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The Best of the Rest: Which DJI Alternative Should You Consider?

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By Malek Murison

Depending on who you talk to, Chinese manufacturer DJI has a 60-80% share of the drone hardware market.

And they dominate for a reason: DJI’s drones set the standard in terms of price, capability and ease of use. The company’s shadow over the drone space is self-perpetuating, putting competitors from the early days out of the manufacturing business and giving DJI even more revenue to plough into R&D and marketing.

But a few companies have managed to hang in there, while others are only now coming to the fore.

Here are three worth considering in the run-up to the festive season.

Parrot Anafi

French manufacturer Parrot has been around since consumer drone industry day one. In fact, the company arguably released the first ever consumer camera drone – the AR.Drone – back in 2010.

But since then Parrot has struggled to keep pace with DJI. There’s no shame in that, of course. Nobody has managed to compete. But in the past couple of years, things have been changing. Parrot has focused its efforts on creating adaptable drones that are easy to use and ideal for aerial photography.

The results have been interesting: the Disco drone was a miraculous fixed-wing creation without an obvious purpose. The Bebop range has always appeared a little clumsy and toy-like compared to DJI’s more sophisticated models.

But the culmination of years of development came in the summer of 2018 with the Anafi, a foldable, 4k video-shooting drone packed with interesting creative features.

The Anafi’s camera has a Sony IMX230 sensor, an Ambarella video processor and can shoot 21MP photos  Shots benefit from 3-axis stabilization and the camera also offers 180 degrees of vertical tilt and up to 2.8X lossless zoom, which means you can fly directly under objects and capture them from below.

We’re not exactly sure what this is for, but it certainly expands the potential shot options for pilots.

The Anafi comes into its own with performance. The Anafi’s “bio-inspired design” includes Parrot’s smart battery technology, which somehow means the Anafi can outlast both the Mavic Air and the Spark with 25 minutes airtime from a single battery.

Parrot have more recently released a range of intelligent, updates flight modes for the Anafi, which include a tracking feature, hyperlapse capabilities and a Dolly Zoom mode. They’ve also started selling an Extended addition, with extra batteries for over an hour of flight time.

Altogether, it’s an impressive little drone. The only drawback is the lack of obstacle avoidance. But for the purists out there that shouldn’t be an issue.

So how much does all of that cost? Well, the Extended package, which includes three batteries, a shoulder bag and more, is retailing at $799.

Skydio R1

Since launching in early 2018, the Skydio R1 has captured the imagination of the drone industry. In part that’s because the company’s autonomous system and computer vision technology is way beyond anything else we have seen.

But it’s also because the R1 offers a glimpse into the future of drones: crash-free flight, totally autonomous navigation. In short, a system you can trust to be your aerial cameraman.

But the obvious drawback from all that autonomy is that you don’t get to be behind the controls in the same way. For some pilots this will be a release, meaning they can finally concentrate on the important things while the drone takes care of the flying. For others, it might be removing an enjoyable part of the drone experience.

But Skydio’s customers will obviously be in the former camp: adventure enthusiasts, outdoorsy types who want to be a part of the action, not just capture it on camera.

Speaking of which, the R1’s camera captures 4K at 30fps and 1080p at 30 or 60fps. It’s also got built-in stabilization. Battery life is just 16 minutes, but the drone comes with two batteries included. The R1 has a top speed of 25 mph, which should be enough to keep up with even the most adventurous of outdoor activities.

For that reason, Skydio’s R1 could be a great gift for the mountain-biker, runner, surfer, skier etc in your life. Basically, anyone who wants to capture awesome 4K footage without having to worry about the controls.

In fact, the R1 has a range of ‘skills’ that can be activated with a through clicks in the app. So the drone doesn’t just have to follow you, it can perform complex aerial manoeuvres that even an experienced pilot would find hard to pull off.

As you might expect, the R1 doesn’t come cheap. It’s currently retailing for $1,999.

Yuneec Mantis Q

Yuneec is something of a fading light in the drone industry. But 2018 has had some resurgent moments for DJI’s Chinese competitor.

As well as joining up with the Dronecode open-source initiative and pitching to US Government customers with 3DR, Yuneec released a new consumer drone aimed at the middle tier of the market.

