5 Best Beginner Drone with Camera

Best Beginner Drone with Camera

Finding the best beginner drone with a camera bit challenging with the overwhelming options to choose from.  Out of the thousands of beginner drones with cameras, how can you find the best one for yourself?

Starting with an inexpensive drone is perhaps the best approach to gain substantial drone operation experience.

After all, you don’t want to unintentionally drop a drone that’s worth $2000 in the sea during trials.

To advance to more expensive and capable drones, you should first learn the basics.

In addition, should also be familiar with the latest drone operation rules that dictate if you buy a drone that’s over 250 grams, you need to take an online exam.

Drones under 250 grams are considered toys and safe to use.

In addition, the basic controls in lightweight drones will come in handy when you’re a beginner by giving you more room to build on your flying skills.

That said, we’ve selected some of the best beginner drones with cameras out there but keep in mind the designs and prices will vary from drone to drone.

Best Beginner Drone with CameraCamera ResolutionVideo ResolutionMax SpeedMax RangeBatteryControllerWeight
BETAFPV Cetus RTF Drone12 MegapixelsFull HD (1080p)50mph0.1 miles450mAH (5 minutes)Yes35 grams
DJI Mini 212 Megapixels4K (2160p) @30 fps35mph6.2 miles2250mAH (30 minutes)Yes242 grams
DJI Mini SE12 Megapixels2.7K (1520p) @30fps29mph2.5 miles2400mAH (30 minutes)Yes249 grams
Parrot Anafi FPV Drone21 Megapixels4K HDR @30fps35mph2.5 miles2700mAH (25 minutes)Yes310 grams
Ryze Tech Tello5 MegapixelsHD (720p) @30fps22mph0.08 miles1300mAH (13 minutes)No80 grams

1. BETAFPV Cetus RTF Drone

Best Beginner Drone with Camera
Best Beginner Drone with Camera – BETAFPV Cetus RTF Drone

The BETAFPV Cetus Drone Kit is very good for beginners because it includes goggles. Flying a drone with goggles gives you a virtual cockpit experience that can come in handy when you’re practicing.

In addition, you can use the goggles for stunts and racing.

This drone also has a self-protection feature whereby it can make an emergency landing when the battery is low or when the connection is poor.

It will also automatically drop to the ground if there is an intense collision with an object.

Key features include:

  • Camera Resolution: 12 Megapixels
  • Video Resolution: Full HD (1080p)
  • Max Speed: 50mph
  • Max Range: 0.1 miles
  • Battery: 450mAH (5 minutes)
  • Controller: Yes
  • Weight: 35 grams

2. DJI Mini 2

DJI Mini 2
DJI Mini 2

If you already know your way around cameras, then the DJI Mini 2 might be the best drone for you.

It’s handy both indoors and outdoors thanks to the downward-facing sonar and visual distance sensors that help it fly even without GPS.

There are optional propeller guards that you can use to prevent accidents when flying near obstacles.

What’s more, you can link the Mini 2 with the DJI app, which makes it easy to transfer photos to your phone if you can’t wait until you have access to a computer.

Key features include:

  • Camera Resolution: 12 Megapixels
  • Video Resolution: 4K (2160p) @30 fps
  • Max Speed: 35mph
  • Max Range: 6.2 miles
  • Battery: 2250mAH (30 minutes)
  • Controller: Yes
  • Weight: 242 grams

3. DJI Mini SE

Best Beginner Drone with Camera
Best Beginner Drone with Camera – DJI Mini SE

The DJI Mini SE is DJI’s cheapest foldable camera drone, and it’s a good pick if you’re a beginner and you reside in one of the countries where it’s sold.

Unfortunately, the Mini SE is currently only being sold in select countries such as Australia, Canada, and the U.S.

DJI has taken the internal components from the 2019 Mavic Mini, put it in a new body, and slashed the price. The Mini SE is an incredible drone for the price, but it lacks the range and quality of its bigger brother, the Mini 2.

Key features include:

  • Camera Resolution: 12 Megapixels
  • Video Resolution: 2.7K (1520p) @30fps
  • Max Speed: 29mph
  • Max Range: 2.5 miles
  • Battery: 2400mAH (30 minutes)
  • Controller: Yes
  • Weight: 249 grams

4. Parrot Anafi FPV Drone

Parrot Anafi FPV Drone
Parrot Anafi FPV Drone

The Anafi FPV Drone from Parrot epitomizes the combination of fun and the functional aspect of drones.

You get to fly this drone with googles and have an immersive experience.

What’s more, the drone has a very high-res camera that you can use to capture superb images.

You also get a new white balance adjustment feature that enables you to customize the color control of various lighting conditions.

Key features include:

  • Camera Resolution: 21 Megapixels
  • Video Resolution: 4K HDR @30fps
  • Max Speed: 35mph
  • Max Range: 2.5 miles
  • Battery: 2700mAH (25 minutes)
  • Controller: Yes
  • Weight: 310 grams

5. Ryze Tech Tello

Ryze Tech Tello
Best Beginner Drone with Camera – Ryze Tech Tello

The Ryze Tech Tello is a drone born out of a collaboration between Ryze and its neighboring firm DJI. This is a compact drone that’s outfitted with a lot of techs.

For instance, it can beam HD footage or 5MP stills to your phone within 100 meters.

The app records the footage and stills; what’s more, the data link between the phone and drone can show the battery percentage.

Key features include:

  • Camera Resolution: 5 Megapixels
  • Video Resolution: HD (720p) @30fps
  • Max Speed: 22mph
  • Max Range: 0.08 miles
  • Battery: 1300mAH (13 minutes)
  • Controller: No
  • Weight: 80 grams

Final Thought

Finding the best beginner drone mainly depends on where you’re going to use it.

For instance, racing drones mainly focus on speed and maneuverability, whereas photography drones focus on camera quality and stability.

But perhaps the DJI Mini 2 is the best drone with a camera for beginners; it has impressive camera quality, top speeds, and impressive range.

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