The Best Drones to Buy in Singapore 2024
Drones have revolutionized photography, videography, and even recreational activities, offering unparalleled perspectives and creative possibilities.
In Singapore, where technology thrives and innovation is embraced, owning a drone opens up a world of opportunities.
A TL;DR summary would be just go for drones that are below 250 grams. The sacred 249-gram drone would be very ideal not just in Singapore but for traveling overseas and using your drones as a tourist camera for videography and photography. Many countries adopt similar regulations that do not require visitors to register their drones if its below 250 grams.
Check out Singapore drone laws for more information on registration for drones above 250 grams and requiring a UAPL license for drones above 7kg.
The DJI Minis are below 250 grams in weight, making them ideal.
#1 Top Choice: DJI Mini 3 Pro
DJI’s newest addition to the micro drone market is causing quite a stir among enthusiasts and for good reason. The DJI Mini Pro 3 combines a lightweight and compact design with impressive 4K image quality, making it a standout choice for drone pilots.
One of the most appealing features of the Mini Pro 3 is its ability to capture vertical video with a simple flip. While many drones excel at capturing landscape footage, this capability allows users to effortlessly switch to portrait orientation, ideal for social media content creation. With a maximum resolution of 4K, videos recorded at 60 frames per second, and still images at 48 megapixels in DNG format, the Mini Pro 3 ensures vibrant, detailed footage every time.
In addition to its imaging capabilities, the Mini Pro 3 boasts upgraded obstacle detection sensors on all fronts, enhancing its ability to navigate challenging environments. These sensors, coupled with automatic flight modes, enable the drone to follow the user’s movements with ease, perfect for capturing dynamic shots.
Despite its small size, the Mini Pro 3 offers impressive battery life, with DJI claiming up to 34 minutes of flight time on a single charge. Real-world usage may vary slightly, but users can expect around 25 to 30 minutes of flight time per charge. Additionally, the drone’s lightweight and compact profile makes it highly portable, while its fast setup and takeoff ensure minimal downtime between flights.
In summary, the DJI Mini 3 Pro is a top choice for drone pilots seeking a reliable, feature-rich aircraft. With its 4K resolution, landscape and portrait modes, improved obstacle detection, and portability, it’s clear why this drone stands out as the best overall option.
DJI Mini 3 Pro Top Choice
- 4K resolution
- Landscape & portrait mode
- Improved obstacle detection
- Portable & lightweight
#2 Top Premium Choice: DJI Mavic 3
For professionals and photographers seeking the pinnacle of aerial photography and videography, the DJI Mavic 3 stands out as a top-tier option, albeit with a substantial price tag. However, for those who prioritize exceptional aerial footage and extended battery life, the investment may prove worthwhile.
Equipped with a dual camera system featuring a large 20MP 4/3rd-size image sensor and a convenient 162mm telephoto lens, the DJI Mavic 3 sets a new standard in drone imaging technology. Its sensor size surpasses that of any other drone on the market, enabling it to capture more light and achieve an unparalleled dynamic range. Building upon the capabilities of its predecessor, the Mavic 2, the Mavic 3 can now record stunning 5.1K video with remarkable detail and sharpness, even in challenging lighting conditions. Moreover, users can capture still images in raw DNG format at resolutions of up to 20 megapixels, ensuring the highest-quality images for professional use.
In terms of efficiency and battery life, the Mavic 3 offers significant enhancements, boasting a flight time of up to 46 minutes on a single battery charge. While real-world usage may vary slightly, this represents a notable improvement over its predecessor and ensures prolonged aerial sessions. Despite its impressive capabilities, the Mavic 3 remains highly portable, with the ability to fold down to the size of a large camera lens, allowing it to fit easily into most backpacks. However, for those prioritizing ultra-portability, the DJI Mini 3 Pro may be a more suitable option.
Whether you’re a seasoned professional or an amateur enthusiast, the Mavic 3 Pro delivers superb image quality and extended flight time, making it an ideal choice for a wide range of users. With its 5.1K video quality, impressive image resolution, superior battery life, and compact, foldable design, the Mavic 3 stands out as the best premium drone on the market.
DJI Mavic 3 Top Premium Drone
- 5.1K video quality
- Impressive image resolution
- Superior battery life
- Compact and foldable
#3 Top Pick for Beginners: DJI Mini 2
The DJI Mini 2 emerges as an ultra-compact drone, so small that it fits snugly in the palm of your hand, making it an ideal choice for both novice flyers and seasoned enthusiasts alike.
