无人机(Drone)现在随处可见。无人机(Drone)飞行员将它们用于所有可以想象的目的，从拍摄动作运动到钓鱼或拍摄令人惊叹的自拍。几年前，您必须至少花费 1000 美元才能获得像DJI Mavic 2或Mavic Air 2这样的体面的无人机，但如今您可以以 500 美元或更低的价格获得真正的硬件。
我们汇总了一份清单，列出了您可以在各种类别中以低于 500 美元的价格购买的最佳无人机。我们认为您会惊讶于拥有一架好的无人机变得多么实惠，而且您不必在亚马逊(Amazon)上花费数小时来寻找它们！
在无人机中寻找什么
无人机的设计考虑到了不同的工作，所以你应该在无人机中寻找什么的一个重要因素是你希望它做什么工作。没有无人机可以在所有方面都做得很好，所以更重要的是找到一个擅长你需要它做的事情，它可以在其他所有方面都很好。
相机注意事项
大多数想要无人机的人都在专门寻找相机无人机，这使得相机质量成为等式的重要组成部分。如果可能，购买 UHD 4K(UHD 4K)相机无人机是个好主意，但这并不重要。大多数人仍然没有 4K电视(TVs)，4K 视频浪费在小型移动设备上。
但是，除了让您的无人机面向未来之外，如果您要输出 1080p 高清视频而不会损失任何图像质量，那么一点点 4K 素材基本上可以在后期制作中为您提供高达 4 倍的缩放能力。在这一点上，720p 高清素材基本上已经过时，即使是休闲社交媒体使用也是如此。
您还需要稳定相机。在大多数情况下，这将是机械稳定与 3 轴云台或 2 轴云台和基于软件的电子图像稳定 ( EIS ) 的组合。一些无人机，例如赛车无人机，没有云台，仅依靠EIS。
飞行耐力
飞行时间是一个关键问题。毕竟，如果您需要每五分钟着陆和更换电池，您就不能走太远或拍摄很长的镜头。截至 2022 年，30 分钟的飞行时间是黄金标准，远程飞行耐力锁定在无人机市场的顶端。智能飞行模式可以帮助节省电池电量，具体取决于您正在进行的照片或视频工作类型。
多少个转子？
在这个价格范围内，几乎所有无人机都是四轴飞行器，但随着时间的推移，六轴飞行器和八轴飞行器型号的价格正在下降。目前，该预算不包括增加更多的电机和旋翼，但在经典四旋翼设计之外，多旋翼无人机的额外速度、升力和冗余度将更加普遍。
您应该选择可折叠无人机吗？
最后，我们现在处于可折叠无人机的时代。这些无人机很流行，体积小，重量轻，并且易于随身携带。可折叠无人机的主要缺点是它们的成本更高，因为它们更复杂，当然，你添加到任何机器上的移动部件越多，你引入的故障点就越多。
无人机许可
您需要注意的最后一件事是，在驾驶无人机时，您可能需要获得FAA 许可证或执照(FAA permit or license)才能驾驶相机无人机或其当地同等产品，具体取决于您居住的国家或地区。您始终有责任了解您居住地无人机所有权的法律要求！
特征：(Features:)
- 支持 4K 30 FPS(4K 30 FPS Capable)
- 折叠式(Foldable)
- 高抗风性(High wind-resistance)
- Ocusync传输技术(Ocusync Transmission Technology)
DJI Mini 2解决了关于第一代(DJI Mini 2)Mavic Mini的所有抱怨。DJI对这个微小的奇迹进行了大修，使其抗风能力显着提高，电池寿命也比原来的稍长。
主摄像头记录 4K，但在最高分辨率下您的速度限制为每秒 24、25 或 30 帧。Mini 2具有明显更好的抗风能力，5 级抗风能力高达 10.5 m/s。
或许最重要的升级是从用于视频传输的WiFi转向支持 DJI 独特的(WiFi)Ocusync技术。这意味着在大多数情况下，您无需担心实时视频信号中断或离开控制范围。
Mini 2与Air 2这样的价格和尺寸的高端无人机非常接近。它最大的缺点是缺乏避障。与 DJI 更昂贵的无人机不同，Mini 2没有阻止其飞入树木或墙壁所需的传感器。
考虑到预算和体重目标，这并不奇怪。但是，这确实意味着您必须格外警惕。您也没有像Active Track或“跟我来”这样的功能，这些功能在较旧的预算DJI Spark无人机中都有。
作为我们的首选， Mini 2(Mini 2)获得认可的最后一个原因归结为软件。这对于下面列表中的所有其他DJI无人机都很重要，但DJI的移动应用程序和软件简直坚如磐石且易于使用。规划飞行路径和设置航路点很容易。高级功能易于访问，并且提供教程视频，教您从飞行到获得更好拍摄的所有内容。
特征(Features)
- 包括许多配件（电池、螺旋桨）(Includes Numerous Accessories (Batteries, Propellers))
- 折叠式(Foldable)
- 2.7K 相机(2.7K Camera)
这是最初的Mavic Mini，它厚颜无耻地回避了要求重量超过 250 克的无人机需要许可的法律。虽然这架DJI无人机在飞行中只有 249g，但它是一架非常严肃的无人机，而不是玩具。
2.7K 摄像头比标准高清摄像头更能拍出出色的画面。无人机可以在轻到中风和非常可用的范围内飞行。您应该注意到Mavic Mini已不再生产，因此这在很大程度上是“售完即止”的情况。这就是为什么这个“Fly More”组合可以以如此优惠的价格买到的原因。
如果您只想购买单电池且无配件的准系统无人机，我们不推荐Mavic Mini。相反，您应该查看我们在此处介绍的DJI Mini 2或Mini SE 。
然而，作为一个Fly More 套餐，DJI 的第一代Mini以不到 500 美元的价格提供了很多。你会得到一个手提箱、备用转子、两个额外的电池、一个三重电池充电器和一个室内飞行安全笼。
