Drones are a hot ticket item in today’s market because of their uses in both recreation and surveillance. They can range in size from small toys that don’t even need to be registered under the new guidelines to commercial drones which exceed the weight limits and must be registered as actual aircrafts. With so many options available it may be hard to decide what best fits your needs. The following were chosen as the best spy drones of 2016 because of their picture clarity and easy of camera use, their stability and ease of control, and their charging and flight time.
DJI T600 Inspire 1 Quadcopter with 4k Video Camera with Controller
DJI is a well-respected company in the Drone community, and for good reason. From the start you can tell that this is a sturdy machine that will survive a few crashes while you are getting the hang of the controls. On one hand this machine is super easy to control with a very basic remote that allows you to move up, down, left, right, and 360 degrees; but it does get a little more complicated from there. The remote does become a bit more complicated when you add the mounting bracket for a mobile device which live streams the view from your machine. The battery comes fully charged and ready to go, but this drone is not ready to fly out of the box. There is a fair amount of assembly along with syncing the device with the remote.
At 15 pounds this is a solid device which is not easily tossed around by wind. This makes it easy to control and allows your 12 MP pictures and 4K video to come out clearer. The average flight time is between 13 to 18 minutes which is pretty decent for a drone of its size and weight; charging however takes a few hours before you can go back out. One cool feature of the DJI 600 Inspire 1 is that it actually has a flight mode and a landing mode to better absorb the impact of landing.
Parrot AR.Drone 2.0
The Parrot AR.Drone 2.0 is a surprise in a box from its price to its control. This machine is easily – and only – controlled through a mobile device. Some drone owners may not like this style of navigation, but the controls are surprisingly fluid and it is nice to have the HD picture and video stream straight to your mobile device with no need to transfer it. Though the machine only weighs 4 pounds, it comes with built in a stabilization system to ensure even flight. Parrot has a unique way of increasing flight time, they actually offer two separate batteries with 18 minutes flight time each which gives this drone one of the longest out of the box flight times available. In my experience the battery takes over an hour to charge.
Yuneec Q500 4K
When it comes to spy drones this one just may take the cake; it is specifically designed from the camera up. The camera has 3 different axes for a 360 degree high definition view. I love the look and design of this drone; it is sturdy against the wind and makes landing a cinch. At 2.5 pounds this is not a very large machine, but it can hold its own against much larger models. Its light weight is actually a benefit in the case of flight time which can be upwards of 25 minutes with a little over an hour for a full charge. The Q500 is unique in the fact that it comes standard with a car charger so you don’t have to go home to charge your aircraft. The camera takes UHD photos and videos and even takes slow motion video to capture all of the action.
DJI Phantom 3 Professional Quadcopter 4K UHD Video Camera Drone
DJI just doesn’t quit, creating the perfect drone for every person and every situation. At 9.2 pounds it is not easily pushed around, but it also comes with stabilizers that make this drone so stable you can fly it indoors. The controls are pretty basic and DJI offers an app and a device holder to attach to the remote in order to view your real time flight. The real MVP of the Phantom 3 Professional is the 4K UHD camera with a 3-axis gimble which means that you miss absolutely nothing. The camera is super simple to control and allows you to capture beautiful and professional images and video. In true professional fashion this drone charges in less than an hour and can fly for over 20 minutes.
3DR Solo Drone Quadcopter
The 3DR Drone screams spy drone from its high definition camera to its sleek black design. At nearly 12 pounds this drone is not easily pushed around by the wind, but not so heavy that it drains the battery quickly. It comes with the option of a multi-axis gimble designed for GoPro for high quality pictures at any angle. The flight time of this drone averages about 17 minutes with a one hour charge time which is not too bad. The remote control for this device was designed to appeal to the video game player in all of us. The controls are intuitive and very easy to understand, plus the remote a built in screen to read out your key metrics and an attachment for a mobile device so you can live stream flight. What really makes this drone special is what it can do without you. The solo mode allows you to have the solo drone follow you hands free which comes in handy in a number of occasions. It can also hover in the air so you can focus on working the camera and nothing else. Its control, GoPro attachments, on deck computers, and special abilities makes this the ultimate spy drone.
