Best camera drones 2024: Capture the world from an entirely new perspective

There's little doubt that one of the main reasons people buy drones is to capture aerial photos and videos with relative ease. With fantastic options available, there's undoubtedly something for every budget and specific requirement in terms of overall features and functionality.

Drone camera technology has moved on leaps and bounds in recent years, with even the best sub-250g models having tiny cameras that punch well above their weight in terms of image quality. But it's the medium-sized and larger drones that offer the best image quality thanks to larger image sensors and, in some cases, adjustable apertures.

Having an adjustable aperture is less important for stills photography, but for video capture it makes it much quicker and easier to make minor adjustments to exposure. You still have to use ND filters to reduce light entering the lens to control shutter speed, but the aperture removes the need to land and change filters if light changes during flights. The trade-off, of course, is that these drones are larger, heavier and ultimately less convenient to carry than sub-250g models.

If you're an absolute beginner, jumping straight onto one of the best camera drones may not be the best way to get started. So, if you’d prefer a budget model to learn how to fly with confidence or a mid-range option that will provide greater longevity check out our best beginner drones guide. For those with a bigger budget, our best drones guide will show you the best models available while our best FPV drones guide is perfect for thrill seekers looking for a first person view drone.

The Quick List

James Abbott

James is an award-winning freelance landscape and portrait photographer, as well as a highly experienced photography journalist working with some of the best photography magazines and websites with a worldwide audience. He’s also the author of The Digital Darkroom: The Definitive Guide to Photo Editing.

Best camera drones we recommend in 2024

Best camera drone overall

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Topping our list is the mighty DJI Mavic 3 Pro, which is hands down one of the best drones available in today's market, as we noted in our full DJI Mavic 3 Pro review. It's the first consumer drone to offer three onboard cameras that can operate simultaneously, opening up a range of new creative possibilities.

The main camera is a remarkable 20MP 4/3 Hasselblad camera, featuring an adjustable aperture ranging from f/2.8 to f/11, and up to 12.8 stops of dynamic range. It has an equivalent focal length of 24mm. Additionally, there's a 48MP 1/1.3-inch 70mm medium telephoto camera and a 12MP 1/2-inch 166mm telephoto camera. Considering the Mavic 3 Pro's price is comparable to the Mavic 3 and Mavic 3 Cine, it's like getting a highly functional 70mm camera thrown in for free. All three cameras support RAW and JPEG formats, delivering outstanding image quality.

In addition to its powerful camera setup, the Mavic 3 Pro comes with a range of advanced features designed to make your flying experience smooth and hassle-free. It offers two smart controller options, each with a 5.5-inch touchscreen, eliminating the need to connect your phone. Both controllers are highly responsive, ensuring a seamless flying experience without lag.

You get three different flight modes and 43 km/27mph wind resistance, as well as an array of safety features such as AirSense ADS-B to detect nearby aircraft and an Omnidirectional Obstacle Sensing system that uses multiple sensors to allow the drone to maneuver around obstacles independently. While this is an expensive drone that may be overkill for some people, we think it offers excellent value for money for those who can make use of its three cameras.

• Read our full DJI Mavic 3 Pro review

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Best value for money

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If you're after the very best image quality but your budget can't quite stretch to the first two drones on our list, then the DJI Mavic 3 Classic might be the one for you. DJI have managed to lower the cost of this drone by removing the additional telephoto lenses that appear on the other drones in the Mavic 3 range, but you'll still get the star of the show — the 20MP 4/3 Hasselblad camera.

This camera features an adjustable aperture ranging from f/2.8 to f/11 and has a lens equivalent to 24mm. It delivers outstanding image quality for both photos and videos, offering JPEG and RAW formats, 3x digital zoom and shooting capabilities of up to 5.1K video at 50fps, with a dynamic range of 12.8 stops. While other Mavic 3 models offer multiple camera options that may appeal to professionals, this fantastic camera is more than enough to meet the needs of most users on its own.

