Ultimate Drone Buying Guide for Total Beginners 2024
Ultimate Drone Buying Guide for Total Beginners 2024
Best Camera Drones for Beginners that still shoot pro quality video and photos compared:
DJI Mini 3 vs. DJI Mini 4 Pro vs. Air 3 vs. Autel Evo Lite+ vs. Mavic 3 Pro vs. Mavic 3 Classic vs. DJI Mini 2 vs. DJI Inspire 2 with X5S
Link for the Cinematography & Editing drone course, includes the drone business/marketing course now too so they are just one thing.
$100 Off because I love you I guess:
https://courses.dronelaunchacademy.com/p/aerial-video-a-to-z/?product_id=872022&coupon_code=GROOVYLITTLEDISCOUNT&affcode=58782_fajjfmbu
If you cannot get the best thing do not stress about it, all of the drones I go over are still incredible to be able to get as “entry level.”
Even the Mini 2 is STILL an awesome drone. Mini 4K is the updated model and you have to get it on Amazon strangely.
It has a 1/2.3″ sensor and shoots 12 megapixel photos but it is PLENTY to grow with. Just find it used on Craigslist, Ebay, Facebook Marketplace, Offerup for like $250 or lower.
Mini 4K (2020) – $300
(newest version of the Mini 2)
4K Video, RAW photos, no collision sensors but can live in your pocket
Mini 3 (2022) – $400
4K, RAW photos, Great connection, Vertical Filming, .76 inch sensor, really impressive for the convenience and ease. No anti-bonk
Mini 4 Pro (2023) – $750/$900
Get the $900 one, it is a billion times worth having a dedicated smart remote especially for so little extra.
.76 inch sensor, 4K footage, vertical filming, 12 megapixel RAW photos, quietest body type, looks like a bug when its flying. I could write an essay about this thing. By far the most fun to use, incredible connection. Footage often looks like it came from a bigger drone. Activetrack to follow you around if you care about that.
I’ve got a video on the Mini 4 Pro vs Mini 3 Pro as well, LOVE it.
Air 3 (2023) – $1000
MASSIVE improvement on its predecessor, 2 camera on it which I actually use equally and didn’t expect that. Sensor has improved low-light and exposure balancing is really great in this generation, even if the sensor is same size as mini 3 pro.
4K footage, .76” sensor, 12 megapixel photos.
60fps if you care (I don’t). It is cooler than the Mini 4 Pro because of camera 2 and the sick looking body, but Mini 4 Pro is just so convenient so its a tossup. Get mavic 3 classic if pro quality is priority.
Autel Evo Lite Plus (2022) – $1100
6K 1 inch sensor, 20 megapixel photos. Flies pretty rigid so stick to front/back and left/right. Really nice picture, lovely reds like in all Autels. Oversharpened image but I can live with that, just adjust some in editor. Fun colors to pick from give it extra points, could use it for work and still get the job done if DJI gets hit by a car one day. Doesn’t beat DJI but this isn’t bad.
Autel Evo Nano Plus (2022) – $700
NO
Mavic 3 Pro (2022) – $2200
4/3 inch Sensor, 5.1K footage, 20mp photos. Long flight time. Get the normal version not the $4000 Cine version if you don’t know what Prores format is.
This is the Business Class plane ticket drone, there is no going back after having this. Unbelievable dynamic range. UNREAL stability, default color, flight control, flexible rich data for color grading.
A 3x and 7x telephoto lens comes on it. Never use the 7x aside from fun, but the 3x is a great length and useful… just hard to give up the quality of the wide camera that is 5.1k.
Still great for cool angles and cinematography nerds. In general most of what I film on this drone looks better in the end than what I thought I was getting while shooting. They knocked it out of the park with this drone, no limits honestly.
Mavic 3 Classic – $1300
Not typing all that again, you get the point. Minus the Zoom lenses, everything else is the same. Crapping myself at the price being so cheap now. What a deal.
DJI Mini 5 – No, don’t even start asking.
Inspire 2 + X5S camera – $5000+ Used
Shoots 6K RAW Video (literally filming in RAW photos)
5.2K 422 Prores and 4K Proress 4444 incase you know what that all means. Cinema formats but such a pain to lug around, and the noise is a lot. It’s more like a once in a while, Ace in the hole to blow something out the water or shoot Stock Footage and practice cinematography. Interchangeable lenses are really nice too.
I have other videos on making money, go watch those if you need.
If you want the fastest way to get better footage, watch the Cinematography one, trust me it is very necessary.
Updating the Ultimate Drone Buying Guide for Total Beginners 2024 because its time and new drones have come out, the Mini 4 Pro and Air 3 being the biggest additions
00:00 .
