Best drone 2024: aerial tripods for shooting pin-sharp videos and photos

The best drones you can buy from DJI, Autel and more for aerial video and photography

Best drone 2024: Quick links

DJI Air 2S drone

(Image credit: DJI)

00. Top 3↴
01. Best overall: DJI Mini 3 Pro
02. Best for high-res video: DJI Mavic 3 Classic
03. Best for selfies: HoverAir X1
04. Best premium: DJI Mavic 3 Pro
05. Best DJI-alternative: Autel Evo Nano+
06. Best mid-range: DJI Air 2S
07. Best for cinematic shots: DJI Avata
08. Best FPV: DJI FPV
09. Best weatherproof: PowerVision PowerEgg X

The best drones have revolutionised the world of aerial videography (and photography) for both professionals and hobbyists. Whereas once you would have needed to hire a helicopter and a pilot to shoot any kind of footage from the air, today you can capture fantastic videos with both feet planted firmly on the ground while operating a pocket-sized drone capable of shooting landscapes in stunning 4K. 

Modern drones are like the equivalent of a flying tripod, and they are brilliant for shooting holiday scenes and travelogues. Some models will even follow you automatically, shooting high-res footage of you tearing down a ski slope or traversing rocky terrain on a mountain bike.

If you're thinking about investing – and today's very best drones certainly are an investment – you've come to the right place. However, if you feel intimidated by the look of the flying tripods below, you might be better off picking one of the best beginner drones instead. If you're after a drone for your little one, we'd recommend our best drones for kids roundup.

The Top 3

The best drone to buy right now

Why you can trust T3 Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.

Best overall

DJI Mini 4 Pro

(Image credit: Future)
Best drone overall

Specifications

Battery life (Flight time): 34 minutes (with Intelligent Flight Battery)
Range: up to 18 km (with Intelligent Flight Battery)
Camera resolution: up to 4K @ 100 fps
Weight: 249 grams

Reasons to buy

+
Ideal consumer drone
+
Exceptional camera
+
Superb performer
+
Brilliant feature set
+
Under 250g in weight

Reasons to avoid

-
Not the cheapest mini drone you can buy

When choosing the best drone for you, the options are often DJI vs DJI. This camera drone roundup is full with DJI drones, ranging from the more affordable to premium models – how come the DJI Mini 4 Pro is at the top, though?

Many features tip the scale in favour of the DJI Mini 4 Pro. First, it's a sub-250g drone, meaning in many countries, you don't need additional licences to fly it. It's a joy to fly, too, with a whole host of automatic manouvers pre-loaded on the controller/drone.

Plus, there is that gorgeous camera, which really sets apart the Mini 4 Pro from similarly-sized drones. It can shoot videos in up to 4k resolution @ 100 fps, which is more than you need for most of the content you might capture with such a dinky drone.

Flight time is a commendable 34 minutes with the Intelligent Flight Battery, which can be extended to 45 minutes using the Intelligent Flight Battery Plus. Put it all together, and you have yourself a drone that's pretty much unbeatable at this price point!

Read our full DJI Mini 4 Pro review.

2. Best for high-res video

DJI Mavic 3 ClassicT3 Awards 2023 Logo

(Image credit: Angela NIcholson)
Best drone overall

Specifications

Battery life (Flight time): 46 mins
Range: 9 miles
Camera resolution: 5.1K/20MP
Weight: 895 grams

Reasons to buy

+
Impeccable flight characteristics
+
Shoots incredible 5.1K footage
+
And 20MP stills in RAW or JPEG
+
Four-way obstacle avoidance
+
Wide range of autonomous flight settings

Reasons to avoid

-
Still quite pricey by consumer drone standards
-
No zoom camera

The Mavic 3 Classic is, to all intents and purposes, exactly the same drone as the Mavic 3 – it’s the same shape, size and weight, and it shares the same onboard specs and flight characteristics.

In fact, the only difference between the two is that the new Classic variant comes without the 28x hybrid tele-zoom camera that sits atop the Mavic 3’s main 4/3 CMOS f/2.8-f/11 Hasselblad camera. This means that the Classic is capable of shooting exactly the same pin-sharp 5.1K imagery as the Mavic 3’s main camera while costing quite a bit less.

