Best drone 2023: aerial tripods for shooting pin-sharp videos and photos

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.

Matt Kollat

Drones make a wonderful Christmas present. Sure, the best DJI drones aren't inexpensive, but we saw some excellent cheap DJI deals during Black Friday, and we'd be surprised not to spot a few during Christmas and even January. Keep your eyes peeled, people!

The Top 3

The best drone to buy right now

Best overall

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 sub-250g

Although it is just marginally usurped by the DJI Mavic Classic, this little drone's low sub-250g weight, its smorgasbord of tantalising tech, ability to fly in slightly stronger winds and great low price make it our top choice for most users.

The newest addition to DJI's popular sub-250g Mini series launched shortly after the Autel drone in our #4 spot, and at the time of release it was an extremely close fight between the two. The Mini 3 Pro sports forward, rearward and downward obstacle sensing, a flight time of up to 34 minutes and a low-interference transmitter range of up to a phenomenal 7.4 miles. 

There are some improvements to the camera, too, including a CMOS sensor that, at 1/1.3-inch, is a little larger than that fitted to the current DJI Mini 2 (although still a bit smaller than the 0.8-inch sensor in the Evo Nano+). On the plus side, the Mini 3’s camera is also equipped with a really wide f1.7 aperture for low-light shooting and the wherewithal to be tilted vertically for Instagram and TikTok posting. Regarding video footage, the Mini 3 Pro is capable of shooting 4K at up to 60p though this writer still prefers the sharpened image of the Autel Evo Nano+.

Read our full DJI Mini 3 Pro review

Best for selfies

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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