Best Affordable Drones with 4K Camera

In the past couple of years, drones and camera technology have advanced to the point where they can be affordable for many new pilots.

What are the best affordable drones with 4K cameras?

DJI Mini 3 Pro, DJI Mini 3, Potensic ATOM SE, and Autel Evo Nano Plus are fantastic, affordable drones with 4k cameras.

In this article, I want to share with you our top recommendations for the best affordable drones that can film in 4K.

Let’s get started!

1. DJI Mini 3 Pro #

The DJI Mini 3 Pro is known to be the king of consumer drones at this time, and although it was released about a year back, it is still one of the best current drones.

It’s not one of the most affordable 4K camera drones, but if your budget is high enough, you simply cannot go wrong with the Mini 3 Pro

We’ve reviewed the Mini 3 Pro on Droneblog, so check out this link for more information.

Also, you can watch the following video to see the DJI Mini 3 Pro in action.

» MORE: DJI Mini 3 Pro Long-Term Review (Worth Buying?)

Specs #

What is the takeoff weight?<249 gramsIs it foldable?YesHave GPS?YesHow long can it fly?34 minutes with an intelligent flight battery 47 minutes with an intelligent flight battery plusDoes it have a Return-to-Home function?YesDoes it have Active Track or Similar Function?YesWhat camera sensor does it have?1/1.3 inch CMOSWhat resolution can it film?4k at 60 frames per secondWhat resolution can it photograph?48 megapixelsDoes it have avoidance sensors? Yes (frontal, backward, and downward)Any other extra features?– Three-axis mechanical gimbal– Excellent video bitrate at 150Mbps– DJI O3 transmission system

✅ Pros #

• It’s one of the best drones you can buy for the price and one of the most well-known drones
• It can film at 4K 60 fps
• Has a fantastic photo resolution of 48 megapixels
• Has a good obstacle-avoidance system
• Packs an excellent transmission system with long-range radio and video signals
• It’s compatible with the DJI RC
• Can fly for a long time, beyond the average drone flight time
• It’s lightweight, can fold, and weighs only 249 grams at takeoff

❌ Cons #

• It’s not the cheapest drone on our list

2. DJI Mini 3 #

The DJI Mini 3 drone is one fantastic budget-friendly drone.

The idea of this drone was to remove some sensors and components to provide a cheap drone with 4K camera capabilities, which is fantastic for any new pilots looking for a budget drone.

Mini 3 is one of the most purchased drones from DJI because of its outstanding flight performance, how long it can stay in the air, and what it can offer for the price.

Although the Mini 3 is slightly more expensive than Potensic ATOM SE, you cannot go wrong with this drone.

Specs #

What is the takeoff weight?248 gramsIs it foldable?YesHave GPS?YesHow long can it fly?38 minutes with an Intelligent Flight Battery 51 minutes with an Intelligent Flight Battery PlusDoes it have a Return-to-Home function?YesDoes it have Active Track or similar function?NoWhat camera sensor does it have?1/1.3 inch CMOSWhat resolution can it film?4K at 30 frames per secondWhat resolution can it photograph?12 megapixels or 48 megapixelsDoes it have avoidance sensors? No, only the downward precision landing sensor**Any other extra features?**Three-axis mechanical gimbalcompatible with DJI RC

✅ Pros #

• It has fantastic flight performance for a budget drone
• Does fly for a lot longer than an average drone
• It’s a sub-250-gram drone that may benefit from relaxed drone laws
• Has a fantastic sensor for filming and photography for the price
• Beginner-friendly

❌ Cons #

• It does not have obstacle avoidance sensors or any subject-tracking feature
• It can only film at 4K 30 frames per second at reduced quality

3. Potensic ATOM SE #

The ATOM SE from Potensic is one of the cheapest drones you can buy with 4K camera capability and above-standard performance.

This drone can film in 4K at 30 frames per second, has GPS and return to home function, and is advertised to be able to fly for up to 31 minutes. That’s average for a consumer budget-friendly drone.