For anyone unfamiliar with the specs of the standard Mavic 3, the Mavic 3 Classic folds into a tidy package for transport and comes equipped with omnidirectional obstacle sensing, 9-mile HD video transmission and a plethora of smart, fully autonomous flight features, including active tracking, MasterShots, QuickShots, Hyperlapse and Panorama.

When it comes to shooting high-resolution footage that’s fit for most broadcast media or stills sharp and detailed enough to grace the cover of a glossy magazine, the new Classic is an absolute shoo-in. In fact, at this price, it’s almost a steal.

Read our full DJI Mavic 3 Classic review.

Best for selfies

HoverAir X1 in flightT3 Approved badge

(Image credit: Future)
Best drone for selfies

Specifications

Battery life (Flight time): 11 mins
Range: 15 metres
Camera resolution: 2.7K
Weight: 125 grams

Reasons to buy

+
Perfect for personal use
+
Excellent 2.7K camera
+
Image stabilisation
+
Wide rage of automatic flight modes
+
No controller required
+
Pocket sized

Reasons to avoid

-
Not especially cheap

The HoverAir X1 is the first pocket-sized 2.7K camera-equipped drone to not require a hand controller at any time, although it also works in conjunction with an app for further functionality. Designed for close proximity selfies – the HoverAir X1 has a flight range of between 10 and 50 feet – this little foldable pocket rocket is unquestionably the most accomplished personal drone to date and for several reasons.

The drone’s lattice cage makes it incredibly safe for users while protecting the four tiny propellors from damage. And since it weighs just 125 grams and folds in half, it’s ultra easy to carry around, too.

The HoverAir X1’s camera is remarkable given its titchy dimensions – it not only shoots crisp 2.7K footage, but the addition of a gimbal-like shock mount and onboard digital image stabilisation ensures that footage remains level and cinematically smooth, even in breezes up to 15mph. Amazingly, it will also record ambient audio without the sound of the props in the background – simply talk into your phone’s microphone, and the audio is automatically synced to the visuals.

If you’re in the market for a lightweight drone to film yourself and friends in a myriad of close proximity situations, you almost certainly won’t find a better model than this little cracker. Warmly recommended.

Read our full HoverAir X1 review

Best premium

DJI Mavic 3 Pro drone

(Image credit: DJI)
Best premium drone

Specifications

Battery life (Flight time): 43 mins
Range: 9 miles
Camera resolution: 4K/48MP
Weight: 958 grams

Reasons to buy

+
Amazing triple lens camera system
+
Exceptional video possibilities
+
Stunning photos
+
Supreme flyer
+
Exceptional remote controller

Reasons to avoid

-
OTT for most users
-
Not cheap

This is the prosumer drone we’ve all been waiting for. Yes, the drone itself is the same as the current Mavic 3 but this one takes aerial videography and photography to a much higher echelon. You get three cameras with this drone: a wide-angle 24mm Hasselblad with an aperture range of f/2.8-f/11 and an 84˚ field of view; an all-new 3x 70mm medium tele camera with a 35˚ field of view and a fixed aperture of f2.8; and a 166mm 7x zoom lens with a large-ish aperture of f3.4.

This means you can create amazing widescreen landscape shots, zoom in a little to add a striking shallow depth of field or zoom in from afar to shoot wildlife without any disturbance from the drone. You also get premium resolution – 5.1K at up to 50 frames per second and 4K at up to 120fps – and huge images from 20 megapixels to 48MP.

If you’re looking for a do-it-all pro-spec camera drone that flies supremely well and delivers impeccable imagery flight after flight, this is the model for you.

Now read our full review of the DJI Mavic 3 Pro

Best DJI-alternative

Autel Evo Nano Plus drone sat on a garden wallT3 Awards 2022 Winner's Badge

(Image credit: Derek Adams)
Best DJI-alternative premium drone

Specifications

Battery life (Flight time): 28 mins
Range: 6.2 miles
Camera resolution: 4K/50MP
Weight: 249 grams

Reasons to buy

+
Large 0.8-inch CMOS sensor
+
Excellent for low light shooting
+
Stunning 4K video and 50MP stills
+
Three-way obstacle avoidance

Reasons to avoid

-
Doesn't deal with high winds well

The little Evo Nano+ is a sterling choice of camera drone for both amateurs and prosumers, as well as anyone who wants to enjoy the thrills of high-quality aerial cinematography on a relative budget and without the need to apply for a special license to fly it. In fact, we like it so much that we awarded it Best Drone at the 2022 T3 Awards (although it's a seriously close-run thing with the DJI Mini 3 Pro). 

