Drones with camera can be used in many areas, both for leisure and for work: find out how to choose the one that best suits your needs.
Perfect gadget to combine the passion for flying with that of photography and video shooting, the drone with built-in camera is increasingly in demand by consumers. The many models on the market from which to choose lend themselves to the most diverse entertainment, perhaps to be used in weddings, sporting events, trips, explorations and extreme photography.
With a market in constant expansion, it is therefore important to know how to choose the drone that is right for us, taking into account certain features, useful to avoid making an ill-considered purchase. Features that we will explore in this guide, along with the regulations in force for the drone license.
How a drone with camera works
Drones, or remote piloting systems, are special flying devices equipped with four propellers - and for this reason also called quadricopters. They can be controlled by radio or Wi-Fi, and are characterized by very advanced components. In addition to the propellers, they are in fact equipped with motors, a controller for speed, a receiver for radio waves, and a whole series of sensors - such as gyroscopes, compass, accelerometers and GPS.
In the case of a drone with a camera, then, there are precisely also cameras of various resolutions for audio and video recording, which transmit the image on the remote control, a tablet or a smartphone.
ENAC regulation: who can fly a drone
Before analyzing the technical specifications that differentiate one drone from another, it is a good idea to clarify the rules imposed in Italy by ENAC, the National Civil Aviation Authority, which also regulates the use of drones with very strict rules and consequent heavy fines. First of all, it's important to know that drones that we want to use for recreational purposes can be put in the air without authorization from ENAC and registration to the National Registry, but only in model airfields.
On the contrary, for professional discoveries drones must necessarily be enrolled in the National Registry through the portal D-Flight, and can be used only after obtaining an ENAC certificate - which is a kind of license for drone - and having taken out an insurance. Not only that, according to ENAC, from January 2021 a drone with camera for both professional and recreational purposes must not exceed 250 grams in weight: otherwise, the license will always be necessary.
Best drone with camera: how to choose it
Notwithstanding the purchase price, in the choice of the best drone with camera come into play various technical factors. All not to be underestimated, and that in fact determine the level of performance of the device. In particular we have:
Size and weight
The weight of a drone is extremely important, not only for the norms imposed by ENAC but also from the point of view of the simplicity of driving, which is always proportional to the weight and size of the aircraft. Less experienced pilots should therefore start to become familiar with a very small and economical camera drone, to train even in confined spaces such as the one at home;
Autonomy
Almost all non-professional drones on the market have a rather poor flight autonomy, which does not exceed 30 minutes. That's why it is advisable to choose a device with an interchangeable battery, to be replaced when needed. Usually these types of batteries require rather long times to recharge;
Height and maximum distance
Before buying a drone, we must check in its technical specifications what are the maximum distance and height it is capable of reaching. This is to avoid violating the ENAC rules of which we have said a little more above;
Camera
The price of a drone can vary a lot also according to the resolution of the camera provided. If we do not have special needs, we can safely start with a FullHD model, so as not to invest too large an amount of money. The more expensive 4K is in short indicated only in case you want to get shots from the exceptional quality.