The Top 4 Photography Drones for Captivating Aerial Footage

Drones are awesome fun! Whether you’re capturing landscapes, events, or creative projects, drones provide the technology & performance needed to take your photography to new “heights”. (…err get the pun!)

Glenn Burgess

We love flying our drone around the office!

So we are delighted to share some fantastic news about the world of drones! Whether you’re a professional photographer or a drone fanatic, drones are now accessible to everyone!

Amazingly, even budget drones (under £4,000) can offer excellent quality and speed. It’s incredible how far technology has come!

But choosing the right drone for your business might seem overwhelming, and with so many options available, it’s natural to feel unsure. But don’t worry – we can help you make the right decision!

DJI, a leading manufacturer in the drone world, offers some top-notch and reliable drones, though we advise you not to rush into purchasing the first Mavic drone that catches your eye.

That’s why we spoke to some Drone, photography & video experts photography for you, who generously gave us their suggestions.

Therefore, we can confidently present to you wiht the very the best drones for business photography and filmmaking, along with helpful tips to fit your interests and budget.

So, let’s begin by introducing the DJI Mavic 3!

The DJI Mavic Air 3 is a really strong & powerful quadcopter, and that’s why we think it’s 100% the best one overall.

This new version builds on the success of the previous Mavic drones.

Compared to the Mavic 2, this new version has a better camera, thanks to its 4/3 CMOS Hasselblad camera and a lightweight lens that’s like having a 24mm lens on a regular camera. It can shoot really high-quality videos, up to 5.1K at 50 frames per second or 4K at 120 frames per second.

It also supports something called Apple ProRes 422 HQ, which makes your videos look even better and gives you more control when you’re editing them.

Not only is it a great camera, but it’s also an amazing flying machine. It can fly for up to 46 minutes, which is a long time for a drone. Plus, it has sensors all around it to avoid crashing into things, and it has some smart features that make flying easy and safe.

Now, it’s not as professional as some really expensive drones, like the ones with six rotors. But if you’re not a pro photographer or filmmaker, this drone is top-notch, and it doesn’t cost a fortune.

DJI Inspire 2

When it comes to changing the game in aerial filmmaking, DJI’s Inspire 1 drone deserves a lot of credit. Now, the Inspire 2, the latest in the Inspire series, takes filmmaking to a whole new level, building on the success of its predecessor.

One standout feature of the Inspire 2 is that it has a special FPV camera just for the operator. This means the person flying the drone can see what’s happening up close, while the main cinema camera does its own thing. It’s like having an untethered Steadicam that’s great at keeping up with people walking or capturing stunning shots like a speedy boat in beautiful Florida waters.

The basic Inspire 2 model comes with a 1-inch sensor and a 20MP camera on a Zenmuse X4S gimbal. It’s a solid choice and costs less than £4,000, which makes it accessible to film students and solo filmmakers. If you’re willing to invest more, there’s a Pro version for around £11,000 that offers even better specs, like an M4/3 sensor for 20.8MP photos and Apple ProRes video at up to 5.2K resolution.

And for those who demand top-of-the-line performance, there’s the Cinema Premium version, priced at over £20,000. It comes with the Zenmuse X7 camera, featuring a large S35 image sensor, capable of shooting 6K CinemaDNG RAW footage and delivering an impressive dynamic range of up to 14 stops. This setup is used in some of the world’s biggest and most ambitious film shoots.

Skydio 2+

It’s a bit of a mystery, but the folks at Skydio have somehow managed to squeeze an amazing sensor and AI system into a drone that costs just a bit over £1,000.

While it’s aimed at folks who are really into drones but not necessarily professionals, it’s worth considering for business use, especially when you need a smart drone that can follow and film things effectively (you can even control it with a game controller).

In “follow mode,” this drone keeps an eye on a small beacon and uses a mix of GPS, smart computer stuff (AI), and your commands to figure out how to capture cool video while keeping the camera focused on the moving object. It’s so clever that it can weave through trees in a dense forest to follow someone riding an ATV, something even pricier drones struggle with.

And don’t be fooled by its small case—it’s got a fantastic sensor package that can shoot stunning 4K60 HDR video and 12.3MP HDR photos. The drone boasts six 4K navigation cameras, which add up to a whopping 45 megapixels of power.

Under the hood, the Skydio 2+ is powered by a super-fast NVIDIA Tegra X2 SOC with 256 GPU cores, capable of handling 1.3 trillion operations every second. The company calls this hardware a “flying supercomputer,” and it certainly lives up to the name.

Autel Evo II Pro

The Evo II Pro drone is an impressive alternative to DJI products, especially for those who are all about capturing amazing images and videos. Just like the Skydio, it’s really good at tracking moving targets, predicting their movements, and keeping them in focus. Plus, it’s foldable and agile, which is pretty cool considering all the sensors it has.

Speaking of sensors, the Evo II Pro is packed with them. It’s got 19 groups of sensors, including 12 visual ones, the main camera, ultrasound sensors, IMUs, and more.

These sensors work together to create 3D maps and plan its flight path in real time. Clearly, this drone is all about getting the best possible images. It can shoot videos in resolutions up to 6K, with excellent dynamic range and reduced noise, thanks to Sony’s latest CMOS sensors that are really good in low light.

And if you’re into photography, you’ll love that you can adjust the ISO and aperture settings, plus it can do cool things like hyper-lapse photography in 6K and 4K HDR recording with lots of detail.

With a flight time of 40 minutes and a top speed of 45mph, this drone is not only nimble but also perfect for traveling and capturing action shots. It’s a handy tool for photographers and videographers on the go.