Drone flying is a thrilling and exhilarating activity that was previously only available to professionals.
Drones for kids are now available with simple controls intended for smaller hands — and at a far cheaper price. Drones are a great present for any occasion, whether your kid likes flying toys, photography, or adventures.
To purchase the finest drone for your kid, you don’t need to be a drone expert. If you’re unfamiliar with drone photography, then no worries. You’ve come to the right place.
Keep on reading for our full breakdown of everything you need to know about drones and aerial photography for children.
Drones for Kids 101: The Different Types of Drones
You don’t have to examine as many brands and models when buying drones as you would when purchasing a fitness tracker or new smartphone.
In reality, most drones fall into one of two categories: big outside flyers and smaller ones with a lower-resolution camera or no camera at all.
Which one you pick will be determined by your requirements. Some people believe that a drone isn’t worth buying unless it can take breathtaking videos from the sky in the great outdoors.
Others, on the other hand, are content to play indoors. And sacrifice some image quality in return for a cheaper price tag, content to operate a cool flying machine.
Another distinction is the manner in which they are flown. Larger drones will generally come with their controller. This enabling users to control the aircraft as well as the embedded camera.
Smaller toy drones, on the other hand, don’t come with controls, so you’ll have to guide them using an app on your phone.
Outdoor, higher-end versions, on the other hand, have recently begun to divide into two sub-categories: budget and premium.
Drones that cost more will fly for longer. Also, capture better video, and have more sophisticated capabilities like the ability to autonomously detect and avoid obstacles. The distinctions between these two sub-categories, however, aren’t always clear.
Racing and Professional Drones
Finally, you should be aware of two additional kinds of flying gadgets: racing and professional drones, both of which are intended for experienced users.
Those in the first category are designed for speed-conscious customers and are often sold in kits with components that buyers must assemble.
Professional drones, from the other end, are a popular tool in broadcasters’ and filmmakers’ toolkits because they provide excellent video quality.
This is also why they have a larger price tag, which may be several thousand dollars. Both kinds of drones provide superior specifications and speeds if money isn’t a problem, but if you want to get the most out of these devices, you’ll need to know what you’re doing.
But, before you start pouring through specs and feature lists, think about what you want to accomplish with a drone, or at the very least, how much money you want to spend.
Do you wish to have some fun buzzing about the living room and yard in a little copter? Or would you rather go out into nature and capture wide landscape shots? You’re ready to start choosing a drone after you’ve settled on a priority.
Drone Photography: The Elements You Should Look For
When it comes to drone cameras, they aren’t all made equal.
Although the sticker price won’t offer you a precise indication of a machine’s quality, it will give you a fast, rough idea of which drones are better than others.
More costly drones will, on average, fly longer and further, take better pictures, and have more bells and whistles.
However, to make a better-educated choice, you’ll need to be more precise about specifications. Let’s have a look at what we’ve got.
Life of the Battery
A drone, like a smartphone, will eventually run out of power, and even the finest models struggle to fly for more than 30 minutes between charges.
You may always bring additional batteries, but if you believe you’ll need them, make sure the cost of spare batteries is included in the overall price.
Brushless Motors
When looking through a listing, you may come across this phrase. Brushless motors are more expensive than brushed motors.
However, they are quieter to operate and have a longer lifetime, so you won’t have to replace them as often.
Camera
Camera specifications should be a major factor if you want the best-quality footage available, so check for the picture and video resolution.
Most decent-sized models now come with a built-in camera, with the exception of toy drones, although some enable you to connect your own.
Check out our guide to selecting a digital camera if you’re new to taking high-resolution pictures and movies.
Headless mode
Because learning to operate a drone may be difficult, several models provide a headless mode for novices.
It implies that if you move the joystick in one direction, the drone will travel in that direction relative to you rather than where the joystick is pointing.
Integrated GPS
Some drones can hover in situ because they have an inbuilt GPS.
Models with inbuilt GPS, which tells the machines where they are in the globe, are available at the high end of the drone market.
Return-to-home, or RTH, is a function that lets your drone find its way back home with this update. An embedded GPS also enhances the drone’s overall stability and navigational abilities, enabling a large number of them to hover in one spot, for example.
Follow-Me Mode
This function allows your drone to follow you over the land or the water, allowing you to focus on your mountain biking or kite surfing while your aerial companion records your progress.
Certain drones perform better in this mode than others, so read user evaluations to discover how well it works in reality.
Gimbal
As the price of a drone rises, you’ll find that it comes with an inbuilt gimbal. This support simply holds the camera stable while it moves about in strong winds and at high heights and altitudes.
More modest toy drones will lack this feature, but they don’t need it since they spend most of their time inside or at lower altitudes. Make sure the drone has a gimbal if you want the greatest video and picture quality.
Obstacle Avoidance
Obstacle avoidance is a premium function on certain premium drones that may cost you money, but it may be the only thing keeping your drone from colliding with a tree.
Some drones accomplish this better than others, so in addition to noting if a model has this feature, read internet reviews to determine whether it really works as promised.
Range
The scope of a drone shows how far it can travel away from you before failing in controlling the machine. Professional-level drones are more costly and have longer ranges, allowing them to fly beyond the confines of your living room or garden.
However, regardless of how far your drone can go, keep in mind that FAA regulations require you to keep a watch on it at all times to prevent it from causing damage to property, animals, or even humans.
Example of Great Kid’s Drone: DJI Mini 2
The Mavic Mini is an excellent pick for older children who want to learn about drones and photography, and it’s an even better deal right now if you can find it on sale.
The DJI Mini 2 – which will be released in November 2020 – is identical to or better than the first drone in every way; DJI has added 4K video, automatic panoramas, and raw mode to the original drone?
Who is it intended for? To be honest, some serious users may benefit from this. If you’re purchasing for someone who enjoys still photography or needs a place to show off 4K video, the additional capabilities on this computer feel like a waste not to take advantage of.
With automated return-to-home and indoor visual locations, flying will remain as simple as possible. If you’re looking for a gift for someone who has to have the newest and greatest, look no further.
This drone also comes with a plethora of interior and outdoor accessories.
So, whether you’re searching for something to doodle on, send a message to, or even convert into a mantlepiece ornament (no, really), this is a fantastic and thoughtful present that might start a torrent.
Camera Drone and Photography: Simplified
If you’re new to the world of aerial photography, then you can get really overwhelmed with trying to figure out drones for kids.
Hopefully, our guide has shed some light on drone photography and the different factors you’ll want to consider before you finalize your purchase.
