Mini drones are really making waves in the world of drones currently and getting to produce a mini drone with camera is even a step further. It seems as if drones are everywhere these days and the fact that the advancement in technology brings in more advanced features to these drones makes it even more interesting. However as a beginner in the field of drone who may need a small and portable quadcopter for taking pictures or even shooting short videos, it is adviced you start up with a mini drone. It gives you a better view of what drones are and makes it easier for you to get used to the control.
Despite bearing the name mini drone, it still has advanced features that makes it appealing to all lovers of drones starting from beginners to experts.Some mini drones has in built camera which makes you enjoy those your hobbies, take selfie, pictures, videos, etc. How do we know the best mini drone with camera?
We are here to guide you. In this write up we will give you our best five pick of mini drones with camera, things to look out for when buying a mini drone with camera and reviews of our best five.
OUR PICK OF BEST FIVE MINI DRONES WITH CAMERA
Table of Contents
Here we give you our best five when it comes to mini drones with camera. Also note that we ve taken our time to prepare a guide for you on what to look out for in a mini drone with camera. After that you will also see our review of the best five we’ve picked.
| PICTURE PREVIEW | NAME | PRICE CHECK | |
| 1. |  | HOLY STONE HS170C | CHECK AT AMAZON |
| 2. |  | DJI SPARK | CHECK AT AMAZON |
| 3. |  | SYMA X5C QUADCOPTER | CHECK AT AMAZON |
| 4. |  | HOLY STONE F181C | CHECK AT AMAZON |
| 5. |  | DBPOWER MJX X400W FPV | CHECK AT AMAZON |
WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR BEFORE BUYING A MINI DRONE WITH CAMERA
(With this guide you can get the best mini drone with camera on your own)
1. Camera
Since you are in need of a mini drone that you can use to take some photos and shoot some short videos as well, camera should be one of the major thing you look out for before getting one for yourself. Most mini drones today come with cool camera features that can even compete with those of the larger top range drones (Note that the top larger drones still have their exceptional features). These mini drones come with their own unique camera technology that you have to check out for. Some of them have 12-megapixel cameras, paired with 2-axis gimbal and f/2.6 25mm lenses that can give crystal clear and rich picture quality.
You will also see some that come with Quickshot technology that allows you do many exceptional things. They can aid you to choose from various cinematic shots to capture high level footages with your device,keep track of subjects when they move around and also recognizes objects of different sizes and shapes within its range. In line with that some come with faceaware App that recognizes your face and with that you can use gestures to control the drone.
Additionally, most of them also have UltraSmooth camera technology that helps to reduce unnecessary shaking when the device is in use. this helps beginner photographers take great pictures from the air. Likewise, this technology reduces rolling shutter effects so that your videos can also look better if you are planning to record as well.
So you can see that they come with different camera technology. You have to consider these their different camera features before picking the one to buy. in our full review of the best five, we touched the unique camera features of each of them.
2. Flight time
This is the average duration of time the drone spends on air. Mini drones spend an average of 5-10 minutes on air after full charge. So you have to consider the average flight time of whichever one you want to buy. From the reviews below, we ve provided you with the average flight time of each of them.
3. Controller
This is what you use to control the drone in the sky. so before getting a mini drone, you have to look out for the one that will give you safe and simple flying. some have physical controllers while some have the controllers connected to the smartphone. However, it is better to go for the one with physical control or the one with both physical and mobile control.
BEST MINI DRONE WITH CAMERA
THE TOP FIVE (FULL REVIEW)
Drones are not cheap. Not everyone can afford these drones to satisfy their desire for the wonderful features they come with. However mini drones are affordable and can be used indoors and outdoors. They can be used in tight spaces where other larger drones may not be able to enter. Mini drones with camera are suitable for beginners who are keen on photography and videography.In as much as many mini drones come with camera, there are still many features that differ among them and you need to know them to help you get the best among them. We ve taken our time to study most of those mini drones with camera and from our experiences and observations, we can confidently tell you that below are the five best mini drones with camera;
1. HOLY STONE HS170C (our best mini drone with camera)
Yes! Occupying our number one spot on the best mini drones with camera is the Holy Stone HS170C. Despite being portable which is a feature of almost all the mini drones it is headless. For beginners and novice you don’t need to bother yourself looking for the direction of this mini drone when it’s in flight as this headless nature makes things easier for you. Usually, the forward direction of a drone is same as the nose direction. In headless mode, the forward direction has nothing to do with nose direction, the direction will be the same as your transmitter. It makes the flying curve smaller and allows the beginners to enjoy flight while slowly learning specific skills. This is an add on to beginners.
Key features
This mini drone comes with an inbuilt camera of about 2MP.It has a 1280 x 720 resolution at 30 fps which comes with an upgraded 4 GB micro SD card to store you captured footage.
One unique thing about this mini drone is it’s wind resistant feature. With 6- Axis Gyro, this mini drone will hold its position while in the air just after you release the throttle stick. The holding of this mini drone is pretty strong and if you need stable shots, you can easily get them with this mini drone
Talking about the flight time; it has an average flight time of 6-7minutes after full charge. So you can launch it and within this time take your favourite selfie, and also take some short videos. The battery is removable and rechargeable as well. So all you need is to charge it fully and that can be done within 30 minutes. That is the time it takes for it to charge fully. But I will advice you get more batteries so that you won’t have to start charging the battery after every 7 minutes. If you can get more batteries that will be nice as you can easily change the battery once it runs down and continue your adventure.
