Drones have revolutionized commercial photography and videography. As the technology has improved, drone photography has become a premium service offered by wedding and event photographers. If you are interested in adding this component to your photography business, then you should consider the top five drones for aerial photography.

DJI Phantom 4

The DJI Phantom 4 is one of the best best on the drone market. Its camera is capable of shooting 4k video and takes 12MP stills. The quadcopter has a flight time of 28 minutes,, which is one of the longest flight times of any drone available today.

The Phantom 4 became the first drone to have an obstacle avoidance system, which is a great way to protect your investment. When you fly this drone, it will automatically move away when it senses an obstacle in its flight path.

There are eight flight modes on Phantom 4: Active Track, Course Lock, Return to Home, Follow Me, TapFly, Points of Interest, Waypoints, and Home Lock.

This drone is moderately priced but ideal for a photographer with experience who wants to amp up their drone capability.

DJI Phantom 4 Professional

DJI’s original Phantom 4 has come down in price. For true experts, DJI has upgraded its signature drone with the Phantom 4 Pro. The pro version provides sensational visuals: the camera now takes 20 megapixel still photographs and increased the range from 2 km to 7 km! The flight time has also increased to a solid 30 minutes.

The original Phantom 4 changed the game with its obstacle avoidance system. The Pro version has five directions of obstacle-sensing ability. Its remote control has an awesome 5.5 inch HD screen. This makes it easy for an operator to view and adjust the flight settings. This controller lets you fly the Pro up to speeds of 31 mph, although we recommend practicing with the drone before you fly it at max speed.

The flight screen gives you access to the intelligent flight modes packed into the Phantom 4 Pro, including flight modes (Course Lock, TapFly, Follow Me, Waypoints, Home Lock and Points of Interest). It’s also easy to navigate its Draw, TapFly, Active Track and Gestures.

The DJI Phantom 4 Professional is for a person who is already an expert in drone photography and videography.

Yuneec Typhoon H

The Typhoon H is a sophisticated  choice for drone photography. It has six blades, giving it superior power and lift. Its obstacle avoidance system is equipped with a sonar system in the front of its rig. This lets the drone move around or bounce back when it encounters obstacles in its flight path.

Typhoon H’s landing gears retract. This features gives the camera an outstanding 360-degree field of view. If you want a drone that can capture almost any angle, Typhoon H fits the bill. The retraction ability helps the Typhoon capture almost any angle.

Like other drones in its price range, the Typhoon H arrives with five intelligent flight modes to help you make the most of its time in the air: Point of Interest, Return to Home, Follow Me, Journey Mode (which takes selfies), and Curve Cable Cam. The drone is also equipped with what it calls “Smart Safety” features.

The Typhoon H doesn’t have the 30 minute flight time of the Phantom 4 Pro, but its 22-minute time is still good. The camera films at 4k and its photo stills are at 12 megapixels. Overall, the Typhoon H is best for photographers who want to zero in on tough angles in the air.

DJI Mavic Pro

Portability is key buzzword when talking about DJI’s new Mavic Pro. This quadcopter folds down in an instant, making it the same size as a water bottle! For people on the go, especially those who want a drone for hikes and climbs, the Mavic Pro is the best drone on the market.

The camera specs are great for such a small drone. The camera takes 4k video and 12 megapixel stills. The flight time is a solid 27 minutes, while the 7km range is spectacular for nature photography.

This drone is also a speed demon, going up to 40 mph. For action sport enthusiasts, this drone will be your best friend. The Mavic has GPS and GLONASS, which helps to ensure it has perfect positioning in flight.

The autopilot contains the same standard flight modes as the Phantom and Phantom 4 Pro (Course Lock, Waypoints, Follow Me, Waypoints, Point of Interest and Home Lock). It has excellent obstacle avoidance capabilities, using ultrasonic and ToF sensors that can sense obstacles up to 49 feet from the drone.