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Sure, your action camera can capture amazing footage, but if you want to take your videos to the next level, it might be time to upgrade to one of the best action camera drones.
A well-built drone for professional film and photos is an investment, of both time and money. There are plenty of cheap drones out there, but they’re technically classified as toys, and though it’s tempting to save cash by going for a less-expensive model, you’ll often pay later in other ways. Cheaper drones are made with cheaper parts, often low-grade plastic, making it more easily damaged and more likely to lose control in heavy winds or get tangled (or stuck) in a tree.
A more professional prosumer drone, however, will have higher intelligent features, like automatically flying back to the start location if they’re disconnected from the controller (or running low on battery), sensors that prevent collision and, of course, better camera capabilities too.
“Video standards are constantly evolving as new cameras come out that are capable of shooting videos at higher and higher resolutions,” says Ayo Oppenheimer, founder of Ayo.Yoga, who uses drones to film classes from her scenic rooftop studio. “The current standard on YouTube is 1080p, but creators who want to stand out have already started producing video content at 4K, and the newest generation of high-end cameras are currently capable of shooting at 8K.”
But you don’t have to be a professional videographer or extreme athlete to get the most out of drone photography, as these are also used to get photos for real-estate listings, travel videos or just for fun.
What Are the Best Action Camera Drones?
Before purchasing your next gadget, there are a few things to take note of before going all-in on a new drone, depending on what you plan to use it for.
4K: A larger sensor and 4K capability add a noticeable burst of deep color, especially when filming landscapes. Even more so with going above 4K, if you’ll be producing super high-quality content. Frames per second (or FPS, for short), also can come in handy if you’re filming slow-motion shots.
Dynamic Range: Dynamic range is the amount of brightness and darkness that can be seen all at once, such as when filming at angles towards the sun, and can help create a softer, smoother transition between highlights and shadows. This is usually an automatically adjusting feature on most drones, but can also be manually set on some models if you know exactly what you want.
Flight Time, Photo Quality & Connectivity: Most decent quality drones can fly for multiple miles, so connection and signal strength is vital if you plan to send it far off, ensuring that there’s no lag time, and that it can still return home. As for photos, some drones only take photos in JPEG form, which works for casual hobbyists and amateurs who aren’t planning to put these into photo-editing software, but too low-grade for professional quality. Instead, if you’ll be editing these afterwards, be sure it has the ability to snap pics in RAW format for the most minimally processed picture possible.
Action Camera Attachment: Another option for those who already own an inexpensive drone and aren’t looking to spend hundreds (or thousands) more on a new one is attaching an external action camera.
You won’t need to upgrade the entire drone, just the camera, which on the plus side will save you a ton of cash. However, these can cause other issues, like interfering with the drone’s GPS, and making it harder to control. “The camera is typically mounted on top of the FPV (First Person View) drone and can’t be tilted mid-flight,” advises Oppenheimer, “thus severely limiting the more cinematic types of footage many people prefer from their drones.”
Most of the best action camera drones can often be flown with the included remote, and some even come with apps for editing so you can bring out the endless potential of what your drone can do.
