Many people have purchased a drone for less than $100. I have had several drones that did nothing but cause frustration because they were very unstable and almost impossible to fly. I wanted to document some construction near my house, so several years ago I purchased a DJI Mini 2. It was around $500 and the main difference from the sub $100 drones is that the DJI Mini 2 worked. This drone will takeoff at the push of a button and hover in place giving you a chance to catch your breath and figure out the controls.
For a rather small drone, it takes great pictures and flies with great stability even in moderate winds. If it loses signal or the battery gets too low, it will automatically land at the takeoff point (a feature called RTH = Return to home) You can still crash this drone and I have done that too! It only has one obstacle sensor, so you still need to be careful when flying. For me, this drone was definitely a game changer! I realized that the technology had gotten to a point where drone photography is opened up to whoever wants to do it. If you want to do drone photography and make money, you do need to get a “Part 107” Certificate with the FAA.
One day, after not having flown for several weeks, I was unable to takeoff. I quickly realized that the software needed an upgrade. There is software for the controller, the drone, and also a geo-fencing database that makes it impossible to take off in certain restricted spaces near airports. The physical drone is a very small part of the technology as everything is really software driven and without the software this device would not even get off the ground.
I believe we are now at a crossroads where drone technology has advanced to the point that makes these flying cameras a great tool that new and innovative uses will be found to make our lives easier, safer, and show us a perspective that we never thought would be possible.
I started flying drones for fun, but it became apparent that the commercial applications are extremely valuable in many industries. Applications include the following: images for real estate listings, crop health, roof inspections, 3 D mapping and modeling, construction progress, thermal imaging, and many more will be introduced as this technology evolves.