Get set go: Top picks for flying drones

Outside of India, drone use is fast gaining traction. From being used as delivery vehicles to taxis, aerial photography and racing - the opportunities are endless. With the Directorate General of Civil Aviation finally lifting the ban on operating drones in the country starting this month, we bring you six micro category drones that will give bang for your buck. Just fly safely though, and follow the rules.

DJI Mavic Pro

Launched in 2016, Mavic pro is the oldest sibling in the Mavic lineup and predecessor to the Mavic Pro 2. DJI's first portable drone blew the competition out of the water with its portable form factor and flight time. Many professionals use this drone and chances are that the commercials you may have watched, and which required aerial footage, were shot on this drone. It shoots in 4k and has a max flight time of 27 minutes. It has a 12-megapixel camera.
COST: Rs 60,000
TO BUY: Amazon.in

DJI Mavic Air

This drone is no bigger than the cell phone you use. It shoots in blistering 4K for about 21 minutes of flight and 8K panoramas and weighs the lightest in the Mavic's bloodline. It can be gesture controlled and has a sturdy gimbal in comparison to the Mavic pro. It also comes with 8GB of onboard storage and rips through the sky at 68.4 kmph in sport mode. It's the perfect drone to fly indoors and comes with sensors on the bottom, front and back.
COST: Rs 50,000
TO BUY: amazon.in

DJI Mavic Pro 2

DJI's latest bad boy comes armed with a 1" CMOS sensor Hasselblad camera. This drone is a prosumer level drone that shoots 20-megapixel stills and 4K video at 30 fps. It folds into the size of a water bottle and has Omni- directional obstacle avoidance with a mammoth 8 km transmission range. That means you can pack it on your next trip and fly down the trickiest of paths without worrying about it getting knocked down. It weighs less than 1 kg and has a flight time of 31 minutes. The drone comes in a standard pack, and a Flymore combo comes for Rs 1.37 lakh.
COST: RS 1 lakh
TO BUY: Amazon.in

Parrot ANAFI

Parrot was the first mover in the consumer drone industry but got buried under competition until they made a comeback with the ANAFI. Parrot's latest offering is a welcome change that the industry needed. It looks like a bug when unfolded and has a camera that can tilt 180 degrees up and down. It shoots in 4K with 2.4x lossless zoom, which means you can zoom without losing video quality. It has a max flight time for up to 25 minutes and a 21-megapixel camera that directly competes with the Mavic Air.
COST: $ 599 ( Rs 41,000 approx)
TO BUY: amazon.com

Swellpro Spry

They say when it rains it pours. Not for the Swellpro Spry. It's one of the first small form factor drones that is completely waterproof. It can even fully submerge underwater for up to 30 minutes and fly back up without breaking a sweat. If that didn't cut it, Swellpro went ahead and even made the remote control with a 4.3- inch screen waterproof. The Spry has a 12 Megapixel camera with a Sony sensor.
COST: Rs 62,000
TO BUY: kickstarter.com

Hover 2

This is a foldable drone manufactured by Zero Zero Robotics. Aesthetically, it looks like a flat black book, and flies, when opened. Hover 2 is an upgrade from their previous ‘ Hover Passport'. The frame around the drone is made of carbon fibre and has an optical radar - a swivelling stereo sensor that pops up and acts like eyes to analyse depth perception for obstacle avoidance. Powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, the Hover shoots 4K video in 12 megapixels. This is perfect for selfie lovers and Instagrammers. It is equipped with technology to track you with pinpoint precision and boasts a flight time of 23 minutes.
COST: $ 399 ( Rs 32,000 approx)
TO BUY: kickstarter.com

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