Which drone should I buy? Best drones

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Looking for a new drone? We would like to help you one step further in your search. Earlier, we wrote about what to look out for when buying a new drone. With these tips, you can start comparing drones. In this blog, we give our opinion on the best drones. We have been flying different drones ourselves for more than 10 years. We would love to tell you more about our favourite drones of 2023.

Why choose DJI?

There are many different brands, which develop drones. Over the years, we have tried different brands of drones. From toy drones to professional drones. Prices of drones can vary a lot. This has to do with the quality and software of the drone.

DJI develops drones of good quality. DJI drones are stable, user-friendly, have a good camera and the latest software. Our advice is to invest a bit more in a drone so you can enjoy it for longer. Thankfully, DJI also has drones that are budget-friendly.

These are our favourite drones at the beginning of 2023:

DJI Avata

DJI Avata with First Person View experience

If you are looking for freedom and speed, an FPV drone is a good option. An FPV drone is controlled with live action goggles. You look through the drone's camera with these goggles. This is called First Person View (FPV). FPV drones can reach high speeds and are more manoeuvrable than camera drones.

DJI Avata is a ready-to-fly FPV drone developed by DJI. You control the DJI Avata with an included motion controller or buy a standard controller with it. Controlling through these controllers is easy to learn. DJI Avata has different flight modes, from beginner to advanced. In beginner flight mode, the obstacle sensors are on and the flight speed is limited. The aircraft's propellers are protected by the frame.

Due to its small size, the DJI Avata is manoeuvrable and the drone can fly anywhere in between. If you do find yourself in a difficult situation, the DJI Avata has an emergency brake and hover function. This allows you to switch very quickly to GPS mode, in which you fly most easily. These features make the DJI Avata ideal for starters.

The camera of the DJI Avata is stabilised using HorizonSteady technology. The camera can record images in 4K/60pfs or 1080p HD/120fps. The DJI Avata has a flight time of about 18 minutes per battery.

DJI develops drones of good quality. DJI drones are stable, user-friendly, have a good camera and the latest software. Our advice is to invest a bit more in a drone so you can enjoy it for longer. Thankfully, DJI also has drones that are budget-friendly.

DJI Mini 3

If you are looking for a drone that is friendly priced, you will quickly end up with the DJI Mini 3. With its small size and light weight, this drone is perfect for travelling. The device weighs just 248 grams.

DJI has significantly improved the Mini 3 compared to the Mini 2. Mainly the camera. The DJI Mini 3 can record in 4K/30fps and shoot in 12 Mega Pixels. The DJI Mini 3 can also shoot and record vertically. The camera features a 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor and a fixed aperture f/1.7.

The only major drawback to the DJI Mini 3 is that this drone has no obstacle sensors. Obstacle sensors ensures that the drone avoids objects and prevents crashes. If you are a novice pilot, then obstacle sensors are a must. DJI has a Pro version of the DJI Mini 3 available. The DJI Mini 3 Pro does have obstacle sensors on it. If you already have the necessary flying experience and want to save some money, opt for the DJI Mini 3.

The DJI Mini 3 is a camera drone, which can be controlled with a smart controller or a smartphone controller. The DJI Mini 3 is a good drone for the recreational flyer. It is stable, has a decent camera and is user-friendly.

DJI Mavic 3 Classic

The DJI Mavic 3 Classic is known for its flying features. The drone features two forward-facing obstacle sensors: two oblique upward-facing obstacle sensors and two backward-facing sensors. This allows the drone to automatically avoid obstacles, even at high flying speeds.

DJI also comes with a new flying feature, namely master shots. The drone itself calculates the best route to perform a particular camera move. This is a handy way for novice pilots to automatically capture beautiful drone images.
The flight time of this drone is over 45 minutes thanks to the upgraded batteries. Being unable to take images due to flat batteries is therefore a thing of the past. The controller features a Return to Home (RTH) button. DJI has updated this function. Instead of taking off for a bit and flying in a straight line to the take-off zone, the aircraft itself chooses the most efficient path. With this, DJI hopes to prevent crashes caused by a dead battery on the way.

The DJI Mavic 3 Classic features the latest version 360-degree obstacle detection. The sensors work in both normal flight mode and sport mode. The updated APAS 5.0 allows the drone to effortlessly steer through complex environments. The device, since the latest firmware update, features a new version of ActiveTrack, namely ActiveTrack 5.0. This feature ensures that the drone continues to track an object even during backward or sideways flight. The DJI Mavic 3 Classic can detect the object when it disappears from view.

The DJI Mavic 3 Classic is a drone that can record and photograph in high quality. Are you looking for a drone for (semi-)professional photography and videography? Then this device is very attractive to consider.

DJI Mavic 3 Cine

The DJI Mavic 3 Cine is distinguished from the DJI Mavic 3 Classic by its dual camera and Apple ProRes 422 HQ Codec technology. The DJI Mavic 3 Cine features a brand new Hasselblad L2D-20c camera with micro four thirds (MFT) sensor. The second camera features a telephoto lens. In the DJI Fly app, the pilot can switch between the two cameras.

The lower camera features a maximum film resolution concerns 5.1K at 50 fps. In 4K, the maximum frame rate is 120 fps. The aperture is adjustable from f/11 to f/2.8 and the angle of view is 84º. The larger sensor improves light sensitivity and dynamic range. The top camera features a 162 mm telephoto lens with a 15º angle of view and 28x hybrid zoom.

The DJI Mavic 3 Cine uses Apple ProRes 422 HQ Codec. This is the industry standard for high-quality recording, and it is one of the best HD formats. Because Apple ProRes ensures large files, the drone is equipped with 1 TB of memory. Should this be insufficient, a microSD card can also be inserted for additional storage capacity.

The Mavic 3 Cine comes with a smart controller. This eliminates the need to connect a smartphone. The controller features the latest version of the RTH button. Furthermore, the DJI Mavic 3 Cine features 360-degree obstacle detection, APAS 5.0 and Active Track 5.0.