How Much Is A Drone With Camera?

So…

You’re thinking about buying a camera drone?

This article breaks down how much camera drones cost and which price range will suit you best.

This is an important topic. The price ranges include categories of drone models that work best for different types of pilots.

After reading this article, you will know exactly which price range to choose for your first drone.

My First Drone

I bought my first drone five years ago. It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. However, I didn’t exactly make a great decision model-wise.

I bought a DJI Phantom 2 Vision. It was an awesome drone, but it was a little out of my price range and I didn’t do enough research into the other options available.

I ended up crashing it into a tree and losing my investment. I should’ve started with a lower-priced model to build my skills, then upgrade along the way.

These days, however, beginner pilots can start with more advanced models because the technology has improved dramatically. Back then, this wasn’t the case.

So…How Much Is A Drone With A Camera?

Here are the categories and each price range:

• Toy Drones: $10-$50
• Hobby Drones: $50-$200
• Recreational Drones: $200-$500
• Professional Drones: $500-$2,000+

Toy Drones

Toy drones cost between $10 and $50.

These models are the cheapest because they come with the least amount of features and flight capability. They also have the lowest camera quality.

However, toy drones are also some of the funnest to fly. They can be flown indoors easily (great for when the weather isn’t cooperating), and they can be used to build your skills when you first get started.

Toy drones also make nice birthday and Christmas gifts for kids.

Hobby Drones

Hobby drones cost between $50 and $200.

Hobby drones are higher quality in almost every aspect. Most of them come with cameras, and their cameras are usually good enough for recreational photography and videography.

(Make sure not to set your expectations too high, however.)

These models sometimes come with cool features like altitude hold and return to home. And they’re more durable than toy drones.

Recreational Drones

Recreational drones cost between $200 and $500.

This category is great for pilots who want some serious features and higher quality cameras. Thanks to advances in technology in recent years, you can get some excellent drones in the price range.

These drones can come with cameras that take 8-12MP still photos and shoot video in 1080p. Some models also come with GPS capability.

Professional Drones

Professional drones cost $500 and up.

The most common price range for professional camera drones is $800 to $2000, with the majority being in the $1,000 to $1,800 range.

These drones are jam-packed with awesome specs and features. Their cameras often shoot 12-14MP still photos and shoot video in 4K. You can even get drones that take 20MP still photos and up.

These drones are great for budding pro pilots or recreational pilots who want some serious technology to play around with.

However, it is usually recommended to at least buy a cheap hobby or toy drone before buying one of these bad boys, just to get used to the sticks and gain an understanding of flight mechanics.

Which Price Is Right For Me?

The best way to decide which price range is right for you is to research a couple models in each range that interest you. Then compare them.

What is your budget? What specs do you want? What features are most important to you? Why do you want to fly your drone? Recreationally or professionally?

Answer these questions and use the guidelines above. You will know exactly which range is best for you.

Have a question? Feel free to leave a comment below.