[Latest in 2021] 7 cheap aerial drones & drones with recommended cameras in Amazon

I think that there are many people who want to try aerial video with a drone that is a hot topic right now, but the first thing to do is to choose which drone to buy . I want a good aircraft, but if you look at the top, it's 200,000 yen? 400,000 yen !? No, no more !! It's an endless world.

There should be few people who can make such a large amount of money, so in this article, which drone is recommended for aerial photography is (1) the lowest price is the highest priority , (2) the balance between price and performance is good 2 We will introduce the aircraft selected by the criteria.

Table of contents

Professionals choose recommended drones by price

While operating a drone specialized media and accepting contracts for drone aerial photography projects, I fly drones every day, receive consultations and hear their reputation, and based on the results, I am collecting recommended drones, so please do not miss it. ,Please look. Also, what determines the price of the drone later in the article? There is also "knowledge information" such as, so don't miss it!

An aerial drone with a camera that you choose with the highest priority on price!

For those who want to start practicing drone aerial photography but don't want to spend a lot of money on the aircraft from the beginning, I chose an aircraft that can take pictures and videos even if the price is low.

Anyway, you can shoot HD video aerial at a low price

・ Holy Stone F181W

Holy Stone's "F181W", which is sweeping Amazon's ranking with cheap toy drones, is a cheap drone equipped with a camera that can shoot movies in HD image quality (1080P).

Its strength is that the selling price is as low as 8,000 yen and you can easily buy it. It is also attractive that the set contents are enriched, such as a return mode function that allows you to return to the home point with the touch of a button, and two batteries in addition to a dedicated large controller. A propeller guard is also installed as standard, making it suitable for indoor flight. Don't expect too much from the image quality, but it's a product that you can say, "If you buy it quickly and take a quick shot, this is also available!"

The video taken with the Holy Stone F181W on YouTube

Can be folded and carried compactly

・ Holy Stone SHADOW HS160

It is a convenient drone that can be compacted in size when stored by folding the arm. It is easy to take out even during outdoor activities where you have to carry your luggage on your back, and the camera performance is HD image quality (720p).

Sample video taken with Holy Stone SHADOW HS160 on YouTube

Get a powerful size aerial drone for less than 10,000 yen

・ DBPOWER U818A

With a width of over 30 cm, it is a drone that cuts 10,000 yen and you can enjoy powerful flight with a larger aircraft than the toy drone of the same price range. The camera has HD image quality (720p), which is a standard level for a drone of this class. As the size of the aircraft increases, it becomes less susceptible to wind and other factors, so it is a model that allows you to shoot while flying more stably than a small toy drone.

Sample video taken with DBPOWER U818A on YouTube

Full HD aerial photography drone that can be bought at a price of 20,000 yen

・ Holy Stone HS300

An aerial drone equipped with a camera capable of shooting movies in full HD image quality (1080p). While the HD image quality aerial photography drone has a 10,000 yen cut model, the price will increase, but it is possible to shoot with a higher image quality. Check it out if you want to shoot with better image quality than a cheap drone, even if you don't go for full-scale aerial photography.

Sample video taken with Holy Stone HS300 on YouTube

-Tricks! If you retrofit the camera yourself, you can get a 4K aerial drone for less than 20,000 yen ---

What you should know if you buy a drone with an emphasis on low price

Cheap drones in the price range of 10,000 to 20,000 yen do not have a stabilizer called "gimbal", and the performance of the camera itself is also priced. It is undeniable that photos and videos are prone to blurring, noise is likely to appear in dark areas of images (video), and overexposure is likely to occur in bright areas. You can never shoot "smooth videos like Hollywood movies" or "sharp photos", so be sure to buy them for casual aerial photography.

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An aerial drone with a camera to choose from the balance between price and performance!

From here, we will introduce a drone that can take smoother and more beautiful images than a toy drone. The most important point that separates this grade drone from lower drones is whether or not it has a gimbal (stabilizer) as standard, and if this part is present, the aircraft and wind will create a smooth sky that suppresses blurring and shaking. You will be able to take pictures.

Supplement: About the gimbal

The gimbal for drone can correct blur and shaking with 3 axes of roll, pitch and yaw, and if it is an inexpensive model, it may be corrected with 2 axes. Please see the image below to see what "roll pitch yaw" means.

You can shoot smooth full HD videos with a palm-sized aircraft!

DJI Mavic2 Pro

With stable flight and correction of shaking and blurring by the 3-axis stabilizer, it is an aircraft that can shoot smooth and beautiful aerial shots like "Hollywood movie aerial shot scene" with 4K image quality. It can be folded and can be carried compactly, so it is also recommended for outdoor use. The price of about 200,000 yen is a high-performance model that is convincing considering the function and image quality. There is also a high-end model DJI Mavic Pro Platinum with slightly longer flight time and lower noise, but the camera performance will not change and the price will increase, so if you want to keep the price down, the regular version of DJI We recommend purchasing the Mavic2 Pro.

Sample video taken with DJI Mavic 2 Pro on YouTube

Extra: An aerial drone with a camera that you can choose with a focus on performance without worrying about the price!

Substantial high-end model of hobby drone

DJI Phantom 4 Pro

DJI drones include industrial drones that cost more than 2 million yen on their own, and high-end models such as the professional aerial photography drone "Inspire 2", but they are positioned at the high end among hobby and semi-professional drones. The aircraft to do is DJI Phantom 4 Pro. By equipping the camera with a 1-inch sensor that is larger than the Mavic Pro, it is possible to take images and photos with excellent dynamic range, and it is equipped with a group of collision avoidance sensors that support 5 directions, providing high safety. The price is about 200,000 yen, which is not cheap at all, but it is a model of "Teppan" that you can buy if you have enough wallet.

