Alright, Brett Garamella with BrettGaramella.com
here. We are going to start by figuring out which
drone you should buy. So what you need to do is decide what your
budget is for a drone. Is it $150? Is it $800? Is it $2000? Now keep in mind that there are a few accessories
that you will likely need when flying your drone, so keep that in mind for your overall
budget. I will talk about the accessories you need
in part 2, or the next video in this video series.

Also keep in mind that prices of drones are
likely to change over time, so click the links below for the most up to date prices. There are so many drones I could mention,
but for the sake of time and practicality, I have narrowed it down to my favorite 2 or
3 drones for each price category. To save you time and make it easier for you,
you can skip ahead to the part of the video where I talk about the drones in your particular
budget, as seen right here: (list different budget prices with the corresponding video
time.) Alright, so let’s get into it. The first category is $150 and less.

I would recommend the DJI Tello because DJI
is the leading company in consumer drones. The Tello flies for up to 13 minutes and shoots
720 HD video and takes 5MP photos. You can change the batteries easily, and it
does some cool tricks like 360 flips and throwing it in the air and it starts flying. You could also land it in your palm. For just $99 and $150 for the combo, it is
a great drone for kids, families, and those who want to fly mostly indoors. It will fly outdoors on a non-windy day. Next up is the Holy Stone HS161.

This is more than just a drone, and a great
deal at just $85. Its arms and legs fold up, turning it into
a handheld camera for photos and video. It also has a powerful light that can be used
like a normal flashlight, along with a USB port in the back, working as phone charger. Thus it is a drone, handheld camera, flashlight,
and charger all in one. It records 1080p video and includes an 8GB
memory card. It folds up to: 7.08 x 1.57 x 1.25 inches. It flies up to 10 minutes and can go up to
100 meters.

The
Holy Stone HS110G has some tricks up its sleeve for just over $100. With a 110-degree camera angle, it shoots
1080p video, flies for up to 13 minutes, and has a 984-foot range. For a drone at this price, it is surprising
to see such features as follow me and way points. So the drone can follow you, you set certain
points in for a planned flight, and also make it fly in a circle around you. It can record your voice while you’re flying
in the drone app. For safety, it has automatic return to home
feature when the battery is low. The second category is $150-500. If this is your first drone and you want to
fly outdoors, I would recommend budgeting at least $500 for your drone. The reason is you want something that will
be able to handle wind and have some distance and speed. That is why my recommendation in this price
range is the DJI Mavic Mini. The DJI Mavic Mini is smaller than many smart
phones, weighs less than a Mavic 2 battery, and flies for up to 30 minutes! It is an upgrade from the DJI Spark, with
a better gimbal (3-axis vs 2-axis gimbal) and camera for video (2.7K).

Unlike the Spark, however, it doesn’t have
any obstacle avoiding sensors. This is why I would recommend getting the
Mavic Mini Combo because it includes propeller guards which can protect your drone while
flying indoors or near obstacles. In fact, it seems more like a propeller cage
than a guard, providing more protection than propeller guards for other drones. For this reason alone, I recommend this drone
for kids. Folded up, the Mavic Mini is DJI’s most
portable outdoor drone and unfolded it is nearly identical in size to the DJI Mavic
Air. This is a great drone for someone who wants
a light, portable drone, or who needs a backup drone for more risky shots. Unlike the DJI Mavic Mini, the PowerVision
PowerEgg Drone shoots 4K. I
wouldrate PowerEgg ahead of the Spark, but it is so heavy and bulky that it is not light
and portable like the Mini, and it doesn’t have quite as much flight time. Most people don’t want to lug around a 4.6-pound
drone. With that said, you can move the 3-axis gimbal
almost 360 degrees and fly for about 20 minutes while flying up to 3 miles away, a little
more range than the Mavic Mini.

The PowerEgg also has intelligent modes like
follow me, way points, and circle, so it can do these flight modes automatically. For just under $500 this drone is a great
deal if you don’t mind carrying around a huge egg! The next drone is the best bang for your buck,
at just $299 the Holy Stone HS720 comes with a lot of extra accessories, such as lipo bags
for traveling with your batteries, a notepad for taking notes, and nice carrying case for
everything. What I really like about this GPS drone is
that you can replace the 2K camera with a GoPro or Osmo Action, giving it a huge camera
resolution upgrade. Though keep in mind that the 2K camera it
comes with is able to tilt down, which you couldn’t do with a GoPro. The drone flies for a little over 20 minutes
and has intelligent modes like follow me, orbit, and automatic return to home. I also like the fact that the arms and legs
fold up making it very portable. I also like Holy Stone because it has some
of the best customer service of any drone company. This drone is definitely a steal for that
price.