Mini的主要问题一直是使用WiFi而不是DJI最高级的OcuSync进行视频传输。不过，只要您对飞行的距离持保守态度，就没有问题。在大多数国家/地区，无论如何，您都不允许通过肉眼可以看到无人机的地方！
特征(Features)
- Mavic Mini 内部结构(Mavic Mini Internals)
- 更好的抗风能力(Better Wind Resistance)
- $200 less than the Mini 2
- 兼容 Mini 2 电池(Compatible with Mini 2 Batteries)
DJI Mini SE是一款令人好奇的产品，但当您准确了解您所获得的金钱时，它就很有意义。由于最初的Mavic Mini已经停产，并且库存将在某个时候耗尽，因此拥有更实惠(Mavic Mini)的 Mini-class(Mini-class)无人机来填补这一空白是有意义的。Mini SE比Mini 2便宜很多，但不要被它骗了。
在内部，Mini SE在很大程度上与第一代(Mini SE)Mavic具有相同的硬件。相同的处理能力和相机系统。因此，您将获得一台 2.7K 相机，其中包含作为原始模型的重复质量素材。
但是，SE 确实对原始Mavic Mini进行了基本升级。具体来说，它使用与Mini 2(Mini 2)相同的更强大但更轻的电池。这意味着您可以确定电池的可用性，并且如果您升级到Mini 2，您的电池将可以工作。
大疆(DJI)还为 SE 赋予了与Mini 2类似的外壳，并且相比(Mini 2)Mavic Mini增加了 SE 的抗风能力。可悲的是，您仍然坚持使用WiFi图像传输，但除此之外，这是一款物美价廉的优秀无人机。
特征(Features)
- 类似 Mavic 2s 的规格（但没有障碍物传感器）(Mavic 2s-like specs (but no obstacle sensors))
- 神奇的索尼图像传感器(Fantastic Sony image sensor)
- 33分钟飞行耐力(33-minute flight endurance)
毫无疑问，大疆(DJI)目前在无人机行业占据主导地位，但不乏有能力争冠的无人机制造商。Hubsan可能以制造出色的玩具无人机而闻名，但Zino 2 Plus绝不是玩具无人机。
Zino 2 Plus的价格低于我们的预算，提供 4K 镜头功能和稳定的 33 分钟飞行耐力等级。这使得Zino 2 Plus与(Plus)Mavic Air 2s等 1000 美元的无人机直接竞争。
Zino 2 Plus和Air 2S的一大区别是Hubsan没有避障功能。驾驶Hubsan(Hubsan)时您必须小心，但Ambrella H22处理器和索尼(Sony)图像传感器意味着您将以两倍的成本获得与无人机相媲美的出色低光效果和镜头。如果您的首要任务是图像质量和基本飞行规格，那么Zino 2 Plus在这个价位上是一个不错的选择。
特征(Features)
- 最低价(Rock-bottom price)
- 720p 高清摄像头(720p HD camera)
- 可编程的(Programmable)
- 大疆软件技术(DJI software technology)
这些天来，您经常会听到要学习的基本技能之一是编程和编码。Ryze Tello至少部分被设计成一个负担得起的教育平台。
它具有非常强大的板载处理硬件，尤其是在智能图像处理方面。这是一架 Ryze Robotics无人机，但它拥有DJI的技术，使其飞行能力超出其负担得起的硬件通常可以实现的能力。
该相机也是低规格的，最大分辨率为 720p。然而，通过增强的图像处理和内置的EIS，即使没有万向节，Tello 也可以拍摄出好镜头。(Tello)
Tello如此实惠的原因之一是它没有配备专用控制器，但您可以稍后再购买。使用智能手机执行飞行(Flight)控制，或者您可以预编程飞行行为。
无论您想要的是一款物美价廉的自拍无人机，还是想开始从事编码或机器人技术的职业，Tello都是一个独特而令人印象深刻的解决方案。
特征(Features)
- 微型无人机(Tiny drone)
- 非常适合手动飞行练习(Perfect for manual flight practice)
- 总共包括三个电池(Includes three batteries in total)
过去，如果有人向我们推荐玩具无人机，我们会建议Hubsan 111 nano 无人机或Cheerson CX10。可悲的是，这些微型纳米无人机不再出售，因此必须由新的玩具无人机占据宝座。
尽管Potensic A20 Mini 比纳米(Potensic A20 Mini)级无人机更重要，但我们认为它是任何想要学习手动无人机飞行或只是想要一个活泼的小型无人机让您娱乐几分钟的人的首选推荐。
与那些旧的纳米无人机相比，这款迷你无人机确实有不少优势。一方面，无人机附带三块电池，而纳米无人机往往带有无法拆卸的电池。因此，您不必让电量不足的电池影响您的乐趣。
还有一个自动起飞、降落和悬停功能。对于无法掌握绝对方向的用户，还有一种无头模式，无人机相对于发射器的位置移动。
无论您是为孩子(child)还是您自己购买无人机，它都有望成为一个平稳的学习曲线。唯一的缺点是A20没有翻转功能，这与该级别的其他无人机不同。
7.最佳预算初学者 FPV 无人机套件(Best Budget Beginner FPV Drone Kit)：BetaFPV Cetus Pro FPV 无人机套件(BetaFPV Cetus Pro FPV Drone Kit)
