There are a lot of drones on the market with good cameras, but usually, the better the camera, the bigger the price tag. That said, could you get a decent camera drone below a $50 price tag? Here’s what I’ve discovered!
Here’s The Best 13 Camera Drones Under $50:
| Drone Name: | Camera: | Flight Time: | Range: | Price: | Purchase Link: | |
| 01. | DBPOWER X400W FPV | 480p | 8 min | 262 ft | $50 | VIEW |
| 02. | Holy Stone F181C RC | 480p | 9 min | 328 ft | $49 | VIEW |
| 03. | Maginon RTF RC | 720p | 7 min | 131 ft | $49 | VIEW |
| 04. | Holy Stone HS170C | 720p | 8 min | 164 ft | $35 | VIEW |
| 05. | Syma X5C-1 | 720p | 7 min | 100 ft | $40 | VIEW |
| 06. | RED5 Motion Controlled Drone | 720p | 6 min | 164 ft | $23 | VIEW |
| 07. | Potensic A20 | Built-in Camera | 8 min | 49 ft | $28 | VIEW |
| 08. | Parrot Airborne Cargo | 480p | 9 min | 65 ft | $49 | VIEW |
| 09. | Hubsan X4 H502S | 720p | 12 min | 66 ft | $33 | VIEW |
| 10. | Cheerwing CW4 | 720p | 15 min | 165 ft | $39 | VIEW |
| 11. | Cheerwing Syma X5SW | 2MP | 7 min | 164 ft | $39 | VIEW |
| 12. | Holy Stone HS370 | 720P | 13 min | 98 ft | $49 | VIEW |
| 13. | LBLA FPV Drone | 480p | 10 min | 150 ft | $49 | VIEW |
Now that you have had a quick look at each drone, keep reading for an in-depth look at your potential next purchase!
01. DBPOWER X400W FPV
It is very impressive how much functionality that DBPOWER was able to fit into a very cheap package with the X400W FPV!
Camera: It has an onboard camera, real-time video feed, and a beginner-friendly headless flight mode. The DBPOWER X400W FPV drone provides an experience somewhat similar to being a high-end camera drone.
This makes it a great choice to choose if you’re thinking about investing in a more expensive camera drone in the future, but want to get some practice in with a less expensive drone first.
The video this drone produces is not amazing, but it is good for its price range.
Flight Time: The DBPower has a flight time of a 8 full minutes.
Range: It can travel a total distance of 262 ft before losing signal.
Price: This drone has a very inexpensive price of $50, making it just right for this list!
02. Holy Stone F181C RC
The F181C drone by Holy Stone is a small and versatile entry-level quadcopter that’s great for beginners and also reasonably priced.
Despite its low price, it is actually a great package that includes some great stats that you would not normally see at this price point.
Camera: With a 720p camera that is capable of capturing 2MP stills, you are sure to be spending a lot of time flying the drone. The drone also has 6 axis gyroscope stabilization, which ensures you will have stable footage.
Flight Time: The drone has an 8 minute flight time
Range: Being able to travel a total distance of 328 feet, it definitely stands above the rest of the drones on the list.
Price: Just making it onto the list at $49, you will definitely get your money’s worth with this drone.
03. Maginon RTF RC
The Maginon RTF RC Quadcopter is an easy-to-fly drone that is suitable for enthusiasts of all ages. This is a pretty good drone if it is your first time flying and you need to get used to filming and flying at the same time.
Camera: The 720p camera is what sets this drone apart from other drones of the same class. It is great for aspiring drone photographers and videographers!
Flight Time: The drone is great, but some might be a little disappointed by the 7 minute flight time. But, you won’t get much better for this price.
Range: You can get 131 feet away from the controller before losing the signal. One drawback of the drone is that if you get too far from the controller, you will completely lose control of the drone.
Price: The drone will cost you around $49.
04. Holy Stone HS170C
This is a very small, little quadcopter, but packed with a lot of fun features! It has light controls, headless mode, return to home and for some fun, it can also do a few flips!
Because you might be a beginner pilot, there is a chance that you might break a few propellers along the way, so the HS170C comes with a few extra props.