That drone was the Mantis Q, a small, foldable model designed to compete with DJI’s Mavic Air and Spark.

But Yuneec know that to outsell their rivals they have to offer features that are fresh and innovative. And to be fair to them, that’s what they’ve tried to do. For example, the Mantis Q comes with Voice Control. This essentially lets the user issue commands by speaking: take a photo, begin recording, wake up, take-off, return home…that kind of thing. There are also Gesture Control features for hands-free flying.

The Mantis Q’s camera is not to bad at all, either. It can capture still images with a resolution of 4800×2700 (16:9) or 4160×3120 (4:3) pixels and shoot 4K videos at 30fps.

Similar to the Parrot Anafi, there’s also flexibility in the camera’s operation. It can be tilted upwards by 20 degrees or downwards by 90 degrees for extra creative potential. And, just like the other two drones on this list, the Mantis Q has a range of automated, cinematic flight modes, including Journey, Point of Interest and Orbit Me.

The headlines though are arguably found in the Yuneec Mantis Q’s performance. The drone has a huge 33 minute flight time – far outstripping its tiny rivals – a top speed of 44 miles per hour and downward sonar sensors to help with smooth indoor flight.

The Mantis Q is available now for $499.

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Parrot Slashes Prices on Additional Anafi Flight Modes

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Following the launch of the new Anafi drone, Parrot has received some criticism for not including its Follow Me and Flight Plan features and making consumers pay extra for features that are standard in competing drones.  While included in the feature list they were priced as add-on’s that increased the price of the drone a significant amount.

While this is common in other industries,  (think about your mobile phone bill, wait try to not think about it as it will make you sad) it is not common in the drone marketplace and they came under significant criticism,  Parrot has made this right to their customers by lowering the prices of these add-on features from 17.99 to .99 per feature.

This drone was recently reviewed in DroneLife.com in a Anafi review, where those features were a significant add-on price increase.  This is pricey given competitors such as DJI include this a standard feature.  This has now changed.

Parrot recently send out an email that details the price changes.

Parrot Anafi – Now With Heavily Discounted Extra Features

Parrot is backing down on charging extra for Follow Me and Flight Plan modes, the French manufacturer has decided to cut the prices down from £17.99 to just £0.99. They are pretty much giving the modes away.  .

parrot anafi deals

The scale of the discount on Follow-Me and Flight Plan illustrates that in the drone space the consumer is still king, but kudos to Parrot for making the change.

Looking to pick up a Parrot Anafi?  These are available at Amazon here.

Parrot SWING VTOL Drone – First Look and Review

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Introduction

I recently purchased a Parrot Swing VTOL Drone (quadcopter) along with the Bluetooth Controller pad. The Swing is remarkable in that it is very different than any Drone currently on the market…due to the VTOL abilities. For the uninitiated, that means it can take off and land (and fly) like a quadcopter, but it has X-shaped wings which can then allow it to fly like an airplane. VTOL will be a big part of the future of drones due to the longer distances and larger payloads they will be able to haul.

Let’s be very clear – the Parrot Swing is a “toy grade model” with brushed motors, yet at the same time it’s head and shoulders above any toy grade machine I’ve ever operated. It has many options – flying forwards, backwards, at different angles and even programmable flights (looks, circles, etc.

It can be operated with a mobile phone attached – or not. The mobile device is mostly for settings and other such monitoring and changes since it does not have a front facing camera. There is a tiny (and poor quality) camera on the rear which is part of the “ground sensing” system. In other words, it has a “VPS system” using sound waves and the rear camera to allow it to know when it is close to the ground – an option usually only seen on much more expensive machines.

At launch the Parrot Swing sold for approx. $130, but they have now come down to about 50% of that price. Refurbs can be purchased for even less, sometimes as low as $40 or less. You’ll have to buy at least one extra battery to get the hang of this machine as you don’t want to have to go out to the field and have only 10-12 minutes of flying.

Note: the Youtube Video Embedded at the bottom of this article will repeat a lot of the written information here – and go much further into some details. You’ll see the model in flight and get a much better idea of how it works!

