The best drones in 2020: which quadrocopter to buy?

Formerly used in movies or for filming, drones have now reached the mass market from entry-level to professional level. The selection is huge and the price can quickly rise from 100 euros to several 1000 euros. In this article, Techzle presents the best drones in 2020. Check them out to find your best drone for your application and price range.

If you want to buy a drone, you should first think about the application for which the quadrocopter should be suitable. More professional drones for high-resolution camera shots are not only big and heavy, but also expensive. Entry-level/hobby drones are smaller, weaker and accordingly cheaper. There are also pure toy and special racing drones. The latter are more of a niche and are mainly intended for sporting use.

The best drones in 2020: an overview of the selection

  1. DJI Mavic 2 Pro drone – Current price from €1,499

2. DJI Mavic Mini – drone – Current price from €399

3. RYZE Tello drone – Current price from €106

The best camera drone for professionals: DJI Mavic 2 Pro

Review:

  • Price: around 1499 euros
  • Dimensions (LxWxH): 322 x 242 x 84 mm
  • Weight: 907 g
  • Camera: 20 MP, 4K recordings
  • Range: up to 5 km
  • Flight time: up to 31 minutes
  • Speed: up to 72 km/h
  • Smartphone control: yes

Particularities:

  • Security and anti-collision systems in all directions
  • Hasselblad camera
  • Stabilized camera gimbal
  • Very long range 8 km (5 km according to German radio standard)
  • 10-bit HDR mode
  • Different “Follow Me” modes with ActiveTrack
  • Alternative remote control with screen sold separately
  • Stable flying thanks to the “Vision Positioning System” (VPS)

Techzle’s opnion:

The Mavic 2 Pro from the market leader DJI leaves nothing to be desired and is intended for aspiring professionals. The strength of the drone lies in the all-encompassing obstacle detection and the other safety modes that are supposed to prevent damage and crashes. The Mavic 2 Pro has sensors in all directions, which means that it can be maneuvered even in rooms without a collision. The gimbal stabilization of the Hasselblad camera also delivers high-quality images and videos without blurring. With a flight time of up to 31 minutes and a range of 5 km (Germany), the drone achieves above-average values. If you are looking for a very powerful video drone, you will find it here. Alternatively, there is also a “Zoom” edition with another camera module that enables optical zoom.

The best camera drone by price/performance: DJI Mavic Mini

Review:

  • Price: around 399 euros at Amazon
  • Dimensions (LxWxH): 160 x 202 x 55 mm
  • Weight: 249 g
  • Camera: 12 MP, 2.7K pictures
  • Range: up to 2 km
  • Flight time: up to 30 minutes
  • Speed: up to 13 m/s (approx. 46.8 km/h)
  • Smartphone control: yes

Particularities:

  • “Mavic Mini Fly More” package contains additional accessories and spare parts
  • Camera gimbal (3-axis)
  • Long flight time
  • Very small and light
  • Foldable for easy transportation
  • “QuickShots” mode for autamtized video recordings
  • “CineSmooth” mode for particularly soft video recordings
  • Stable flying thanks to the “Vision Positioning System” (VPS)

Techzle’s opnion:

With the “DJI Spark”, DJI had already presented a very compact drone in 2017. Now a successor has been sent into the race: the “Mavic Mini”. The company’s new “travel drone” was able to increase considerably in some places, but also had to forego features for the lower starting price of 399 euros. When unfolded, the Mavic Mini is slightly larger than its “predecessor”, but it saves space in the transport position. The low weight of 249 grams also saves you from having to label the drone (from 250 grams). With up to 30 minutes, the Mavic Mini can stay in the air for longer than average. In comparison, the “DJI Spark” only manages up to 16 minutes. The camera, stabilized on 3 axes, has a resolution of 12 MP and delivers 2.7K videos (QHD) with 30 FPS. The anti-collision system, however, has to be dispensed with in the flight assistance systems. Optical position determination and GPS ensure flight silence and orientation. The drone is particularly suitable for beginners and advanced users who are looking for a compact drone with good equipment. The Mavic Mini is also ideal for travel shots thanks to its size, long flight time and improved camera.

The best entry-level/toy drone: Ryze Tello

Revie:

  • Price: around 106 euros
  • Dimensions (LxWxH): 98 x 92.5 x 41 mm
  • Weight: 87 g
  • Camera: 5 MP, HD recordings
  • Range: up to 100 m
  • Flight time: up to 13 minutes
  • Speed: up to 28.8 km/h
  • Smartphone control: yes

Particularities:

  • Remote control / controller not included
  • Usable camera despite its small size
  • Battery life slightly above average (> 7 min)
  • Very easy
  • Stable flying thanks to DJI’s “Vision Positioning System” (VPS)
  • Emergency landing and warning systems

Techzle’s opnion:

The Tello from Ryze Technology offers a lot of quality for little money. This is mainly due to the fact that the drone was developed in collaboration with DJI and Intel. The construction and equipment make it the ideal beginner or toy drone with some extra functions that make maneuvering easier for beginners. Thanks to the VP system from DJI, the Tello flies very calmly and precisely. On features like a follow mode, GPS or anti-collision sensors, however, you have to do without in this price range. Thanks to the emergency landing function, it also lands automatically if the battery is empty. The control works via the smartphone or alternatively a separate controller. If you want to get into the world of drones as cheaply and comfortably as possible, you will find this a suitable quadrocopter.

Important note before buying: “RTF”, “BNF”, “ARF” explained

If you buy a drone, you should pay attention to the scope of delivery of the quadrocopter. Some devices are not sold as ready-to-go, and require separate accessories.

  • “RTF” stands for ” Ready TFly”. Such a package contains all the important parts and is often already attached to start right away. Usually the aircraft, remote control, batteries and sometimes spare parts.
  • “BNF” stands for ” Bind N Fly”. This package version of a drone usually lacks remote control. If you already have a compatible remote control, you can connect it to the drone (“bind”) and then get started.
  • “ARF” stands for ” Almost Ready to Fly”. Here you often have to buy things like a remote control, batteries or other parts and assemble them yourself. With an “ARF” drone, make sure that you already have the separately required parts.

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