特征(Features)
- 我们能找到的最便宜的 FPV 套件(The cheapest FPV kit we could find)
- 无刷电机(Brushless motors)
- 多项碰撞安全功能(Several crash safety features)
如今， FPV(FPV)（第一人称视角(First-person View)）无人机飞行变得越来越流行。使用这些无人机，您可以戴上一副视频护目镜，感觉就像在空中飞翔。
FPV无人机不需要云台。您不希望在无人机俯仰和滚动时图像稳定。一些云台无人机，包括来自DJI的无人机，提供FPV模式，其中云台的滚动轴被锁定。
Cetus Pro FPV是我们见过的最便宜的 FPV 套件之一，但根据客户反馈，它本身也是一款出色的FPV无人机(FPV)。此Pro型号提供带无刷电机(motors)的无人机，优于具有有刷电机的非(motors)Pro套件。无刷(Brushless)电机(motors)性能更好，使用寿命更长。
您一次可以飞行 4-5 分钟，并且由于碰撞时的自动关闭功能以及集成的转子防护装置，我们认为您可能会让Cetus受到很多惩罚。
8. 500 美元以下的最佳 RTF(Best RTF)赛车无人机： (Drone)ARRIS X-Speed 280 V2
特征(Features)
- 准备飞行，无需组装(Ready to fly, no assembly)
- 快速、耐用且经济实惠的赛车(Fast, durable, and affordable racing)
无人机比赛是一项不断发展的运动，随着人们认识到它的令人兴奋的程度，联赛甚至奖金也不断涌现。参加无人机比赛过去意味着您必须从头开始构建您的无人机。
幸运的是，现在可以购买像Arris X-Speed这样的RTF（Ready To Fly）赛车无人机。你仍然需要购买一套视频护目镜和一个充电器才能飞行，但这比建造无人机本身要简单得多。对于赛车无人机和 RC 飞行爱好者来说，使用平衡充电器以安全的方式管理充电并处理多架飞机的电池是很正常的。
Arris是功率和价格的完美结合。如果您以前从未驾驶过赛车无人机，您可能会对这些机器的速度、动力和机动性感到惊讶。不幸的是，你没有GPS悬停或其他任何东西来阻止你的无人机撞上东西。只有你和一台强大的机器。
Arris是一款出色的无人机，可以开始您的赛车生涯，但我们不建议您将其作为您的第一台无人机。如果你想先学习手动飞行，像A20 Mini这样的东西是一个很好的起点。
特征(Features)
- 2K 相机(2K Camera)
- GPS模块(GPS module)
- 无头飞行控制(Headless flight control)
当DJI和Parrot发布他们的第一款相机无人机时，很难想象会有一款价格低于 200 美元的相机无人机，配备GPS模块并拍摄 2K 视频。然而，Holy Stone的(Holy Stone)HS100是一款GPS无人机，可以做所有这些事情，通常售价在 180 美元左右。这在孤立的情况下令人兴奋，但如今它的价格范围内竞争激烈。所以它也需要是好的，而不仅仅是在纸上列出好的特性。
好消息是，受Phantom 启发的 HS100(Phantom-inspired HS100)确实是一款非常称职的无人机，我们认为它特别适合初学者。您可能想购买HS100(HS100)作为您的第一架无人机有几个原因。最重要的是，坠毁 180 美元的无人机比坠毁 1000 美元甚至 500 美元的无人机引发的焦虑要小得多。
除此之外，HS100还提供无头操作、高度保持、GPS悬停和自动返航功能。稍等一下，DJI Mini SE具有类似的适合初学者的功能，而且“仅”贵 120 美元。
确实如此，SE 作为初学者无人机根本不是一个糟糕的选择，但它的小尺寸会让它更难飞行。HS100是一架 700 克的无人机，而 Mini 则为 249 克。这使它更具可预测性，并且在我们看来，适合绝对的首次用户。同样，您几乎可以以Mini SE的价格购买两台HS100(HS100s)。
特征(Features)
- 独特的仰拍云台(Unique upwards shooting gimbal)
- 4K HDR 相机(4K HDR Camera)
- 扩展包中包含额外的电池和 SD 卡(Extra batteries and SD card included in Extended package)
Parrot是最早的相机无人机先驱之一，拥有经典的 AR 无人机。按照今天的标准，这是一款可笑的产品，但它向我们展示了个人相机无人机的未来。大疆(DJI)之类的公司最终超过了鹦鹉，但它们仍在无人机业务中。不仅如此，Anafi还做了其他消费级无人机无法做到的事情：抬头！
虽然我们通常认为无人机的摄像机角度是从低到地面到俯视天空的任何东西，但Anafi可以在物体下方飞行并(under )从下方拍摄它们。这开辟了许多创造性的可能性，更不用说允许使用标准云台无法实现的基于无人机的即兴检查。
如果相机不好，这并不意味着什么，但 Anafi 的 4K HDR相机可以拍摄出色的镜头，而且这款可折叠无人机具有 25 分钟的飞行续航时间。更棒的是，这个扩展(Extended)包附带了额外的电池、一张 SD 卡、一个备用遥控器和控制器。
与此套餐的发布价格相比，这是物超所值和相当大的折扣。可悲的事实是，尽管Anafi是一款完美的无人机，即使以原价出售，它的销量并没有那么好。对我们消费者来说，好消息是你可以以低于 500 美元的价格购买无人机，这在这个价格上是不可能的。不利的一面是，没有人知道Parrot会支持Anafi多久，甚至公司会存在多久。