The third category is $500 – $800, which is
what I consider cinematic drones at a reasonable price. First up is the DJI Mavic Air, which 4K video
is so good that viewers could easily think the footage came from a $2000 drone. So if you want excellent footage with a drone
that you can fit in your pocket, the Mavic Air is the one for you. It is the best truly portable travel drone. It also flies up to 42 miles an hour, can
travel 2 miles away, and has intelligent flight modes like active track, which follows you
around, boomerang, which comes toward and around you like a boomerang for cool cinematic
effect, and asteroid mode, which flies up and makes the entire place around you a circular
globe shape. The only thing I don’t like about this drone
is the flight time, with a max of about 20 minutes.

The Mavic Air is also very stable in up to
20 mph wind and can shoot 1080p at 120fps (slow motion). Other than that, this drone is one of my favorite
all-time drones. Next is the versatile Parrot ANAFI, which
is the only portable drone with a camera that tilts 180 degrees (including straight up). It also has a 3-axis gimbal that shoots 4K
HDR video with a 100 MB/s bit rate that zooms optically 2.8 times
from 26-78mm for video. The Anafi can fly in winds up to 31 miles
per hour and shoots 21 MP photos with an ability to fly up to 2 miles away. It also gives you up to 25 minutes of flight
time and is portable for travel. Last up in this price category is the Xiaomi
FIMI X8 SE, a 4K drone that flies up to 27 minutes, while supporting a 3-axis gimbal
with a video bit rate of 100 MB/s.

It
can fly up to 3 miles away and is lightweight and portable. It also has a follow me feature like its peers. If you needed a little extra flight time,
this is the drone for you. Alright, now we move up to my favorite category,
the fourth category at $800-1500. This is where you can get professional drones
at a consumer price. I would recommend, only slightly over its
peers, the DJI Mavic 2 Zoom.

Besides its obvious ability to zoom from 24-48mm
optically, it can also fly up to 5 miles, shoots 4K footage up to 30fps, and can fly
44 miles per hour. It is the same as its twin brother, the Mavic
2 Pro, only it has a different camera. This means obstacle avoiding sensors on all
six sides, it can fly up to 31 minutes and with advanced features like hyperlapse and
a much improved active track. This is a tremendous option for someone who
travels as it easily folds up.

The next drone in this category is the Autel
EVO, one of only two U.S.-based manufacturers in my selected list. The EVO is better value than the Zoom for
what you pay for it. At around $1000, it is the only drone that
is portable and folds up, with the ability to capture 4K up
to 60 fps. It flies up to 30 minutes and can travel up
to 4.4 miles away from the controller. It also has a 3.3-inch HD screen built into
the controller, so you don’t have to use your phone or device to fly.

Other features, include a 3-axis gimbal, front
and rear obstacle-avoidance sensors, and 12 MP photos. The last drone in this category is world’s
best fully autonomous, self-flying drone, the Skydio 2, which is great for vloggers
and anyone who wants to film themselves without technical skills. Skydio guarantees that this drone will not
crash, and will repair or replace the drone if this happens during the first year. In this category, the Skydio 2 produces the
best color in its images, and can shoot 4K up to 60 fps and 12 MP photos. It also has a Beacon, or magic wand that allows
the drone to follow you up to 1.5 km away. With the remote controller you get up to 3.5
km range. This drone is portable, but doesn’t fold
up like its peers.

It is also newer on the scene than DJI or
Autel, and it’s an American company with the best artificial intelligence on the market. It could be the darkhorse in this category,
but some might view it as a one-trick pony. I would still go with the Mavic 2 Zoom because
of its longer flight time, range, and reputation, but I’m sure DJI is working on another drone
with comparable artificial intelligence. The next category, category five is $1500-2000,
which includes professional drones that are only slightly better than the previous category.

Let’s start with my overall favorite drone,
the one I fly the most and my recommendation in this category: the DJI Mavic 2 Pro. This drone is DJI’s most recent so it has
the newest technology in a portable size. Sure it only shoots 4K up to 30 fps, but I
often find myself never shooting in slow motion with my drone because it moves so smoothly
and is so far from the objects I am filming. Therefore, this is not as big a deal as some
people make it out to be. Other than that, it is a dream – with obstacle-avoidance
sensors on all six sides, flies up to 31 minutes, and has up to 5 miles range. It also has a Hasselblad camera with a one-inch
sensor with a 28mm lens, and the ability to shoot in 10-bit log video as well for those
professionals wanting to color grade. Active Track is much improved and it has cool
new hyperlapse, active track, and asteroid mode features.

