The demand for drones started boosting in 2018, and since then, it is only increasing. Drones have become a new technology best friend of a person, and it only brings advantages and new experiences with it. However, many drones cost a lot, so to solve this problem, we give you this article in which we reviewed some of the best 4K drones under 500.
The drone industry keeps on introducing new features like headless mode, models, and configurations to keep the industry updated. But because of this, it has become hard to select a perfect drone for your needs. Furthermore, the high-priced drones make users question they are drones worth it?
You can use the best drone under $500 for multiple purposes like surveillance, photography, videography, in businesses, and as a toy. And for each job, you will need a specific feature to make things better.
Like if you are a photographer or a videographer, you will need to focus on the best 4K drone with gimbal so that you can enjoy some solid camera quality.
The most reliable ones are the best 4K drones under 500 as that way you will stay within the budget while experiencing a satisfactory performance. You can find a lot of copies and low-end drones that do not provide you with the most reliable experience.
Another problem with buying the best drone for under 500 is that as the new features are getting introduced, the price range is also increasing. In this article, the drones that we are reviewing are all the top rated drones under $500 with the 4K camera quality.
Therefore, if you are searching for a drone for photography purposes at an affordable price, then this article is definitely for you.
HOLY STONE HS 720E
SPECIFICATION
- Weight: 1.01 pounds
- Camera: 4K
- Battery life: 26 min
- Transmitter range: 1600m
BODY
Holystone HS720E is a lightweight, foldable drone that makes it easy to carry around. It weights 1.01 pounds, with a metallic grey color theme. It comes with a carrying case, making it super easy to travel.
After being folded, it gets so small that it can easily fit in your backpack or even in a large trouser pocket. Moreover, it does not take a lot of space and never becomes a burden.
With an elegant design and a durable plastic body, you don’t have to worry about breaking it as it could survive several crashes. It has a premium feel, a rectangular body, and a camera at the front.
At the front top of the drone, there is a power button through which you can activate the drone. It also shows the battery life of the drone as well. It is a reliable feature as by this you would know how much flight time you have left.
There are four LED lights under each rotor arm and two LED lights in the middle of the drone, which you can activate through the remote control. The lights under the propeller are not very bright, therefore do not give you an advantage.
However, the lights in the middle are bright enough to allow you to fly the drone at night, making it one of the best drone for night flying.
They are bright enough to help you see the drone in the dark. The battery is placed at the backside of the drone. It is a small drone yet still has a premium built quality to it.
FEATURES
Holystone HS720E comes with a 4K camera attached to a shock absorption mount. The camera can record HD videos up to 3840 to 2160p. The camera can tilt up to 90 degrees, through which you can take pictures and videos of the same place from different angles, which will make your photography or videography look more appealing.
Additionally, the drone comes with many features, including follow me mode, orbit mode, optical flow positioning mode, one tap fly mode, and auto return mode. The follow-me mode enables the drone to follow you around wherever you go.
The same does the orbit mode, in which you have to choose a subject, and the drone will start rotating around it while taking its pictures and videos. Meanwhile, the optical flow positioning feature allows the drone to hover in the air while you take your desired shots making aerial photography easy for you.
One tap fly mode and auto return mode uses the GPS to help you pilot the drone effortlessly. You could choose a location on the map through one tap fly, and the drone will make its way to that place, again a great feature that allows you to focus on taking pictures without worrying about flying the drone.
And lastly, the auto-return feature enables the drone to come back to its launching place if the network gets weak or the battery is about to die.
Lastly, many people often compare the holy stone hs720e with the DJI drones. So if you have the same question as to which is better, hs720e vs Mavic mini, know that they are almost the same. Mavic mini is a lot lighter and has some better features too, but performance-wise both device will not disappoint you.
PERFORMANCE
The range of the drone is around 1600 meters, which is an okay flying range. The drone supports the FPV feature, and the transmission range for live video streaming is approximately 800m. Its brushless motors make it efficient and let it fly smoothly and quietly, even in a windy situation.
