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Drones have an excessively wide range – in altitude, features, and especially cost. While the professional-level units can have sky-high price tags, that’s far from your only option as a beginner. It’s entirely possible to find a decent, affordable drone under $100. And if you’re just taking your first foray into the world of flying, or gifting someone their first one, these durable drones are a great place to start.
“It’s best to practice before getting a much more expensive model, like a Mavic,” says David Abitbol, a web developer and blogger based in Jerusalem, who uses drones to photograph the historic city. “And [it’s good] to start out on something that can handle a few bumps, crashes and collisions.”
Here’s everything you should know when you’re shopping for the best drones under $100.
What Are the Best Drone Features and Tools to Consider?
Modes: Flying is just the beginning. Drones are also excellent options for photography, videography, and include all sorts of extra features. Tricks like Headless Mode, where you don’t need to worry about which direction the drone is facing, is vitally helpful to a first-time flyer. In this mode, the drone’s front is always aligned with your controller, making it much easier for newbie pilots to handle.
VR Mode is another feature to consider if you’ve got a set of goggles – simply slide in your phone to see what your drone is seeing in real-time. Not only is it helpful for getting the precise camera angles and footage you’re going for, but also puts you in the pilot’s seat, giving you a drone’s-eye-view as if you’re the one in flight.
Electronic Image Stabilization: Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS) or Electronic Stability Control (ESC) is going to be a huge help if you’re planning to take photographs or film. The drone’s propellers can create shakiness while in flight, leading to blurry pics and video, but EIS compensates for that using a motion sensor to stabilize things.
Gimbal: Another invaluable photography tool is a gimbal. This pivoted support system lets your camera stay at the same angle using motors and sensors, no matter how much your drone vibrates or moves around. These usually come pre-calibrated on the lower cost models, but be sure to check to see if you’ll need to manually calibrate it.
Battery Life: Battery life may seem excessively short compared with the common mobile devices we carry around, but average flight time for these drones is usually under 30 minutes. Also, a drone that weighs 250 grams is usually the cutoff, and you’ll need to register it with the FAA if it’s above that.
Some final advice from Abitbol: “Like all cameras in this class, they should not be flown when it’s windy outside, as this can cause blurry photos, or worse, completely carry a drone away. Always use the propeller guards if they’re available, and make sure to read the instructions carefully.”
Article reflects current prices at time of publication.
