Innovation

Photos: The 10 best consumer drones you can buy right now

By · March 27, 2015, 5:00 AM PST · connerforrest

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  • DJI Phantom 2 Vision+

    DJI's Phantom series is one of the industry standards when it comes to commercially available UAV drones. The Phantom 2 Vision+ comes ready to use with a first-person camera and retails for a little more than $1000.

    Image: DJI

  • Parrot AR.Drone 2.0

    Parrot is another industry-leader in the drone space and it's AR series is the company's flagship line. The AR.Drone is easy to fly, but can have connectivity issues when connecting to your phone or tablet as a controller. There are a few different versions of the AR.Drone, reaching up to $500.

    Image: Parrot

  • 3D Robotics IRIS+

    The 3D Robotics (3DR) IRIS+ is known for its autopilot. A great drone for "follow-me" video, it utilizes two-axis gimbal stabilization to keep the camera steady. You'll get 16 to 22 minutes of flight time and it costs $750.

    Image: 3D Robotics

  • UDI U818A

    The UDI U818A is a great value, coming in at just about $60 on Amazon. It is easy to fly, and great for beginners, but you'll only get about nine minutes of flight time.

    Image: UDI R/C

  • Syma X5C

    Another good quadcopter for beginners is the X5C from Chinese company Syma. It costs about $50 on Amazon and comes equipped with an HD camera.

    Image: Syma

  • Hubsan X4

    The Hubsan X4 is available with or without a camera and can be yours for $50-$60. You can adjust the gyro sensitivity and you will get about seven minutes of flight time. The X4 is available in red or black with different color stripes.

    Image: Hubsan

  • LiteHawk High Roller

    If you are unsure of your drone piloting abilities, the High Roller might be for you. The High Roller is a caged drone that offers you extra safety from potential crashes. It comes ready to fly out of the box and operates on a 2.4 Ghz radio system.

    Image: LiteHawk

  • Proto-X FPV

    The Proto-X line of micro quadcopters are great for those looking for a tiny drone with big features. The Proto-X FPV has a camera that gives the pilot a real-time first-person view of the flight. Prices vary, but they average around $220, and they come in six colors.

    Image: Estes

  • Walkera QR X350PRO

    The QR X350PRO can fly for up to 25 minutes. It offers an available google system that integrates with the FPV camera and allows the pilot to see what the drone sees.

    Image: Walkera

  • Blade 350 QX2

    The Blade 350 QX2 comes with a 3000mAh battery and GPS, and has optional pitch control for the unit. While the drone itself usually gets high marks in controllability, the C-GO camera has been met with mixed reviews due to its quality.

    Image: Blade

DJI Phantom 2 Vision+

DJI's Phantom series is one of the industry standards when it comes to commercially available UAV drones. The Phantom 2 Vision+ comes ready to use with a first-person camera and retails for a little more than $1000.

Image: DJI

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By Conner Forrest

Conner Forrest is an analyst for 451 Research. He was formerly a Senior Editor for TechRepublic.

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