The Plus boasts a wide f1.9 aperture and RYYB filtering, which means it will shoot stunning footage in low-light conditions and in full 4K video and 50MP for stills. This dinky drone clocks in at under 250g, which means you won’t need to jump through as many legal hoops before taking to the skies. The sharpness and clarity of the Nano+ are exemplary for a drone of this size and weight, hence why we think this drone is perfect for amateur filmmakers and anyone looking for a camera drone that’s light as a feather and small enough to slip into a coat pocket.

Read our full Autel Evo Nano+ drone review

Best mid-range

DJI Air 2S review

(Image credit: DJI)
Best mid-range drone

Specifications

Battery life (Flight time): 31 mins
Range: 12km
Camera resolution: 5.4K / 20MP
Weight: 595 grams

Reasons to buy

+
Sensational camera and shoots in 5.4K
+
Four-sided obstacle avoidance
+
Lightweight and compact
+
Quiet to fly

Reasons to avoid

-
Fiddly licensing required

Released in April 2021, the DJI Air 2S is a sensational camera drone in every respect. Despite being lightweight and eminently portable, this foldable drone packs some incredible onboard tech, including a 1-inch CMOS sensor that enables you to capture strikingly sharp images and video. The Air 2S will shoot 5.4K video at 30fps or 4K at 60fps and 150Mbps, as well as 20MP stills (by comparison, the older but still worthy Mavic Air 2's half-inch CMOS sensor can manage 4K/60fps at 120Mbps and 12MP stills). The Air 2S also flies absolutely beautifully (and quietly), comes with four-way obstacle sensors to help you avoid collisions, and boasts some impressive advanced in-flight features. 

Head to our DJI Air 2S review for more of what we thought of it, or see how it matches up against its predecessor in our DJI Air 2S vs DJI Mavic Air 2 comparison. 

Best for cinematic shots

DJI Avata in flight

(Image credit: DJI)
Best drone for cinematic shots

Specifications

Battery life (Flight time): 18 mins
Range: 6.2 miles
Camera resolution: 4K/48MP
Weight: 410 grams

Reasons to buy

+
Immersive experience
+
Shoots in 4K
+
Small and portable
+
Perfect for FPV flying

Reasons to avoid

-
18-minute flight time is short
-
Lengthy setup

At just 18cm in width, the Avata is small enough to fly through a 250 mm gap, and because it’s of DJI origin, it’s ready to fly straight out of the box and equipped with lots of safety tech and flying aids that you simply don’t get with build-it-yourself models. The Avata ships with an excellent stereoscopic headset that receives stunningly sharp images from the drone’s 4K camera, plus a brilliant gyroscopic hand controller that makes flying it a confidence-inspiring breeze.

The Avata is commonly classified as a CineWhoop – a type of drone that shoots a different style of 4K footage from the norm. Hence, instead of the horizon always remaining flat like a standard DJI drone, the Avata’s footage swoops and dives like a bird of prey. This is a sterling introduction to FPV flying that creates sensational eye-popping footage, but it’s not the kind of drone for anyone wanting to get into aerial cinematography for the very first time. In that respect, the DJI Mini 3 Pro or Autel Evo Nano+ would be better choices.

Check out our full DJI Avata review

Best FPV

DJI FPV flown around a pilot in a desert

(Image credit: DJI)
Best FPV drone

Specifications

Battery life (Flight time): 20 mins
Range: 10 km
Camera resolution: 4K/12 megapixels
Weight: 795 grams

Reasons to buy

+
Highly immersive and loads of fun
+
Incredible speed
+
Steers like a wasp
+
Excellent safety features

Reasons to avoid

-
Requires balls of steel
-
Not cheap (and expensive to repair)

The DJI FPV is the world’s first fully-fledged, ready-to-fly 4K-quipped FPV racing drone for newbies. Unlike other FPV drones on the market, the DJI FPV is equipped with a wide range of safety measures, including smart Return-to-Home (RTH), low battery warning and forward and downward obstacle sensors that will bring the drone to a halt in an emergency.

Being of FPV origin, this drone comes with a pair of goggles that produce an exceptionally sharp image of what the drone’s front camera sees. The ultra-wide 150-degree field of view is another major plus that gives the flyer full confidence when darting in and around tight, tricky spaces. It also ships with a beefy hand controller, or you can stump up for an optional Motion Controller that lets you control the drone using hand motions alone.

