Scott’s guide Top drones,

It’s that time of year again: Shopping season. Editor-in-chief Scott Simmie is offering some personal recommendations on great stuff to add to your list.

The relative confluence of Black Friday and Christmas and other annual celebrations has a lot of shopping. And, thanks to both the global pandemic and changing shopping habits, much of that retail therapy is likely to be done online. But what to buy? Where? Why? Well, Editor-in-Chief Scott Simmie will offer up a few of his prime choices here, along with his reasons for recommending.

Some of these have deals on them; some don’t. All are good products.

Drones

Well, this is a drone news site. So the bulk of our recommendations here will be drones, followed by some photo gear we like.

DJI Mini 2

No surprise here. We’ve been spending time with the Mini 2 since just before it was officially released. We are very impressed: With 4K video, RAW image capture, and significantly more powerful motors over the original DJI Mavic Mini, we’re total converts of the Mini 2. Check out our story, featuring a video that displays its 4K capture!

Perhaps the biggest reason to pick this up? At 249 grams, you won’t need to register this in many countries (including the US and Canada), nor will you be required to obtain a certificate in order to operate this. And while we encourage all drone pilots to obtain those certificates (because you have to learn some really useful stuff), we realize not everyone is going to do that. The Mini 2 is easy to fly, captures great stills and videos, and is worth the money.

Check out the Mini 2 at DJI.

Check out the Mavic Mini (on sale!)

DJI Mavic Air 2

If you’re looking to up the ante a bit and don’t mind going over 250 grams, you can’t beat the DJI Mavic Air 2. Featuring a 48 MP sensor, this drone can capture awesome stills and fantastic 4K video. With its 34-minute flight time and impressive speed, this is – for me – The Goldilocks Drone. Everything about it is “just right.”

Detail of Mavic Air 2 – Scott Simmie Photo

Check out the Mavic Air 2 here.

Digital FPV System

Yes, there are other goggles out there that will cost you less. But based on the feedback we’ve received from multiple professional FPV pilots (as well as our own peek inside), you simply cannot do better than DJI’s Digital FPV System. It has such great clarity that one pilot told us he simply sat there and pondered the detail of blades of grass when he first donned the goggles. View your flight at 720P and 120 FPS through this incredible system.

DJI’s Digital FPV system is really something…

Yes, it’s not inexpensive. But it will blow you away.

Learn more about the DJI FPV System here.

Learning FPV?

We’ve written about BetaFPV‘s all-in-one kit before. You get a brushless drone, radio, goggles, and two batteries – everything you need to start learning in the comfort of your own home this winter. One caveat – these goggles do not accommodate most glasses unless they happen to be a relatively tiny pair. With Black Friday, this is an awesome deal.

Get 25 per cent off!

BetaFPV has kindly offered to give our readers 25% off. All you need to do is enter this code at checkout: DroneDJ25Beta

Given that their Black Friday special is 20% off, it’s really a pretty amazing deal. That FPV Racing kit, for example, drops from $199 to about $149. Seriously. How can you beat that?

Check out the BetaFPV Racing Kit 2 here.

Check out the BetaFPV Black Friday Deals blog here.

Insta360

Whenever Insta360 releases a camera, I take notice. Over the past few years, the company has established itself as the world leader in 360° cameras and editing software. I’ve evaluated multiple models and purchased the original ONE a couple of years ago. And right now? There are two models I have my eye on.

Plus, what better time than during Insta360’s Black Friday event?

Now’s the time…

The ONE X2 and the ONE R

I haven’t tried a ONE X2 yet, but it looks pretty amazing. And the ONE R? It’s a super well-designed modular package with tons of flexibility. Want an action camera? You’ve got it. A 360° cam? It’s that, too. Plus, if you order here, you get a FREE selfie stick and free battery!

I consider both these cameras engineering marvels in their own way. Kudos to the coders and visionaries at Insta360 who come up with the editing software. It’s really incredible what their free product can help you achieve.

The ONE R modular system!

I hope you enjoyed this selection of a few of my fave products. Honestly, you can’t go wrong with any of them. Happy shopping!

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

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