4K Camera Drones
Ever since the first UAV took the sky, there have been measures made by many manufacturers to ensure every kind of customer enjoys the drone they purchased. From shooting acceptable video, now we have drones that can shoot 4K resolution, the very topic of this post.
What’s so great about 4K and why is it invading the drone market? For one, 4K offers a lot better quality. Why is that the case? The answer is simple: you can crop areas of a 4K image or video but it doesn’t result in the photo or video losing quality.
There are a lot of really great 4K camera drones in the market today and this post will list five of them. These drones include the Phantom 4, DJI Inspire 1, 3DR Solo, Yuneec Q500 4K and the Phantom 3 4K. All of these camera drones have their own strengths and weakness, but there are certain features that will truly stand out and lure a drone enthusiast to make a purchase.
While DJI has truly dominated the drone market with their Phantom series of drones, a couple of worthy competitors have begun to crop up. The Solo from 3DR is a worthy competitor to DJI’s very popular line of camera drones. The Q500 4K from Yuneec also offers some interesting features of its own.
Picking a drone is a tough decision. Yes, flying an unmanned vehicle may look like a simple hobby but it’s absolutely not. Drone enthusiasts need to spend money in order to get the best of their recreation. Not only that, they need to consider several factors such as the kind of camera the drone supports or is built with and the number of hours a drone can take to the sky.
With that said, here’s a look at the five best 4K camera drones in the market:
Phantom 4 4K
You can think of this as a drone that thinks or a drone that can make decisions for itself. Compared to other camera drones, the Phantom 4 from DJI doesn’t follow predetermined flight paths. Instead, it uses what it “sees” to decide the best way to take.
The question in your mind might be: how does it do that?
Well, the DJI Phantom 4 is equipped with five cameras that are pointed outward. These five cameras include a 4K on-board camera, two cameras located in front and two cameras fitted at the bottom. It is through these cameras that the drone is able to build a 3D model of its surroundings. The drone can then navigate by itself using the information gathered through the cameras.
Now, you might wonder about running into obstacles after all, the drone is piloting itself. How can you be sure it doesn’t ram into something or someone?
That potential problem has been taken into account in the design of this drone. The Phantom 4 can sense danger up to 49 feet away through a feature called the Obstacle Sensing System.
The Phantom 4 camera drone comes packed with great features, one of which is the Smart Return home system. What this does is allow the user – that is you – to call the drone back when you’re done shooting.
ActiveTrack is another feature that enables the drone to keep track of its subject without that particular subject having any special accessory or beacon. How does the Phantom 4 do that? Quite simply, it will keep the subject within the frame of the camera.
With regards to flight time, the Phantom 4 does 25% better than previous models. Put simply, this drone can fly for 28 straight minutes. The total coverage for the drone is 3.1 miles or 5 kilometers.
The Phantom 4’s 4K camera is on a 3-axis gimbal and has a 1/2.3-inch sensor which allows a maximum ISO of 1600 for photo and 3200 for video. The camera can also shoot 4K video at 30 fps and at full HD 1080p at 120 fps for slow motion. The Phantom 4 takes 12MP photos which are saved as Adobe DNG RAW while the video files can be saved with professional flat profiles such as D-Log and Cine-D.
Lastly, the Phantom 4 sports a magnesium core which allows it to be durable but not heavy. The new battery placement on this drone also means it has a better center of gravity leading it to be more agile and responsive when being issued commands.
DJI Inspire 1 4K
The awesome folks at DJI have done a great job with their Phantom series so far. While the models in those lines were geared towards drone beginners, the Inspire 1 was built for intermediate users – the in between of a beginning user and a professional one. In that sense, you could say that the DJI Inspire 1 is a more sophisticated model than those in the Phantom line.
But while the Inspire 1 from DJI is a whole lot more meatier – particularly in the tech sense – the drone still has the simplicity of the Phantom series. After all, why change a feature that has worked so well in the past and has gathered up a following. But despite having a similar feel to the Phantom, one feature that makes the Inspire stand out is its stabilization system which allows the drone to capture footage even in rough conditions. This alone makes it worth investing despite its rather steep price.
