Only the best deliver good images

Great pictures from a bird's eye view: The best drones in the test score with very good flight characteristics, useful automatic functions and very good cameras. Viewing the world from above and capturing it in beautiful pictures from a bird's eye view - that's what drones with cameras promise. Stiftung Warentest tested models between 75 and 1000 euros. All are quadrocopters with four rotors. There are also drones with a 4K camera and some mini-drones in the popular weight class under 250 grams. The test shows enormous differences, with scores ranging from Very Good to Sufficient. Good models are available for just over 400 euros. While most of the drones in the test flew more or less stably under manual control, others did not inspire confidence when flying through the air. The differences in automatic flight modes are even greater. By no means all drones that can automatically return to the starting point, track objects or fly around obstacles, according to the providers, do so reliably. The test winners outperform the competition here. Besides the fun of flying, camera drones should deliver beautiful pictures. Only the two best drones in the test take great photos and videos. Another model also shoots very good photos and at least delivers good videos. Some other drone pictures, however, are blurred, pixelated and lack contrast. Some models do not even offer an electronically controlled camera suspension ("gimbal") that compensates for flight movements. Without it, videos shake quickly.