Until recently, unmanned aerial vehicles were not available to ordinary citizens. Basically, only the special services and the military used this technique. Today, any online store offers hundreds of drone models for every taste and budget. And many would certainly like to know how to choose a quadrocopter with a video camera. There are several important points to pay attention to when buying a drone.
Choosing a quadcopter should be primarily taking into account the availability of skills in terms of control of such equipment. Without a certain amount of experience, a drone can be easily lost or damaged. The price range for drones is very wide. There are models on sale today, the cost of which is both tens and thousands of dollars. Of course, beginners are better off buying drones at a lower price.
Also, when choosing a quadcopter, you should pay attention to its size and degree of equipment. On this basis, all drones are classified into four main groups. The smallest micro models are great as a toy for a child. Such drones easily fit in the palm of your hand and have practically no equipment. Cameras are not installed on them. The use of quadcopters of this type is possible mainly only indoors or in the courtyard of a house in calm weather.
The mini models have a little more dimensions. These quadcopters are already equipped with a video camera. You can shoot with their help. However, the picture quality, unfortunately, will not be very good. If desired, such a quadcopter can also be used outdoors. But managing this type of model is quite difficult. The mini drone is almost as easy to lose sight of as the micro drone. Therefore, such models are often referred to the category of children's toys.
Medium-sized quadcopters cost about $ 40-50 and can also be used for amateur video filming on the street. Such models necessarily have a built-in camera or special fasteners for video equipment. It is believed that such a copter is best suited for a beginner for video filming. When choosing a medium-sized quadcopter, you should first read the reviews about different models. Some of the drones in this group are easy to fly, others are not. Inexpensive amateur drones can also differ in terms of flight speed.
Large quadcopters with a camcorder typically start at $ 200. Models of this variety can lift higher quality heavy equipment for shooting. In addition, in most cases they are equipped with a navigator and have a return function. Also, some large drones "know how" to automatically follow the operator with a remote control. That is, it is almost impossible to lose such a model on the street. The camera mounts in this group of drones are usually very reliable. The equipment installed on them does not shake during shooting, which, of course, has a positive effect on the picture quality.
Another criterion to pay attention to when choosing a quadcopter is the type of engine used in its design. On mini and micro models, low power brushed motors are usually installed. Medium-sized drones are equipped with a motor of the same design, but with an additional gearbox. These models provide better traction. Their disadvantage is not too long service life. Therefore, when purchasing a mid-sized drone, it is worth purchasing at least one spare engine at the same time.
Large quadcopters are equipped with reliable brushless motors. Their advantages include both durability and high efficiency. The only drawback of this type of engine is the rather large weight and dimensions. This is why they are not installed on small drones.
Maximum flight time is another factor to look out for when purchasing equipment such as a quadcopter. “Which drone to choose for shooting?” - The answer to this question in this case depends, among other things, on how long the model will have to stay in the air in the future. The flight time for small drones is usually 5-10 minutes, for medium-sized ones - 10-20 minutes. Expensive large quadcopters can stay in the air for up to 40-60 minutes.
Of course, those who need a drone for video filming should look at the quality of the camera when buying. On toy drones, simple 2 megapixel video cameras are usually installed. Medium and large copters are often equipped with 10-14MP models. In most cases, such cameras can broadcast a picture on the screen of a computer monitor, tablet or smartphone. The most popular models with such cameras are the drones of the DJI Phantom group.