Which DJI drone should you buy?

Which DJI drone should you buy?

With its steady succession of affordable quadcopters toting superb cameras and idiot-proof flight controls, DJI has transformed what was a niche activity for DIY hobbyists into something that anyone with a smartphone and a few hundred quid can get into. But with so many different models to choose from, it’s tricky to work out whether you should shell out for a Spark or fork out for a Phantom. Well read on, pilots, because your drone shopping trip is about to get a lot easier…

For beginners on a budget: DJI Spark (£359)

Small enough and light enough to launch from – and land back on – the palm of your hand, DJI’s smallest quadcopter makes up for its stingy 10-15-minute flight time with its crisp, colourful 1080p videos and 12MP snaps and a neat gesture control scheme (which admittedly doesn’t work as well as we’d like). Using a smartphone or optional hardware controller instead you can trigger impressive auto-fly modes while you get to grips with the more complex manual controls.

For globetrotters: DJI Mavic Air (£769)

Folding down to the size of a water bottle and weighing only 430g, the Mavic Air is the closest you’ll get to a pocketable drone. Its dimensions impact on battery life but its 4K footage is pin sharp, it shoots 12MP snaps with HDR, and can slice through the sky at over 40mph, with the Advanced Pilot Assistant System automatically steering it around obstacles. A twin-stick RC controller is also included, boosting the range from 80m to 4km.

For a quieter flight: DJI Mavic Pro Platinum (£1199)

The Mavic Pro Platinum differs from the standard Pro in three main areas: it’s a platinum colour (duh); it features longer battery life, giving it up to 30 minutes of flying time; and due to redesigned propellers, it’s 60% quieter when in flight. DJI’s other models all do passable impressions of a swarm of angry bees in the air, which isn’t ideal if you’re flying in close proximity to other people, or trying to capture footage without bothering local wildlife.

For intermediate pilots: DJI Phantom 3 SE (£599)

The Phantom 3 SE is the perfect model for anyone who values steadiness and smoother-looking videos over portability. With its non-folding design and removable props, the Phantom 3 SE’s size and shape help it to maintain stability on blustery days when flying DJI’s “flatter” models would be ill-advised. There’s a 4km range, a top speed of 35mph, 25-minute flight time, and a 3-axis gimbal holding a 4K camera with a 1/2.3in CMOS sensor for 4K videos and 12MP stills.

For video lovers: DJI Phantom 4 Pro (£1380)

While DJI has pricer models designed specifically for pros, the larger-than-usual 1in sensor inside the Phantom 4 Pro’s 4K camera, plus the 3-axis gimbal, mean it soars above DJI’s other consumer models when it comes to image quality. Its vision systems mean it maintains the simplicity and safety of less well-equipped models, while a 30-minute flight time is enough to let you capture plenty of 60fps footage or 20MP stills.