If you’re not quite willing to drop a small fortune on the more advanced RC camera drones, then smaller versions ensures you get some good flying experience and picture snapshots in the air for a lower price. Here are 5 of the best mini RC drones with cameras.
Ready for the big leagues of flying drones? Then check out our Top 5 Best RC HD Camera Drones which are well suited for commercial and professional purposes.
Mobile and tablet users just swipe across... Parrot Mambo |  Hubsan FPV X4 |  Parrot Airbourne Cargo |  Syma X11C |  Parrot Airbourne Night |
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| Our Rating |  |  | |  | |
| Camera | • 3 MP • 60 FPS Vertical VGA | VGA | 0.3 MP | 2 MP | 3 MP VGA (480 x 640) |
| Flying Time | 9 mins | 6-8 mins | 9 mins | 8 mins | 9 mins |
| Charge Time | 30 mins | N/A | 1 hour | 40-50 mins | 1 hour |
| Range | • 20 metres with Smartphone • 60 metres with Parrot Flypad | 100 metres | 20 metres | N/A | 20 metres |
| Speed | 11.18 mph | N/A | 11.18 mph | N/A | 11.18 mph |
| Memory | N/A | Micro SD (not included) | 1GB Internal | 2GB TF Card | 1GB Internal |
| Actions | • Acrobatics • Shoots Balls • Grabs Small Objects | • Acrobatics | Acrobatics | • Acrobatics • Flash Lighting | • Acrobatics • LED Light Controls |
| Smart App |  |  | | | |
| Accessories | • Cannon • Grabber • 50 x Cannon Balls • USB Cable • Instructions | • Remote Control • Cover • Propeller Wrench • Battery • Instructions | • Figurine • 2 x Hulls • USB/Micro USB Cable • Stickers • Battery • Instructions | • Remote Control • 4 x Propellers • 2 GB TF Card • Card Reader • USB Cable • Battery • Instructions | • 2 x Hulls • USB/Micro USB Cable • Stickers • Battery • Instructions |
| Dimensions | 18 x 18 cm (without bumpers) | 14 x 14 x 3.2 cm | 18.5 x 18 x 4 cm | 15.2 x 15.2 x 3.7cm | • 18 x 18.5 x 4 cm (with shield) • 15 x 15 cm (without shield) |
| Warranty | 2 years | N/A | 2 years | N/A | 2 years |
| Price | **CHECK PRICE** | **CHECK PRICE** | **CHECK PRICE** | **CHECK PRICE** | **CHECK PRICE** |
Mini RC Camera Drones VS Professional Drones
In terms of purpose, there’s a big difference between mini drones and professional drones. Depending on what you’re going to be using your drone for, your budget and how much flying experience you have will likely dictate what type of drone you get. Here are some of the biggest differences between the two most popular types of drones.
- Hobby or Job – This is probably the main thing that’s going to dictate what type of drone you buy. If you plan on using a drone for professional purposes, then you’d need the camera and technology that comes with a professional drone. For casual flying and learning, a mini RC camera drone is a perfect bridge to the next level.
- Flying and Charge Times – These aspects largely depend on the size and quality of the battery. Mini RC drones with cameras can sometimes manage up to 10 minutes of constant flight time on a full 30-60 minute charge. A top end pro drone will at least double these times.
- Camera – Logic suggests that a bigger drone can pack a much better camera, and that logic holds true most of the time, particularly at the higher end. A professional drone has the size and strength to secure and stabilize a mounted action camera similar to a GoPro. A mini RC drone on the other hand, usually just has a built-in camera that is perfectly fine for basic low quality video recording and photo capture.
- Technology – This is the element that adds the most value to a drone. A mini drone may have basic capabilities beyond flying such as performing certain stunts, shooting balls, grabbing objects, controlled lights etc., but a professional drone has flight logs, obstacle sensoring and a much more precise flying experience due to its GPS.
- Size – Typically, a mini drone is a bit bigger than a male adult’s open hand, while a professional drone is nearly twice the size. Therefore, a mini drone would be easier to control since you don’t have to be as mindful of avoiding objects.
- Cost – Although this may not always be the case, mini drones generally tend to be cheaper than full sized pro drones. It’s always the case for higher end models, which comes as no surprise since they’re a lot more advanced. If you have never flown a drone before, a good place to start learning is with a mini RC camera drone. That way, if you damage your drone or if it goes missing, it won’t hurt your wallet as much.
Want to go even smaller? Then check out our Top 5 Best Micro RC Drones that are ideal for kids and the casual flying around.
Video of the Parrot Mambo MiniDrone in action.