11.昨天的旗舰：Yuneec Q500 4K台风(Yuneec Q500 4K Typhoon)
特征(Features)
- 专用地面站(Dedicated ground station)
- 高品质光学(High-quality optics)
你应该知道Q500 4K Typhoon是 2015 年推出的一款售价 1500 美元的无人机。从那时起，它已经连续降价，并且在我们的预算范围内很舒服。
缺点是Yuneec不再生产Q500，所以当现有库存售罄时就是这样。您也不会再获得任何固件升级，除非在某个时候出现任何严重错误。从好的方面来说，这也意味着这是这架无人机有史以来最稳定和没有错误的状态。
尽管已经有 7 年的历史，但Q500中的许多技术仍然比现代 500 美元的无人机要好。由于光学器件的绝对尺寸和质量，它的相机仍然可以拍摄出色的高质量镜头。
您还可以获得不需要智能手机的专业级地面站（遥控器），因此您永远不必担心应用程序支持以继续使用您的手机。今天，人们仍在驾驶Q500无人机。如果您想要航空摄影和录像具有更多重量和质量的东西，这是低于 500 美元预算部分的有力竞争者。
特征(Features)
- 先进的人工智能飞行功能(Advanced AI flight features)
- 6KM传输范围(6KM transmission range)
- 比Mini 2便宜很多(Significantly cheaper than Mini 2)
我们不要假装Hubsan没有在这里直接抄袭DJI Mini无人机系列。他们甚至将这款Zinio无人机命名为Mini SE。然而，Zinio Mini SE 不是 DJI Mini SE 的直接竞争对手，而是一款具有(Zinio Mini SE)Mini (DJI Mini SE)2(Mini 2)规格的无人机，价格介于DJI Mini SE和Mini 2之间。
你会得到两节电池、6公里的传输范围、一长串花哨的人工智能(AI-powered)飞行模式、主动跟踪、一个包等等。尽管Ocusync仍然是行业领导者，但它看起来确实比Mini 2好得多，当然，它有助于获得DJI众所周知的售后支持。
由于Hubsan是这里的弱者，他们也在尝试一些尖端功能，例如无人机能够识别其着陆点并精确着陆在其中心。我们还建议您查看DJI Mini 2和Zino Mini SE的对比镜头，并自行决定Mini 2是否值得小幅增加价格。请记住，您在此包中获得的配件比准系统Mini 2更多。
花费超过(Than)500 美元值得吗？
毫无疑问，有很多很棒的无人机可以花不到 500 美元，但如果你决定花更多的钱，你会得到什么？无人机(Drone)技术不断变化，我们在这些低于 500 美元的无人机中看到的许多功能以前只能在更昂贵的产品中使用。
这意味着，如果你坚持这个预算段，那么这些高端功能最终将渗透到未来的无人机中。有问题的功能主要是更好的相机技术、更好的飞行体验和智能避障。
更昂贵的无人机也往往具有额外的自主性并且更容易飞行。这似乎有悖常理，但如果你花更多的钱，你往往会得到一架需要更少技能和学习操作的无人机。然而，价值 500 美元的无人机现在拥有制作精彩内容或为大多数人提供美妙飞行体验所需的所有基本功能。
12 Best Drones You Can Buy for Under $500 (2022)
Drones are now a cоmmon sight everywhеre you go. Drone pilots use them for all conceivable purposes, from filming action sports to fishing or tаking amazing selfies. Years prior, you’d have to spеnd at least $1000 to get a decent drone like the DJI Mavic 2 or Mavic Aіr 2, but these days you can get ѕerious hardware for $500 or less.
We’ve pulled together a list of the best drones you can buy for under $500 in various categories. We think you’ll be surprised how affordable owning a good drone has become, and you don’t have to spend hours on Amazon trying to find them!
What to Look For in a Drone
Drones are designed with different jobs in mind, so a big factor in what you should look for in a drone is what job you’d like it to do. There’s no such thing as a drone that’s great at everything, so it’s more important to find one that’s good at what you need it to do, and it can be just okay at everything else.