Read our full DJI FPV review

Best weatherproof

PowerVision Power Egg X Wizard flying over some water in a dramatic landscape

(Image credit: PowerVision)
Best weatherproof drone (that can land on water)

Specifications

Battery life (Flight time): 30 mins
Range: 3.5 miles
Camera resolution: 4K/12 megapixels
Weight: 227 grams

Reasons to buy

+
Lands and takes off from water
+
Good range of autonomous modes
+
Handles very well
+
Also serves as a stabilised land camera

Reasons to avoid

-
Camera not up to DJI spec
-
Not as portable as the DJI Mini and Air 2

If there was an award for the best-looking drone, the PowerVision PowerEgg X would walk it – it looks simply fantastic when airborne. It performs most of the aerial tasks of the DJI and Autel rosters – including front obstacle avoidance and autonomous flight modes like return-to-home, follow-me, orbit and timelapse – but goes two stages further by transforming into a hand-held stabilised camera of sorts and a tripod-mounted video recorder with motion tracking ability.

The PowerEgg X is as stable in flight as the majority of DJI drones we’ve tested, and it will stay in the air for up to 30 minutes. It comes with a fixed focus 4K camera with a 1/2.8 inch CMOS sensor, and on paper, that sounds grand. However, while the footage it produces is good, it’s nowhere near the high-end benchmark set by Autel or DJI.

The Wizard comes with two robust strap-on floats and a fully waterproof housing that protects the entire body and camera. It can even land and take off from calm water and fly in both rain and snow, wind speed permitting. So, if flying over water scares the life out of you, then a drone of this nature could well be your lifeline.

Read our full PowerVision PowerEgg X Wizard Version review

How to buy the best drone for you

In order to figure out which is the best drone for you, it really helps to understand a bit about how different types of drones work. In a nutshell, drones rely on rotors for propulsion and control. The faster these rotors spin, the greater the upward lift. The movement of a drone can be changed by altering the speed of one or more of its rotors. 

These rotors are powered by motors which can be 'brushed' or 'brushless'. The difference? Brushed motors use a mechanical process (a 'commutator') to move the magnetic field that turns the rotors. Brushless motors, which are usually found on more expensive drones, are generally preferable and rely more on electronics rather than additional physical parts, such as the brushes in the commutators, to generate power. This means they generate less friction (and bear in mind that friction slows the motor down), produce less heat and provide better all-around performance. 

Another important factor to take into consideration is skill level. Beginners should look for more rugged models, as well as features such as rotor protectors and one-touch recall controls. But don’t make the mistake of assuming smaller, lighter drones are better for beginners – these drones are often designed for those keen to perform complex aerial manoeuvres and might well be trickier to control. 

Finally, remember to look for drones with the features you’re specifically keen on, and no more. Opting for a drone which boasts features you don’t need and won’t use will mean you’ll spend more on a drone which will weigh more and won’t perform in the way you want it to.

FAQ

What is the best drone you can buy?

After much deliberation and many comparison tests, we’ve come to the conclusion that the best drone for most people is the sub-250g DJI Mini 3 Pro, hotly followed by the equally small Autel Evo Nano+, which has better low-light shooting capability. 

Our #3 model of choice is the new DJI Mavic 3 Classic which drops the standard Mavic 3’s long-range zoom camera in favour of a dramatically lower price. If you want a drone that can shoot pro-quality footage and stills for not much wonga, this is the one for you.

Finally, for the ultimate in equally affordable high-end video and image quality, consider the exceptional Autel Evo Lite+ or the standard DJI Mavic 3, which features an extra zoom camera along with its four-thirds Hasselblad. Neither of these drones will disappoint if pro-level aerial videos and photos are your chief prerequisites.

If you're new to the drone world, jump to what to know before buying a drone (or check out our UK drone flying regulations guide or US drone regulations) first.

Derek Adams

Derek (aka Delbert, Delvis, Delphinium, Delboy etc) specialises in home and outdoor wares, from coffee machines, white appliances and vacs to drones, garden gear and BBQs. He has been writing for more years than anyone can remember, starting at the legendary Time Out magazine – the original, London version – on a typewriter! He now writes for T3 between playing drums with his bandmates in Red Box (redboxmusic). 

With contributions from