A drone is a simply an aircraft – relatively small – piloted either autonomously by onboard computers or by a remote control on the ground. Drones have been used for military and special operation applications in modern history, but modern technology has allowed companies to manufacturer commercial forms for consumer use.
Do you know why drones and low-cost quadcopters have become so common in the past few years?
Unmanned aerial vehicle- A device that can drive itself through the air without a pilot onboard Drones and quadcopters are UAVs.
Keeping a drone or quadcopter allows you to have a truly customized piece of equipment that can fly through the air and capture stunning visuals just for you.
Drone
An unmanned aircraft that is guided remotely by a pilot, for military use, these aircraft have weapons and/or surveillance gear. For personal use, these aircraft often have HD cameras. The term is popular in the media. These aircraft are in many cases – UAV capable of autonomous flight.
Quadcopter
A type of helicopter that uses four rotors instead of one, at present the most popular form of – UAV with 4 propellers, typically situated in a square formation for smooth and precise flight.
DJI
A leading UAV technology company widely respected in the drone community for making quality drones, gimbals, and other components
Ready to Fly
Refers to drones or quadcopters that have everything you need, “in the box”, to start flying. This generally includes: The Rechargeable batteries Instruction manual Controllers require batteries, and are generally not included in the box.
Quadcopter and Drone terminology can be a bit confusing, especially with all of the acronyms.
The following “dictionary” of quadcopter and drone terminology will definitely help you define many of the terms commonly used:
Accelerometer
A device that measures acceleration forces in a specific direction. Used to help stabilize quadcopters, often under stormy conditions.
Controller
The controller is the handheld device used by the drone pilot to control the drone, and of the quadcopter. Controllers are also called Transmitters.
First Person View – Also known as FPV, a system in which the drone operator views the camera footage from the drone in real-time. The video stream is either viewed through a pair of special goggles, or to a device like a tablet or smartphone.
Line of Sight – Also known as LOS refers to being able to see your drone from your operating position with your naked eye. Your drone should always be within your line of sight.
Payload – The amount of additional weight a drone can carry. If you attach a camera and gimbal to your drone, the combined weight is the payload.
Radio Controller – wireless handheld device used to control the flight of the drone. It communicates through radio waves.
Commercial Flight – flying a drone for money-making purposes. This is currently restricted by FAA regulations unless you apply for and receive an exemption.
No Fly Zone – Areas where flying a drone is restricted by government regulations. Areas where a drone could interfere with an airplane or record sensitive information make up most of these areas.
Drones aren’t just for paparazzi and film crews anymore. A simple beginner’s model can cost less than $45 with camera drones starting at a few hundred dollars. The more complex drones offer customizable and programmable features, turning them into truly autonomous devices that can make their own decisions.
Some quadcopters are marketed as toys and sell for little as (insert your price), but more capable models that can be equipped with cameras and other devices frequently sell for hundreds of dollars. They are being widely used for aerial photography and crop monitoring despite an FAA ban on most commercial drone use.
Top 5 Best Drones
UDI U818A
Learning how to fly a drone begins with learning how not to crash. That process will involve a lot of mishaps, so a beginner needs a drone that is tough, but also cheap enough that losing it in a tree or river won’t bankrupt them. The UDI U818A has a great range of features for the price. The four-loop style frame protects the large rotors in crashes, and the rotors are cheap and easy to replace if they don’t survive. The UDI U818A includes a video camera that captures video, but it can be shaky as the drone vibrates. But for a beginner, this is a hard package to beat.
Parrot Bebop
One of the best drones from Parrot is the Bebop. This is meant to sit between professional level drones and toys. The result is an impressive drone with camera that can be controlled and viewed from a connected smartphone or tablet. It’ll cost your hundreds more for the version with controller for range extension, but you’ll get to fly farther.
Either one is a strong drone that can do tricks, fly indoors or outside and comes with two batteries. It lasts about 10-minutes on a charge in real world use.
DJ Phantom 2 Vision with Camera
The DJI FC40 Phantom 2 Vision+ Quadcopter is manufactured by DJI. DJI Innovations develops and manufactures small unmanned aerial systems (UAS), for commercial and recreational use. its’ mission is to make aerial photography and videography accessible to professional photographers, cinematographers and beginners.
The AR Drone
Outwardly the AR Drone is still the same quadcopter, bearing a few minor aesthetic changes. The significant upgrades are all interior. A new pressure sensor helps keep the AR.Drone vertically stable at altitudes as high as 164 feet (the first-gen drone’s ultrasound sensors maintained stability only up to about 20 feet). A 3-axis magnetometer joins the 3-axis gyro and 3-axis accelerometer that were already there, making it significantly easier to pilot. Version 2.0 also received its first built-in, automated maneuvering function–double-tap the screen of your control device and the aircraft executes a midair flip.
DJI Phantom Vision with Camera
Most unmanned aerial vehicles are aimed at hobbyists and take a good amount of assembly and at least some experience with flying remote-controlled aircraft. The Phantom, which has a list price of $699, comes mostly pre-assembled and is extremely easy to fly, thanks to its built-in compass and GPS module. This is unit is for professionals and
How To Perform Aerial Photography with Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
It’s important to have fun when doing drone aerial photography…and part of the fun can be looking into and discovering all the resources available to you. Online forums are great places to learn and engage with other people who love the hobby.
Aerial photography through the eyes of a camera on a drone is something that the military, real estate agents, farmers, miners, law enforcement officers, sheer hobbyists uses every day. The possible uses for aerial imaging are many. Cutting edge technology is making aerial photography and videography more accessible than ever. At the same time it’s important to know the laws, rules, and best practices to ensure your success.
These powerful, easy to fly models not only has a built-in anti-vibration camera, but also smartphone compatibility which means you can view, in real time, what the camera’s looking at when it’s soaring 300 feet above your head. And all at a relatively affordable price.
Now a day there are plenty of drones that can be used for fun. Some with data transfer to the md BaseStation taking place in real time, the camera can be set optimally for the subject, to achieve the best result possible.
Many of them have the capability to mount a GoPro to it. This is AWESOME!
Whatever your need there’s a drone for you.
Please remember to fly your drone below 400 feet at all times. Flying above this can pose a hazard to commercial aircraft.
Unlike planes and helicopters, where the costs quickly mount, drones allow you to capture breathtaking aerial shots quickly and inexpensively.
Check out our in-depth quadcopter and drones reviews here at First-Zone and happy flying.