A Surveillance Drone is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that lets you capture high-quality footage and images with the motive of gathering information about specific targets. These targets may be individuals, groups, or environments.
In this article, you’ll find the latest drones that a regular pilot can buy for surveillance purposes.
Please note that the actual military-grade surveillance machines are out of reach for the general public. But, all the drones that I’ll tell you about are a good fit for the security industry and surveillance.
5 BEST Surveillance Drones for Security
Here are the 5 best surveillance drones available on the market today:
DJI Mavic Air 2 | Our Top Pick!
- Flight Time: 34 minutes
- Maximum Speed: 68 km/h (42 mph)
- Camera: 48MP / 4K camera
- Range: 10 km (6.2 miles)
The DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone is a wonderful drone to be used for surveillance. With the HyperLight feature, you get amazing quality night shots with negligible noise (graininess). It’s a super-fast drone with an incredibly fast speed of up to 42mph and can capture superb photos at 48MP resolution and videos at 40/60FPS. The drone is capable of flying for as long as 34 minutes on a single charge. That’s one of the longest flight times offered by any drone so far.
With a 1/2-inch CMOS sensor, a 3-axis gimbal, and a Quad Bayer image sensor, the DJI Mavic Air 2 always offers top-notch image quality. Its superb transmission range of 6.2 miles (about 10 km) makes it our top choice when it comes to surveillance drones.
DJI Inspire 2 | Premium Drone for Surveillance
- Flight Time: 27 minutes
- Maximum Speed: 58 mph or 94 km/h (Sport mode)
- Camera: 4K Camera – forward-facing (in-built), Compatible with Zenmuse X4S, X5S, and X7
- Range: 7000 meters
Featuring a durable magnesium alloy body, the DJI Inspire 2 is a premium drone that offers some amazing features for aerial videographers, like dual-operator control, pro-grade video compression, and so on. It has some great safety features like obstacle avoidance and sensor redundancy so you can fly the drone worry-free. Powered by four rotors, it’s a big drone that weighs around 7.3 pounds without a camera.
The built-in 4K camera of Inspire 2 is forward-facing and is stabilized by a 2-axis gimbal. In addition, the camera that is actually used for video capture has to be attached underneath for a downward view. You can attach any of the compatible cameras, which include Zenmuse X4S, X5S, and X7, separately. All these cameras are designed specifically for aerial shots and surveillance and provide crisp and clear results even during the night.
DJI Phantom 4 Pro+ (V 2.0) | Amazing Drone for Surveillance with Super Stable 4K Camera
- Flight Time: 27 minutes
- Maximum Speed: 72 km/h (45 mph)
- Camera: 20MP / 4K Camera
- Range: 7000 meters
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The Phantom 4 Pro+ (V 2.0) is a brand new drone by DJI. Features a pretty solid 20 MP camera with a 3-axis gimbal which lets you capture buttery smooth aerial footage, the drone is a perfect choice for aerial surveillance. The shots captured by this camera are free from any kind of jello effect or vibrations. Thank’s to DJI’s OcuSync technology, you get an impressive maximum range of 7 kilometers.
The battery of the DJI Phantom 4 Pro+ offers around 27 minutes of flight time on a single charge. All in all, the Phantom 4 Pro+ is a great choice if you have a generous budget for a top-quality surveillance drone.
Yuneec Q500 4K Typhoon | A Great Non-DJI Surveillance Drone
- Flight Time: 25 minutes
- Maximum Speed: 29 km/h (18 mph)
- Camera: 12MP / 4K camera
- Range: 800 meters (2625 feet)
The Yuneec Q500 4K Typhoon is a ready-to-fly drone that comes with 3-axis stabilized 12MP/4K camera perfect for capturing professional 4K shots at 120 fps. Its controller is a touch-screen Android device that lets you adjust the video quality, exposure, and white balance. To achieve maximum performance and quality surveillance videos from this drone, it’s recommended that you update the firmware after purchasing the drone.
Powered by a powerful 5400mAh battery, Typhoon offers an impressive flight time of about 25 minutes. Plus, you also get an extra battery and a carrying in the package. Some other specs that make Typhoon a great choice for surveillance drones include a top speed of 18mph and an operating range of about 800 meters.
Traxxas Aton Plus | Good For Budget Buyers
- Flight Time: 20 minutes
- Maximum Speed: 80 km/h (50 mph)
- Camera: Compatible with GoPro and other Action Cameras
- Range: 500 feet (150 meters)
The Traxxas Aton Plus is a budget drone that’s loaded with some great features like a return-to-home function and air brakes. Although it is relatively inexpensive, the drone is highly durable with a really tough composite frame. One major drawback of the Traxxas Aton Plus drone is the lack of a camera. But, it is compatible with GoPro and other action cameras. Once you attach a compatible camera to this drone, the results are pretty good. Thanks to its 2-axis gimbal, the footage is always incredibly stable and shake-free.
When you use it in Sports Mode, the Aton is capable of reaching speeds up to 50+ MPH! It features a mAh battery which gives you an average surveillance time of 20 minutes, which is pretty decent at this price! Overall, this one is a great surveillance drone if you own a GoPro and are on a budget.
Which Surveillance Drone Should You Get?
As described above, our top pick when it comes to surveillance drones is the DJI Mavic Air 2. The simple reason behind this is – you get a perfect blend of amazing specs for advanced aerial surveillance on this drone at a good price. It’s not overly expensive, yet offers top-notch features.
Other than that, if you’re on a budget, a combination of Traxxas Aton Plus and GoPro is a great choice for aerial surveillance.
Don’t forget to get one of 5 BEST Drone Backpacks and Cases for Carrying it Anywhere!
Thanks for reading!
I hope this guide helped you learn about some of the best drones for aerial surveillance and security 🙂
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