Do All Drones Take Pictures?

Drones have many forms of use, including recreational purposes but they are especially used for photography and videography. These two things have become more and more popular in the past few years as the technology of drones and the cameras on them has continued to advance. 

Drones are equipped with a wide variety of technology such as GPS, cameras, lights, stabilization, etc. depending on the customer’s needs (military, consumer or commercial).

These miniature aircrafts can be remotely controlled and it’s rather easy to learn how to use them due to the advanced technology system provided by the manufacturers. Often you can even connect your phone to the controller and use your smartphone to do it as well. 

Since drones have such technology and they are so well known for pictures the question often comes up whether all of them take pictures or not. Maybe you have seen a drone that is incredibly small or cheap and are wondering if it will take pictures as well? If that is what you are wondering then keep reading because we will answer that question below. 

Most drones on the market today will take pictures but not all of them will. Miniature drones and some of the cheaper ones will not have cameras on them because of the weight (for mini drones) or because of the price (for cheaper ones). 

If you are looking online for a drone to purchase and you want a camera but don’t want to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars there are many options now available and certainly far more than there used to be. 

If you are looking for a good budget conscious drone that takes pictures, looks nice, and has thousands of reviews you will certainly want to check out the Snaptain S5C model found here. 

When it comes to choosing a drone to buy, you need to look at a few different aspects before deciding, depending on your needs and goals.

In this article we will look a little deeper into the question of whether all drones have cameras and the ability to take pictures, and we will also give you a list of the best 5 drones with cameras on them. 

Do all drones take pictures and videos?

Not all drones were designed to take pictures and videos. Some mini aircrafts were designed strictly for military purposes and others were simply made too cheaply to put them on the drone and still turn a profit. 

There are also many different micro drones that are designed to be used around the house or yard and those drones will often not have cameras either because they are so incredibly small. 

However the large majority of drones (95%+) do have cameras on them that can be used for photos or videos. Even the cheaper drones that are under $100 will still normally have nice cameras on them and some cheap drone cameras even outperform the more expensive drone cameras that are a few years old! 

To see a comparison of a cheap vs expensive drone check out the video below. 

Today, drones serve a variety of different purposes: commercial, photography, videography, military, and recreation. Drones also have two basic functions and those are flight and navigation. Other than that, drones differ from one another in many ways including their features, technologies, looks, sizes, and much more depending on the buyer’s preferences and needs.

The best drones with cameras

You can find a variety of drones with cameras to choose from depending on your needs, and there are drones for virtually every budget.

Here are the top 5 best drones for photography

DJI Mavic 2 Pro 

With a professional camera, intelligent features, and compact size, the DJI Mavic 2 Pro (found on Amazon here) is one of the most popular drones on the market. It is perfect for content creators, filmmakers and photographers as well. It’s small and easy to use with intelligent features like omnidirectional obstacle sensing, Active Track, Waypoint and Point of Interest Modes.

One huge downside to this model is that it is far from being cheap.

DJI Mavic 2 Zoom

The Mavic 2 Zoom (found here) has very good zooming capabilities. With it’s 24mm-48mm lens, it offers 2x optical zoom and 2x digital zoom. It also comes with great zooming features to have fun and get creative with: Dronie, Circle, Helix, Rocket, Boomerang and Dolly Zoom. Although f you’re looking for better image quality, you should go for the Mavic 2 Pro, but if better zooming options are a priority for you, the Mavic 2 Zoom will be a good choice.

DJI Mavic Mini

Don’t worry this is the last DJI product on the list but they are one of the best drone manufacturers so we wanted to list their models first. 

The Mavic Mini (found here), as its name suggests, is the smallest and lightest drone yet. This mini drone weighs under 9 ounces, so it doesn’t even have to be registered according to FAA’s requirements to register any drone that weighs .55 pounds or more. It has a 30 minute flight time and a 12 megapixel camera.

Force 1 U49WF

This model (found on Amazon here) comes with a Live Camera Video feature, meaning that you can see exactly what your drone sees in real time. It also comes with an extra battery that helps you fly your drone longer before having to recharge them both. 

It has a 720p camera for HD photos and live video with 12 to 15 minutes of battery life. This drone is perfect for beginners who are passionate about learning the basics of flying drones while taking pictures and live video in HD.

This model is MUCH less expensive than any of the three DJI models listed above.

SNAPTAIN A15H Foldable Drone

As the drone’s name suggests, it is a travel-friendly, small, foldable drone that is on the affordable side. The camera resolution is 720p, and the battery lasts up to 8 minutes. It also comes with an extra battery for longer flight times as well as some additional spare propeller blades and protectors. 

This model can be found on Amazon by clicking here.

How much does a drone with a camera cost?

Drones with cameras have a variety of price ranges. A camera drone starts at around $50 for the cheaper ones, and it can go up above $1,000. If you are looking for a professional camera drone with a high quality integrated camera be prepared to pay a few hundred dollars to a few thousand depending on the features that you want. 

If you are just getting started with taking pictures with a drone it is probably best to look for models that are under $200. That will give you plenty of options to choose from and will avoid you getting ones that will break after a few uses as well. 

Conclusion

As you can see, there is a large variety of drones with cameras that you can choose from depending on your budget and goals.

Drone manufacturing technologies are getting more advanced, and their cameras are as well. If you’re looking to buy a drone for photography or videography purposes, it’s important to take into consideration the battery life, and the camera quality that comes with it.

Almost all drones that are made nowadays are able to take pictures but some of them will deliver much better picture quality than others. The reason for that is the different needs people have when it comes to the quality vs the price. The better the camera on the drone the more expensive it will normally be. 

Flying a drone can be tons of fun, and it also gives lots of opportunities to get creative, that is why drones are becoming very popular these days. Bloggers, vloggers and other content creators prefer using drones in photos and videos as the scenery and views that you can capture are unparalleled. 

Many drones are very convenient and small, with good picture quality too so they’re preferred by many travel bloggers as well. 

Drones are interesting and entertaining little gadgets, especially if you’re someone who’s passionate about technology and flying. It is worth investing in a more expensive one if you are a professional photographer looking to try something new and maybe make a business out of it.

Always make sure that you follow the rules and guidelines provided by the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) to prevent accidents from happening or other unpleasant situations.