The drone’s flight time is around 26 minutes, which is reliable battery life. However, the battery takes approximately 5-7 hours to charge completely. So if you want more battery life and save yourself from waiting for it to get charged so that you can start shooting again, you could always buy a spare battery.
HolyStone HS720E is a well-featured drone possessing many satisfying features and solid built quality, making it a great option to have a look at if you want to buy the best 4K drones under $500.
HUBSAN ZINO PRO
SPECIFICATION
- Weight: 1.5 pounds
- Camera: 4K
- Battery life: 23 min
- Transmitter range: 4000m
BODY
Hubsan Zino Pro is a compact foldable drone having a weight of 1.54 pounds. It is a small drone, which makes it a great option if you move around a lot as you can carry it around without having to face any space problems.
You can find many other foldable drones in the market having lighter weight than Zino pro, but this drone never becomes a problem to travel with as it comes with a carrying case in which all the drone accessories and the drone itself fit perfectly.
The drone has a high-end feel to it and is made up of solid quality plastic, which prevents any damage to the drone even if it crashes several times. It comes with a completely black color scheme, making it look elegant. At the top of the drone is the Hubsan Zino Pro logo in the color theme of white and green, along with some cooling vents to keep the drone cool and a power button for activating the drone.
At the front is the camera attached to the 3-axis gimbal to keep it stabilized, and the battery slot is at the back of the drone, whereas the SD card slot is on the right side of the drone. There is a bright LED light under each rotor arm of the drone, making it easy to fly during the night time or in the dark.
FEATURES
Hubsan Zino Pro comes attached to a 4K camera using the 3-axis gimbal. The camera quality is delightful, and the gimbal makes it even better by preventing any vibration or disturbance while recording.
It can be rotated to different angles, which allows you to capture pictures and video from different angles, and the wide-angle lens permits you to cover more area. The camera quality is top-notch, through which you can take amazing photos and videos. You could also attach ND filters to control the lighting if you want.
However, the ND filters do not come along with the drone. Hubsan Zino pro is also a well-spaced drone. You will find several features in this drone. The features include; follow-me mode, altitude mode, waypoint mode, headless mode, line fly mode, panorama mode, and one-key takeoff/ landing mode.
Almost all the modes depend upon the built-in GPS of the drone. In the inline fly mode, you can choose the angle and the distance, and the drone will start flying straight in a line, letting you focus on taking pictures and videos.
The same goes for the follow me mode, in which the drone will start following you around while you can capture your desired shots will full concentration. You can choose a point on the map in the waypoint mode, and the drone will find its way to that point.
All these features make it easy to control so that even beginners can enjoy it. Moreover, the altitude mode allows the drone to hover in mid-air.
The panorama mode permits you to choose an angle and direction, and the drone will capture videos and pictures while rotating at a 360-degree angle. Zino Pro possesses many professional features that improve the overall experience of flying it.
PERFORMANCE
The drone has brushless solid motors, which improve the efficiency of the drone. It is a fast drone and can fly even in windy conditions, which supports the FPV and has a transmission range of 4000m.
It has a battery life of around 20-23 minutes and takes a couple of hours to charge completely. The battery time is not the best, but it still is a reliable flight time, and if you want more battery life, you can always keep a spare battery.
The drone is compact and does not take up a lot of space; easy-to-use features and pleasing performance makes it a great choice if you want one of the best 4K drones under $500.
YUNEEC MANTIS Q
SPECIFICATION
- Weight: 1.05 pounds
- Camera: 4K
- Battery life: 33 min
- Transmission range: 1499m
BODY
Yuneec Mantis Q is a small foldable, lightweight drone having a weight of 1.05 pounds. It has a small size, slightly bigger than your palm, which makes it easy to carry around. It does not take up a lot of space and can fit easily in your backpack.
The drone comes in a black color scheme and is one of the small drones you can find on the market. It has a durable body and is made up of solid plastic, protecting it from crashes and impacts. The drone has a premium look to it and looks professional.