There are two controller options with this drone. You can choose between the DJI RC-N1 controller, which features a retractable smartphone holder, or the DJI RC smart controller, which features an integrated 5.5-inch touchscreen. After conducting our full DJI Mavic 3 Classic review, we think the improved user experience offered by the smart controller easily warrants the relatively small difference in price.  

The Mavic 3 Classic is also packed with high-end features, including precise GPS positioning, Advanced Return to Home, three different flight modes, aircraft detection and geofencing. Its multiple vision sensors detect and avoid obstacles in all directions and contribute to improved subject tracking. So, if the single camera is enough for you, you really are getting the complete package with this drone.

• Read our full DJI Mavic 3 Classic review

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Best DJI Mini alternative

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The Autel EVO Nano+ is a regulator-friendly sub-250g drone that still offers many of the advanced features found on bigger and more expensive drones. It's a great option to consider, especially for beginners. Its compact and foldable design makes it extremely easy to transport, and it comes in four different colors: Classic Orange, Deep Space Gray, Blazing Red, and Arctic White.

The drone's controller has a built-in phone holder, and to access all the controls, you'll need to download the AutelSky app. The controller feels comfortable to hold, and we found the AutelSky app easy to understand and use in our Autel EVO Nano+ review. The thumb sticks on the controller strike a good balance, being responsive without being too sensitive.

One notable feature of this drone's size is its advanced collision avoidance system. It relies on three-way binocular vision sensors positioned at the drone's front, bottom and rear. These sensors detect obstacles and can automatically slow down or halt the drone to avoid collisions. Beginners will likely appreciate the added safety assurance provided by this feature. Additionally, the drone includes convenient automated flight patterns to help beginners get started easily.

Regarding camera features, the EVO Nano+ sports a very respectable 12.5MP 1/1.28-inch sensor with an equivalent focal length of 23mm and a fast f/1.9 aperture. This means it excels at shooting in low-light conditions, but you'll need to use ND filters to maintain its shutter speed if you want to shoot smooth-looking video. Video is available up to 4K at 30fps and is clear and crisp.

If you're in the market for a sub-250g drone or you're a beginner looking for your first camera drone, the EVO Nano+ is a great feature-packed option.

• Read our full Autel EVO Nano+ review

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Best for portability

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If you're looking for a camera drone with a bit more oomph than the DJI Mini 3 but with a similar level of portability, we think the DJI Air 3 could be just what you're looking for.

It sits nicely between the Mini and Mavic lineups from DJI, being much more compact than the Mavic models, although not much lighter in weight. During our full DJI Air 3 review, we found that the drone didn't miss a beat when we tested it with wind gusts just below its maximum wind resistance of 27mph. The battery life has also been significantly improved, giving us around 35 minutes of flight time in low wind conditions before Return to Home was suggested at 20% battery.

The drone also comes with three different controller options. It has the standard DJI RC-N2 controller, which requires a smartphone to be plugged into it, and two smart controller options—the more expensive of the two is the most feature-packed.

Instead of just one camera, the Air 3 comes with two cameras. Both cameras use the same high-quality 12MP/48MP 1/1.3-inch sensor found in the Mini 3 Pro and Mini 3 models, with the key distinction being that one camera has a 24mm lens, while the other has a medium telephoto lens at 70mm.

We were also impressed with the Omnidirectional Obstacle Sensing system, which enables you to fly closer to obstacles like trees and buildings with peace of mind that you won't crash into them (but don't rely solely on this feature to avoid crashing). This feature makes it a great drone for beginners who want to hone their flying skills but still get fantastic images and videos, and we also think it suits more experienced fliers, too. It's not a cheap drone, but considering its array of features, specs, and how long you're likely to have it, we think it's worth the investment.

• Read our full DJI Air 3 review

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Best DJI mini drone

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The DJI Mini 4 Pro is the most advanced sub-250g drone available, offering flagship features and functionality that make the model truly worthy of the 'pro' moniker. This is incredibly important because it provides advanced pilots and professionals with a regulator-friendly drone subject to fewer restrictions than larger models but with the most advanced features currently available.

