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Top 5 Beginner Drones Based On Ease Of Use, Camera Quality & Value For Money
Last Updated December 17, 2024
Do you want to begin your journey of taking breath-taking aerial shots, but feel a little intimidated?
Flying a drone can feel incredible, but the risk of crashes, complex controls and especially the cost can be overwhelming.
That’s why we decided to buy and test the most popular affordable beginner drones of 2024. Our research revealed that the market is overflowing with thousands of scam products, while only a handful actually performed as promised!
To our surprise, our test winner was actually created by a smaller start up company that managed to beat the competition in ease of use, battery life and camera quality!
Here’s a list of our Top 5 Drones for Beginners in 2024, with a full review of our top pick at the bottom of the page.
9.8
“Outstanding”
User Ratings (6,354+)
Black Falcon 4K
Price: $99 $149
Black Friday Sale – Save Up To 50% Off
Easiest Drone To Fly During Our Tests
4K 60 FPS Quality Photos & Videos
Longest Battery Life (Charges with USB)
Over 3,000 Foot Range
Simple To Use App
360° Photo/Video Mode
Smart Anti-Collision Sensors
Inbuilt GPS Tracking
No License Required To Fly
Sells Out Frequently
Only Available Online
CURRENT SALE: 34% OFF
12,487 VISITORS BOUGHT DURING SALE
▼
Money Back Guarantee: Try Risk Free For 30 Days.
#2
9.3
“Excellent”
DJI Mavic Mini SE
Price: $299
4K Camera
Lightweight and Powerful
Long Flight Time
Simple To Operate
Easy To Charge
4km Transmission Range
Some People Complain About The App
Expensive
#3
9.1
“Great”
HOLY STONE GPS DRONE
Price: $199
Weighs Less Than 250g
CMOS Galaxy Core Sensor
4K 85° Wide-Angle Camera
Advanced Connection Technology
10,000 Feet Long Range Transmission
#1 Overall Camera Drone
9.8
“Outstanding”
User Ratings (6,354+)
Black Falcon 4K
Price: $99 $149
Black Friday Sale – Save Up To 50% Off
Easiest Drone To Fly During Our Tests
4K 60 FPS Quality Photos & Videos
Longest Battery Life (Charges with USB)
Over 3,000 Foot Range
Simple To Use App
360° Photo/Video Mode
Smart Anti-Collision Sensors
Inbuilt GPS Tracking
No License Required To Fly
Sells Out Frequently
Only Available Online
CURRENT SALE: 34% OFF
12,487 VISITORS BOUGHT DURING SALE
▼
Money Back Guarantee: Try Risk Free For 30 Days.
4K VIDEO & PHOTOS
We were able to take some amazing videos and photos using this drone.
BEST VALUE FOR PRICE
The amazing build quality, performance & simplicity of the Black Falcon 4K is unmatched at a price of just $99.
LONGEST BATTERY LIFE
During our testing the Black Falcon 4K Drone was able to out last all other competitors by a significant margin.
We Bought and Tested the Most Popular Drones, Here's Why Black Falcon 4K Is Our #1 Pick.
Written By Max Dunn – Updated December 17, 2024
Summary: Buying an affordable beginner drone no longer means losing out on all the latest features and performance. During our testing we found the Black Falcon 4K was able to keep up and even exceed the performance of the expensive ‘big brand’ name drones.
UPDATE December 17, 2024: Due to frequent media coverage and high consumer demand, the Black Falcon 4K is currently sold out in retail stores nationwide. However, it may still be available on their online website HERE.
Flying drones has been a passion of mine for over 10 years. I first started flying RC helicopters as a hobby in 2012, progressing onto micro drones and all other newer models as the technology advanced.
Eventually I was lucky enough to try even the highest end drones such as the Shotover U1 ( used to film the action scenes in the new James Bond film) so I’m confident in saying that I have experienced the full range of products available on the market right now.
And while these high end drones can be incredibly fun to fly, they are also hard to control and VERY expensive.
Imagine crashing a $1000 drone as a beginner on your first go? It would be heart breaking!
The problem with more affordable drones however, is that while they can be easy to use – their camera quality usually sucks!
So when I was assigned to review the Black Falcon 4K and saw that it only cost $199 ($99 with Christmas discount), I figured it’s going to be another junk drone with poor performance and quality…however after testing it for a couple of days I realised that I could not have been more wrong!