There is an SD card slot on the left side of the drone along with the bright LED. Lights under each propeller help you fly the drone during the night or in the dark. It has a camera attached to the front of the drone, which can rotate to up to 90 degrees.
There is no built-in gimbal attached to the camera. Mantis Q comes with a transmitter that is slightly smaller than the drone. It has a foldable smartphone holder through which you can see live video streaming.
The transmitter is made up of the same plastic as the drone and has the same black color scheme. It also has two USB ports, a USB-A port for connecting it with your smartphone and the other is a USB-C port through which the remote is charged.
FEATURES
The drone comes with a 4K camera attached to it; however, there is no gimbal. The camera uses an electrical image stabilizer to record stabilized shots, but it is not very efficient. The camera quality is impressive, and the electrical stabilizer does its job of eliminating any vibration from the pictures but having a gimbal would have been better.
The video quality is reliable, but the stabilizer does not work that great for videos. All the pictures and videos are saved directly on the SD card as a 16GB SD card comes with the drone. Yuneec Mantis Q’s features include voice control, follow me, point-of-interest mode, and journey mode.
The voice control feature is impressive and can’t be found in drones of this price range. This feature is activated using the mobile app. You can command the drone to take off or land by voice control and take selfies and protect it from collisions.
There is not much it can do, but it still makes the drone stand out amongst its competitors. The follow-me mode enables the drone to follow the chosen subject and capture its videos and pictures. The point of interest lets you choose any place on the map, and the drone will find its way there, and in the meantime, you can focus on taking amazing shots of the journey.
And lastly, the journey mode makes the drone fly away and toward you while taking your pictures and videos. This feature lets you take some fantastic shots of yourself.   Â
PERFORMANCE
Mantis Q is a small yet fast drone, and the company claims that it can fly up to the speed of almost 44.7 mph, which is quite fast. It is a great drone, especially for beginners who have yet to control the drone properly. It has a battery life of around 33 minutes, which is quite adequate.
The charger comes with the space to charge three batteries at a time, but the drone comes with a single battery. You can buy extra batteries, which cost $60 each, from their website.
It has a transmission range of 1499 m, and live-video streaming can be seen on your smartphone. The drone does not perform well in windy situations, and the videos it records often turn out shaky. However, the picture quality is always crisp and sharp.
POTENSIC 4K DREAMER
SPECIFICATION
- Weight: 1.69 pounds
- Camera: 4K
- Battery life: 31 min
- Transmission range: 800m
BODY
Potensic 4K dreamer is a lightweight beginner drone classified as a toy drone. This is a good option if you are new to drones and don’t know how to control them. It weighs 1.69 pounds and uses solid plastic in its body. Therefore, it does not suffer a lot due to impacts and minor crashes.
It comes in a white color scheme and has two legs at the bottom of the drone to prevent the camera from hitting the ground while landing. It comes attached to a camera, but there is no gimbal.
Thus, do not expect vibration-free stable shots. You will find an SD card slot in the camera and a LED light under each rotor arm, making it easy to detect the drone in the dark or at night.
The battery placement is at the backside of the drone. The controller uses the same plastic as the drone with the same white color scheme. It has two antennas and space in the middle where you can place your smartphone.
The drone looks decent. It has lightweight but still will be a problem to travel along as it can not be placed easily in your backpack due to the landing legs, so if you are big or traveling and have the need to take the drone with you, you must buy a suitable carrying case.
FEATURES
Potensic 4K dreamer, hearing the name, the first thing that will pop in your head will be that it will have a 4K camera, which it does, but you can only capture pictures in the 4K resolution. However, for the videos, it can record max to the 2.7K resolution.
There is no stabilizer or gimbal in the drone. Therefore, the videos turn out shaky. The image quality is clear and solid, but it could have been better if a gimbal had been attached to the camera.
The camera can tilt up to 90 degrees and take pictures and videos from different angles, but the disturbance and vibration will be your biggest enemy. Moreover, the drone comes with built-in GPS, and almost all the features in the drone depend on it.
