You don't want a fast drone for aerial photography

Many people focus on outright speed when buying a drone, and whilst fast drones are good fun and offer a seat of your pants flying experience there are times when using a fast drone is not advisable. If there’s one scenario when you don’t want a fast drone it’s when capturing aerial video and stills photos. A fast drone is not going to capture the best aerial footage, and whilst you may argue all you need to do is fly the drone slowly I can assure you this does not always work.

Fast drones are designed for flying flat out and not dilly dallying around. Flying a fast drone is a challenge, and whilst you can fly them slowly by holding back with the sticks, fast drones don’t like it. When flying a fast drone slowly you will see the drone stutter and lurch around, like a grey hound chomping at the bit to get out of the traps, and this does not make for a smooth flight and neither does it make for smooth video. Likewise, getting a sharp stills shot is tough.
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If you want to capture the best aerial video and stills photos you are better off using a slow drone rather than using a fast drone and trying to fly it slowly. This may seem strange, but trust me on this, a slow drone is better for aerial photography. Basically, fast drones are for racing and slow drones are for aerial photography. 

Drones for aerial photography

DJI Spark

Flying time: 16 mins
Charging time: 45 mins per battery
Camera: 1080p @ 30fps video. 12mp photo.
Size: 14.2cm x 14.2cm x 5.6cm
Flight modes: Pilot, selfie, orbit, journey, visiontrack, sport mode,tap fly
Key features: Gimbal to ensure smooth footage, return home, one touch take off, one touch landing, hand gesture control, obstacle detection

The DJI Spark is a great drone however it is not always a slow drone as there are two modes available and these comprise normal and sport modes. Normal mode is the slow mode, and this is recommended for capturing aerial stills and video. Sport mode is a fast mode where the speed of the Spark significantly increases. You won’t capture the smoothest footage in sport mode, but you can use it to get the Spark in position quickly before changing over to normal mode to capture the footage.

The Spark is a tough and durable drone that will last a lifetime. It is full of features and technology and the gimbal stabilized camera ensure smooth footage in all weather conditions. The Spark is a great aerial photography drone, and it’s popularity clearly demonstrates just how good it is. The gimbal also means the camera is fully adjustable in the vertical direction, which makes for some interesting views and angles.

DJI are the market leader in drones, and whilst all drones made by DJI are top quality you do pay through the nose for them. DJI drones are awesome drones, I can’t deny it, but they are not the best value for money and there are cheaper alternatives out there that do just as well but for a fraction of the cost.
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Check the cost of the DJI Spark on:-

• Adorama.com
• Amazon.com
• eBay.com
• dronesdirect.co.uk

Wingsland S6

Flying time: 10 mins
Transmitter distance: 100m
Camera: 13mp stills. Full HD video and can shoot in 4K
Size: 13.8cm x 7.9cm x 2.7cm
Key features: controlled by phone wifi, GPS and FPV, follow me mode, altitude hold, return home function, one touch landing, one touch take off, voice control

Wingsland are pretty new to the world of drones, but the S6 is an exception aerial photography drone and one that is definitely worth looking at.

The S6 is equipped with a 13 mega pixel, 4K enabled video camera that is capable of capturing awesome photos and video footage. There is no gimbal on the S6, and the camera is in a fixed position, but other than this it is top notch.

The Wingsland S6 is a foldable drone, which means it is small and portable. This is a drone you can carry around with you and will easily fit in a small bag, purse or fanny pack. This is the perfect drone to have on your person at all times, ready for those off the cuff moments.

The Wingsland S6 drone is a lot cheaper than the DJI Spark and whilst it may not feel as tough and durable, the S6 is plenty strong enough to deal with whatever you care to throw at it.
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Check the cost of the Wingsland S6 on:-

• Adorama.com
• Amazon.com
• eBay.com
• dronesdirect.co.uk

Below is a video playlist of various Wingsland S6 drone videos you may find interesting. 

Zerotech Dobby

Charging time: 45 minutes
Flying time: 9 minutes
Transmitter distance: 100m
Camera: 13mp stills: 1080p video. Can record in 4K.
Size (ready to fly): 13.5cm x 14.5cm x 3.6cm
Key features: controlled via wifi through smartphone (iOS or Android), voice control, hand gesture control, automatic take-off and landing, automatic hover mode, tilting camera

The Zeroteh Dobby is another pocket sized drone that is popular for travel photography. The Dobby is a cool looking drone that attracts attention all over the place.

The Dobby is equipped with a 12 mega pixel stills and 4k enabled video camera, that is capable of capturing great quality stills photos and video footage.

The Zerotech Dobby is a cracking drone but, compared to the DJI Spark and the Wingsland S6 drone, it feels a little fragile and like it could easily break if you give it a bit too much of a hard time.
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Check the cost of the Zerotech Dobby on:-

• Amazon.com
• eBay.com
• dronesdirect.co.uk