Realistically, as with any drone, you won’t be able to fly as much as they advertise, but still, the flight time of this drone is impressive.

Specs #

What is the takeoff weight?249 gramsIs it Foldable?YesHave GPS?YesHow long can it fly?Up to 31 minutesDoes it have a Return-to-Home function?YesDoes it have Active Track or similar function?YesWhat camera sensor does it have?1/3″ CMOS SONY SensorWhat resolution can it film?Up to 4k 30 frames per secondWhat resolution can it photograph?12 MPDoes it have avoidance sensors? No**Any other extra features?**It has electronic image stabilizationIt can reach speeds up to 16 meters per second.

✅ Pros #

• It’s one of the cheapest drones you can buy with a 4K camera and good flight performance
• The camera sensor is from SONY, known to produce excellent camera sensors for photo and video cameras
• For the price, it has GPS and a Return to Home function
• It can fly for quite a while, about half an hour
• Weighs under 250 grams, so it will benefit from relaxed drone laws in some countries and territories worldwide
• It’s foldable

❌ Cons #

• It’s on the borderline of not offering you a satisfactory flight experience
• It does not film 4K at 60 frames per second
• The photo resolution is low

4. Autel Evo Nano Plus #

Autel Robotics is yet another brilliant drone company that manufactures drones for consumers and professionals.

The Autel Evo Nano Plus stands out because of its large sensor camera capable of recording at 4K 30 fps and photographing at a resolution of 50 megapixels, which is impressive.

Moreover, the Autel Evo Nano Plus has 360 degrees of obstacle avoidance, is under 249 grams for relaxed drone laws in some countries and territories, and has a Dynamic Track with a follow-me function.

In the drone community, the Autel Evo Nano Plus is a well-known non-DJI drone with a massive positive response from regular and professional drone pilots.

Specs #

What is the takeoff weight?Under 249 gramsIs it foldable?YesHave GPS?YesHow long can it fly?Up to 28 minutesDoes it have a Return-to-Home function?YesDoes it have Active Track or similar function?YesWhat camera sensor does it have?1/1.28 inch CMOSWhat resolution can it film?4K at 30 frames per secondWhat resolution can it photograph?50 megapixelsDoes it have avoidance sensors? Yes, 360-degree advanced binocular avoidance sensorsAny other extra features?– A large f/1.9 aperture for low-light photography and filming– An advanced Dynamic Track 2.1 capable of following fast-moving object– Dual autofocus system

✅ Pros #

• Packs many advanced features that make flying this drone a pleasant experience
• Can film at 4K 30 fps
• Can photograph at 50MP resolution
• Weighs under 249 grams
• Has advanced anti-collision sensors, covering an area of 360 degrees
• Large aperture camera and dual autofocus system
• The Fly More Combo is affordable for a beginner and has lots to offer
• Good transmission range (up to 10km/6.2 miles)
• This drone has some features that Autel is claiming not to be on any other drones on the market (such as RYYB color filter array design, PDAF + CDAF autofocus system)

❌ Cons #

• It is not the most affordable drone on our list
• Autel Robotics is not a very known drone company
• Doesn’t fly as long as the Mini 3 or similar drones for the price

Do you need 4K drones for your projects? #

In most scenarios, unless you export your YouTube video in 4k or create stock footage, you may not need 4K.

However, choosing a 4K camera is ideal because these cameras tend to have larger sensors than cameras with 1080p or 2.7K filming capabilities.

Although it is not always needed to film in 4K, by stepping down to 1080p while your camera drone is capable of 4K, your 1080p video will look way much better than a drone with a native 1080p resolution.

Many of our screen devices, ranging from Macbooks to TVs, tablets, and phones can display resolutions higher than 1080p.

Investing in a 4K drone means you secure your video footage for the future, where in the next few years, we will see more and more 4K-compatible devices.