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Drones are amazing machines that hover in the sky and scope out the world below. Attached cameras give drones a birds-eye view of the scenery and everything is seen from a new perspective. You can get the perfect shot of your property, or even become a Youtuber just showing off the sights from the air.
Drones can be used for all sorts of things like recreational flying, farming, military, etc. If you are considering buying a drone, you may wonder if it is worth it.
If you are a beginner when it comes to drones there are tons of options to choose from and many different price points. DJI drones can cost you several thousands of dollars while cheaper drones that don’t have the best quality camera (or no camera at all) can be purchased for under $100.
Most good-quality drones will end up costing you a good amount of money, but are these drones worth it?
Cheaper small drones are worth purchasing just because of the fun that you can have with the new hobby. However, if you are going to spend thousands of dollars on a new drone just for a hobby then I would say it IS NOT worth it.
I recently purchased a drone for my 7-year-old son to have fun with. He and I use it in the backyard, get to take pictures from the air, and more. But this wasn’t an expensive model. It was under $60 to get the drone and it is small enough that I didn’t have to worry about the FAA or getting registration for it.
For me that investment of $60 has been worth it simply because of the fun it has allowed my son and I to have together while figuring it out and controlling the drone together. But if that drone would have been one of the more expensive models I would say it would not have been worth it.
Although we have tons of fun flying his drone around he has crashed it multiple times already (as have I) and we almost lost it in the neighbor’s yard on a windy day (found it in the front yard instead of the back).
Ultimately, whether a drone is worth buying comes down to how much it will cost you are how you are going to use your new remote control tech.
If you are going to become a full-time drone pilot and sell your services or the pictures from your camera drone then spending the money on a high-quality drone with an extended battery life could be worthwhile. If you are going to start a Youtube channel about drones and make Youtube videos showing how they work, what laws and regulations there are, etc. then it could also be worth it to you.
If you are wanting to get into drone photography and will use the drone on all of your travels, it is probably worth it. However, if you are going to get into drone photography you will need to find the best camera drone with image quality that will stand out to professionals.
Inexpensive toy drones like the one that I bought won’t work for drone photography.
If you are just wanting a cool gadget to fly around on a clear day for fun, then buying an expensive drone probably isn’t worth it. If you will be using it for specific reasons then it will be worth it to purchase one of these hovering machines.
Some drones have great cameras (connected to your smartphone) that provide the user with amazing photographs. Some are also portable and easy to fly.
The better the drone is, the more it is going to cost. Drones are made in different designs according to what the user wants. So, if you will be using the drone for business or photography reasons, then yes, it is worth it.
To see the most popular drones that won’t break the bank just click here.
Is A Drone A Waste Of Money?
Planning on buying that drone, you are still unsure if you will be wasting your money. The ones you would need are somewhat expensive. Is a drone just a waste of money?
If you will be using the drone regularly or for work then it is not a waste of money. If it is sitting and unused, then yes it is a waste but if you use it to capture pictures of the world below then it is not wasteful.
When drones first appeared on the scene they cost a lot to purchase. Now, you can buy one that is good quality with a good camera for around $200. They are becoming far more affordable all the time. So, if you aren’t sure if buying a drone will be a waste of money, buy one that is cheaper.
If you tend to use it a lot and want to upgrade in the future you can.
Now don’t get me wrong, some of the best drones will cost a lot but if you want a nice one that isn’t too fancy that will get the job done, there are many out here for you. Consumer drones range from $40 to $3,000 so there are plenty to choose from in every budget.
Thinking that owning a drone will make you look cool? Drones are cool and flying one is fun but over time the coolness will wear off and you will end up with an unused drone in your garage that you haven’t used in years. In this case, spending money on drones was a waste.
While there are a number of reasons not to get a drone there are several more that point toward the fact that you should.
Drones can be dangerous and beautiful if they are used properly but when you need to capture images from a sky-high view drones are perfect. They are used in real estate, farming, photography, for having technology, and for fun.
With a drone, you can see things from a whole new point of view and capture some stunning footage of the world below. If you are into standing out with social media posts, pictures with your drone can be a hit.
How cool is it to be able to fly in the air while you are still standing on the ground? You can capture sports games from a new perspective and even map out your area and get awesome pictures of your house from the air.
There are many more things you can do with a drone and they are easy to fly. So, if you will use it, it’s not wasteful.
Are Drones A Good Hobby?
