Have you ever wanted to fly a drone? These small technological marvels fascinate crowds and have something to attract curiosity with all their features. From DJI Ryze Tello for beginners to DJI Mavic 2 for experts: there’s something for everyone! Follow the guide and find our selection of the best drones in 2020.
UAVs have multiple uses: from professional video to family entertainment, through the delivery of parcels or pizza, they may upset our lives in a few years. These very business uses are obviously interesting, but today drones are mainly used to make beautiful shots during your vacation. For the moment, despite some nice efforts from Parrot, especially with Anafi, the market is totally dominated by DJI. You will see it in our selection.
DJI Mavic 2: the high end
At the end of August, DJI then presented its new range of Mavic 2 drones. Regarding the DJI Mavic 2 Zoom, it is equipped with a camera with optical zoom. It is thus possible to go from a focal length of 24 mm to a zoom x2 to 48 mm. This new drone is also equipped with a 1 / 2.3 inch sensor and can capture 12 megapixel shots and can shoot in 4K at 100 Mb / s with the H.265 codec.
As for the DJI Mavic 2 Pro model, it includes a one-inch sensor that captures 20-megapixel shots. It does not offer zoom, but the camera, designed in partnership with Hasselblad, can adjust the focal aperture between f / 2.8 and f / 11. It also captures 4K videos with a 10-bit color profile.
The new DJI Mavic 2 allows four driving modes: free, circle, race lock and waypoint. It can go up to 72 kilometers per hour and includes eight sensors to analyze the surroundings and avoid obstacles. On the side of autonomy, DJI promises up to 31 minutes of flight without interruption. Finally, for the management of photos and videos, the drone offers an internal storage of 8 GB expandable via microSD up to 128 GB.
Why do we recommend this drone?
- For its optical zoom (Zoom) or the adjustable aperture (Pro)
- For his driving modes
- For its autonomy
The DJI Mavic 2 Zoom is generally offered at more than $1,000 while the DJI Mavic 2 Pro is about $1,500.
DJI Mavic Air: the in-between
The Mavic Air is halfway between the DJI Spark and the DJI Mavic Pro. It comes with a 2375 mAh battery that gives it a 21-minute battery life, 8 GB of internal storage, a USB-C port, a 12-megapixel CMOS 1.2 / 3 sensor camera that can record videos in 4K UHD with 30 fps or Full HD / HD with 120 fps.
It also has the same gesture functions as the DJI Spark, it can avoid obstacles and take panoramas in horizontal, vertical or 360 °.
Why move towards a DJI Mavic Air:
- It incorporates interesting flight modes
- It detects obstacles
- It is compact
The DJI Mavic Air is available for less than $800.
DJI Mavic Mini: the good price / quality ratio
The DJI Mini is the replacement of the famous Spark, the Mavic Mini is the solution “quality / price of the manufacturer. As its name suggests, it focuses on its small size to convince, thanks to its retractable legs for easy transport. Folded, it stands in 140 x 82 x 57 mm, and weighs only 249 grams. But that’s not his only argument.
The object is actually well balanced. His camera does not shoot in 4K, but in 2.7K. This is of little interest as such, but the surplus of pixels makes it possible especially to cut in the image to obtain a digital zoom in Full HD. The 4K is always better, but as a recreational drone for everyone, we can do without. The quality of the image is good. It is not perfect, but the rendering is frankly satisfactory.
We will also appreciate its performance that will have fun driving in large spaces: 47 km / h announced, and 14 km / h in vertical climb. On autonomy, the Mavic Mini is not bad either with about twenty minutes during our test. Beware however, unlike more upmarket models, it does not have obstacle sensors.
Why choose the DJI Mavic Mini?
- Its excellent price-quality ratio
- A satisfactory 2.7K camera
- Its small size and featherweight
The DJI Mavic Mini is usually available for less than $400 with a remote control and a battery. The “Fly More” pack with 3 batteries and a charging station is available for less than $500.
DJI Ryze Tello: to start
The DJI Ryze Tello is a drone specially dedicated to beginners and a young audience. Indeed, the drone is light (80 grams), it holds in the hand (9.80 x 9.25 x 4.10 cm) and it offers an educational side, it can be programmed with Scratch, an accessible coding system to children.It embeds a 5 megapixel camera, capable of shooting 720p 30fps video, a 13-minute battery life, a maximum speed of 8 meters per second and a range of up to 100 meters. It incorporates a lot of features like take-off and auto landing and executing figures like flips.
Why choose the DJI Ryze Tello?
- Take videos with good image quality
- Flight modes: control with gestures or tracking a target
- An easy grip