00:14 Drones vs. Cocaine
00:50 Beginner Drones
01:55 Photo/Video Drones
03:00 Drone Quality comparison
04:05 DJI Drones
04:58 Drones Tech Update
06:40 Used Drones
08:25 Minis
09:00 Noise Test
09:38 Cinematography
10:12 Mavic 3 Best Drone
12:20 Sensor Chart comparison
13:28 Photography
14:10 Specs Need vs Don’t
15:40 Follow Me
16:25 SMART REMOTE!!!
17:28 Make a Decision
18:12 Pro Drones
20:50 How to Improve
Thank you very much.
love this guys humor
Thank you for posting . Very informative and honest .
I enjoy your sense of humor!
🛸 Thanks 🛸
9:35😂😂😂😂😂
No nonsense and educating.
This video got me to subscribe and comment
Great job , trying to get my first one !
Great video! Thanks
this guy is so fing funny
are you in the Phx area?
You crack me up! Love the video. Thanks for all your knowledge. I would love to get a drone.
Thanks for this video. I am definitely getting good the mavic 3 classic
This might be the greatest, most comprehensive purchase preview video I’ve ever watched. Every one of my questions have been answered
Man, outstanding review 👏👏👏
Thank you, i was just at a Best-Buy looking at these 😂 I don’t even have a Drone and I gave you a 👍 and subscribe
Can the mini 3 pro track a vehicle
Great review, love the humour.
Never tried an expensive one. I did get a cheap one for my son. One day i tried it at my house, had a couple of beers then started flying it. Make the story short i ended up ascendantally flying it into my wifes head tangling her hair into the propellers. She wasnt to happy about that moral of the story dont drink and drone.
I got a Mavic Pro mark I for $100 bucks last week
Can you recommend a website to buy used drones from
Dji neos under 200 dollars……
I was hoping to find some helpful advice
I was wanting something between $50-$200 to begin with
I have seen videos with warnings but also recommendations and desired features such as
Auto return
Stable dual cameras
Follow mode
Hover mode
Long distance (flight & camera)
long battery life
Simple button commands
1st person mode
removable blade guards
Wind stability
Voice control (possibly)
Do you know of one that has all or most of these features good fir a beginner that won’t break the bank
Love the video! Would any of your recommendations change given the Air 3s is available?
Too damn expensive, if course you get what you pay for, make a video that you can good Drone for under$100
how many other attributes and/or functions like [ not taking off near airports ] are contirolled OR otherwise the owner is DISABLED to alter these. I have no intentions of flying the drone against the rules of the FAA or whichever applicable governing agency. But Im an engineer and I like to tinker. 🙂
17:24 I didn’t think I could laugh any harder during this video
Excellent informational video! Thank You!
Love your presentation!!!!!
I know there is a Mini 2 SE on DJIs site, but that is only 2.7K, they have updated the line with the Mini 4K that came out like a week ago (May 2024 for anybody in the future) You have to buy the Mini 4K on Amazon though, strangely
UPDATE: DJI Air 3S has a 1-inch sensor on main camera, so slightly bigger than the Air 3 (.76" sensor) So a bit better low-light images and shadow details, better obstacle avoidance.
8:53 😎
Super cool.
This is such a great video! Kudos to you sir! New subscriber here!
Very very nice shots.
What are your thoughts on the DJI neo?
0:09 110% does coke
Great video! Thank you for all the great information.
I would like a drone I could fly while monitoring via big screen TV (No latency). 3/4 mile flying/viewing range. No lic. Less $500. What all would I need?
Newer drone owner. I have been using my iPad with the phone controller. I like the bigger screen
Great video! Wish more product videos were this straight forward and honest. ha
Great video, well put together. I just purchased the Mavic 3 Pro, I hope it will work out for me. I returned two other drone models I did not like because of defective battery issues. I just subscribed.
Looking forward to seeing more of your videos.. Right now, I just stuck with the basic controller, the other one was really nice and it does a lot of things, but it was a good chunk more $$.. First things first..
If people can’t afford a $300-500 drone from DJI, they shouldn’t be worrying about buying a drone. You have bigger and more important problems to fix in your life.
Drone/oholic 😂
👍🏾✅✅❤️
If those Autel drones are so bad, send ’em my way, I’ll put them to good use. I still have my X-Star premium nursing 1 battery. 😁
I’m dying 😂
The absolute best drone world video of 2024.
what about the air 2s i need info
Bald Jim from the office
What is your opinion of the Holy Stone drones? Thank you.
Thanks for this! 🙏🏻
You didn’t mention that range especially the only aqua sync is air3 and mini 4 i know u said it doesn’t matter to you bc u don’t need to go that far but sometimes it will be a lots of interference in the area so the video transmission will start to get glitched even if you are not that far off but for my experience the air 3 is the way to go in this case but once again it depends on what you are using the drone for