Camera Considerations
Most people who want a drone are specifically looking for a camera drone, making camera quality an essential part of the equation. If possible, it’s a good idea to get a UHD 4K camera drone, but it’s not crucial. Most people still don’t have 4K TVs, and 4K video is wasted on small mobile devices.
However, apart from future-proofing your drone, a little 4K footage essentially gives you up to 4x zooming capacity in post-production if you’re outputting to 1080p HD video without losing any image quality. At this point, 720p HD footage is essentially obsolete, even for casual social media use.
You’ll also want the camera to be stabilized. In most cases, this will be a combination of mechanical stabilization with a 3-axis gimbal or 2-axis gimbal and software-based electronic image stabilization (EIS). Some drones, such as racing drones, don’t have a gimbal and rely on EIS alone.
Flight Endurance
Flight time is a key concern. After all, you can’t go very far or get long stretches of footage if you need to land and swap batteries every five minutes. As of 2022, 30 minutes of flight time is the gold standard, with long-range flight endurance locked away at the top of the drone market. Intelligent flight modes can help conserve battery power depending on what type of photo or video work you’re doing.
How Many Rotors?
Almost all drones are quadcopters in this price range, but hexacopter and octocopter models are coming down in price over time. For now, this budget excluded adding more motors and rotors but going ahead with the extra speed, lift capacity, and redundancy of multirotor drones beyond the classic quadcopter design will be more common.
Should You Choose a Foldable Drone?
Finally, we are now in the age of foldable drones. These drones are prevalent, small, lightweight, and easy to take everywhere. The main downside to foldable drones is that they can cost more because they are more complex and, of course, the more moving parts you add to any machine, the more points of failure you introduce.
Drone Licensing
The last thing you need to be aware of is that when flying drones, you’ll probably need an FAA permit or license to fly a camera drone or its local equivalent, depending on the country or region you live in. It’s always your responsibility to know the legal requirements of drone ownership where you live!
