Take Flight With This Beginner’s Guide to Buying a Drone

Take Flight With This Beginner’s Guide to Buying a Drone
At Gizmodo, we independently select and write about stuff we love and think you'll like too. We have affiliate and advertising partnerships, which means we may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. BTW – prices are accurate and items in stock at the time of posting.

Once you get the hang of it, you can do some really cool things with a drone. Whether you plan on using it for photography or just want to zip around in the sky, it can be an incredibly fun and fulfilling hobby. But if you don’t know what you’re looking for, where do you start when it comes to buying a drone in the first place?

If you’re looking to jump into the proverbial pilot’s seat and take flight with your first-ever drone, we’ve put together a shortlist of drones you should consider depending on your skill level, budget and interests.

Before you commit to buying a drone, it’s incredibly important that you familiarise yourself with Australia’s drone laws first.

[related_content first=”1015010″]

Best drone for beginners: DJI Mini 2

best drones
Image: DJI

As you read through the following list, one thing will become very apparent – when it comes to drones, DJI has the market cornered. And as far as beginner drones go, the DJI Mini 2 is a top-notch choice.

“It’s enough of a drone to help you learn how to fly and to capture incredible aerial footage,” wrote Adam Clark Estes in Gizmodo’s review of the original DJI Mini. “At the same time, the Mavic Mini is a gateway drone, something that’s going to get you more interested in these amazing 21st-century gadgets.”

The Mini really lives up to its namesake, with its weight clocking in at 249g (for reference, an iPhone 13 Pro weighs 204g). If you’re worried about mother nature taking this drone for a ride, the Mini is designed to withstand level 5 winds (around 29–38 km/h).

If your drone does get blown a bit off course, it’s still able to transmit HD video up to a distance of 10km.

The DJI Mini uses a 12MP camera that can record 4K video at 30fps, and its battery will give you a decent half-hour of flight time.

Start your journey into droning with the DJI Mini 2 here.

Best cheap drone: Ryze Tello

Image: DJI

There’s a special kind of disappointment felt when you get into a new hobby, spend a bunch of money on it and then instantly lose interest. Your purchase sits on a shelf collecting dust, silently mocking your financial decisions.

Most cheap drones are glorified R/C helicopters. This might be fine for some, but if you actually want a cheap one that’s still a proper drone, you’re better off with a Ryze Tello.

In terms of performance, the Ryze Tello, which is powered by DJI technology, is as basic as they come.

On a fully-charged battery, you’ll get around 13 minutes of flight, with a max speed of 28.8km/h. For the burgeoning drone photographer, the Tello comes with a built-in 5MP camera that can also record 720p video.

But, most importantly, it has a price tag that sits nicely under $250. If you become a very casual drone fan, this device will serve you well. The Tello can also serve as a good stepping stone into droning. A nice place to learn the basics before you make the leap to something a bit meatier.

You can take flight with the Ryze Tello drone here.

Best all-rounder drone: DJI Mavic Air 2

best drones
Image: DJI

Do you want a drone that’s favoured by casual enthusiasts and professionals alike? Then you get this drone. In a review of the Mavic Air 2, Gizmodo writer Carlos Zahumenszky described it as being, “a perfect balance between a professional drone and a recreational one.”

This sturdy drone has a solid battery life of just over a half-hour and can hit a top speed of 68km/h.

The Mavic Air 2 comes equipped with a 48MP camera that will let you record 4K 60fps video, which is on a three-axis gimbal that’ll help you capture some smoother footage.

You pilot it through a smartphone running the DJI Fly app that’s combined with the bundled remote controller. It has a 1080p video transmission range of 10km, so you shouldn’t have any problems with not seeing what it’s seeing.

Whether you want a drone that you can use to take some top-notch aerial photography or videos, or you just want one that you can zip around with while blasting Kenny Loggins’ ‘Danger Zone’, you can’t really go past the Mavic Air 2.

Jump into the pilot seat of a DJI Mavic Air 2 here.

Best drone for photography: DJI Mavic 3

Image: DJI

If you’re someone who loves photography or shooting video, getting yourself a drone makes perfect sense. You can untether yourself from the ground, and reach heights that were previously only available if you were willing to climb a tree or rent out a helicopter.

When it comes to photography, the best drone doesn’t come cheap, unfortunately. A DJI Mavic 3 will set you back a whopping $3,099.

The DJI Mavic 3 has a great battery life that’ll get you a solid 46 minutes of flight time and can maintain a 1080p live stream for up to 15km. It comes with complete omnidirectional sensors that’ll help you avoid any mid-air collisions while filming.

This drone comes equipped with two cameras that are mounted on a three-axis motorised gimbal. A 20MP Hasselblad camera uses a 24mm lens with a 4/3 CMOS sensor, allowing you to capture smooth 4K footage at 120 fps. It also has a 12MP telephoto camera with a 162mm lens that can capture 4K footage at 30 fps.

Get a bird’s eye view with the DJI Mavic 3 here.


The Cheapest NBN 50 Plans

It’s the most popular NBN speed in Australia for a reason. Here are the cheapest plans available.

At Gizmodo, we independently select and write about stuff we love and think you'll like too. We have affiliate and advertising partnerships, which means we may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. BTW – prices are accurate and items in stock at the time of posting.