If you are going to be using that drone for some spectacular photographs or one of the other many reasons mentioned, then by all means go for it.
What about using a drone as a hobby? Is drone flying a good hobby to have?
Flying drones can be a fun and exciting hobby to have. When flown properly it is a good hobby that you can enjoy with your friends and family.
You want to be careful when flying a drone because they can cause injuries or be dangerous if you don’t use them properly. As long as you follow the rules of drone flying and are smart while doing it, you can have fun with your newfound hobby.
The hobby of drone flying is thrilling as you hover the device high in the air. It’s like you can fly while still staying on the ground.
Not even to mention how drones can take some beautiful pictures.
Things you normally couldn’t capture before are available to you through your drone. It is also portable so you can carry it wherever you go. You can even travel with the drone because it isn’t too big to take with you.
When you fly a drone, you forget about everything else and are totally immersed in the fascination of flying such a machine. It can be rather stress-relieving.
Drones are easy to operate and anyone can do it. It may take some practice but soon you will have fun exploring new heights with your drone.
Important Things To Consider Before Buying A Drone
If you are still on the fence about buying a drone then there are some important things that you should think about. These will help you decide whether buying a drone is worth it for you.
Consider Drone Laws/Rules
One thing to think about before buying a new drone and deciding whether it is worth buying or not is the different rules and laws you will have to learn. There are many new rules and regulations that have come out over recent years that you will have to abide by.
It used to be that you just needed to keep your drone away from the airport and you would be good to go. However, now there are many no-fly zones in most cities where you can get in trouble if you take your drone.
You are also required to license any drones over a certain size which is an additional hassle and extra money out of your pocket.
There are many rules about where you can and cannot fly your drone and it varies from city to city as well. For example, one city might allow you to fly your drone in a public park while another city might have banned this practice.
Virtually all cities will not allow you to fly your drone in areas where you would be over someone else’s property but that will severely restrict where you can use your drone if that city also has rules against using it in public parks or other public spaces.
All of that to say there are many rules and laws to follow and so for this reason alone buying a drone might not be worth it to you.
What Type Of Drone To Buy
There are a few main types of drones that you can buy. Although drones might be categorized differently depending on who you talk to and there will be some crossover there are really 4 main types of drones in my opinion.
Those drone types are:
- Toy Drones
- Racing Drones
- Recreational Drones
- Professional Drones
Toy Drones
Toy drones are normally tiny drones (like the one I bought) that if you crash it and it won’t fly again you won’t be too upset. Sure it stinks to not have a working drone but it won’t be the end of the world since it was so inexpensive.
These toy drones may or may not have a camera or have some of the modes that the more expensive drones will. They will also have much shorter flight times than their more expensive counterparts.
Racing Drones
These drones are in a place all their own. Of course, you could race any drone but these racing drones are specifically designed for speed. Often their propellers are designed to get the most speed out of the model while also having obstacle avoidance sensors and batteries that allow you to race at these high speeds.
Racing drones will often be custom-built since they are only designed for high speeds.
Recreational Drones
Now technically toy drones are recreational drones but when I’m talking about this type of drone I’m thinking of much more expensive models like the DJI Mini, DJI Mavic Air, DJI Phantom, etc. These drones will normally be larger, have extra batteries, and allow you to use them for photo shoots or other things that will allow you to make some money with your drone usage.
Recreational drones will range in price but the more expensive of a drone that you get the better specs or options that the drone will have.
For example, these recreational drones might have intelligent-flight modes, frame-by-frame video recording, a larger camera lens, etc. Although recreational drones might not have every mode that the most expensive drones will (that I will go into next) but they do have plenty of options that will allow you to make some money while flying your drone if you prefer.
Professional Drones
The last drone type that I will mention is the professional one. These are large drones that might be used to fight fires, in police work, in agricultural work, and even in the military.
These drones are rarely purchased by normal people since they can cost hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars to buy or build. These drones are typically used by massive businesses or governments on gigantic projects that we can’t even really imagine.
Final Thoughts
You can do so much with a drone and if you will be using it a lot for specific reasons it is an investment that is definitely worth it.
Buying a drone isn’t a waste of money if you will use it. If it will just collect dust, then it probably wasn’t worth it and was a waste because you didn’t use it.
When things need to be viewed from up high, a drone is perfect to capture new perspectives. They are also a good and fun hobby since there are so many things you can do with a drone.
If you are a traveler and photographer, drones can enhance your experiences and allow you to capture things you never dreamed of.