1. Best Camera Drone Under $500: DJI Mini 2
Features:
- 4K 30 FPS Capable
- Foldable
- High wind-resistance
- Ocusync Transmission Technology
The DJI Mini 2 fixes every complaint about the first Mavic Mini. DJI has overhauled this tiny wonder to give it significantly more wind resistance and slightly better battery life than the original.
The primary camera records 4K, although you’re limited to 24, 25, or 30 frames per second at the highest resolution. The Mini 2 has significantly better wind resistance, with level 5 resistance to winds up to 10.5 m/s.
Perhaps the most significant upgrade is a shift away from WiFi for video transmission in favor of DJI’s unique Ocusync technology. This means you never have to worry about a break in the real-time live video signal or leaving the control range in most circumstances.
The Mini 2 is honestly as close as you’re going to get to premium drones like the Air 2 at this price and this size. Its biggest drawback is a lack of obstacle avoidance. Unlike DJI’s more expensive drones, the Mini 2 doesn’t have the sensors required to stop it from flying into a tree or wall.
Given the budget and weight target, this isn’t too surprising. However, it does mean you have to be extra vigilant. You also don’t have features like Active Track or “follow me,” which were present in the older budget DJI Spark drones.
The final reason the Mini 2 gets the nod as our top choice comes down to software. This counts for every other DJI drone in the list below, but DJI’s mobile apps and software are simply rock-solid and easy to use. Planning out a flight path and setting waypoints is easy. Advanced features are easy to access, and tutorial videos are available that teach you everything from flying to getting better shots.
Features
- Includes Numerous Accessories (Batteries, Propellers)
- Foldable
- 2.7K Camera
This is the original Mavic Mini that cheekily sidestepped the laws requiring drones that weigh more than 250g require licensing. Although this DJI drone is a dinky 249g in flight, it’s very much a serious drone and not a toy.
The 2.7K camera produces excellent footage better than a standard HD camera. The drone can fly in light to moderate winds and very usable ranges. You should note that the Mavic Mini is no longer in production, so this is very much a case of “while stocks last.” It’s why this “Fly More” combo is available for such a great price.
If you’re looking to just buy a barebones drone with a single battery and no accessories, we can’t recommend the Mavic Mini. Instead, you should look at the DJI Mini 2 or Mini SE, both of which we’ve covered here.
However, as a Fly More package, DJI’s first-generation Mini offers a heck of a lot for less than $500. You get a carry case, spare rotors, two extra batteries, a triple battery charger, and an indoor flight safety cage.
The Mini’s main problem has always been using WiFi instead of DJI’s superlative OcuSync for video transmission. Still, as long as you’re conservative about how far out you fly, it’s no issue. In most countries, you aren’t allowed to pass beyond where you can see the drone with the naked eye anyway!
3. Best Budget Camera Drone: DJI Mini SE
Features
- Mavic Mini Internals
- Better Wind Resistance
- $200 less than the Mini 2
- Compatible with Mini 2 Batteries
The DJI Mini SE is a curious product, but it makes sense when you understand precisely what you’re getting for the money. Since the original Mavic Mini is out of production and stock will be depleted at some point, it makes sense to have a more affordable Mini-class drone to fill that gap. The Mini SE is significantly cheaper than the Mini 2, but don’t let that fool you.
Internally, for the most part, the Mini SE has the same hardware as the first-generation Mavic. The same processing power and camera system. So you’re getting a 2.7K camera with the duplicate quality footage as the original model.
However, the SE does have essential upgrades over the original Mavic Mini. Specifically, it uses the same more powerful yet lighter batteries as the Mini 2. This means that you can be sure of battery availability, and if you ever upgrade to the Mini 2, your batteries will work.
DJI has also given the SE a shell similar to the Mini 2 and increased the wind resistance of the SE compared to the Mavic Mini. Sadly, you’re still stuck with WiFi image transmission, but otherwise, this is an excellent drone for a great price.
Features
- Mavic 2s-like specs (but no obstacle sensors)
- Fantastic Sony image sensor
- 33-minute flight endurance
DJI is undoubtedly dominating the drone industry right now, but there’s no shortage of capable drone makers gunning for the crown. Hubsan is probably best-known for making great toy drones, but the Zino 2 Plus is anything but a toy drone.
Coming in a mere dollar under our budget here, the Zino 2 Plus offers 4K footage capability and a solid 33-minute flight endurance rating. This puts the Zino 2 Plus in direct competition with $1000 drones like the Mavic Air 2s.
One significant difference between the Zino 2 Plus and the Air 2S is that there’s no obstacle avoidance on the Hubsan. You’ll have to be careful when flying the Hubsan, but the Ambrella H22 processor and Sony image sensor mean that you’ll get great low-light results and footage comparable to drones at twice the cost. If your main priority is image quality and fundamental flight specifications, the Zino 2 Plus is a fantastic option at this price point.
