The world of drones has become extremely diverse in recent years. Some drones are designed to film nature or events in a stable and high-quality way, while others are designed for maximum speed, acrobatics and an immersive flight experience.
Beginners often have the same questions: Which drone should I choose? What types of drones are there in general? Will I be able to control one, and how much experience do I need?
In this article, I’ll cover the main types of camera drones and FPV drones, their purposes, differences, and who they are best suited for. As I already mentioned in my first post (Hello World), I won’t be covering other types of drones, such as fixed-wing or industrial drones, in my content. They are more complex, both in terms of how they are operated and their specialized purposes — they’re not really aimed at beginners.
Table of Contents
Camera drones
Camera drones (sometimes also called “consumer drones”) are drones designed for the general public, focused on stable, smooth, and high-quality video recording. They usually have GPS systems, obstacle sensors, automated flight modes, and an integrated camera with a stabilizer (gimbal).
These drones are generally quite easy to control — even a complete beginner can safely take off and start taking photos or recording video after just a few flights.
It is also worth mentioning that DJI is the undisputed leader in the camera drone market. Within the same price range, there is no other drone manufacturer whose drones are as advanced. Drones from other manufacturers with comparable specifications can cost almost twice as much, or even more. When the U.S. banned imports of new DJI models at the end of 2025 (the DJI ban), U.S. manufacturers such as Skydio and Freefly got an opportunity to expand their market share, but they still have a long way to go, and DJI is unlikely to have an equal competitor anytime soon.
Camera drones under 250 grams
Drones weighing less than 250 grams are very popular because of their portability and simpler legal requirements in many countries.
Main advantages
- Lightweight and compact
- Convenient for travel
- Often less complicated permits process required
- Lower risk in an accident (dropping 250g on your head hurts less than 750g :D)
- Easier to operate
This type of drone is perfect for:
- Beginners
- Travel
- Social media content
- Nature shots
- Real estate photography and video
Disadvantages:
Although these drones are very convenient, they also have some limitations:
- Less resistant to strong winds
- Smaller camera sensors
- Shorter flight time than larger models
- More limited professional filming capabilities
How much experience is needed?
This is the best choice for a beginner. Most of these drones have automatic safety features:
- Automatic Return to Home (RTH)
- Altitude hold
- GPS stabilization
- Obstacle avoidance (you should be a bit more careful with this one — and remember to stay alert. The internet is full of videos of people crashing their drones because they relied too heavily on these features)
Because of this, even someone with no previous experience can get started fairly quickly.
Some of the more popular models:
Camera Drones Over 250 g
Larger camera drones are focused on delivering more professional results. They have better cameras, more sensors, better stability, and can often be used for filming in more challenging conditions.
Main advantages:
- Better image quality
- Larger camera sensors
- More sensors to help avoid obstacles
- Better performance in low-light conditions
- Better stability in windy conditions
- Longer flight time
- More professional filming features
This type of drone is perfect for:
- Commercial filming
- Weddings
- Advertisements
- Film projects
- Professional photography
Disadvantages:
- Higher price
- Stricter legal requirements
- In EU: Not only drone operator registration but also a license is required (at minimum A1/A3)
- Greater weight and less portability
How much experience is needed?
Although controlling the drone is still fairly simple, professional filming requires more skills:
- Understanding camera settings
- Planning smooth movements
- Understanding framing
- Evaluating weather conditions (although you also need to evaluate the weather when flying drones under 250 g)
Controlling the drone itself is not difficult, but achieving good results depends on the operator’s/pilot’s experience.
Some of the more popular models:
FPV drones
FPV (First Person View) drones are a completely different category of drones. Instead of automatic, stable flight, the focus here is on speed, maneuverability, and a direct connection between the pilot and the drone. The pilot flies using FPV goggles, which transmit live video feed from the drone’s camera in real time. This creates the feeling that you’re sitting inside the drone yourself or that you’re a bird flying through the sky.
FPV drones often don’t have GPS stabilization, or it is used only minimally. Because of this, they are much more difficult to control.
