Drones under $1000 are already in a price category that leaves room for a lot of quality and more advanced technology.
I'm talking about obstacle avoidance sensors, zoom lenses, better GPS accuracy, better builds, and so on.
The drones on this list are the best I could find between $500 and $1000 mainly. There are also DJI alternatives on this list that are very capable quadcopters and that you shouldn't overlook just because DJI has a monopoly on the market.
In a hurry? Just pick my best recommended drone in this price category and you can't really go wrong!
These are the top drones I would chose as my best professional quadcopters in this price range. You'll be safe choosing any of these as your photography and videography drone, but I would still suggest you read the entire article to find more about each of them.
This table is made for the purpose of quickly choosing in case you don't have the time or energy to go though the rest of the article.
| Drone | Image | Price | Footage Score | Battery life | FPV Range | Video Res | Photo Res | MP | Bitrate | HDR Photo | HDR Vid | Aperture | Sensor Size | Live Feed | Gimbal | Max Speed | Max Wind | Max Altitude | Obstacle avoidance | Optical flow sensors | Follow me | Under 250 g | Weight | Temperature |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DJI Air 2s |  |
Check Price | 10 | 31 min | 12 km | 5.4k/ 4k 60p | 8k | 20mp | 150 Mbps | yes | no | f/2.8 | 1” | 1080p | 3 axis | 19 m/s | 10.7 m/s (Level 5) | 5km | yes | yes | yes | no | 595g | 0° to 40°C |
| DJI Mini 2 |  |
Check Price | 9 | 31 min | 10 km | 4k | 4k | 12mp | 100 Mbps | no | no | f/2.8 | 1/2.3” | 720p | 3 axis | 16 m/s | 10.5 m/s (Level 5) | 4km | no | yes | yes | yes | 242g | 0° to 40°C |
| Autel Evo Nano |  |
Check Price | 10 | 28 min | 10 km | 4k | 4k | 48MP | 100mbps | yes | yes | f/2.8 | 1/1.28" | 2.7k | 3 axis | 15 m/s | 10.5 m/s (Level 5) | 4km | yes | yes | yes | yes | 249g | 0° to 40°C |
| Parrot Anafi |  |
Check Price | 9 | 25 min | 4 km | 4k | 5k | 21MP | 100 Mbps | yes | yes | f/2.4 | 1/2.4’’ | 720p | 2 axis | 14 m/s | 4.5km | no | yes | yes | no | 320g | -10° to 40°C | |
| SwellPro Spry+ |  |
Check Price | 8.5 | 17 min | 1 km | 4k | 4k | 12MP | 64mbps | no | no | f/2.65 | 1/2.3” | no | 18 m/s | 10.5 m/s (Level 5) | 0.2km | no | no | yes | no | 480g | -10° to 40°C | |
| Mavic Air 2 |  |
Check Price | 9 | 34 min | 10 km | 4k 60p | 8k | 48mp | 120 Mbps | yes | no | f/2.8 | 1/2" | 1080p | 3 axis | 19 m/s | 10.5 m/s (Level 5) | 5km | yes | yes | yes | no | 570g | -10° to 40°C |
| Hubsan Zino 2 + |  |
Check Price | 9 | 35 min | 9km | 4k 60 fps | 4k | 12MP | 100mbps | no | no | F/2.2 | 1/2.3" | 720p | 3 axis | 20 m/s | 13.5 m/s (Level 6) | 4km | no | yes | yes | no | 929g | 0° to 40°C |
5.7k 30p / 4k 60p
31 min
12 km
4 direction sensors
The DJI Air 2s is definitely the best overall camera drone you can buy under $1000 for various reasons.
While the fly more combo is a bit over budget, you can buy the base drone and get some incredible specs like a 1 inch camera sensor, up to 5k resolution, 12 km range and a full 4 directional obstacle sensor system.
The impressive obstacle sensor is suitable for low light photos and video as well as simply capturing outstanding footage.
The 10 bit Dlog-M color profile lets you capture up to one billion colors and you can edit it in post processing without altering the original image up to a great extent.
It comes with a variety of very precise flight modes, including hyperlapse, Follow me and multiple MasterShots (automatic cinematic movements).
The ActiveTrack technology from DJI is on it's 4th generation already and has become one of the best in the business, allowing the drone to even avoid obstacles to a very precise extent and without interrupting the flow of the flight.
PROS
CONS
4k
31 min
10 km
3 axis gimbal
While the DJI mini 2 is well under $1000, putting it rather in the under $500 category, I simply had to put it on this list for the insane value it brings for the price.
Being a drone under 250 grams, you don't have to register it in most countries, and even if there are laws, they're usually more permissive in this case.
However, the great thing is it doesn't compromise on image quality, or pretty much anything else, despite it's small size.
It's wind resistance is on par with some of it's larger brothers, as well as the amazing range and battery life.