5. Best Educational Drone: Ryze Tello
Features
- Rock-bottom price
- 720p HD camera
- Programmable
- DJI software technology
These days you’ll often hear that one of the essential skills to learn is programming and coding. The Ryze Tello was designed, at least partly, as an affordable education platform.
It has pretty powerful onboard processing hardware, especially when it comes to intelligent image processing. This is a Ryze Robotics drone, but it has technology from DJI to give it flight capabilities beyond what its affordable hardware can usually achieve.
The camera is also low-specification, with a maximum resolution of 720p. However, with enhanced image processing and built-in EIS, the Tello can take good footage, despite not having a gimbal.
One of the reasons the Tello is so affordable is that it doesn’t come with a dedicated controller, but you can purchase one later. Flight control is performed using your smartphone, or you can pre-program flight behavior.
Whether all you want is a good affordable selfie drone or you want to start a career in coding or robotics, the Tello is a unique and impressive solution.
Features
- Tiny drone
- Perfect for manual flight practice
- Includes three batteries in total
It used to be that if anyone asked us for a toy drone recommendation, we’d suggest the Hubsan 111 nano drones or the Cheerson CX10. Sadly, these tiny nano drones are no longer for sale, so a new toy drone has to take the throne.
Although the Potensic A20 Mini is more significant than a nano-class drone, we think it’s the go-to recommendation for anyone who wants to learn manual drone flight or just wants a zippy little drone to keep you entertained for a few minutes.
This mini drone does have quite a few advantages over those old nano drones. For one thing, you get three batteries included with the drone, whereas nano drones tended to have batteries that you could not remove. So you don’t have to let a low battery put a damper on your fun.
There’s also an automated takeoff, landing, and hover function. For users who can’t get the hang of absolute directions, there’s also a headless mode, where the drone moves relative to the transmitter’s position.
Whether you’re buying the drone for a child or yourself, it promises to be a smooth learning curve. The only downside is that the A20 doesn’t have a function to do flips, unlike other drones in this class.
Features
- The cheapest FPV kit we could find
- Brushless motors
- Several crash safety features
FPV (First-person View) drone flight is becoming more popular these days. With these drones, you wear a set of video goggles and feel like you’re out there flying through the air.
FPV drones don’t need a gimbal. You don’t want the image-stabilized as the drone pitches and rolls. Some gimbal drones, including those from DJI, offer an FPV mode where the roll axis of the gimbal is locked.
The Cetus Pro FPV is one of the cheapest FPV kits we’ve seen, yet based on customer feedback, it’s also a good FPV drone in its own right. This Pro model offers a drone with brushless motors, preferable to the non-Pro kit, which has brushed motors. Brushless motors perform better and last much longer.
You can fly around for 4-5 minutes at a time and, thanks to an auto-shutdown function during a crash as well as integrated rotor guards, we think you can probably put the Cetus through a lot of punishment.
Features
- Ready to fly, no assembly
- Fast, durable, and affordable racing
Drone racing is a growing sport, with leagues and even prize money emerging as people recognize how exciting it can be. Getting into drone racing used to mean that you had to build your drone from scratch.
Luckily, it’s now possible to buy an RTF (Ready To Fly) racing drone like this Arris X-Speed. You still need to buy a set of video goggles and a charger to fly, but it’s way less complicated than building the drone itself. It’s normal for racing drone and RC flight hobbyists to have a balance charger to manage charging in a safe way and handle the batteries from multiple aircraft.
The Arris is an excellent combination of power and price. If you’ve never flown a racing drone before, you may be surprised at how much speed, power, and maneuverability these machines have. Unfortunately, you don’t have the benefit of GPS hover or anything else to stop your drone from smashing into things. It’s just you and a powerful machine.
The Arris is a great drone to start your racing career, but we don’t recommend it as your first drone. If you want to learn manual flight first, something like the A20 Mini is an excellent place to start.
Features
- 2K Camera
- GPS module
- Headless flight control
When DJI and Parrot released their first camera drones, it was hard to imagine that there would ever be something like a sub-$200 camera drone with a GPS module and shooting 2K video. Yet, the HS100 from Holy Stone is a GPS drone that can do all of those things, and it usually sells for around $180. That’s mind-blowing in isolation, but these days there’s intense competition in its price bracket. So it also needs to be good, not just have a list of good features on paper.