The Black Falcon 4K turned out to be a top class drone packed with amazing features suitable for beginners and even enthusiasts like me.
My First Impressions
My package arrived within 2 days of ordering which already put me in a good mood. There’s nothing worse than buying something new online and having to wait for weeks in anticipation for it to arrive so I was happy with this company’s delivery process so far.
Upon opening the package I picked up the Black Falcon 4K in my hand and immediately felt confused. The drone I was holding FELT like a $500 drone. The material, the sturdiness, the build quality all reminded me of the high end drone models that I’ve tested before.
We’ve all experienced the difference of a cheap or brittle product and a high quality one, whether its sunglasses, clothes or shoes… well drones are no different and this one felt and looked amazing.
Design
The big problem with all the ”budget” drones that I’ve tested before is that they aren’t actually built for speed or durability. Sure you can fly them at low altitudes under perfect weather conditions, but as soon as you go beyond 200 feet they will lose their signal and drop.
When I closely inspected the build quality of the Black Falcon 4K Drone, I was immediately impressed with the rotor and arm strength and stability. The drone was very compact and I was able to fold it easily meaning I could take it anywhere with me without much hassle.
I started to read more about the drone in the manual and my jaw dropped when I saw that the the transmission distance was 3000 feet!
Did this company really manage to design a drone with such a long transmission distance?
If this was true that would be on par with some of the expensive big brand models. I was still a little bit sceptical and resumed my investigation.
Controls
The controller felt really comfortable in my hands. It was ergonomic, I could definitely do a long flight session without any trouble. The buttons were springy and easy to press.
The joysticks felt similar to a gaming controller with adequate resistance and precision. The controller also has a retractable phone holder and foldable antennas.
Together with the foldable drone design I could tell the creators really wanted to make this drone convenient to transport and use anywhere. I saw this as a huge plus as I’ve often found myself thinking ‘ wow if only I had my drone right now’.
The Black Falcon 4K even has phone app that allows you to control the drone with a remote. Well no excuses not to have the drone with me now, I thought.
I messed around with the drone controls a bit more and found some pretty cool features. One being the ability to steer the drone by tilting your phone, making it super intuitive and beginner friendly. It’s really as easy as playing a mobile game.
Some other features that stood out was the pre-programmed 360 camera moves, slow motion recording, automatic take off and 1 button landing.
Testing
Finally it was time to test what this drone was capable of. The previous features I outlined are all great but don’t mean much if the drone can’t perform as promised.
The 3 most important features of a high tier drone are the camera quality, transmission distance and responsiveness to controls so this is what my testing focused on.
After charging the drone I headed to the nearest park, connected my phone and pushed the automatic take off button.
The drone flew straight up and just steadily hovered above me.
I consider this test to be really important, especially for beginners. I remembered when I flew my first drone many years ago and just how easy it was to lose control of it.
This test showed that even a beginner could get this drone up in the air stress free. Perfect.
In my next test I flew a bit higher and tested taking some sharp turns to see just how responsive the drone was to my control. Some cheaper drones I’ve tested before had a lot of trouble with this input delay and unresponsiveness, but not the Black Falcon 4K.
It really felt very similar to the $500~ models that I’ve tested, the only tiny difference being in advanced rolling manoeuvres. So far so good.
To my surprise even the transmission distance worked as promised! I was able to fly 3000 Feet out without losing signal. It was so far that I lost track of where the drone was, so it’s definitely far enough!
Oh and in case you actually are worried about losing the drone, there’s a nifty little feature that returns it back to you with the press of 1 button!
That paired with the anti-collision sensors will allow you to use the drone for a very long time without any problems.
The camera quality on this drone easily rivals the big expensive brand names. I was able to take both beautiful photos and videos during my tests. The footage comes out very stable and clear, unlike other less expensive drones.
Amazingly after all my testing I checked the battery and it was still on 30%! I got over 20 Minutes of intense fly time and footage and still had some juice left in the tank.
But...Is It Really Worth All This Hype?
So far, the Black Falcon 4K has sold millions of units directly to consumers. It’s has been selling out every time they re-stock, it’s become THAT popular.
All of the success can be attributed to word of mouth referrals. People like you and I are loving it so much they’re posting about it on social media. Here are some posts that I managed to find online.
It’s clear that this drone is developing a cult like following in the drone community!
