Drones give us the opportunity to see the world from a different perspective. We can fly over that one mountain ourselves or view our cities from above. It is therefore attractive to buy a drone. Besides the fact that you can take beautiful images, flying the drone is also a lot of fun. But, is it wise to buy a drone? In some cases you make the right choice and sometimes you are actually throwing away money.
Choosing the right drone
If you are going to buy a drone, then you obviously have to choose the right drone. You can look at lists of the best drones, but doing your own research is of course still important. The Chinese brand DJI is the best known and best drone brand on the market. But Autel Robotics and PowerVision are also drone manufacturers with excellent models.
Always make sure you buy a drone from a genuine brand and not a cheap and unbranded one from Amazon. Buy cheap, buy twice.
Learning to fly
The next step is learning to fly. Nowadays, drones have all kinds of tricks built in to make flying easy. They are equipped with obstacle sensors that ensure that you don't collide with anything and they even have a simulator that teaches you how to fly. It is also possible to take multiple cinematic shots at the push of a button.
Everything then happens automatically and all you have to do is wait. But, there is always a moment when the environment or shot calls for manual control. Not only do you have to know how the sticks and buttons work, but the photographic eye also becomes important.
Taking beautiful shots is not always possible with the built-in functions. So sometimes you have to work manually. You also get the most beautiful shots during sunrise and sunset.
So it can be early mornings sometimes! Fortunately, there are plenty of good videos online for learning to fly a drone manually. So you have all the tools to become a good pilot.
You are not allowed to fly everywhere
Buying a drone also comes with responsibilities and restrictions. In Europe there are many rules regarding flying a drone. Any drone heavier than 250 grams must be registered and nowadays you also have to obtain some kind of pilot's license. This of course costs extra money.
If you plan to use the drone (semi) professionally, this may not be a problem. But, for recreational use, your choice is limited to models that weigh less than 250 grams. Fortunately, the aforementioned brands have responded by developing high-quality, lightweight drones.
The Netherlands is a small country and the few pieces of nature we have are often protected nature reserves. This means that you have very few places where you can legally fly. If you live in the countryside, there is quite a lot to choose from.
But, in the Randstad and around other larger cities you can't actually take off anywhere. So consider carefully whether you can fly where you live. If the drone is for travelling, it is of course a good idea to take it with you! Before taking off abroad, you should always make sure you follow the local rules.
Photography or film?
Will it be photography, film or both? If you plan to use a drone for photography, you have to compose every shot manually. If you have a good eye, that won't be a problem. But it's good to know that there are no automatic cropping functions (yet).
The advantage of photography alone is that you don't have to look at how much K video resolution and bitrate the drone has. The most important thing is being able to shoot RAW-format photos. These provide an extra large dynamic range, which is useful if you are going to edit the photo.
Do you choose to film? Then the costs can quickly add up. While many drones advertise large resolutions, it ultimately all comes down to the size of the sensor (the larger the better) and the bitrate at which the video is recorded.
Editing and Post-Processing
Then comes the editing. It is one of the biggest reasons why a drone can be a bad buy or the right choice. Are you willing to edit photos and videos? Especially with video, it is important to make a good montage, with attractive audio.
Fortunately, there are plenty of free programs for computers and smartphones that make this possible, but the options are usually limited. If you want something more professional, you will spend a lot of money on a good program.
Is your drone staying in the cupboard?
Drones give us many new creative possibilities and thanks to constant development, they can do more and more. But will the drone really be worth the money? Quite a few people want a drone or buy a camera, but use it three times and then leave it in the closet.
This is because you are not allowed to fly (almost) anywhere in the Netherlands, you do not make time for editing or because you find it difficult to take the right shots.
But, if you are willing to put in the effort and already know which locations you can visit, a drone can provide beautiful images.
