The pace at which the number of high-end drones is being introduced in the market is simply mind-boggling. Ranging from thermal surveying to aerial mapping, top quality drones are being used for aerial videography thanks to their intricate features and specifications. In this post, we will be looking at the topmost expensive drones. These drones will blow your minds away along with your pockets.
If you end up crashing one of these drones, you could be losing an amount of money that some people pay to get their hands on the latest Sport Utility Vehicle. It is an old adage that money cannot buy happiness, but with these expensive drones in your armory, this might turn out to be false.
Let’s get started with the most expensive drones available in the market beginning with the highest-priced drone.
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Table of Contents
Most expensive drones
Mahatma Shipping Drone
Ranked at the top position is the Mahatma Shipping Drone that costs an equivalent to a couple of Honda Civics put together. It has the ability to carry a payload of about 22 pounds (10 Kgs) and boasts a control range of 6.2 miles (10Km).
This beast has been engineered with the sole purpose of delivering products in mind and the developers have not paid too much attention to the appearance. It is essentially an octacopter that comes with two onboard cameras, one for thermal imaging while the other for the conventional 4K UHD videography.
Despite the fact that the Mahatma Shipping Drone is being touted as one of the most expensive drones, it offers a flight time of just about half an hour to complete the delivery.
This beast of a machine comes loaded with a multispectral camera and LIDAR sensor.
Thermal Surveying/Mapping X8 640R Quadcopter
The Thermal Surveying/Mapping X8 640R Quadcopter is positioned at the second spot which is a great option if you are running a business of roof inspections. It is such a fantastic idea to have a thermal mapping drone surveying and monitoring insecure roofs for those in this business.
It goes without saying that the Thermal Surveying/Mapping X8 640R Quadcopter can be used for a diverse range of purposes other than roof inspection. These drones can be used to determine leaks in HVAC systems, massive storage tanks and pipelines buried in the depths of the earth. Thermal drones can also be used for search and rescue missions and by law enforcement agencies.
It goes without saying that the Thermal Surveying/Mapping X8 640R Quadcopter can be used for a diverse range of purposes other than roof inspection. These expensive drones can be used to determine leaks in HVAC systems, massive storage tanks, and pipelines buried in the depths of the earth. Thermal drones can also be used for search and rescue missions and by law enforcement agencies.
Surveying / Aerial Mapping X8 Quadcopter Drone With RTK Multi GNSS GPS
The Surveying / Aerial Mapping X8 Quadcopter Drone with RTK Multi GNSS GPS is a slightly affordable variant of the X8 640 R drone and comes without the radiometric feature on the thermal sensor. This means that the user does not get the real time temperature readings from the FPV display screen.
Freefly Systems ALTA UAV
This is a perfect drone if you are looking to capture some cinema grade aerial video footages for the famous TV series Game of Thrones or the blockbuster Hollywood flick Avengers.
This massive drone weighs around 41.7 pounds and has the ability to carry a payload of up to 15 pounds. It capture stunning cinematic shots and can be sent into the air in no more than 5 minutes.
This mighty drone can be retracted into about 33 percent of its original size. It offers a flight duration of 45 minutes without the payload and about 20 minutes of flight time with a payload of about 10 pounds with a couple of 12 ah batteries.
The Freefly Systems ALTA UAV offers some water resistance thanks to its plastic covering that encloses the flight control and power board. However, we would advise you to exercise restraint in rainy or wet conditions.
The machine comes loaded with inbuilt vibration resistance to assist in the smoothness of flight and enhances the quality of video and photographs.
DJI Inspire 2
Once you compare the price of this drone with the drones that have featured on this list so far, you would consider its price nothing but peanuts. The DJI Inspire 2 is one of the most expensive drones for professional aerial imaging and videography. It has the ability to capture 4K UHD video footages at a frame rate of 60fps or at a resolution of 5.2K at 30fps.
The DJI Inspire 2 offers a control range of 4.34 miles (7Km) and a flight duration of 27 minutes to be precise. The manufacturers claim a top speed of 58mph but when supported by a nice tailwind, the speed will probably get increased.
The high altitude propellers render the DJI Inspire 2 an ideal drone for higher altitudes while the heated batteries offer longer flight duration in colder climes.
The machine comes with two batteries, two barometers and two IMUs and hence offers plenty of redundancy against systematic malfunctioning. It is loaded with plenty of sensors for obstacle avoidance that are located at the front and at the rear ends of the drone. It has the ability to detect hindrances 30 meters ahead at a speed of 34mph.
DJI Phantom 4 Pro
The DJI Phantom 4 Pro is one of the most affordable drones enlisted in this post and probably one of the best considering the price and features aspects simultaneously. The DJI Phantom 4 Pro has the ability to capture 4K UHD videos at a frame rate of 60 frames per second. It offers a flight duration of about half an hour along with a control range of 4.3 miles in supportive conditions.
The DJI Phantom is loaded with a one inch 20MP sensor. The mechanical shutter assists in minimizing distortions that can take place while capturing shots at high speeds.
The DJI Phantom 4 Pro is considerably smaller in size in contrast to the DJI Inspire 2 which renders it a more preferable option to be used for capturing aerial images and videos in tight spaces. However, being light in weight, it is harder to control in windy conditions in contrast to the DJI Inspire 2. We do not mean that the DJI Phantom 4 Pro is not able to withstand strong winds but when comparing its performance in windy conditions with the Inspire 2, the DJI Inspire 2 simply stands out as the clear winner.
The DJI Phantom 4 Pro does not come with the failure redundancies such as dual batteries and multiple IMUs. It is loaded with obstacle avoidance sensors in four directions and does not include the one for the upward direction.
The DJI Phantom 4 Pro is one of the most expensive drones for aerial videography and photography. It is also a great machine even for rookie dronies.
DJI Mavic Pro
The compact sized DJI Mavic Pro comes with tons of exciting features and sophisticated specifications. It has the ability to capture 4K UHD videos at a frame rate of 30 frames per second and offers a flight duration of 27 minutes along with a control range of 4.3 miles which is equivalent to that offered by the DJI Phantom 4 Pro.
The DJI Mavic Pro is equipped with the DJI OcuSync feature that enables the drone to broadcast a real-time video streaming from a range of a whopping 4 miles away.
The DJI Mavic Pro comes with stunning collision detection technology that enables it to detect hindrances and avoid them from nearly 50 meters away using the front sensor. The DJI Mavic Pro has the unique ability to map its surrounding environment by virtue of a system of sensors, GPS and cameras in a dynamic manner. The Flight Autonomy feature enables the expensive drones to detect hindrances that lay in its path.
The small size of the machine makes it a wonderful drone for drone aficionados. However, it is not suitable for windy conditions.
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The Upshot
When choosing the right drone, you have to consider plenty of aspects in addition to price. You need to take into consideration the features that are relevant to you and your business, be it cinematography, photography, surveying and other sectors.
If you are a newbie in the drone world, then a low cost drone or a used drone that can be used to learn flying can come in handy. However, if you have plenty of cash up your sleeves and you are looking for a top notch drone, then you might as well consider the drones enlisted here.