The good news is that the Phantom-inspired HS100 is indeed a very competent drone and one we think is particularly good for beginners. There are a few reasons why you might want to buy the HS100 as your very first drone. The most important is that the prospect of crashing a $180 drone is much less anxiety-inducing than crashing a $1000 or even $500 drone.
That aside, the HS100 offers the headless operation, altitude hold, GPS hovering, and auto return to home. Wait a moment, the DJI Mini SE has similar beginner-friendly features, and it’s “only” $120 more expensive.
This is true, the SE isn’t a bad option as a beginner drone at all, but its small size can make it harder to fly. The HS100 is a 700g drone, compared to the Mini’s 249g. That makes it more predictable and, in our opinion, suitable for absolute first-time users. Also, again, you can almost buy two HS100s for the price of a Mini SE.
Features
- Unique upwards shooting gimbal
- 4K HDR Camera
- Extra batteries and SD card included in Extended package
Parrot is one of the first camera drone pioneers, with their classic AR drone. It was a product that would be laughable by today’s standards, but it showed us the future of personal camera drones. The likes of DJI eventually outdid parrot, but they are still in the drone business. Not only that, but the Anafi does something that no other consumer drone can: it looks up!
While we usually think of drone camera angles as anything from low to the ground to up in the sky looking down, the Anafi makes it possible to fly under things and film them from below. This opens up so many creative possibilities, not to mention allowing for drone improvised drone-based inspection that’s not possible with a standard gimbal.
This doesn’t mean much if the camera is not good, but the Anafi’s 4K HDR camera shoots excellent footage, and this foldable drone has 25-minutes of flight endurance. Even better, this Extended package comes with extra batteries, an SD card, a spare remote, and controllers.
It’s crazy value for money and a considerable discount compared to the launch price for this package. The sad truth is that, although the Anafi is a perfect drone even at the original price, it hasn’t sold all that well. The good news for us as consumers is that you can buy a drone for less than $500 which shouldn’t be possible at that price. The downside is that there’s no telling how long Parrot will support the Anafi or even how long the company will be around.
Features
- Dedicated ground station
- High-quality optics
You should know that the Q500 4K Typhoon is a drone from 2015 that launched for $1500. Since then, it has received successive price cuts and sits comfortably within our budget limit.
The downside is that Yuneec no longer makes the Q500, so that’s it when the existing stock sells out. You also won’t get any more firmware upgrades, barring if any critical bugs come to light at some point. On the bright side, it also means this is the most stable and bug-free state this drone has ever been in.
Despite being seven years old, a lot of the technology in the Q500 is still better than what you’d get in a modern $500 drone. Its camera still takes fantastic high-quality footage, thanks to the sheer size and quality of the optics.
You also get a professional-grade ground station (remote control) that doesn’t require a smartphone, so you’ll never have to worry about app support to keep using your phone. People are still flying their Q500 drones today. If you want something with a little more heft and quality for aerial photography and videography, this is a serious contender in the sub-$500 budget segment.
Features
- Advanced AI flight features
- 6KM transmission range
- Significantly cheaper than Mini 2
Let’s not pretend that Hubsan isn’t directly ripping off the DJI Mini family of drones here. They even named this Zinio drone the Mini SE. However, rather than being a direct competitor for the DJI Mini SE, the Zinio Mini SE is a drone with Mini 2 specs, priced between the DJI Mini SE and Mini 2.
You get two batteries, a 6KM transmission range, a long list of fancy AI-powered flight modes, active tracking, a bag, and more. It does seem like a much better deal than the Mini 2, although Ocusync is still the industry leader, and of course, it helps to have the aftermarket support that DJI is known for.
Since Hubsan is the underdog here, they’re also trying some cutting-edge features here, such as the drone’s ability to identify its landing pad and landing in its center precisely. We also recommend that you check out comparative footage of the DJI Mini 2 and the Zino Mini SE and decide for yourself whether the Mini 2 is worth the small additional bump in price. Remember that you get more accessories in this pack than the barebones Mini 2.
Is Spending More Than $500 Worth It?
There are undoubtedly many fantastic drones to be had for under $500, but if you decide to spend more money, what are you going to get? Drone technology is constantly in flux, and many of the features we see here in these sub-$500 drones were only available in much more expensive products before.
This means that if you stick to this budget segment, then those high-end features will eventually trickle down into future drones. The features in question are mainly much better camera technology, a better flying experience, and intelligent obstacle avoidance.
More expensive drones also tend to have additional autonomy and are easier to fly. It might seem counterintuitive, but if you spend more, you’ll tend to get a drone that requires less skill and learning to operate. However, the $500 drone segment now has all of the essential features you need to make great content or have a fantastic flight experience for most people.