Parrot Swing (new) at Amazon: https://amzn.to/2pHi7xF

Parrot Swing Refurb at Amazon: https://amzn.to/2pHi7xF

3 pack generic batteries and charger – https://amzn.to/2pHi7xF

Who and What it is for

The Parrot Swing is not a camera drone or a “FPV or Racing model. It is unique and the VTOL aspect is the major feature. [Read more…]

Parrot lays off Hundreds after Slow Drone Sales- Why they are losing the Drone Wars

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Is Parrot the Canary in a Coal Mine…or, simply a bird that failed to fly properly?

Recent news stories such as this one at Marketwatch have reported sagging drone sales and massive layoffs at the French Drone maker Parrot. In this article we delve a little deeper in the stories behind the story.

Parrot was my first love. Back in 2012 I heard about these “drones” and watched an online video of the AR Drone flying out of one window of an office building and back into another. I was hooked – and, in fact, started in the hobby as the result of seeing what this drone could do…

Or couldn’t do – which turned out to be the case. Sadly, the story of Parrot and their consumer drones is turning out to be a classic tale which perfectly reflects our own personal experiences with the brand. The French company announced today that it was laying off about 1/3 of its employees after poor drone sales in the latest quarter. One story (at the Verge) mistakenly references “due to industry downturn” – where, in fact, there is no such case. The Consumer Drone Industry is booming and sales are expected to be up 50 to 80% in 2017. The problem for Parrot is that those sales are being made by DJI and to a lesser extent by Autel and Yuneec.

Our Personal Experience with Parrot Products

As mentioned above, the AR Drone was the first flying robot I lusted after – and, so, I plunked down my $300 and bought one direct from the Parrot online shop. After receiving it. I read the manual, charged the battery, downloaded the operating app and headed outside for the maiden flight. I set the drone down on the sidewalk and hit the “takeoff” button on the app – the motors fired up and the drone took over and hovered at about 3 feet high – while I stood there marveling at it’s intelligence. Never before had I seen a craft just hover in the air under computer control – so this was like the Holy Grail to someone who flew model rockets and was a HAM/Computer/Tech freak for decades!

First Flight of my AR Drone - 2012

First Flight of my AR Drone – 2012

That, unfortunately, was the high point in my Parrot Drone experience. I spent the next couple of days chasing the AR Drone around the neighborhood trying to make it land – even using the emergency shutoff (didn’t work) when it flew away. The upside is that I got a couple pictures from REALLY high up. The downside was that it completely failed as a consumer device. If you had to give it a 1 to 10 rating it would be a 1 or a 2 – 2 being generous.  [Read more…]

10 Best Quadcopters and best drones for 2017

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Which are the best drones and quadcopters to buy as of the  Spring of 2017? Read on!

UPDATED April, 2017 – We update this “best drones” listing regularly as new products are released and reviewed.
If you are looking for a ($400-$1500) “stabilized camera drone with GPS” – we have another article comparing the popular 2016/2017 models here.

Please note – one of the top pics in the 1K range, the DJI Mavic Pro, has been far backordered since launch in Oct, 2016 but is now available for quick shipment direct from DJI – click the banner below for current lead times:

Here are some of suggested best drones and quadcopters for 2017

Please note that some of these are not for beginners! Rather they are upgrades after you’ve learned the basics of flying and know exactly what features you desire. Quads best for beginners are marked with an *

We do not suggest the very tiny “nano” thumb size quadcopters for learning or beginners! Here is why.

We currently DO NOT recommend the following brands – 3D Robotics, Walkera, OnagoFly, GoPro. Also, we have had poor luck with Parrot models in the past – however, we are going to look at more current models soon to see if reliability has changed. Also, be wary of ANY crowdfunded (Kickstarter, etc.) models.

Be sure to pick up at least one extra battery and any spares you may want to have on hand (motors, etc.)

Under $100

Micro-Sized – generally the size of your open hand including the propellers

*Hubsan X4 H107L – updated version of the most popular micro- beginners should purchase the option prop guard.

Banggood Link (worldwide and/or US Shipping).

