You are not alone if you are feeling the urge to pilot a drone. Over the past few years, flying drones have become a favorite pastime of the majority. Furthermore, the advent of drones offers the opportunity for photographers and videographers to take their skills to the next level.
Drones can capture stunning and breathtaking images/videos and that is yet another reason making them so popular. Regardless, whether you are looking to buy a drone as a new hobby or for professional reasons, you must know some vital points before buying them.
Drone registration
Registering your drone is mandatory, no matter for whichever purpose you are using it. So, do not live in the world of Utopia, thinking if you are buying a drone to have a fun time, you need not require registering it. Usually, most of the drones weigh more than 55 pounds, which makes it indispensable for registering the UAV. Similarly, those who prefer using the services of the drone for their profession also need to take a few additional steps for registering it.
You can fly the drone at specific places
Understandably, your excitement is out of bounds for flying the drone. However, you should know, there are strict guidelines related to flying your UAV. The said guidelines are primarily due to the safety concerns and these are as follows:
Before you take to the skies, make sure there are no airports within a five-mile radius.
Aerial photography can be fun, and you might want to let the drone capture jaw-dropping images from the highest possible point. But, according to the guidelines, you cannot fly the drone over 400 feet.
You can land in trouble if you fly drones over government facilities and national parks. It is strictly prohibited.
Lastly, though this isn’t an official guideline, yet out of courtesy, you should seek the permission of people around the neighborhood before you commence flying the drone.
Drone variants
For many, flying drones promises to be a brand new experience. Unless you are familiar with the terminologies associated with it, you might end up buying a drone that you cannot operate accurately. So, understand these terms before making the final call.
RTF: Ready-to-fly (RTF) drones are the best choice for hobbyists. Generally, you can fly these drones as soon as you unpack it. Before hitting the skies, you just need to charge the batteries and attach the propellers, and you are ready to go.
BNF: Bind-to-fly (BNF) drones are for advanced users. You require buying the controllers separately. Additionally, you can also control the drone via an app on your phone.
ARF: Almost-ready-to-fly (ARF) is essentially drone kits. It allows you to build your drone. These don’t come with any attachments like the transmitters, motors, batteries, and so on. The onus is on you to make the necessary purchases and then go for the skies. The best part, the ARF model lets you customize the drone as per your convenience.
FPV: First-Person-Video (FPV) drones are designated for the professionals. It can capture live footage and subsequently transmit it to a phone, VR headset, or any other gadgets you wish. These drones are becoming massively popular, as they capture various images and videos flawlessly.
Weather conditions
Assessing the weather conditions where you intend to fly the drone is a crucial point. For instance, if your area of living is windy, you ought to buy a drone that can withstand the force of the wind. Usually, drones can handle wind speeds of up to 20mph. For windier places, you must get a robust UAV. Similarly, ensure, the drone is weatherproof. If however, your budget permits you to go for the common drones, then fly it when the sky is clear and the breeze is manageable.
The stability of the drone
Drone stability is a vital aspect, particularly for professionals. Understandably, a drone needs to be stable when hovering in the skies for capturing stunning images and videos. Chances are if the drone is unstable the images will miss the crispier details that you are looking for. That makes it mandatory to buy a drone that comes with a gimbal.
Flight time
Generally, an average drone can fly not more than half-an-hour. If you intend to fly the drone for a longer time, you have to end up getting a pricier product. You can get spare batteries to enjoy more flight time. Alternatively, you can plan on using the limited flight time to achieve your purpose that is capturing images.
Range
Professional photographers and videographers will want to fly their drones at the highest point for capturing those mesmerizing visuals. So, specifically understand the flight range, before you buy one. Some of the miniature drones cannot fly more than 50 meters and this will hardly satisfy the requirements of the photographers. Remember, we mentioned. The rules do not allow flying a drone over 400 feet. You require obtaining special permission if you need to fly the drone over the said range.
Image Quality
Modern drones may or may not come with a camera. It is up to you in deciding which camera will work the best for you. Ultimately, the image quality is important. As you can understand, the price of the drone will vary depending on the camera quality. You can presently find drones that are capable of capturing images with 1080 or 4K quality and come with additional features like optical zoom, dual operator control, and even mechanical shutters.
The cost
The entry-level drones are affordable and ideal for the hobbyists. However, they will not be very stable, and controlling them can be a challenge. Additionally, you cannot expect them to capture good-quality images. The good news is, the speed in which drones are penetrating the market, you can find a pretty useful drone that doesn’t require you to break the bank. For your information, the price of drones can start with a few hundred dollars to thousands of dollars. Therefore, assess your requirements and budget in advance, and then make your call.