PROS
- Headless mode
- It is cheap
- Wind resistant and stable on flight
CONS
- Low flight time
- Camera quality not really high
2. DJI SPARK
Wondered why this does not make my number one spot? Well, price I will say. DJI is a company known to be producing quality products and this will not be an exception. With its amazing FaceAware feature, it can really do wonders. The DJI Spark lifts off from your hand by just recognizing your face and this happens within seconds of powering it on. So it has an early launch and also makes it easier for newbies to use it. Interestingly, this DJI drone takes amazing aerial photos using hand gestures without any remote controller or mobile device. You don’t need to start setting the control or anything. By making specific gestures, you can make the drone move away, to the side, and then take a selfie of you. Its intelligent flight modes helps you create cinematic aerial videos with just few taps.
However, its important to know that this mini drone does not come with remote controller in its package content. Though you can use it without the remote controller you may still need to get the remote controller for at least options. You can click here to check out the remote controller.
Other Key features
- It has a very powerful camera with a CMOS Sensor of about 1/2.3 inch. The camera can capture beautiful footage at 1080p and images at 12 MP. Isn’t this amazing?
- Intelligent FaceAware feature
- The Spark camera can shoot images in either Pano mode (for breathtaking landscape photos) or ShallowFocus mode (for closeup shots with the background blurred). This gives you some versatility for different situations
- The Spark is equipped with a full range of safety features designed to keep the user and the drone safe as well as ensure you don’t cross any regulations.
PROS
- Has the highest camera quality among all mini drones with camera.
- Can work without a remote controller or mobile device
- Smart flight mode
- Intuitive and easy to use
- Smooth image and footage capture.
CONS
- Limited range and speed
- Short flying time
- Remote control sold separately
3. SYMA X5C QUADCOPTER
Syma X5C Quadcopter occupies our number three spot. This quadcopter is very easy to fly, making it one of the best options for beginners. It is equipped with a high degree HD camera which will enable you to take mind blowing pictures and create wonderful videos with friends. This drone has excellent wind resistance and can perform flips instantly with a 360-degree eversion. Despite these wonderful features, this quadcopter is still very affordable. Here are the key features of this wonderful mini drone:
Key features
- The drone’s camera is 2MP.. The resolution of the camera is 1280 x 720 pixels with a camera speed of 30 frames per second. The data rate is 1.5MBps.
- Has a 6-axis Gyro stabilization system which makes it more stable and flexible while flying. In addition to that, it is wind resistant.
- Comes with an extra propeller, a 500mAh battery with a USB charger, screw driver, transmitter, micro SD card reader, a 4GB SD card, 4 rotating blades and a manual.
- Flight time of 8 minutes and a charging time of 100mins.
PROS
- Affordable
- Very stable and good flight performance
- Easy to control
- Comes with blades in the product package that serves as protective guard.
CONS
- Though it has a HD camera, the quality is not too good.
- Average flight time.
4. HOLY STONE F181C
We picked this as the 4th best mini drone with camera because of some rare features it came out with despite the affordable price. This mini drone has a HD camera which helps you take your pictures and selfies with much pleasure to reckon on. Furthermore, the drone’s imaging sensor also features an auto-focus capability, which decreases the chances of pictures coming out shaky. Here are the key features of this awesome mini drone:
Key features
- Has a 720P HD Camera: No FPV (First Person View) You can capture videos and take wonderful photos to record happy moments.
- Equipped with One Key Return & Headless Security System to assist beginners and help prevent losing the drone
- Altitude Hold Function: Powerful air pressure altitude hold function allows the drone to hover at it’s current height after releasing the throttle stick. Easy for you to shoot quality images or videos.
- Controllable LED Light: The lights can help you to locate the drone especially at night and they can be turned on/off.
- Comes with extra two batteries in the product package. So you can easily change the batteries when down and continue your adventure.
- Has a flight time of 7-10 minutes and a charging time of 70- 90 minutes
- It is headless as well
PROS
- Excellent for both beginners and pros;
- Intuitive controls;
- Includes a bright LED light for night flights;
- The drone has soft landing pads.
CONS
- Low flight time
- A little bit noisy
5. DBPOWER MJX X400W FPV
Occupying this spot in our list of mini drones with camera is DBPOWER MJX X400W FPV. One notable thing about this mini drone is its FPV capabilities. This implies that you can watch the view from above as the quadcopter flies. This mini drone offers a 4-channel drone equipped with a WiFi camera for live video streaming. The headless mode allows for easy maneuverability excellent for any level of flyer. Here are the key features:
Key features
- Equipped with a #C4005 FPV high-resolution camera.
- The drone features headless mode, which controls the direction of the drone, so you need not worry about which direction the drone is facing. This function makes it user-EASY for kids and beginners.
- With the latest technology of 6-Axis Gyro flying control system, it can fly very stable and take better pictures and it can finish the 3D roll with one key, it is very easy to use even for the beginner
- Has a flight time of 8-9 minutes.
PROS
- Very steady when flying and has a headless mode for easier flying
- Capable of giving real time video transmissions
- Has LED light for visibility at night
- . The 3D split screen display makes this quadcopter compatible with 3D VR Headsets.
CONS
- Average battery life
- Average camera quality