Obtain the best camera drone setup for aerial photography, with budget-friendly and high-end solutions for amateurs and professionals.
With very intelligent sensors that enable taking detailed photos or high-definition films simple in practically all situations and lighting configurations, the top camera drones of 2022 can provide quality that is almost on par with Hollywood standards.
Almost all drones, whether expert or novice, have cameras, but these truly professional-level models can film scenes or take photos with the best of them. The camera drones on this list are extremely portable, but they have cameras with high megapixel counts and, in some cases, multiple lenses, as well as 4K or 5K video recording functionality at high frame rates.
It should be noted that the larger the camera, the more storage your captures will require, but some of the options on this list include entire SSD drives dedicated to preserving your footage and photos. If the camera aspect of the drone is less important to you than other features, such as a small and lightweight design, check out our best drones and best beginner drones guides to find a more suitable model.
Check out our drone photography tips guide and our beginner's guide to drone video if you want to get the most out of your camera drone with expert tips and advice on how to take better shots.
Without further ado, here are the top camera drones to watch for this year.
DJI Mavic 3 / Mavic 3 Cine
SPECIFICATIONS
Camera: 4/3 20MP sensor & 1/2-inch 12MP sensor
Battery: 5000mAh / up to 46 minutes flight time
Video: Up to 5.1K
Frame rates: 5.1K up to 50fps / 4K up to 120fps / FHD up to 200fps
Foldable: Yes
Weight: Standard 895g / Cine 899g
Dimensions: Folded 221x96.3x90.3mm / Unfolded 347.5x283x107.7mm
The DJI Mavic 3 is what you could call DJI’s flagship model despite not being the most advanced or expensive model in the company’s line-up. It is, however, the company’s most advanced folding drone that’s a highly portable 221x96.3x90.3mm when folded, and both models weigh less than 900g.
There are two models available – the Standard and the Cine – with the latter being the more advanced model. The main differences between them are that the Cine features a built-in 1TB SSD rather than 8GB of internal storage, with support for Apple ProRes 422 HQ video recording and comes with a Smart Controller with a built-in LCD touchscreen.
The dual Hasselblad camera is the jewel in the Mavic 3’s crown, with the main Four Thirds camera offering excellent image quality alongside an adjustable f/2.8 to f/11 aperture capable of capturing in JPEG and Raw. The second camera uses a 1/2-Inch CMOS sensor with an equivalent focal length of 162mm, a fixed f/4.4 aperture and a 28x hybrid zoom with limited functionality.
The Mavic 3 offers a level of control comparable to standard cameras for stills photography. Video shooting with the main camera is available at 5.1K up to 50fps, 4K at up to 120fps, FHD up to 120fps and when shooting Apple ProRes on the Cine model up to 50fps in 5.1K and up to 120fps in 4K. With both models, you can shoot in the flat D-Log profile for colour grading or in Standard profiles for footage that’s processed in-camera.
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