Read the Entire Article by clicking —>> [Read more…]

Parrot Disco Fixed-Wing Camera Drone for Immersive Flight

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(Author- Jeff Foster)

Who hasn’t dreamed of becoming a pilot? Sitting in the cockpit, stepping on the gas, taking-off and seeing the landscape pass right before their eyes Today, Parrot makes this dream accessible to everyone with Parrot Disco, the first easy-to-fly, fixed-wing drone designed for a fully immersive flight experience. The ultra-lightweight, Parrot Disco is powerful, reaching 50 mph and offering 45 min of flight time. [Read more…]

Did your Drone Crash? Maybe it’s not your Fault!

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Did your Drone Crash? Maybe it’s not your Fault!

“Learn how to fly”
“RTFM” (read the friggin manual).
“you didn’t know how to operate the product you bought”
“Too many drone pilots rely on GPS and have no experience flying a quad in manual”

These are just a few of the “blame the customer” type of comments that I read on various drone forums. The comments are often directed at fellow pilots who come onto those forums to report crashes and ask what they may have done wrong. Getting past the rude behavior of the respondents, let’s discuss crashes of modern drones and who or what may be at fault.

Toy Drone, FPV Racing Drones, etc.

First, let’s dispense with the very basic quadcopters typically priced from $20-$250. These are not truly “drones” in the proper use of the word since they ARE manually controlled by the operator. Reliability of these types of devices varies greatly and the unskilled operator is likely to crash…early and often!
It can be summarized that, in most cases, the crashing or loss (fly away) of this class of machines are due to one form or another of operator error. This may be a lack of judgement such as flying on windy days and/or in close proxity to obstacles…or simply a lack of basic piloting skills.
The same logic applies to most DIY (building a drone from parts) situations. There are too many variable involved in the parts, labor, design, etc. to hold the manufacturers liable for the mishaps.

GPS Camera Drones

The more sophisticated consumer drones available today sell for $300 – $2000+ and usually contain a stabilized camera as well as number of sensors and flight aids including GPS. Here is an article explaining the basics of what makes a camera drone fly. These machines are flying robots…a combination of computers and mechanical devices which, when properly combined, can make safe and reliable flight a possibility.
[Read more…]

Parrot BeBop Quadcopter Review – Part 1 of 3

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Our review of the Parrot BeBop Quadcopter will be done as a three part review. Subjects covered in the reviews parts are;

Part 1: initial look / open box / instruction review / setup / range and “radio” check / first flight / initial thoughts

Part 2: advanced flight / camera performance / flight time length / controls / movie and still photography / file retrieval (from BeBop to phone, tablet, or computer)

Part 3: WiFi performance testing / GPS function / acrobatic flight / cell and tablet performance / suggested improvements / final ratings

DroneFlyers.com purchased a Parrot BeBop from Best Buy…cost with tax was approx. $550. For that price you get more capabilities than with the earlier Parrot ARDrone 2.0.
This is a GPS enabled, video steaming UAS that is controlled by your own Smart Phone or WiFi Tablet.

Also note, DroneFlyers.com purchases every UAS we review, just like you would. We don’t want Manufacturers to send us a “pre-tested” model, we want exactly what you’d get from the store. By doing this we will give real results from field testing. We do not reprint Press Releases or copy what the manufacturer wants us to say about their bird.
[Read more…]

Parrot BeBop Quadcopter Drone Pre-Review Rundown

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As Promised, Parrot released their new BeBop Quadcopter at the beginning of December, 2014. The BeBop drone has been in development for over 2 years and contains some very innovative features at a reasonable price. The bigger question is – will it live up to it’s promise?

Note – we just added a First Look which touches on some important items involving the new Bebop.

[Read more…]

Parrot Rolling Spider Mini drone quadcopter- first look, review and rating

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Parrot was the first company to market a consumer drone – the AR Drone 1.0 – which was followed up by the more reliable and advanced AR Drone 2.0.
They are currently in the process of releasing 3 new products:
The BeBop – this is a HD camera equipped advanced quadcopter…the successor to the AR series.
The Rolling Spider Minidrone – a fun drone designed for just about anyone to use…inside or out. It uses bluetooth (limited range), but has many safety and advanced features.
The Jumping Sumo – a rolling Drone that spins, jumps and has a camera on board.

Of the three, only the Rolling Spider has been released at the time of this review (late August, 2014). Droneflyers.com immediately purchased one and has the following to report…
NOTE: This product not currently recommended due to bugs. Read on for more!

[Read more…]