It is very important to mention that FPV drones are not for everyone. Not because they are more difficult to control (that can be learned over time), but because some people’s vestibular system simply doesn’t tolerate wearing goggles for longer periods of time. They may start feeling dizzy or nauseous. If wearing virtual reality (VR) goggles makes you feel sick, there’s a good chance you’ll experience the same thing with FPV goggles. Personally, I had similar problems when I borrowed a Meta Oculus Quest VR headset from a friend. After a few evenings of “forcing” myself to wear it, I got used to it. For the same reason, I recommend not investing too much in the most expensive FPV goggles when you’re just getting started with the hobby. Although, if you do spend too much and later decide the hobby isn’t for you, you should have no trouble selling them on the second-hand market. 🙂
Based on their propeller size and flight styles FPV drones can be divided into several main categories:
Tinywhoop drones
A Tinywhoop is an extremely small and lightweight FPV drone with protected propellers. Their size, measured diagonally from one motor to another, is around 65–85 mm. They weigh about 20–30 g.
I always recommend starting with this type of drone, because they are the fastest way to learn the basics of FPV: control coordination, control response, basic acrobatics, and flight orientation. Friends who ignored my advice to start with these drones and instead started with larger ones (cinewhoops or, especially, freestyle drones) eventually changed their minds (after crash) and bought one of these anyway.
Why? They are quite difficult to break, while if you start with larger and more powerful drones, your first crashes can be much more expensive (you’re lucky if only the propellers break rather than something like the flight controller).
Main advantages:
- Relatively safe
- Crash-resistant (especially important for beginners or more advanced pilots who want to start practicing more complex maneuvers)
- Less expensive
- Can be flown in small spaces (rooms)
- Lower risk of crashing and damaging the drone
This type of drone is perfect for:
- Indoor flying
- Training
- Beginner FPV pilots
- Small-scale racing
Disadvantages:
- Low power
- Limited video range, especially at greater distances
- Poor outdoor performance in windy conditions
- Usually shorter flight time
How much experience is needed?
Many pilots start by practicing in FPV simulators. It is recommended to “fly” for at least 10 hours in a simulator.
This is the best FPV choice for a beginner. However, learning FPV in general is considerably more difficult than learning to fly a regular camera drone. By the way, the same Tinywhoop models can come in racing or freestyle versions depending on the motors they are equipped with (the higher the motor KV, the more aggressive the little drone — so even the same tiny drone can be quite difficult to control).
Some of the more popular models:
Toothpick drones
Toothpicks are extremely lightweight FPV drones with exposed propellers. Sometimes called micro drones. They typically use 2–3-inch propellers and weigh just 40–120 g (without the battery). Although their size makes them look like smaller freestyle drones, their low weight makes them considerably more efficient and more forgiving in minor crashes.
This category emerged as a middle ground between Tinywhoops and full-size freestyle drones. Toothpick drones offer considerably more power than Tinywhoops while remaining lightweight enough to fly even in smaller spaces.
Main advantages:
- More speed and power than a Tinywhoop
- Longer flight time
- Handles wind better
- Very quiet (compared to a 5-inch freestyle drone)
- Less crash damage than with larger FPV drones
- Can often be flown in places where a 5-inch drone would be too dangerous or too noisy (e.g., parks)
This type of drone is perfect for:
- Freestyle training
- Flying in parks, backyards, and playgrounds
- Light dynamic filming
Disadvantages:
- Exposed propellers require more caution than with a Tinywhoop
- Not suitable for flying close to people
- Less resistant to strong winds than a 5-inch freestyle drone
- Limited payload capacity — usually cannot carry a full-size action camera
- More sensitive to sudden wind gusts due to their low weight
How much experience is needed?
Moderate.
A Toothpick often becomes the first “real” freestyle-type drone after a Tinywhoop. Although they are lighter and more forgiving of mistakes than 5-inch models, the pilot should already know how to:
- Fly in Acro mode
- Control altitude and speed
- Plan flight paths
- Fly safely in open spaces
Before moving on to a Toothpick, it is generally recommended to have at least 10–20 hours of practice in an FPV simulator or a good amount of flying experience with a Tinywhoop.
