DJI recently launched the DJI Mavic 3 Cine, an incredible drone in many ways. With the same size imaging sensor as the DJI Inspire 2 X5S camera, many are now asking if the DJI Inspire 2 is still worth the jump in price? After all, the Mavic 3 has similar resolution, the same camera sensor size, much longer flight times, built in SSD and Apple ProRes format, and the ability to zoom up to 7x (optical zoom) using the secondary telephoto camera. So, is the DJI Inspire 2 still worth the jump in price and size? We find out… DJI Inspire 2 vs DJI Mavic 3: Which Is Better? 1. The Camera The Inspire 2 ..read more

We recently published an article on drone mapping software and mapping apps. This post is complimentary to that one in that we specifically discuss the different drones on the market that allow you to map a field, generate elevation maps, orthomosaics etc. We include a variety of options in our list, including both fixed wing mapping drones and multi-rotor options. Fixed wing of course has the benefit of longer flight times whereas multi-rotor drones are typically much more maneuverable and portable. 6 Commercial Drones that Can Be Used For Mapping and Surveying (updated 2021) 1. DJI Phantom ..read more

Drone Roof Inspections: Best Drones and Software From insurance adjusters to home inspectors, roofing companies to acreage owners, using drones for roof inspections has gone from niche to mainstream quickly.  Inspecting a roof with a drone is typically much safer than having to send up a human on a ladder. No longer do you have to worry about anchoring yourself to the roof and  slipping or falling. No longer do you have to set up safety tethers, safety nets, temporary walls etc. But what kind of drones are best for inspecting roofs? Which software is the best for storing and analyzin ..read more

There are a TON of drone review sites out there. Like a LOT.  Thing is, most of these sites are simply compiled by outsourced blog writers that slap together the first 10 drones they see in a Google search into one post, without having any real knowledge about the drones, and much less the camera sensors.  This blog post is not like the others.  I’ve been heavily involved in aerial photography since 2011. At the time I taped a GoPro (literally taped) onto one of my radio controlled helicopters and started going around doing aerial farm photos. I was hooked–to say the least. Fro ..read more

Welcome to the ULTIMATE guide on the DJI Refresh program, one of the most popular drone crash insurance programs on the market.  Manufacturer backed and readily available at most DJI dealers and retailers, DJI Refresh is an “Apple Care-esque” product that provides peace of mind for new and seasoned drone pilots. We’ve researched this topic inside out and backwards, and we think you’ll appreciate the level of detail we’ve gone into in this post.  Read on below and see if DJI Care Refresh is worth it for you. Here we go… The Ultimate Guide to the DJI Care Refresh Program: What You Nee ..read more

It’s every pilot’s worst nightmare: you just crashed your drone???? What are your options? Well, if salvageable, you need to get it repaired of course. If not, you can always list it on DroneTrader.com for parts and salvage. So, what kind of costs should you expect if you need to repair your DJI Inspire or fix up your Mavic Pro? We break down the most common out-of-warranty repair costs so you can have a little better idea as to what kind of costs you can expect. Please note that these are DJI part prices, your local dealer may sell for a different price. Also if you have DJI Care Refresh the ..read more

With promises of extended flight times while maintaining high levels of power, hybrid gas-electric UAV systems have become increasingly popular as of late.  With most consumer drones averaging around 30 minutes of flight time, hybrid systems offer significant increases to the flight envelope, allowing flight times of 5 hours or more.  This post explores currently available hybrid-electric drones, some strengths and weaknesses, pricing and more.  Here is our recently updated list (in no particular order) Hybrid Gas-Electric Drones Available on the Market Today SkyFront Perimeter ..read more

VTOL hybrid remotely piloted air systems (RPAS) have become increasingly popular over the past few years. For the past decade or so the majority of aerial platforms (drones) have been the ubiquitous quadcopters such as the DJI Phantom and Mavic series, Yuneec hexacopters and other similar setups.  Quadcopters are great in that they can takeoff and land almost anywhere but are not so great in that they are horribly inefficient at flying long distances.  VTOL hybrid systems aim to change that by combining the advantages of a quadcopter with the flight efficiencies inherent to fixed wi ..read more

11 Places to Rent Drones (UAVS/RPAS) in the USA, Canada and UK.  One of the questions we often get through our blog and classifieds platform is “where can I rent a drone” or “what does it cost to rent drones?”. We’ve compiled a list of 10 different places you can rent drones and have included both online rental options and various physical locations in the USA and Canada that rent out drones and UAVs.  Crisp (USA and UK): Probably one of the easiest rental sites to use, Crisp offers a number of drones for rent, including the popular Mavic 2 Pro, the Mavic Air and more.  Curren ..read more

In many areas winter offers up stunning vistas for photographers. This is especially true for drone aerial photography! But flying in cold weather does come with some increased risks to both the drone and pilot.  Over the years we’ve experienced many of these first hand (remember, DroneTrader.com was started by commercial UAV pilots and drone shop owners)  and now we’ve compiled a guide of 11 things you should be aware of when flying in sub-zero temperatures. Whether you are flying an entry level DJI Spark, a fully loaded FreeFly Alta, or a top of the line VTOL hybrid system suc ..read more