Just like other UAVs, the Inspire can shoot 4K video using a proprietary camera that has a 94-degree angle of view. The resulting footage is stunning and it’s even more impressive that the drone can capture such striking images even in not so good conditions.
A dual controller setup also makes the Inspire 1 standout as this feature allows two people to control the drone. One person takes charge of flying while the other assumes command of tilting and panning.
While the Inspire 1 has a set of great features, what really stands out is its stabilization system. The ability of the drone to continue performing well despite adverse conditions is all thanks to a camera that keeps a close watch on the ground below. Based on what the camera “sees,” power to the rotors are adjusted so the body of the drone is kept at level.
Battery life may not be a strong suit of the Inspire 1 given it can only fly for 18 minutes on a fully charged battery. The maximum range for the drone is 700 meters and it has a speed of 50 miles per hour.
3DR Solo with 4k Gopro
3D Robotics (3DR) hails its own product as “the world’s first Smart Drone” and calls it the “ultimate tool for aerial video and photo whether you’re a seasoned drone pilot or a beginner.” Is this all true? You could say so.
Right off the bat, one could certainly say the 3DR Solo is impressive. One, it looks serious. This is not mean other drones have a silly design but there is something menacing and attractive about the Solo’s all black design. But apart from an outstanding look, the Solo is packed with even more impressive features. After all, it has been called the true rival to DJI’s Phantom 3 camera. If they are pitted against each other (and with DJI being the darling in the realm of UAVs), there must be something truly special with the Solo to make it worthy of such a comparison.
So what exactly makes the Solo from 3DR stand out? There are a couple and they will be highlighted here.
One of the most impressive features of the Solo is its camera automation. Essentially, you can direct the drone to do what you want. For example, drawing a line on the screen (of your phone or device) makes the Solo fly back and forth between that established path. You can also select an object then choose “Orbit”which makes the drone fly in a circle while focusing on the chosen subject. The drone also has a selfie mode where it flies away from you but the camera is trained on you.
Another interesting feature of the Solo is its open platform. Basically, you can play with the software and hardware of the drone. This opens up lots of opportunities for developers as they can create different apps for enhanced experience with the drone.
Then again, with great features comes drawbacks. The sad part is that you have to provide your own camera. Although you can buy the drone, adding a camera means having to invest in getting the Solo with a purpose-built GoPro gimbal.
Q500 4k Camera Drone
Choosing a drone is a mental exercise and one of the most important decisions you have to make is picking between a drone with a built-in camera or one that comes with a mount. Each have advantages and disadvantages but the Q500 from Yuneec can be a solution to that problem. Why would that be the case? Well, the drone has a 4K-resolution camera that can be removed when the drone is not in use. How’s that for cost saving?
You see, you have to purchase a camera when you pick a drone with a mount – just like the 3DR Solo. Then again, you can always go for a drone with a built-in camera but have to stick with the camera you have when a better one gets released. With the Yuneec Q500, you can use the camera as a handheld device with the help of SteadyGrip, the handheld mount that comes with the camera drone. The Q500 also allows you to see what you are shooting through an iPhone or smartphone running on Android; you can even control the camera from these devices.
While the Q500 from Yuneec isn’t packed with features like models from DJI, it is a good beginner drone for beginning UAV enthusiasts. For one, the camera produces great results and the drone is pretty easy to fly. However, the drone does tend to be a bit sluggish compared to others in the market.
As its name suggests, the Q500 4K can shoot 4K video and is a “ready to fly” drone. In other words, there’s not much for you to do in terms of assembling a drone. You just have to wait a couple of minutes for the base station and aircraft to connect through WiFi and your drone can take to the sky after that. Even better, you don’t have to download any apps or calibrate anything.
Phantom 3 4K
The Phantom 3 line of cameras have made drone enthusiasts swoon, and the company that makes them – DJI – decided to add another member to the family. This was the Phantom 3 4K which allows shooting at 4K resolution but is a model that sits below the Phantom 3 Professional in hierarchy.
