I've looked at all the beginner drones you guys have on your starter guides, but I'm slightly confused as to which ones are compatible with cameras. I was interested in the "Blade BLH7600 Nano QX RTF" but I won't be any more if it can't have a camera attached to it. The sole reason I want a drone is to film from the air for what I need it for. I'd love to tell you specifically what I'm looking for, but I'm brand new to everything about drones. Can anyone point me in the right direction for a drone with (or has a spot for an attachable camera) with a camera for the right value? I'm not necessarily looking for the cheapest one, I'm more looking for something medium quality for a good price.
If you are brand new I'd suggest starting without a camera model - but if you want to get one anyway, the Syma X5c is a good starter quad with the camera. Keep in mind these are toy models and you will not be taking any pics or videos which are for anything much other than your personal entertainment.
As of right now, I don't necessarily need a camera. Come May, however, it'll be pretty necessary. By personal enjoyment, do you mean I'll be able to fly it up and get a general idea as to how to use a drone to record stuff? Right now, all I'll be using it is to film some open land.
First thing is that it's very likely you will crash or otherwise mess up your first model - of course, you can usually fix them, replace motors, etc. Video and pic quality from the toy-class quadcopters is very poor. It all depends on what you want to do with the output... Yes, that's what I mean - you should look at your first quad or two as learning. The Syma X11 is showing for $33 on Amazon right now - no camera - but this is a great quad to learn with. Then you can decide on the camera model in the spring... Amazon X11 Link
Although I cant sit here and say your expectations are high(due to the learning curve) , I can say that you are going to be disappointed. There is plethora of information on this website, and others, but you are already ahead of the game when it comes to learning...and that it get on a forum and ask questions! First things first though: There are quite a few aspects to consider when you say "film from the air". There will be nothing in the -$200 range that you will be to get a live feed from the quadcopter while in flight For instance, when you look at all of the $200 or less "drones" on the internet, models with cameras represent 90% of your easiest to find "beginner" models. So to recommend one wouldn't be hard; but you are simply going to have a difficult time learning if at all, if your focus is on something other than the quad. With that being said, a La Trax Alias would be the easiest to find.. If you live near a hobbytown, I learned on an Ares ethos QX-130, and would recommend that to anyone for a first time quadcopter. It has a handful of different accessories(not included), like the camera with micro sd card slot (surprisingly stable and good video too) a winch, water gun, and some others too . The ethos QX 130 is $99.99, and the camera attachment is $29.99. For some reason my local hobbytown is no longer carrying any of the ethos line and I have yet to figure out what"s up with that. So if you can get an Ares ethos QX 130, that would definitely be my first choice. A close second would be the Latrax Alias which is highly marketed and easy to find. http://www.amazon.com/Traxxas-LaTrax-Quad-Rotor-Helicopter-Assorted/dp/B00GJBLMCE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1423441346&sr=8-1&keywords=la trax alias
I take that back. The one I truly learned on and still have that works awesome for just messing around is this one. http://www2.ripmax.net/Item.aspx?ItemID=A-U830A. Its made by a company called UDI r/c. They have a page in a magazine called rotor drone magazine. but I bought this from a local hobby store for $40.00. It is an awesome little micro quad to learn on and it has the protector "ufo" frame which makes it very durable and look different, it is removable as well.
I'm looking at Hobbytown's website and confused as to which one to get. Which one is worth my money, and where can I get the camera attachment? http://www.hobbytown.com/search.aspx?searchtext=Ares%20ethos%20qx%20130
I would check out this DJI Phantom. You can attach a GoPro to it, and it's solid quality for a middle-of-the-range price. Or look at other Phantoms with camera compatibility. You (most likely) won't be disappointed with your purchase.
Are these worth getting as my first drone? I'm definitely considering getting one, but I don't want to immediately crash it into a tree.
It's not a bad option, but looking at some of your other replies above, it seems like you're still looking to get a feel for what piloting a UAV is like. In that case, I'd recommend a toy drone for training flying (something under $100, like a Hubsan Quads X4). Can I ask what you need video for? There's a big difference in quality in units like a Parrot Rolling Spider or Blade 180 QX vs. something higher end like the DJI Phantom Vision 2.
One problem with the Phantom is that it appears - at first glance - much simpler to use and fly than most quads....and it is! (the Phantom 1, at least). This means you will not learn as much about the forces which may be acting upon quadcopters. It's definitely worth the $30-$50 to pick up a X4 or X11 first, IMHO.....then maybe graduate to a Phantom 1 and then to the fancier Phantoms if you want to do something specific (video) that they offer. If you do a lot of reading (manuals, other tips) you could graduate right from the toys to the one you really need for aerial video - which at the lower end would be the Phantom 2 V+ or the new Yuneec Q500, etc. (gimbal equipped quad).
You can get the camera attachment along with other accessories either from hobbytown or from http://www.ares-rc.com/ethosQX130/parts.asp. I highly recommend to learn on this quad due to it's -100.00 price tag, along with all of the other plus factors.
I do not recommend following hobbytowns advice though on what to buy and what not to buy. There are way too may factors involved when it comes to trusting a retail corporation to guide you on your experience. It happened to me as well, although I learned alot the hard way. Of all my $$ spent down the drain at hobbytown, I can say that my ares qx130 and ethos FPV have been at the top of my favorites,
I usually advise people to "just buy one" and not think it through too much - this advice is for beginner quads only at the lower price range. I went through this myself...thought too much about it considering it was a $40 or $50 purchase. If you want to be a very good pilot, get a 3/4 axis machine like the Syma X1 - you will learn a lot because it's more manual than the others. If you don't care about learning to that level, any of those starter machines (X5, X11, X4) will do the job well.
