--- description: We put three of the most popular drones to the test title: Interested in drones? Here's a Buying Guide for Photographers image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7c66373d9014eef2/6988b0382dce01427b9eb972/drone-test-ben-lowy4.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [LightBox](/tag/time-section-lightbox/) ## LightBox Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # How to Pick the Right Drone for You ## Video: This Video Is No Longer Available [Watch (HLS stream): This Video Is No Longer Available](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/fKodeUO6.m3u8) (0:10)  _Published 2026-06-23. We put three of the most popular drones to the test_ by [Josh Raab](/author/josh-raab/) and [Kenneth Bachor](/author/kenneth-bachor/) Dec 1, 2016 7:04 PM CUT by [Josh Raab](/author/josh-raab/) and [Kenneth Bachor](/author/kenneth-bachor/) Dec 1, 2016 7:04 PM CUT Drones are among this year’s hottest holiday gifts. But there’s a big difference between the less expensive models — which are basically toys — and the more powerful and pricey units. So how do you pick the right model for your needs? To get some insight into the drone-buying process, TIME tagged along with photographer Ben Lowy on a trip to [Brooklyn Drones](https://www.brooklyndrones.nyc/ "undefined"), a New York City shop that specializes in selling the tiny, camera-packing aircrafts. Brookyn Drones owner Roger Kapsalis, a former stock broker, helped Lowy understand the difference between some of the best drones on the market today. Then, Lowy and Kapsalis ventured to a drone-friendly park to take a few different models for a spin.  Kenneth Bachor for TIME With Kapsalis’ advice, the pair stuck to a trio of models the [Mavic Pro](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LZ8QTSU/ref=as%5Fli%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&tag=timetechgadgets-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B01LZ8QTSU&linkId=2962107cf74e7474d77b1b77e93d4720 "undefined"), [Phantom 4](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01CFXQZD0/ref=as%5Fli%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&tag=timetechgadgets-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B01CFXQZD0&linkId=763fac9054d4e8bff161e775c5c90e9f "undefined"), and [Inspire 1 v2.o](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B017MO2UJA/ref=as%5Fli%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&tag=timetechgadgets-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B017MO2UJA&linkId=8b205c2f48c406bfd49477de67ae9b9f "undefined") by DJI, a Chinese firm that makes some high-quality drones aimed at photographers and videographers. Additional brands to consider include Parrot, Blade and 3DR, among others.  Kenneth Bachor for TIME There are a number of rules that drone operators need to follow, though. The key ones: 1\. Avoid flying near stadiums or within five miles of airports 2\. Keep the drone under 400 feet 3\. Maintain a visual line of sight with your drone 4\. Don’t fly at night or over other people The Federal Aviation Administration [site](https://www.faa.gov/uas/media/Part%5F107%5FSummary.pdf "undefined") offers more information and what’s allowed and what’s not. [**_Ben Lowy_**](http://www.benlowy.com/ "undefined") _is an award winning photojournalist and director based in New Jersey._ [**_Josh Raab_**](http://www.joshraabphoto.com/time-tearsheets "undefined") _is an Associate Photo Editor at TIME, overseeing technology and business. Follow him on_ [_Instagram_](http://instagram.com/instagraabit "undefined") _and_ [_Twitter_](https://twitter.com/joshraabphoto "undefined")_._ [_Kenneth Bachor_](http://time.com/author/kenneth-bachor/ "undefined") _is an Associate Photo Editor at TIME, overseeing entertainment and culture. Follow him on_ [_Instagram_](https://www.instagram.com/kennethbachor/?hl=en "undefined")_._ ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4585945/how-to-pick-the-right-drone-for-you/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4585945/how-to-pick-the-right-drone-for-you/"},"headline":"How to Pick the Right Drone for You","datePublished":"2016-12-01T19:04:32.000Z","dateModified":"2026-06-24T06:56:59.433Z","description":"We put three of the most popular drones to the test","url":"https://time.com/4585945/how-to-pick-the-right-drone-for-you/","keywords":["LightBox","Tech","Gadgets","christmas","photography","Drones","Drone","Flying","aircraft"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7c66373d9014eef2/6988b0382dce01427b9eb972/drone-test-ben-lowy4.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Josh Raab","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/josh-raab/"},{"@type":"Person","name":"Kenneth Bachor","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/kenneth-bachor/"}],"articleSection":"World","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7c66373d9014eef2/6988b0382dce01427b9eb972/drone-test-ben-lowy4.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"DCIM100MEDIADJI_0168.JPG","caption":"DCIM100MEDIADJI_0168.JPG","creditText":"DCIM100MEDIADJI_0168.JPG","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/world/","name":"World"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/time-section-lightbox/","name":"LightBox"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4585945/how-to-pick-the-right-drone-for-you/","name":"How to Pick the Right Drone for You"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"This Video Is No Longer Available","description":"We put three of the most popular drones to the test","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/fKodeUO6/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2026-06-23T15:00:44.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/fKodeUO6.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4585945/how-to-pick-the-right-drone-for-you/","duration":"PT10S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4585945/how-to-pick-the-right-drone-for-you/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```