Some of the more popular models:
Cinewhoop drones
Cinewhoop drones are FPV drones focused on cinematic filming. Their propellers are typically 2–3.5 inches in size. Just like Tinywhoops, Cinewhoop drones usually have propeller guards.
If a digital FPV system is used, the drone will usually also have a stabilized camera (the camera processor reduces vibrations in the footage). If a non-digital system is used, the drone is more likely to be designed to carry an action camera (for example, from product lines such as GoPro or DJI Osmo Action).
These drones also have a smoother flight profile and are therefore less aggressive than freestyle drones.
Main advantages:
- Very immersive shots
- Can fly in tight spaces
- Dynamic footage
- Safer around people than freestyle drones with exposed propellers
This type of drone is perfect for:
- Indoor filming (popular among real estate agents selling spacious homes)
- Filming cars
- Events
- Dynamic flights between objects
- Cinematic FPV shots
Disadvantages:
- Shorter flight time
- Greater weight
- More difficult to control
- Requires more maintenance and repair knowledge (drones really do “break.” There’s a saying that “drones don’t reach the end of their service life — they simply get broken.”)
How much experience is needed?
Somewhere between moderate and a lot.
Although a Cinewhoop is not as aggressive as a freestyle drone, the pilot still needs to have good control over FPV flight:
- Precisely control the flight path
- Control speed
- Maintain smooth and stable movement
- Fly safely close to objects
Before moving on to a Cinewhoop, it is generally recommended to have experience with a Tinywhoop or at least 20 hours of practice in an FPV simulator.
Some of the more popular models:
Freestyle drones
Freestyle drones are designed for maximum maneuverability and acrobatics. Typically, these are drones with 5-inch propellers. There are also micro freestyle drones, with propeller sizes similar to Cinewhoop drones — around 2.5–3 inches.
These are the typical FPV drones we often see on social media performing:
- Flips in different directions
- Power loops
- Complex acrobatic tricks
Main advantages:
- Very high speed
- Maximum maneuverability
- High power
- Impressive acrobatic maneuvers
This type of drone is perfect for:
- Acrobatics
- Creating content for social media
- Dynamic filming
- FPV community events
Disadvantages:
- High risk of crashing
- More expensive crashes
- Requires repair skills
- Short flight time
- Requires a lot of practice
How much experience is needed?
A lot.
Freestyle FPV is considered one of the most difficult drone categories. Pilots often spend dozens or even hundreds of hours in simulators before they start flying more aggressively (of course, you can fly carefully without spending 100 hours in a simulator — but having a Ferrari in your garage and never wanting to push it a little would be a sin… probably).
Since crashes and falls are a normal part of the hobby, you also need to understand things such as:
- Soldering
- Drone building and repair
- Basic electronics
- Betaflight configuration (Betaflight is basically the drone’s operating system — something like Windows for drones)
Some of the more popular models:
Long Range drones
Long Range FPV drones are designed for very long flights. Their propellers are usually 6–7 inches or larger (the last one I built was a 10-inch drone, and I also have a frame for a 13-inch drone at home. I’ve even seen people I know build 15-inch giants). A Long Range drone definitely shouldn’t be your first drone.
Their purpose is not acrobatics, but efficient and stable flight over long distances.
Main advantages:
- Very long range
- Longer flight time
- Efficient energy use
- Impressive landscape footage
This type of drone is perfect for:
- Filming in the mountains
- Nature footage
- Exploration
- Long cinematic flights
Disadvantages:
- Complex configuration
- Requires powerful communication systems
- Greater risk of losing the drone
- Higher safety requirements
- In my home country – Lithuania, it can be quite difficult to find places where flying these drones is legal (due to the requirement to fly within visual line of sight – VLOS. If you do have authorization to fly beyond visual line of sight, I’m not sure why you’re reading this article 😀 — this is an article for beginners)
How much experience is needed?
A lot. And it’s not even about controlling the drone.
A Long Range drone pilot needs to understand:
- Radio communication systems
- How antennas work
- GPS systems
- How batteries work
- Safety procedures
- Weather conditions
This is by no means a suitable choice for a beginner..
