If you have a $1000 budget then you have some really nice options in terms of what you can purchase. Pretty much everything we’ll mention here can take excellent pictures and video. They all have obstacle avoidance of some kind. They all have intelligent flight modes. Really there isn’t a bad choice here. You need to decide which one is the best choice for you. We’ll break them down for you.
We’ve tested hundreds of drones and we can help you find the right drone for any budget. Whether you want to spend $20, 200 or even $2000 we can help. Start by choosing the price range that is best for you.
| Under $50 | $100-200 | $300-400 | $500-1000 |
| $51-100 | $200-300 | $400-500 | Best Drones |
Ultimate portability-DJI Mavic Air
The DJI Mavic Air is an incredible machine. Its light weight (0.95lbs) and size make it ultra-portable, however, DJI did not make compromises when it comes to camera quality. You will be able to shoot 4K footage at 30 fps. When compared to the DJI Mavic Pro and Spark in many cases the Air comes out ahead. The front and rear obstacle avoidance help you to fly with confidence. It, of course, comes with all the intelligent flight modes you would want on a drone. The 20 minute flight time is less than some of the other drones on this list, and because of that we highly recommend the Fly More Package. It will add two batteries a nice carrying case and a few other accessories. You’ll get a solid 4000-meter range with the Mavic Air. Learn more about the Mavic Air HERE.
| Order the Mavic Air from Amazon | Order the Mavic Air directly from DJI |
Top Notch Video and Photo Quality-DJI Phantom 4 Advanced
The Phantom 4 Advanced is pretty much the same drone as the Phantom 4 Pro, with three exceptions. The Advanced only has rear obstacle avoidance. The rear doesn’t have the ability to switch from 2.4 to 5.8 GHz for better signal strength. And most importantly it is $400-500 cheaper! What is important is that it has the Pro’s camera with an impressive 1-inch sensor.
You can shoot 4K video and take 20 MP still and of course, utilizes all of DJI’s intelligent flight modes. The Phantom 4 Advanced has a range of 7000 meters and a flight time of 30 minutes. The Phantom is also a much faster drone that either of the DJI Mavic models. If you want to save even more money you could opt for a standard Phantom 4 but we believe the Phantom 4 Advanced camera is worth the upgrade. Learn more about the Phantom 4 Advanced HERE.
| Order the Phantom 4 Advanced from Amazon | Order the Phantom 4 Advanced directly from DJI |
Portable and Professional-DJI Mavic Pro
If you don’t need the top-notch professional quality camera of the Phantom 4 Advanced but want a little more flight time than the Mavic Air then take a look at DJI’s best selling drone, the Mavic Pro. The Mavic Pro changed the drone landscape when DJI released it with its folding form. The camera takes top-notch pictures and video and is capable of recording 4K and taking 12 MP stills. While it may not be as light or small as the Mavic Air it still folds up and is easy to take with you. The Mavic Pro has a range of 7000 meters and a flight time of 28-30 minutes depending on the version you choose. Now that the price has fallen this drone is one heck of a deal. Learn more about the DJI Mavic Pro HERE.
| Order a DJI Mavic Pro from Amazon | Order a DJI Mavic Pro directly from DJI |
Videography Without Limits- Yuneec Typhoon
The Yuneec Typhoon is our only non-DJI drone on this list. It is comparable to the Phantom 4 Advanced/Pro in many aspects. The six rotor design is definitely the best looking as the Typhoon looks like something out of a sci-fi film. The extra two rotors help make it stable and also work as a failsafe as the drone can still land if something happens to one of the motors. The Typhoon is a capable machine and used by pros. The landing gear retracts and allows for the camera to rotate a full 360-degrees so you can capture footage with this drone that you cannot on any other on this list. The remote has a built-in 7″ LCD monitor so you don’t have to worry about connecting your smartphone to fly. You will, of course, get intelligent flight modes with the Typhoon as well.The Typhoon has a 25 minute flight time and a 1600 meter range. Learn more about the Yuneec Typhoon.
| Order a Yuneec Typhoon from Amazon | Order a Typhoon from B & H Photo |
More Drones…
Every month we update what we believe are the best drones on the market. Check out Best Drones Now. We have also created the one-of-a-kind Half Chrome Drone Cipher™. You answer a few questions and we’ll pair you with the best drone for you.
| Best Drones Now |
Do you want to search by price? Click on your menu above or we can break it down for you. Check out drones under $50, from $50-100, from $100-200, from $200-500 or over $500. Maybe you like a good Top Ten list, we’ve got you covered.
| Drones by Price |
Learn More…
If you want to learn more about taking great pictures or flying FPV then check out our comprehensive guides on those topics. Also take a look at our articles on how to choose the right drone for great aerial photos or for getting started flying race drones. Learn more about drones and how to get the most out of them in our Drone Academy. In the Academy we also detail some of the advanced testing we do, including our recent addition, drone thrust testing.
| Drone Academy |
I Want Videos…
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| Half Chrome YouTube Channel |
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