A drone with a camera is not only the pursuit of aerial photographers, but also an ideal choice for the majority of drone consumers. The first thing drone users need to know when buying a camera drone is the camera sensor. In layman's terms, the larger the camera sensor, the higher the quality of the drone image.
Is Bigger Drone Sensor Size Better?
The larger the sensor of a drone camera, the larger the photo spot, and the more megapixels it produces, resulting in better images and higher resolution. High resolution is important to ensure the high quality of the image, even when the photo is enlarged to a larger size.
Which Drones Have 1" Sensors?
Currently, the best camera drones with 1-inch sensors are the DJI Air 2s, Autel Robotics Evo II Pro, DJI Mavic 2 Pro, Autel Robotics EVO Lite+, DJI Phantom 4 Pro Plus, and Typhoon H Plus.
Drones | Aperture | Obstacle Avoidance Induction | Video Resolution | Photo Pixel | with screen Monitor | Flight Time | Image Transmission Distance |
DJI Air 2s | f/2.8 | YES | 5.4K/30fps | 20MP | 30min | 12km | |
Autel Robotics Evo II Pro | f/2.8-f/11 | YES | 6k/30fps | 20MP | YES | 40min | 9km |
DJI Mavic 2 Pro | f/2.8-f/11 | YES | 4k/30fps | 20MP | YES | 31min | 10km |
Autel Robotics EVO Lite+ | f/2.8-f/11 | YES | 6k/30fps | 20MP | No | 40min | 12km |
DJI Phantom 4 Pro Plus | f/2.8-f/11 | YES | 4k/30fps | 20MP | YES | 30min | 7km |
Typhoon H Plus | f/2.8 | YES | 4k/60fps | 20MP | YES | 25min | 1.61km |
The Best Camera Drones With 1-inch Sensors
DJI Air 2S
The DJI Air 2S is from the DJI Air series, a premium 1-inch camera drone that offers 20MP still images, supports 5.4K/30fps and 4K/60fps video with HDR, flat or standard profiles, and multiple photo capture modes.
The Air 2S is capable of high-quality movie production, while boasting robust safety features including GPS positioning, five-way obstacle avoidance sensing, an ADS-B receiver, and a 30-minute flight time. Due to weight restrictions, drone users must apply for registration with the FAA.
Read more of our reviews: Will Autel's New Drone, The EVO Lite+, Be A Competitor To The DJI Air 2S?Autel Robotics Evo II Pro
Autel Evo II Pro can provide cutting-edge drone imaging and film applications, the 1-inch sensor camera drone can shoot high-quality aerial video steadily, and can shoot around objects according to route planning.
Evo II Pro is Autel's most popular aerial photography drone for consumer drones. It carries a 1-inch camera sensor, can shoot 20MP still images, has f/2.8-f/11 adjustable aperture, 3x lossless zoom, supports Multiple photo shooting modes for post-editing. Video resolution up to 6k/30fps or 4k/60fps, pleasing picture color and imaging.
The Evo II Pro can fly for up to 40 minutes, with an image transmission distance of up to 9 kilometers. It has omnidirectional obstacle avoidance sensing, one-key return home, route planning, AI intelligent learning and tracking, etc, which can help professional photographers.
Read more of our reviews:Landscape photography with a Autel EVO II Pro Drone
DJI Mavic 2 Pro
DJI Mavic 2 Pro is from the DJI Mavic series, a high-performance film-shooting drone with a 1-inch camera sensor that provides 20MP still images, f/2.8 – f/11 adjustable aperture, 1.4x lossless zoom, and supports up to 4k/ 30fps video resolution, multiple photo modes.
Released as early as 2018, the Mavic 2 Pro uses OcuSync 2.0 for image transfer and can enjoy a 10km range with a maximum flight time of 31 minutes. The maximum flight speed is 72 km/h, and it has an omnidirectional obstacle avoidance system. Additionally, the Mavic 2 Pro is supported by the most popular mapping and mission planning apps.
Read more of our reviews:
Drone Real Estate Photography: Is The Autel EVO Lite+ Better Than The DJI Mavic 2 Pro?
Autel EVO II Pro vs DJI Mavic 2 ProAutel Robotics EVO Lite+
Wonderful foldable camera drone with beautiful form factor and powerful drone imaging capabilities. The EVO Lite+ is the ideal choice for many drone consumers, a high-end performance photography drone that costs less than $2,000.
EVO Lite+ has a 1-inch sensor, shoots up to 20MP still images, adjustable aperture from f/2.8 – f/11, 16x digital zoom, supports 6k/30fps and 4k/60fps video resolution, has HDR configuration, and can shoot time-lapse , panorama and other photos, which can be used for post-editing.
As an aerial photography drone, Autel EVO Lite+ has built-in RYYB color array design and moonlight algorithm, which can also shoot clearly visible pictures in low light environment with bright colors. EVO Lite+ has a flight time of 40 minutes, three-way obstacle avoidance sensing, image transmission distance of up to 12 kilometers, and a maximum altitude of 4,000 meters. The cost-effective 1-inch camera drone is also suitable for drone beginners.
Read more of our reviews:The Professional Camera Drone in 2022: Autel EVO Lite+
DJI Phantom 4 Pro Plus
The DJI Phantom 4 Pro Plus is a non-foldable quadcopter drone. Small and powerful, with a 1-inch 20-megapixel sensor, shooting 4K/60fps video, with FlightAutonomy technology, with five-way obstacle avoidance sensing, remote control with a 5.5-inch 1080p display, 30 minutes flight time, maximum image transmission distance 7km, supports intelligent flight modes such as gesture control, and costs $1,599.
Typhoon H Plus
Typhoon H Plus from Yuneec brand, uses 1 inch, 20MP sensor and large aperture lens in this list, non-foldable model, large hexacopter drone with powerful features and professional image quality, speeds up to 30 mph , up to 25 minutes of flight time, built-in 7-inch touchscreen display, 720p (HD) real-time camera images, priced at $ 1999.