The camera quality is astonishing, and most people can't tell the difference between it and a drone that costs twice as much.
It's true, it doesn't come with obstacle avoidance sensors or a follow me option, but it still has some interesting flight modes, and to be honest everything else seems like a gimmick when the basics of the drone are outstanding.
PROS
CONS
4k
28 min
10 km
3 axis gimbal
While the previously mentioned DJI mini 2 was a great drone, the Autel Evo Nano comes with pretty much the same specs, but also front and back obstacle sensors.
This enables it to work in follow me mode and a few others that the Mini 2 can't do.
It excels in everything you'd want from a camera drone: 3 axis gimbal stabilization, compactness, wind resistance and sensor quality.
While it's priced a bit above the previously mentioned drone, the safety offered by the obstacle sensors as well as the follow me mode make it one of the only choices with these specs for under $1000.
PROS
CONS
4k
25 min
4 km
no obstacle avoidance
Considering Parrot is one of the main competitors for DJI and has a strong history of high product quality and drone manufacturing, it's safe to say the quality level of the product is something that becomes a big advantage.
This quadcopter is nothing short of being a fully-fledged professional drone, able to take 16 or 21 mp photos in RAW format while also capable of shooting 4k super-stable video.
Another reason why this drone is ranked highly is that the camera can turn 90 degrees above to take absolutely original shots that no other drone is currently capable of.
It may not have optical sensors in the front to avoid obstacles, but it still comes with the optical stabilization at the bottom that helps it land better and fly more stable close to the ground.
The 2 axis gimbal does an amazing job at stabilization, although the drones in the first place slightly better in terms of that.
PROS
CONS
4k
17 min
1 km
no obstacle avoidance
If what you're looking for is something more specific and durable, the waterproof Swellpro Spry+ is probably your best bet.
Even its controller is waterproof and it can make for a great fishing companion as well as a really fun racing drone.
While its camera isn't top of the range, it's still comparable to DJI to some extent, the only visible difference being that if you make sudden moves, the Electronic image stabilization from the camera isn't enough to keep things going smoothly.
However, it also comes with a few advantages, one being the unique view angle of an fpv drone and that special gliding effect you can get with it, as well as the fact that it can float on water.
PROS
CONS
4k 60p
34 min
9 km
Obstacle Avoidance
The Mavic Air 2 is still a great drone to this day, and even has the advantage of a really solid battery life. It's a drone that doesn't disappoint and can be found for a really low price, especially second hand.
The camera is cristal clear and I would definitely put it in the professional category, although it's low budget.
The transmitter is easier to use than with the other mavics from DJI and I feel like it has a better overall grip.
One battery lasts for A LOT (over 30 min) and I haven't even started to talk about the amazing obstacle avoidance system and HDR recording.
PROS
CONS
4k 60p
35 min
9 km
No Obstacle Avoidance
A drone that's the follow-up version from the original Hubsan Zino, which is the absolute winner by far as the best drone under $300.
The Hubsan Zino 2 is pretty high on this list and might get even higher because it's really cheap for what it can do.
I also included it in my under $500 drone video category, although currently, it costs about $600, this is an amazing price still for such an amazing drone with these incredible specs.
We're talking about 4k 60 fps recording a 3 axis gimbal, great GPS stability, 9km range and 35 minute battery life. It records at 100Mbps and guess what it supports ND filters that are easily detachable, perfect for professionals.
Another interesting feature the Hubsan Zino 2 features is the detachable gimbal. This modular system means you can update it in the future with another camera release maybe.
PROS
CONS
This is going to be a guide on what to look in a drone that's priced under $1000 and what are the features you should care most about when choosing such a quadcopter.
Should you pay more than $1000 for a drone?
If you're still a beginner or intermediate when it comes to drone photography and videography, no, as you can create pretty much anything you'd like within this price range.
How far am i allowed to fly a drone legally?
Drone laws differ between countries, but generally line of sight is good enough.
What battery life does a drone under $1000 have?
The average battery life of a drone under $1000 is around 30 minutes.
What range does a drone under $1000 have?
The average range of drones under $1000 is about 5 km
Battery life in this price range should definitely be over 20 minutes at least, the more the better. I feel most comfortable with whatever is 25 minutes or more.
From what you can see on the list I picked for you, the average was at a high of 30 minutes, which is really great.
You should not expect this exact amount in real life, as it is estimated by the producers in perfect environments.
Not taking account of wind or such.
First of all, the drones I mention are all GPS ones, with high accuracy and the ability to return to home.
The average range of these drones is somewhere between 4 and 5km and I think that's plenty to do anything you want with it.
Especially considering that most country laws don't allow you to fly further than the line of sight.
The best drones under $1000 prove to be enough to satisfy most people's needs. Even if you're an aspiring photographer or videographer, this is a great price range to be about!