Flight features include Omnidirectional Obstacle Avoidance to reduce the risk of crashes, excellent subject tracking, and Advanced Return to Home. As a result, this tiny drone is incredibly safe. As a bonus, it's easy to set up and fly with responsive controls allowing fast and slower cinematic flight.

As confirmed in our hands-on DJI Mini 4 Pro review, the image quality produced by the Mini 4 Pro is impressive given the drone's small size. The 12/48MP 1/1.3-inch sensor with large 2.4μm pixels is highly capable in bright and low light conditions, and high ISO handling is nothing short of impressive. Even the highest settings are virtually noise-free, which means you can shoot at any ISO setting without fear of image degradation.

The camera offers an equivalent focal length of 24mm with a fixed f/1.7 aperture and can be rotated 90° for portrait format shooting. Video can be captured in Standard and flat 10-bit D-Log M color profiles at up to 4K at up to 100fps for slow-motion capture. You can capture in both Raw and JPEG formats with full manual control of the camera available for both photo and video capture.

• Read our full DJI Mini 4 Pro review

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Best cheap mini drone

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Unlike many beginner drones that compromise on image quality, the DJI Mini 3 stands out by featuring the same camera found in the pricier DJI Mini 3 Pro, delivering excellent image quality for its price range. Opting for this drone means enjoying the high build quality and reliability associated with the DJI brand without overspending

The onboard camera features a 12MP 1/1.3-inch sensor with an equivalent focal length of 24mm. In our DJI Mini 3 review, we loved that the camera can be turned 90 degrees to shoot in either landscape or portrait mode depending on the look you're going for. It has a folding design typical of the DJI drones and is very regulator-friendly being only 248g in weight. This will let you fly it in areas that would be off-limits to heavier drones, which is particularly handy if you're new to drone flying or you live in a more populated area.

Of course, some compromises have been made to keep the price down on this drone. You don't get any collision avoidance, Timelapse or subject tracking, and 4K video is limited to 30FPS. You also can't take 48MP photos. However, we still feel it would fulfill the needs of most beginners and still produces stunning shots compared with other budget models on the market.

You'll also enjoy handy features like Quickshots automated flight patterns and a Return to Home function, which automatically brings the drone back to its take-off point when the battery runs low or the connection to the controller is lost. If you're looking for great value on a tight budget, we think the DJI Mini 3 is hard to beat.

• Read our full DJI Mini 3 review

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Best professional-use drone

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The DJI Inspire 3 is a high-end professional-level drone with an eye-watering cost but with features, functionality and image quality that blow other drones out of the sky. It’s primarily designed for cinematography and features fast and precise flight, with advanced features that enhance the safety and precision of the drone. This includes the ability for a pilot to fly the drone, using the FPV camera, while a camera operator can control the main camera.

The main camera is a full-frame Zenmuse X9-8K Air Gimbal Camera, which is compatible with four lenses that are sold separately and can capture 44.7MP photos in Raw and JPEG. Video can be captured in 8K up to 75fps and 4K up to 120fps in professional Raw video formats and flat color profiles for consistency within a professional workflow. Plus, there are many features and additional accessories aimed at professional filmmaking at the highest levels.

This is a large and heavy drone at 140.91oz / 3,995g, and the set-up time is longer, so it’s not as easy to transport or anywhere near as convenient as the DJI Mavic 3 Pro, for example. This won’t be a problem for professional drone pilots and camera operators working on film sets, but for enthusiasts working alone much of the time, indulging their hobby, it’s simply not a practical drone to carry around and set up on a whim.

• Read our full DJI Inspire 3 review

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Best enterprise drone

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The Autel EVO Max 4T is a high-end enterprise drone aimed at law enforcement, search & rescue and mapping/surveying, with features aimed specifically around these uses. This is a large and heavy folding drone that delivers enough power to reach speeds of up to 51mph (42 mph in EU regions), with a maximum wind resistance is 27 mph. It’s also IP43 rated for dust and water resistance making it a highly versatile drone that can be flown in even challenging weather conditions.