What’s the difference between camera and FPV drone? Which one is better?
The main difference is the philosophy of flying.
However, neither one is better or worse. It’s like asking which is better — an iPhone or a Samsung smartphone. You could start a whole religious war trying to find the answer. Personally, I started with a camera drone and soon moved on to a Tinywhoop.
Camera drones:
- Stable in flight
- Highly automated, with many different sensors
- Easy to control and quick to learn
- Focused on high-quality footage
- Suitable for beginners
- Usually have GPS and safety systems
FPV drones:
- Fast
- Fully manually controlled
- Require more skill
- Focused on the flying experience and dynamic movement
- Often require repairs and technical knowledge
So,
- Want to simply film your vacation trips → Camera drone
- Want to experience some adrenaline and learn acrobatics → Freestyle FPV drone
- Want to create dynamic videos → Cinewhoop FPV drone
What’s the BNF FPV drone?
BNF stands for “Bind and Fly.” BNF drones can be found in all of the categories mentioned above. They are simply FPV drones that come almost fully assembled from the factory (the popular drone models mentioned above are BNF drones). The buyer usually only needs to:
- Bind the drone to the controller
- Connect the FPV goggles
- Insert a battery
- Perform some minimal configuration (and often even that isn’t necessary)
A BNF package usually does not include a controller, FPV goggles, batteries, or a battery charger. That’s why it’s important to make sure all of your equipment is compatible before buying.
BNF drones are very popular among pilots who:
- Don’t want to do the soldering themselves
- Have no experience building drones
- Simply want to start flying sooner
It is especially important to understand that even a BNF FPV drone requires exactly the same piloting skills.
Also, even if you don’t want to solder yourself or have no experience building drones, you’ll most likely have to learn those skills eventually anyway. As the saying goes, “A drone doesn’t wear out or become obsolete — eventually, it simply crashes.”
Beware: PNP – plug and play
Although “Plug and Play” sounds very simple — just take it and use it — when it comes to drones, that isn’t entirely true. PNP can be considered one variation of a BNF drone.
A PNP drone is already almost fully assembled — the only thing missing is the radio receiver, which you’ll need to buy separately and solder in yourself.
Which receiver should you choose? That depends on your FPV controller. In 9 out of 10 cases, it will be a 2.4 GHz ELRS receiver.
Are FPV drone starter kits worth it?
This is one of those questions where I don’t have a strong final opinion. A starter kit, also known as RTF (Ready to Fly), is a package that includes:
- A drone
- FPV goggles
- A controller
- Most likely some batteries and a charger as well
There are Tinywhoop starter kits (for example, the BetaFPV Cetus Pro FPV Kit), as well as Cinewhoop starter kits (for example, the BetaFPV Aquila20 FPV Kit). I don’t really have anything bad to say about them, but I don’t have that much good to say either.
The advantage is that with a single purchase, you get everything you need, with all the components compatible with each other, so you don’t have to worry about radio protocols, configuration, video transmission protocols, and so on.
The downside is that the individual components definitely aren’t the highest quality. If you do get hooked on the FPV hobby, you’ll probably start upgrading your goggles, controller, and the drone itself pretty quickly. Of course, if you don’t get hooked, at least you won’t have spent too much money. And you shouldn’t have much trouble selling the kit on the second-hand market either.
New starter kits typically cost around 200–300$.
So …
The world of drones is incredibly broad, so the best choice depends on what you want and plan to do with your drone. If simple controls and beautiful footage are your main priorities, a camera drone will undoubtedly be the best option. If you’re looking for adrenaline, speed, and a new technical hobby, FPV drones will give you a lot more excitement — while also requiring considerably more practice.
For beginners, I usually recommend:
- Starting with a small sub-250 g camera drone or a Tinywhoop FPV drone
- Practicing in simulators (if you choose the FPV route)
- Learning the basics of flying
- Only much later moving on to freestyle or Long Range FPV
Choosing the right first drone allows you to learn much faster and enjoy flying without unnecessary frustration. Well, unless you have very deep pockets and an endless supply of patience.
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