The drone’s features include follow-me mode, orbit mode, automatic home return mode, and waypoint mode. All these modes are pretty standard in drones these days. They help the user to operate the drone even if you are a beginner. These features will make piloting the drone effortless.
The automatic home return mode keeps the drone safe, and in case of low-charging, the drone returns to its launching position using the GPS. This feature prevents the drone from falling anywhere or getting lost.
Other features like orbit mode, follow-me mode, and waypoint are the features where all the piloting is taken care of automatically, and all you have to concentrate on is taking some nice shots. The features are pretty basic as it is a toy-class drone, so if you want to learn to fly a drone and aerial photography, this is a great option to choose from.
PERFORMANCE
Potensic 4K dreamer uses brushless motors, making it efficient and fast. The drone has a maximum speed of 7.77mps. It has a battery life of 31 minutes. Which is good flight time, and charging the battery takes around 2 hours, which is a relatively lower time than some of the other drones.
The drone supports FPV, and the transmission range is 800m, which is not a lot but is enough considering the drone classification. This drone also has a dedicated app through which you can control FPV settings and flight modes.
Smartphone apps always come in handy for settings. It is a pretty basic drone and a reliable option if you are a beginner. That is why it is considered one of the best 4K drones under $500.
RUKO F11 PRO
SPECIFICATION
- Weight: 1.14 pounds
- Camera: 4K
- Battery life: 30 min
- Transmission range: 500m
BODY
Ruko F11 Pro is a small foldable drone having a weight of 1.14 pounds. The drone’s small size makes it easy to carry around and travel. It does not take a lot of space and can easily fit anywhere.
Has a solid built quality made up of a lightweight yet strong plastic that prevents it from crashes and impacts? It comes in black color and comes with a built-in camera at the front, along with an SD card slot and a power button at the top.
It does not come with any gimbal or stabilizer attached to it. But the camera mounted in the drones makes it stable. F11 pro has an elegant look to it, and the propellers and landing legs are removable.
FEATURES
Ruko F11 Pro has a 4K camera with a wide-angle lens of 120 degrees. The camera captures pictures at 4K, and video recording takes place at 2.7K at 8.3MP. The image quality is impressive, and the videos are pretty detailed and precise.
Since the camera is attached to the drone, the pictures and videos turn out stable. However, a gimbal would have made everything a lot better. The camera can tilt up to 90 degrees enabling you to capture pictures from different angles.
It has built-in GPS and features that make piloting effortless. The features include the orbit, follow-me, and custom flight-path modes. All 3-modes use GPS to find their way around. The modes in the drone are all basic that you need if you want to focus on photography or videography.
Some other drone features include headless mode, one-key takeoff/ landing mode, and return to home mode. The headless mode prevents the drone from crashing into things. It enables you to fly the drone in the direction you are facing, no matter where the nose of the drone is.
It’s a pretty handy feature a lot of the time. The drone’s direction becomes the reason for the crashing of the drone. If you are a beginner, the one-key takeoff/ landing and return-home features are the must-have features.
They help protect the drone from getting lost and from crashing while landing and taking off. All these features are simple yet very helpful. Therefore, this drone makes a great candidate for our list of best 4K drones under$500.
PERFORMANCE
The drone’s battery life is 30 minutes, which is a decent flight time. But it takes around 3.5 hours to charge. The charging time is a lot. Therefore, you have a wait a long time before taking another flight.
However, it is not a problem as you can always buy an extra battery. F11 Pro supports FPV and has a transmission range of 500m. It is the lowest range among all the drones on this list. It is a palm-size drone with some decent features and good camera quality.
Conclusion
There are a bunch of best 4k drones under 500 that you can get from the market. However, affordable price does not justify poor performance. This means you can get the cheapest 3 axis gimbal drone and still expect solid performance and good quality.
We have reviewed some of the worthy products that we think deserve your time and money in this article above. Follow the article, and we hope you end up getting your desired product without having to regret it.
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