Best Drones 2

January 2017

Half Chrome is bringing you two excellent ways for you to find the right drone for you. We update this Best Drones Now post as new drones are released and tested. The other awesome way to find the best drone for you is the Half Chrome Drone Cipher™. This is a one-of-a-kind application to help you weed through the 100s of drones out there with just a few simple questions. It takes just about 1 minute to complete the process, and by the end you will know the right drone for you. If answering questions isn’t your thing, just scroll down to see a list of the best drones that are available today to fit your specific needs. Click here to try the Half Chrome Drone Cipher™.

▪Professional Photography Drones Over $1000
▪Professional/Advanced Drones Under $1000
▪Advanced Drones Under $500
▪Drones Under $200
▪Starter Drones with Extra Features Under $100
▪Starter Drones Under $50

Best Professional Photography Drones Over $1000

DJI has been pushing the envelope on drone technology and their last two releases are no exception. The Inspire 2 and the Phantom 4 Professional truly are in a class by themselves. The Inspire 2 has no peers. It is fast, efficient, and capable of 5K video.  Yes, 5K! It isn’t cheap and starts around $3,000, but if you want the absolute best or need Hollywood quality film go with the DJI Inspire 2.

If you don’t have 3 grand but still want the best, then the Phantom 4 PRO delivers. DJI upgraded the industry-best Phantom 4. It has a better camera, longer range, more sensors and a better battery. The Phantom 4 PRO is the top consumer drone on the market today. It is an awesome piece of machinery.  Read more about the spectacular Phantom 4 PRO here.

Best Professional/Advanced Drones Under $1000

 The DJI Mavic is truly the must-have drone of 2017. Its capabilities rival DJI’s own Phantom 4 but in a much more compact and transportable package. DJI has also added some new advanced flight modes which make this the drone you must buy now. One might expect to pay $1500 or more for this awesome technical marvel, yet it is available for less than $1000. We love the performance and portability of the Mavic. Read more about the DJI Mavic here.

If you are looking to save a few dollars look into the DJI Phantom 3 Professional. It features a crisp 4K camera and the advanced flight modes you have come to expect from DJI. It is bigger and more capable in the wind than the lighter Mavic. It may not have the built-in sensors that the Phantom 4 does, but if you are a decent pilot you can save yourself a few hundred dollars and still get a top-notch photography drone. Read more about the DJI Phantom 3 Professional here.

Best Advanced Drones Under $500

 The Phantom 3 Standard sacrifices range compared to the other versions of the Phantom, but at a serious discount. If you are going to be keeping the drone at a distance of under 1/4 of a mile and you are on a budget then you should take a long hard look at the Phantom 3 Standard. We tested it extensively and we were very happy with its performance. The range is more than enough to do basic landscape and real estate videography. If the drone goes out of range it has advanced features to bring it back home safely to you. At a discounted price you get a great drone, with a great camera, on a great gimbal. Go ahead and get one, you deserve it! Read more about the Phantom 3 Standard here.

If you already happen to have a GoPro camera the 3DR Solo is an excellent drone and the price of it continues to fall. It has great flight modes and the GoPro integration is excellent. This fully-featured drone once cost over a thousand dollars but now can be purchased with its gimbal for less than $400. Read more about the 3DR Solo here.

Best Drones Under $200

The Syma X8HG is one of the only drones under $200 that has really good image quality. The altitude hold feature on this drone works extremely well in most situations making it a better drone to learn on than anything else under $200. If you want GPS, a Gimbal, and FPV all packed into a similar sized drone you will need to upgrade to the Phantom 3 Standard. The Syma is a great value and incredibly durable. You should definitely watch our crash videos of the Syma X8. Read more about the Syma X8HG here.

If you are looking for something a little faster and more powerful than the Syma X8HG then you probably want a brushless motor drone. Typically that means buying an expensive drone, but the MJX Bugs 3 is one of the few good inexpensive brushless motor drones out there. It is a load of fun and it is strong enough to carry your GoPro with ease. Read more about the MXJ Bugs 3 here.

Best Starter Drones with Extra Features Under $100

Syma has been producing excellent starter drones for a while now. Their newest drone, the X5UW, is a full featured drone with altitude hold and FPV. This small drone can be controlled from the updated remote while your smartphone serves as an FPV screen, or it can be controlled exclusively from your smartphone. It is hard to beat the awesome features packed into this drone. The Syma X5UW might be the best overall starter drone. Read more about the Syma X5UW here.

Have you seen the drone racing on ESPN lately? Looks awesome, right? Then FPV or first person view flying is your thing. The Hubsan X4 with FPV or H107D is an excellent starter drone that you can fly first person view style.  It is very good for anyone that wants a quick racer-type drone. Unlike most drones in this price range, the FPV is integrated into the remote and the video stream is free of noticeable lag. Put this little guy into expert mode and you will be flying it as fast as much larger drones. Read more about the Hubsan X4 with FPV here.

Best Starter Drones Under $50

The Syma X5C-1 is a great beginner drone.  Like all Syma drones, it is easy to fly. Its size makes it noticeably more stable than smaller mini drones and it comes with removable prop guards that are great for the beginner and don’t affect performance much.  It has an HD camera and can do flips with the push of a button. Read more about the Syma X5C-1 here.  It is hard to beat this drone for less than 50 bucks, but…

If you want to fly indoors then the Eachine E010 might be the drone for you. It is a small ducted flyer. The E010 is quiet, safe and durable. It is a ton of fun to fly and can even be easily converted into an FPV Tiny Whoop. You can pick up the E010 for less than $25. It is hard to beat that deal. Read more about the Eachine E010 here.

Half Chrome Drone Cipher

We’ve developed a quick questionnaire that we like to call the “Drone Cipher™” to help you find the right drone for you. Are you looking for something small, inexpensive and fun, or are you looking for a full-featured advanced drone for videography?  Take this quick questionnaire to help you decide what’s right for you.

Not sure what to buy yet? Well keep reading. We can help…

We’ve flown, crashed and taken pictures with a ton of drones. You want to know which one we think is best? Sure. Are you on a budget? Of course. We have three great articles breaking down the best drones in your budget. Check them out. Buying drones isn’t a one size fit all thing so check out these articles for help making decisions.

Best Drone Under $50

Best Drone Under $100

Best Drone Under $500

Disclosure:

This website contains affiliate links, which means we receive a commission if you make a purchase using these links. For full details visit the disclosures and disclaimers page.