The Max 4T comes in a comprehensive kit that includes the excellent Autel Smart Controller V3 and a tough case. Only one battery is included so more will need to be bought separately, but maximum flight times per battery are advertised at up to 42. Deployment of the drone is also incredibly fast, and takes less than a minute for the drone and controller to connect ready for flight.

There are many features on offer including advanced obstacle avoidance, anti-jam and anti-interference technology, mission planning, and an A-Mesh system where multiple aircraft can be flown together to speed up enterprise operations such as mapping/surveying alongside many more features.

The gimbal is home to a wide-angle, a zoom a thermal camera and a Laser Rangefinder. The zoom range is up to 160x and switches between an optical and digital zoom automatically. Plus, when capturing photos and videos, these are captured with both the thermal camera and either the wide-angle or zoom camera depending on which is automatically active as a result of the zoom factor selected. Overall, this is an excellent option for pilots working in the aforementioned areas.

• We are still testing this, check back in soon for a full review.

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Best attachable drone camera

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In a departure from the rest of our list, we wanted to include the Insta360 Sphere because it offers an innovative way of capturing FPV-style drone footage from your DJI Mavic Air 2 or DJI Air 2S camera drone. If you're not sure of the difference, take a look at our 'What are FPV drones?' article to find out more.

The Insta360 Sphere consists of one camera facing upward and another facing downward, allowing you to capture a complete 360-degree view during flight. It securely attaches to your drone's airframe, ensuring no parts of the drone appear in the shot. After capturing footage, you can apply video effects using templates and keyframes through either the phone app or desktop app during editing, which we liked in our Insta360 Sphere review. 

This brings the recent 360-degree photography trend neatly to the world of drones and opens up a whole host of creative possibilities, but unfortunately, it is only compatible with the DJI Mavic Air 2/2S line of drones.

The cameras are equivalent to 35mm with an aperture of f/2, providing 5K video at up to 30 FPS and 4K video at up to 50 FPS. They deliver good image quality and allow you to choose any camera angle, simulating FPV drones. You control the cameras using a phone app, but one drawback is that the WiFi range is limited to about 10 meters. However, if you start recording before takeoff, you should be set for the entire duration of the flight.

The standalone kit will set you back around $423/£440 and includes two sticky lens guards, two lens caps, one battery, a charging cable, lens cloth and a landing mat. Or you can choose to buy the memory card kit at around $440/£456 which includes an additional 64GB microSD card.

• Read our full Insta360 Sphere review

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More information about drone flight

For some, flying a drone is a fun end in itself. But for most people, the whole point of buying a drone is to be able to capture amazing aerial photos and videos, alongside being able to get a camera into locations and positions not accessible on foot. This means that the camera and the image quality it produces are important considerations when choosing the right drone for you.

All the drones covered in this article require you to register with the FAA (US) and CAA (UK) because they all weigh over 249g. It’s a simple process that involves a basic multiple-choice test, and once completed you’ll have a better idea of what you should and shouldn’t do with your drone. And most importantly, you’ll be legal to fly your drone and not be at risk of receiving a hefty fine. For more detailed information, check out our guide to drone regulations.

We’ve covered the best camera drones available right now in this article, but even if you’re looking for something smaller, lighter and/or less expensive, even beginner drones can provide excellent image quality. And if they're too expensive, we do have a look at the cheapest drone deals right now too.

How we test camera drones

Camera drones are typically tested over several days in different locations, environments and weather conditions (excluding rain) to test flight performance, flight features, overall handling and image quality for both photo and video capture. With these models, the emphasis is on the camera features and functionality, although flight performance remains an important aspect of testing.

Drones are flown using manual flight patterns to test the connection between the aircraft and the controller, latency between the two, the accuracy of the controls, app connection and reliability and the flight experience in general. And if automated flight patterns and collision avoidance are available, these are always tested to assess accuracy and performance when capturing video.

All testing is conducted in a way that meets local aviation laws and restrictions to ensure that all flights are safe and legal. Drone laws vary from region to region, so you must check local laws to ensure that you’re following the guidelines for your country before embarking on your first drone flights.