Best Beginner Drones with Camera and GPS
Discover the best beginner drone with camera and GPS for you.
With so many models and features, finding the best beginner drone may be difficult. If you want to start flying drones, it’s important to find a model that’s easy to fly but has some failsafe mechanisms built-in, just in case. It’s also important to do your research before buying your first beginner drone (so keep on reading!) because it can be a big investment, especially if you opt for a more expensive, high-end drone.The good news is that there are plenty of affordable drones that are perfect for beginners, with some drones capturing such high-quality photos and videos that you would’ve never guessed were shot with a beginner drone. Many advanced features have certainly been introduced to these budget models, too, including GPS locking, intelligent flight control, and quality cameras – all for under $520.00. To save you the bother of sifting through the Internet for a suitable budget-friendly drone, we’ve done the work for you and found two of The Best Beginner Drones with Camera and GPS, found right here on our website. These drones differ in pricing, but both have good battery life and fly time, excellent photography and videography features, and are easy to use for anyone who wants to start flying drones.
DJI Mini SE Fly More Combo
Our DJI Mini SE Fly More Combo drone is a great beginner drone because it captures vivid photos, has an extended battery life, and easy-to-use controls and accessories. This DJI Mini SE includes a remote controller, three batteries, spare propellers, spare control sticks, a gimbal protector, a two-way charging hub, a shoulder bag, and much more. The 2400mAh 2-cell battery is capable of keeping the drone in the air for up to 30 minutes, while our remote controller comes with a 5200mAh lithium-ion battery and physical buttons for the auto take-off, auto land, and return home features. We also offer a two-way charging hub that can charge up to three batteries in sequence, and act as a power bank to charge your mobile device.
With the DJI Mini SE, you’re able to shoot clear quality footage with its 500m maximum elevation (note that the legal limit for flying a drone in Canada is 400ft. or 122m) and a top speed of 18km/h (11.18mph). Even better, the 2.7K video resolution at 30fps and built-in gimbal with 3-axis mechanical stabilization will ensure that your footage looks professional, smooth, and devoid of any shakes or jerks. The 12MP built-in camera itself also captures the most bright and crisp shots, and once you’re ready to show off your excellent photos and videos, they can be shared directly to social media from within the DJI app.
If you’re looking to venture out with the DJI Mini SE, that’s not a problem, as this drone is suitable for professionals, photographers/videographers, and outdoor enthusiasts alike. This drone is only 0.24kg in weight, which makes it as light as an average smartphone and easy to carry on your hikes and treks. Its palm-sized package is foldable and can neatly fit into your pocket – ideal for any kind of travelling! Another big selling point of this drone is that since it’s less than 250g, it doesn't need to be registered with Transport Canada, and the pilot doesn't require certification to fly.
Key features:
- 2400mAh 2-cell battery
- 30 minute battery life
- Auto take-off, auto land, and return home features
- 18km/h (11.18mph) top speed
- 2.7K video resolution
- 12MP built-in camera
- QuickShots feature
- 0.24kg weight
Our price: $479.00 (with no DJI Care Refresh)
DJI Mini 2
The DJI Mini 2 is similar to other high-end DJI drones in terms of flight time and capture modes, but it’s small and lightweight design makes it an excellent choice for a beginner drone, especially for professional photographers and videographers. This drone comes with the remote controller, flight battery, a pair of extra propellers, USB Type-C, RC, micro-USB RC and lightning cables, gimbal protector, a pair of extra control sticks, spare screws, and a mini screwdriver. With a 242g foldable design and 31-minute battery life, the Mini 2 can be operated from up to 10km away while still providing you with video of what the drone sees. The Mini 2 also doesn't need to be registered with Transport Canada as it’s less than 250g. It can be flown as high as 4km (note that the legal limit for flying a drone in Canada is 400ft., or 122m) and withstand 38km/h winds by utilizing DJI's OcuSync 2.0 2.4/5.8 GHz wireless transmission technology.
The Mini 2 captures brilliant, high quality photos and videos similar to the Mini SE and other high-end drones. This drone offers a 3-axis gimbal with a 4x digital zoom that supports up to 4K30 video and 12MP stills captured in JPG or raw footage for easy editing. The Mini 2 also heavily relies on the DJI Fly app and intelligent recording options, which includes QuickShot flight paths and multiple panorama options. For the pre-programmed flight patterns, you have the ability to choose from Dronie, Helix, Rocket, Circle, or Boomerang modes. Once captured, the DJI Fly app lets you add multiple filters and soundtracks and share your work directly to social media platforms. As for the aerial panorama, you can choose from wide-angle, 180°, or sphere panorama options, and the Mini 2 will do the rest by capturing stunning videos in each format. The DJI Fly app will also allow you to automatically connect to the drone and synchronize selected photos and videos at speeds of up to 20 MB/s once it’s close enough to the drone.
Key features:
- 249g foldable design
- 31 minute battery life
- Can operate from 10km away
- Can operate at 4 km high
- Can operate in 38 km/h winds
- 4x digital zoom
- 4K30 video
- 12MP stills captured in JPG or raw
- DJI Fly app compatibility
- QuickShot flight path features (Dronie, Helix, Rocket, Circle, Boomerang)
- Multiple aerial panorama features (wide-angle, 180°, sphere)
- 20 MB/s synchronized photo and video connection
Our price: $519.00 (with no refresh)
In Conclusion
So there you have it, our picks for The Best Beginner Drones with Camera and GPS, found right through our website. Each one of these drones has prolonged flying time, excellent photography and videography features, and easy-to-use controls that make them some of the best beginner drones on the market. First, the DJI Mini SE Fly More Combo drone is a great beginner drone with a 2400mAh 2-cell battery, 30 minute battery life, and 0.24kg weight. It has a multitude of features, such as auto take-off, auto land, and return home options, 18km/h (11.18mph) top speed, 2.7K video resolution, 12MP built-in camera, and the high-tech QuickShots feature that lets you share your content straight to social media.
Next, our final pick for the best beginner drones is the DJI Mini 2, as its small and lightweight design certainly makes it another excellent choice. This drone offers a 8.8oz foldable design and 31 minute battery life. As for it’s videography features, the list can go on and on, since it can operate from 10km away, at 4km high, and in 38 km/h winds. Even better, it provides 4x digital zoom, 4K30 video and 12MP stills captured in JPG or raw for optimal editing. Again, the Mini 2 has QuickShot flight path features, but also offers multiple aerial panorama features, and 20 MB/s synchronized photo and video connection.