A sample video of DJI Phantom 4 Pro on YouTube

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What determines the price of a drone?

Even if you say "drone" in a nutshell, the price varies from several thousand yen to over one million yen. Here, let's check the factors that determine the price of the drone.

Flight controller

It is this part that plays the role of the "brain" that controls the attitude of the aircraft by controlling the motor (rotor) in response to the data sent from the sensor and the instruction (operation) of the operator. In addition to the control program, there are only parts that are directly related to flight stability and maneuverability, and there are even effective ones such as "DJI A3" that cost more than 100,000 yen by themselves.

sensor

Sensors used to automatically maintain altitude and avoid obstacles are important flight safety components. Cheap toy drones are often not installed at all, or only have a gyro sensor and barometric pressure sensor, but the Phantom 4 Pro, which costs nearly 200,000 yen, is for detecting obstacles in five directions. It has multiple sensors.

motor

There are two types of motors for drones, "brush motors" and "brushless motors," although they may not be a component that has a significant impact on price. "Brush motors" are controlled by adjusting the voltage, while brushless motors are operated by electrical signals, so they can be controlled more precisely and stably, but the price is higher.

battery

Battery prices go up and down not only with cell performance, but also with additional features. DJI calls its battery an "intelligent flight battery," which can display the remaining battery power in real time during flight, and also calculates the distance to the planned landing point and the remaining battery power to reduce the capacity required for return. It has functions such as issuing a warning when it is about to turn around, and of course, the price is more expensive than just a battery.

Gimbal

It is a part for correcting the shaking and tilting during flight between the camera and the aircraft and taking pictures with less blur and smooth images. Most drones don't have this part and rely on digital image stabilization, which can cause noticeable shake in the image, or the "jelly effect" that can't be corrected and makes it buzz. On the other hand, DJI's camera-ready drone and GoPro's Karma are equipped with high-performance gimbals, so you can shoot images and photos with outstanding quality.

camera

Cameras consisting of lenses, image sensors, image / video processing engines, etc. are also parts that greatly affect the price and performance of drones for aerial photography. As a general rule, a camera with a larger sensor and a larger lens aperture can take brighter and clearer videos and photos, but it is heavier. And, in order to fly a heavy camera into the sky, a large amount of power is required for the drone, so the price will rise significantly.

In addition to the above, economies of scale due to the number of units produced affect the price, exchange fluctuations affect the price, and more strictly speaking, multiple factors affect the amount of money when purchasing a drone. However, I will omit it further in this article.

Be careful of drones that are too cheap!

Some of the super-discount drones do not pass the technical suitability and may violate the Radio Law, and some are equipped with a poor battery and have a high risk of catching fire when dropped, so it is necessary. Be careful.

The points to note when purchasing a super-discount drone are described in the following article, so please refer to this article as well.

~ Reference article ~

The price (price range) of the drone to be purchased to choose according to purpose

So far, I've checked the recommended drones by price and the factors that affect the price of the aircraft, but after all, "How much should I buy a model to realize what I want to do?" There may be some people who haven't solved the problem. So, let's roughly sort out how much budget you need for each purpose and what you want to do.

If you want to easily see the scenery from the sky centered on the photo, you can buy a cheap drone!

Compared to videos, photos are less susceptible to the shaking of the aircraft, so even an inexpensive aircraft without a gimbal (stabilizer) can be taken with an old compact digital camera if the aircraft is stationary in a bright place with a weak wind. You can take a picture of. If you focus on still images and focus on ease of use without focusing on image quality, purchasing an under 10,000 yen aircraft is also an option.

If you want to shoot smooth images centered on videos, the price starts from 50,000 yen!

Since the effect of shaking due to the aircraft and the wind is noticeable in the video, it is recommended to select a model with a gimbal (stabilizer) if you want to take smooth images. Since DJI Spark etc. will be the cheapest class in this genre, the starting line will be from the 50,000 yen level.

If you want to shoot smooth videos in 4K, a machine with a price of 100,000 yen or more is a practical level

In the first place, the number of drones that can shoot 4K videos is small, and among them, DJI Mavic Pro and GoPro Karma are candidates when it comes with a gimbal (stabilizer). Most of the cheap drones that sell 4K shooting are inexperienced in image stabilization technology, and even if the resolution is high, they can not stand viewing due to blurring, so if you want to shoot smooth images, be prepared to spend 100,000 yen or more. is needed.

Drone maker ranking by price range

In the article below, we introduce the manufacturer ranking by price range, so please check it out.

Manufacturer ranking by drone price range

Summary and impressions about drone prices

The price of aerial drones that can be easily purchased from Amazon etc. in Japan can be divided into two, the cheap toy drone power centered on Holy Stone and the high spec power centered on DJI.

For those who want to "fly first, play easily" regardless of image quality, there are plenty of options even under 10,000 yen, but if you want a certain quality in video aerial photography, DJI, GoPro, etc. are all over 10 Most of them are 10,000 yen class machines, so you need to be prepared for some expense.

Since each person has their own purpose and budget, it cannot be said unconditionally, but in the future, considering that the environment for viewing images and photos will be steadily increasing in resolution, whether it is a smartphone or a PC, I would like to enjoy aerial photography for a long time. If so, it seems that a 4K compatible model is recommended. If you are forced to choose one of the aircraft introduced this time, the Mavic Pro equipped with a 110,000 yen level, 4K gimbal (stabilizer) is the most promising candidate.

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