What Makes The Black Falcon 4K Different to Other Products?
After a few days of testing this drone and all of it’s features, I can confidently say that you cannot compare it with anything in it’s price class. This drone truly rivals the quality and performance of big brand names that cost $500+. Here’s some reasons why the Black Falcon 4K is superior:
4K Camera and Filming Features: The 4K Ultra HD camera is incredible on it’s own, but coupled with the pre-programmed camera modes you will be able to capture every moment with ease. With just a press of a button, the drone can take slow motion footage or do a full 360 capture of it’s environment.
Battery Life: Nothing worse than setting up to get some footage just to have your drone run out of battery quickly. The Black Falcon 4K Drone is lightweight with superior battery capacity which means you can fly twice as long as the competition.
High-Tech Anti Collision Software: The in built sensors can detect when the drone is too close to the ground or any other obstacle and change flying course automatically to avoid a crash. You wouldn’t want to accidently break your drone, and this safety feature makes sure it stays safe.
Mobile and Durable: The drone is very compact and portable while having incredibly sturdy design and top tier build quality. Bring the drone anywhere and always be ready to take some amazing footage.
Silent Motor: Thanks to the very efficient engine and aerodynamic design the Black Falcon 4K Drone is able to achieve high speeds while keeping noise levels low.
Frequently Asked Questions
With the rise in popularity, our readers have emailed us many questions about Black Falcon 4K. Here are some of the most commonly asked ones:
No. All you need to do is unpack it, charge it, connect your phone and fly away!
No, the Black Falcon 4K comes with a pre charged lithium battery and a charging hub that you connect to an outlet. But you can always get extra batteries to bring with you as they are easy to swap so you can get back up in the air in no time.
Yes. You can install an app on your phone that allows you to control the Black Falcon 4K with two different modes, touch controls or by tilting your phone.
You don’t need to have any experience or knowledge of drones to use it. There is no license needed for recreational purposes.
How Much Does It Cost?
From my experience, a top tier level drone costs around $500-1000 so without knowing the price tag of the Black Falcon 4K, I would have expected it to be in this price range as well.
In reality, the Black Falcon 4K usually sells for $149 as the founders of the start up company are doing everything to keep the prices as affordable as possible.
In fact they are even running a limited time 34% OFF sale right now, meaning some lucky customers are going to be able to get the drone for just $99!
That’s a small price to pay to be zooming through the sky with 4K Ultra HD video.
How Can It Be So Affordable?
The big name brands spend billions on fancy advertising (e.g. $6.5 Million for a 30 sec SuperBowl Ad). Guess who’s paying for that in the end? The customer!
Instead, Black Falcon 4K doesn’t run many ads and instead relies on word of mouth referral sales from their customers. That and selling mostly through their online store allowed them to keep costs lower than the competition.
So, What's the Verdict?
I have to say that I was honestly very pleasantly surprised after reviewing and testing this drone. Never thought I’d say this but I would highly recommend this drone, especially while its on sale for $99.
It seems like modern technology has advanced to such a level where an ambitious start up company can design a high tier drone for a fraction of the price of traditional big brand companies.
So whether you are a beginner or a drone enthusiast looking for a new drone that has a crystal clear & stable camera, long battery life, great transmission range and many other incredible features, you should seriously consider picking up the Black Falcon 4K.
If you’re still on the fence, Black Falcon 4K has a 30 day money back guarantee (no questions asked) meaning that you could always buy one and return if if you don’t like it.
Where Can I Buy The Real Black Falcon 4K Drone?
BEWARE of copycats — they DO NOT use the same Camera and Anti-Collision features as the genuine Black Falcon 4K! Only buy the Black Falcon 4K from the official site listed below!
To take advantage of the current 34% discount and order simply follow these steps:
1. Visit the official website to check stock
2. Select the amount of devices you want to purchase
3. Fill your shipping information and payment method
*Special Offer Now $99 vs $149 – Available Online Only -While Supplies Last
#1 – Black Falcon
$99 $149.99
Meet Our Tech Review Expert, Max.
Max Dunn is a techie at heart who always dreamed of turning his fascination with computers and drones into a career. He finds working for Top Tech Report a perfect opportunity to express his views of all kinds of new and exciting products. Being an avid reader, particularly of fantasy and sci-fi, Max pursued a degree in Computer science and Literature. When not at his computer, he’s watching sports or playing table top games.
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