Weighing a mere 249g, the Mini 2 earns its reputation as a “take-it-anywhere sky camera,” thanks to its exceptional lightweight design. Sporting a three-axis stabilised camera on the front, it offers stability and precision in aerial photography and videography. While lacking sports obstacle avoidance sensors, the Mini 2 compensates with sensors at the base, adept at detecting surfaces or obstructions in its flight path.
One of the Mini 2’s standout features is its reliable stabilization, even in gusty winds. Across its three modes – Cine (slow), Normal (medium), and Sports (fast) – the horizon remains level, ensuring consistently impressive footage. Moreover, with an upgraded video resolution from 2.7K to 4K, users have greater flexibility in post-processing, allowing for seamless cropping and zooming without compromising quality.
Navigating the Mini 2 is a breeze with the DJI Fly app, offering intuitive controls for both beginners and experienced users. From essential functions like take-off, landing, and switching between photo and video modes, to advanced options such as adjusting refresh rates and setting exposure compensation, the app caters to a wide range of users. Additionally, the app provides real-time data on remaining recording time, battery percentage, and altitude, ensuring a seamless flying experience.
Shooting with the Mini 2 is a delight, offering a variety of shooting modes including Photo, Video, Pano, and Quickshot. With three panorama options and five QuickShot modes, users can capture stunning aerial shots with ease. On a single charge, the Mini 2 provides up to 30 minutes of flight time. For extended flights, the Fly More pack, equipped with three 2,250 mAh batteries, extends flight time to an impressive 90 minutes.
In summary, the DJI Mini 2 stands out as the top choice for beginners, offering smart navigation, good battery life, portability, and affordability, making it an excellent entry point into the world of drone flying.
DJI Mini 2 Top Beginner Drone
- Smart navigation
- Good battery life
- Portable & lightweight
- Budget-friendly
#4 Top Choice for Photography: DJI Air 2S
Bringing together a 20MP 1-inch sensor and cutting-edge digital zoom technology, the DJI Air 2S stands out as the ultimate drone for photography enthusiasts.
Sporting a foldable design, the Air 2S offers unparalleled portability, with rear arms that rotate and front arms that swing out. Its controller features a telescopic grip for seamless attachment to your phone. While basic camera controls are accessible through the controller, more advanced functions require navigation through the intuitive DJI Fly app.
The true star of the DJI Air 2S is its exceptional image quality. Equipped with a 20MP 1-inch sensor and an 88-degree field of view, it delivers stunning aerial shots. Although some reviewers noted a slight softness in images, the Air 2S compensates by capturing sharp 5.4K video, ensuring clarity in every frame. Despite utilizing digital zoom, image resolution remains impressive, a testament to DJI’s commitment to excellence.
Offering versatile video color profiles, including Normal (8-bit), HLG (10-bit), and D-Log (10-bit), the Air 2S caters to both hobbyists and professionals. Beginners will appreciate the SmartPhoto mode, utilizing deep learning and scene analysis to optimize image quality with options like HDR, Hyperlight, or Scene Recognition. Additionally, the FocusTrack mode enables precise subject tracking, while Spotlight 2.0 keeps the camera locked on the subject within the frame.
Safety is paramount with the DJI Air 2S, featuring obstacle sensors on all sides to detect objects from a distance. AirSense technology enhances safety further by displaying nearby helicopter and plane locations on the DJI Fly app screen. Additionally, the GEO 2.0 geofencing system prevents drones from entering restricted areas such as airports. With an estimated 31 minutes of flight time, the Air 2S ensures ample time to capture breathtaking aerial footage.
In summary, the DJI Air 2S emerges as the top choice for photography enthusiasts, offering exceptional image quality, innovative features like SmartPhoto mode, robust obstacle detection, and a lightweight, portable design.
DJI Air 2S Top Photography Drone
- Great image quality
- SmartPhoto mode
- Obstacle detection & AirSense
- Portable & lightweight
Learning how to fly drones using your skillsfuture credits for WSQ courses
Drones are no longer just a waste of money or a toy for big kids. In addition to their use in photography and videography, they offer many ways to support businesses and even create a community of drone enthusiasts.
From delivering goods to providing aerial surveys, drones are becoming increasingly popular and are being used in a variety of ways. Moreover, they are becoming more accessible to the public, with many hobbyists taking up the hobby and participating in drone-related events.
If you are interested in using your skillsfuture credits to learn how to fly drones (with up to 70% subsidized by the Singapore SkillsFuture scheme), do check out the Skillsfuture Prep-UAPL drone course Aerial Surveillance and Security course
There is another Skillsfuture approved drone Aerial Photography and Videography that is payable by skillsfuture credits.
Learn how to fly a drone and enjoy this hobby that can boost your job upgrades!
