Why I am qualified to give the best drone advice
I grew up with remote-control aviation in the '90s, spent 20 years with a commercial airline company as a pilot, and have been a commercial drone services provider (DSP) in Cleveland, Ohio now for 6 years shooting everything from real estate, construction, inspection to high-end TV and Film video production (you can read my story here), and so I have developed some strong opinions about what drone is best to use for certain tasks.
While you will find that I am mostly recommending DJI products, that doesn't mean that other manufacturers' (Autel, Skydio, Parrot, etc.) drones are subpar by any means. It's just that I adopted the DJI platform from the start and stuck with it because it works for me and I've learned the 'ins and outs' of their products. Investing in a new platform always takes time, so unless I am forced to quit DJI products with new regulations or there are clear advantages over existing DJI products, I am not keen on investing a lot of time and money to learn them. However, if I do find and try out new drones that provide a similar or better price/value ratio, I will update this blog post.
Disclosure: these drone recommendations include affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. However, I am only recommending the products I use and stand by (you can see the drones I own with their specs here).
What is the Best Drone for Beginners and Best Small Drone?
If you are just starting with drones and are in the market for a compact drone with a camera that can produce great video and photos for you to take on the road, the DJI Air 2S is your best bet as of 2021. It is highly portable with a compact folding design, impressive image and video quality (it can shoot 5.4K video), and has many beginner-friendly features along with some autonomous flight modes. If you are looking for something even smaller (under 250 grams) and cheaper, then you might want to consider the DJI MINI 2 as an option.
What is the Best Drone for Kids and Beginners for under $100?
A few years ago I purchased the DJI Tello Drone so my wife and kids can join in on my passion for drones with this incredibly easy-to-use drone from the DJI platform. It is conveniently operated with the DJI Tello app from your smartphone touchscreen, has a camera for photos and video, and quite a few fun flying features to try out (like Bounce Mode, 8D flips, Up & Away, etc.).
My wife and kids had no problem flying and performing fun tricks with it within minutes, and if something does happen to it while they are flying it, it isn't a huge loss.
Best Drone for Video and Cinematography
While I use the DJI Inspire 2 and DJI Mavic 2 Pro for many of my cinematography jobs, my vote for video production will always go to DJI Inspire 2. The Inspire 2 allows for using different lenses on the camera – something you can't do with the Mavic 2 or any of the other DJI models. Couple that with the ability to shoot in Apple ProRes and CinemaDNG (aka, RAW), if you purchase DJI Inspire 2 with the licenses to do so, and the Inspire 2 can capture video that looks far superior to the Mavic 2.
One of the benefits of being able to shoot in ProRes or CinemaDNG is that it allows for matching the aerial shots to other cameras that are being used for filming by allowing much more flexibility in color correction and grading in drone video post-production (video editing) to get the right 'look' that they want to achieve. However, using the Inspire 2 comes with higher operational costs and therefore higher client pricing. If the client doesn't require it or doesn't want to pay for it, that is where the Mavic 2 Pro comes in.
For its small form factor, the Mavic 2 Pro can still 'pack a punch' when it comes to video. It allows for shooting in 4K, LOG (for color grading in post-production), or Normal color profiles, and has 10-bit color depth. If you know what you're doing, you can get some great imagery out of the Mavic 2 Pro.
DJI Air 2S is a great alternative to Mavic 2 Pro (and as stated above, also great for its compactness and good video quality), but I already owned the Mavic 2 Pro when Air 2 S came out, so there is no need for me to have both.
You can check out my video portfolio here. They were all taken with one of the drones I am recommending here (Phantom 4 Pro, Mavic 2 Pro, Inspire 2).
Best Drone for Inspection, Mapping, Modeling, Surveying, and Construction Jobs
The workhorse of my fleet is the DJI Phantom 4 Pro. I've owned several of its predecessors (Phantom 2 and 3 Pro) and have a couple of 4's currently, so that is my 'go-to' drone for inspection, mapping, and 3D modeling type jobs. The main reason for this is that it is the only DJI drone equipped with the global vs. rolling shutter (you can learn the detailed differences between them here, but in short global shutter helps make more precise photographs while in motion), making DJI Phantom 4 Pro the best drone for accurate and practical drone photogrammetry.
What is the Best Drone for the Money?
There is no straightforward answer here. It all depends on what job you are using the drone for.
If you are looking for a drone that can perform a variety of tasks well (including photography, photogrammetry, and video), I would recommend the DJI Phantom 4 Pro.
If you are interested in getting started with aerial photography and videography, the Mavic 2 PRO, Mavic Air 2, or DJI Air 2S would be my choice.
If you do end up buying a drone, be sure to read my Beginner Guide to Drones and Drone Pilot License blog posts to learn more about operating your drone in a safe and legal manner.
Contact me if you are looking for a drone consultation, quote for your business, or are interested in drone flight and FAA Part 107 Certificate training. Follow me on social media to see our work and drone advice and tutorials - links are at the bottom of the website pages. Good luck and happy flying!