Basically, you get a drone that can range farther than the Phantom 3 Standard but has a lesser live stream quality than the Professional. What makes the Phantom 3 4K stand out is its price: it costs less than the Professional model.
The Phantom 3 4K is missing other features present in Phantom models. For one, the drone doesn’t have the Lightbridge system of DJI but it does offer users a 480p live stream. To put this all simply: the Phantom 3 4K bears all the features you see in a Phantom 3 Standard version but with the addition of 4K video recording capability.
DJI’s Phantom 3 4K was released early in 2016 and among the models in the Phantom lineup, this is the one that won’t break the bank. This factor would weigh greatly with those looking for a good camera to invest in while still starting out their UAV hobby.
But if this version of DJI’s Phantom 3 camera drone bears a similar look and even similar function to others in the lineup, what sets it apart? For one, the drone has a short operating range.
Video feedback to the controller is established with the use of WiFi. This connection to WiFi is good for tests conducted within the 3,937-foot operating range.
Making a decision as to which Phantom 3 model you’ll end up with is pretty hard. However, if you want one that allows you to save more but has limited control range and a low-resolution video feed, this is the 4K camera drone for you.
The World of Drones: 4K Camera Drones
Major advancements have been made in the field of technology for the last two decades. As the world moves towards the future, we have been offered ways to make our lives simpler and easier. The industrial realm, small-scale businesses and even fast food chains have been equipped with the latest technology, to help humans in carrying out their tasks.
One of the best tools introduced to us lately are the Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), or more commonly known as, drones. However, most people are not properly familiar with the further developments made to a drone. Moving on, let us talk about some of the major aspects attached to a drone, starting with that this technology basically is.
Uses of Drones
Drone Sports:Drones sports is basically the use of these Unmanned Aircraft Systems by people in the sports industry to help them get an aerial perspective and some footage for them to review. If we put it in simpler words, it is the use of drones to play games such as drone racing etc.
For Military Use:Drones were initially used for military operations only. Military personals used these drones for rescue operations, spying missions and for operations where manned aircrafts were not a good option.
For Photography:Nature photography, wildlife photography, aerial photography and many other branches in the field of photography have started using drones to get a better aerial experience. With the introduction of 4K resolution, the photography is even better than before.
For Filming:Aerial videographers are using drones to get a better perspective of the aerial world. Filming the movement of clouds, birds and different topics attached to the sky, videographers have made masterpieces till yet. To top that of, 4K resolution has been introduced in drones, which provides an even better result for photographers, as well as videographers.
4K Resolution: 4K resolution, more commonly known as 4K, is basically a display device or content, which contains a horizontal resolution of 4,000 pixels. There are several 4K resolutions which exists in the field of digital cinematography and digital television. It is mainly categorized in two different aspects; the standard DCI 4K resolution and the UHD-1 (ultra-high-definition), which is basically used for television.
Importance of 4K Resolution:
Drones have been equipped mainly with the UHD 4K resolution, to give the users an even better aerial experience than ever before. The importance of 4K resolution can mainly be seen because of the nuance and detail it offers. The pictures and videos made by a 4K device are simply better from every angle.
It not only provides higher resolution pictures, but also offers faster frame rates, extended colors and stunning contrast dynamics. With a 4K, you can get close to the subject easily, without the visibility of the grid like structure of image. Drones have been equipped with this technology to make it easy for photographers and videographers, who are looking to make the best aerial portraits ever.
4K Resolution and Drones
Overview:The UHD 4K technology has been introduced in many Unmanned Aircraft Systems, so people can have the best aerial experience of their lives. These drones are made by the best brands in the field and are top quality products with a list of different features. On top of that, they have been equipped with a 4k resolution, making them an efficient tool for photographers and videographers.
Drones are being used for several purposes. However, their performance is increasing by each passing day, regardless, which field they are performing in. On top of that, with the introduction of 4K resolution in an unmanned aircraft system, these drones are offering even a better aerial experience to the users. Hence, if you are looking for an aerial experience of a lifetime, a drone, the one equipped with 4K resolution for that matter, is a choice worth considering.