I highly recommend this drone. In a close second to the Mavic 2 Pro is the
DJI Phantom 4 Pro V2, which is often out of stock. However, if you look on Amazon you might be
able to find one or perhaps wait because DJI occasionally adds it to its website store. This drone is much bigger and difficult to
carry around than the Mavic 2 Pro, which is why I chose it second. However, when shooting for clients a bigger
drone looks more impressive and may be what you want. It does have an advantage of shooting 4K up
to 60fps and also shoots in D-Cinelike mode, which to me looks slightly better than footage
from the Mavic 2 Pro. However, I am splitting hairs here. If you’re a pixel peeper and need the best
for under $2000, this is it. It also includes obstacle avoidance on four
sides and is slightly faster than the Mavic 2 Pro.

With that said, I find my Mavic 2 Pro doesn’t
drift as much as the Phantom 4 Pro and is easier to fly. For that reason as well, I have to recommend
this drone as my second favorite in this price category. Lastly, there is the DJI Inspire 1/Pro. This is the most stable drone and can handle
slightly higher winds than the Mavic 2 Pro or Phantom 4 Pro. With that said, this drone is big! But with size comes a gimbal that rotates
360 degrees. In addition, the gimbal and lenses can be
changed. The best compatible gimbal is the Zenmuse
X5 or X5R because it shoots 4K on a micro 4/3-inch sensor, providing better resolution
than the Phantom 4 Pro, and 12.8 stops of dynamic range for post production and color
grading. Compatible lenses are made by DJI, Olympus,
and Panasonic, and the X5/X5R camera comes with the DJI 15mm f/1.7 (35mm equivalent). This will put you well over the $2000 mark,
but this drone gives you many options, making it in a class of its own.

You could also put a thermal camera on this
drone and use it for inspections and other areas. With that said, the two biggest drawbacks
other than its size, which I already mentioned, is the lack of obstacle avoidance sensors
on the sides or back, and limited flight time – about 20 minutes max. Alright, moving on to the sixth category,
the final category, which is $2000+. In this category you have two choices: the
DJI Inspire 2 or the DJI Matrice 200/210 V2. If money is no object, I would recommend getting
the DJI Matrice 200 Series V2 because it does everything the DJI Inspire 2 can do, only
it has much longer flight time, the ability to fly in the rain, and most of all is not
affected by telephone wiring and other electric circuitry in and around buildings that cause
interference on the Inspire 2. The Matrice 200/210 is the Swiss army knife
of drones. It is t
he most versatile industrial and cinematic platform available today. Its uses range from surveillance, thermal
inspection, topography, and cartography.

The Matrice performs in extreme temperatures
and weather conditions, such as arctic and rainy conditions. With the Matrice 210, pilots can mount a thermal
camera and zoom camera simultaneously (as seen in the photos), such as the Zenmuse XT
and Z30, and it is also possible to mount a camera on top. The Cendence Remote and Crystal Sky Monitor
is the best way to fly this platform. And for cinematographers, you can now use
the Zenmuse X7 camera with either Matrice drone, giving it 6K capabilities with up to
38 minutes of flight time. Now the one advantage the Inspire 2 has is
speed. The Inspire 2 is the fastest drone, reaching
up to 65 mph, and also is capable of capturing stable video in 40+ mph winds.

The Zenmuse X7 gimbal camera has a Super 35
Sensor with 14 stops of dynamic range, and the ability to shoot up to 6K in CinemaDNG
and 5.2K in Apple ProRes while capturing RAW photos at 20 fps and 24MP photos. This camera is compatible with 4 prime lenses
(fixed focal lengths). With a front FPV camera, 360 rotating gimbal,
and dual-heating batteries, the Inspire 2 has the features needed for a true professional. Alright, hope this video helped you find the
right drone.

If you have a DJI drone and want help getting
set up and feel confident flying, I created a video course called DJI Drone Pro, where
I walk you through everything step by step. It’s a great way to get set up and learn
fast. Plus it’s easy, just watch my videos and
follow along as I show you step by step how to do it. You can get this video course by clicking
right over there or on the link below in the video description.

Now you can continue on to my next video where
I show you the 5 accessories that every drone pilot needs. You can watch that video by clicking right
underneath this video or right over there. It’s been fun hanging out with you. If you haven’t done so, please subscribe
to my channel and share this video with a friend if it would help them out. My name is Brett Garamella with BrettGaramella.com,
and I will see you in the next video..