with GPS and GLONASS making sure that the drone positioning remains precise anyplace, anywhere.
Thanks to the advanced technology, you can easily control the drone via your Smartphone with the help of Wi-Fi. This feature really comes in handy especially when it’s a boring afternoon on Sunday and you’re feeling lazy indoors and want to play with your quadcopter.
DJI Inspire 2
A great improvement over its predecessor, DJI Inspire 2 is a highly impressive drone that comes with a sleek metal composite bodywork & advanced object avoidance technology, so you wouldn’t have to worry about that attractive body getting scratched by you accidentally clipping a tree.
A powerful cinematic and photographic tool, Inspire 2 is compatible with 5.2K Gimbal Cameras and features CineCore 2.0 Image Processing. Its battery life is not that bad either, the twin-battery arrangement offers around twenty-five minutes of flight time. Also, the pros will surely love that they can swap the camera lenses thus allowing them full control over their images and 5K video.
Its fully-featured app and dedicated remote control is the cherry on top. But remember this is a professional piece of kit.
DJI Inspire 1
Very intimidating in appearance, DJI Inspire 1 comes with a ready to fly system and the option to be controlled with 2 controllers (although, you can also opt for the one that only has 1 control with it).
The feature-rich device comes with many exciting features including a 4K video camera (mounted on a gimbal, it’s upgradeable), a controller which boasts amazing range (you’ll need to supply a monitor via your Smartphone’s screen, though), is extremely easy to setup and even easier to fly once you have the proper hold of it.
The only shortcomings of this drone are its cost and its battery that only gives you around 20 mins of flight time before it needs recharging.