Camera: Holy Stone equipped the HS170C with a 720p camera.
Flight Time: You get about a 30-minute charging time with the allocated USB charger and a 6 minute flight time.
Range: You can fly up to 164 feet before losing signal.
Price: At a price of $35, you certainly get your money’s worth out of this drone.
05. Syma X5C-1
This list is full of amazing, inexpensive drones that are great for any beginner pilot. The Syma X5C-1, however, is a proper, full-sized flying experience. It is a real entry-level drone.
Camera: The X5C-1 stands out on our list for the fact that it comes with a built-in HD camera, capable of capturing 720p video and decent 2MP stills.
Flight Time: The Syma can be flown for a total of 7 minutes before needing to be recharged.
Range: The drone has a range of 100 feet.
Price: At a price of $40 it is more than enough for aspiring cinematographers looking for a start in the drone world.
06. RED5 Motion Controlled Drone
The Red5 is unbelievably easy to operate, and it is very easy to understand. Maybe this is why the packaging says that anyone 18 months or older can fly it.
But, you might be wondering how anyone could possibly fly it with those controllers! Well, it’s very simple, all you have to do is hold the controller between your fingers, and the drone responds to your movements.
However, I do recommend using this drone indoors, and the propellor guards are of good quality. So, if you or your child happens to hit a few walls in the learning process, then the drone’s props should survive.
Camera: The Red5 has a 720p camera for some fantastic drone footage.
Flight Time: You have 6 awesome minutes of flight with this drone.
Range: I do suggest flying the drone indoors, but if it’s a still day you can go as far 164 feet away from the controller.
Price: And at a mere $23, this is definitely a steal!
07. Potensic A20
Being less than 0.55 lbs means that the A20 is suitable for all ages or anyone who just doesn’t want to register their drone with the FAA and instead wants to enjoy casual flights. It is also very simplistic with a simple two joystick controller.
The drone is very light, so I would recommend sticking to some indoor action shots, or if it is a still day, then you could take it outside for a spin.
It has robust propeller guards that assist in keeping the props out of harm’s way, just another reason why the drone is safe to be flown by enthusiasts of all ages.
The A20 isn’t the most special drone out there, but thanks to the in-built pressure sensors, it is capable of hovering without needing help from the pilot and is able to remain in the air and fly using the user-friendly headless mode.
Unlike other drones in its class, the Potensic A20 has a low battery indicator, which also doubles as height warnings if you get too high. When you fly too far from the drone’s transmitter, an alarm will sound until you can bring the drone back in range.
This is helpful because usually when these drones lose signal, they just drop out of the sky when the drone flies too far away.
Camera: The drone wasn’t fitted with the best camera for obvious reasons, but it does have an FPV camera, and it supports the VR Headset. You can enjoy FPV real-time live video directly from your phone.
Flight Time: It comes with a standard flight time of around 8 minutes before needing to come back to base.
Range: The A20 has a range of around 49 feet, which isn’t much, but you will be able to capture some great action shots within that distance.
Price: With a total price of $28 it is one of the cheapest drones on this list.
08. Parrot Airborne Cargo
The Parrot Airborne is a simple but well-constructed drone that the whole family will love and can be flown indoors or outdoors (with no wind).
This drone is designed as a toy drone for kids, so it is perfect the first drone for kids, but it is also the perfect drone for an adult beginner drone pilot who wants to get used to flying before upgrading to a higher level drone.
The drone has bumpers that protect the rotors, so you won’t trash the house when you crash into things or break any props!
The Cargo comes with a cool little design, and it has a spot on the top where you can clip on Lego bricks, making it a very fun drone to customize and fly.
Although the drone is made of plastic, it feels robust, and I found that it is strong enough to withstand most crashes.
Camera: The drones camera quality is not the best, with only 480 pixels of resolution, but it’s still suitable for a beginner to practice flying and filming with it.
Flight Time: You will also receive a flight time of 9 minutes with the Parrot Airborne, which is more than most of the drones on the list.
Range: As I said before, the drone is the best suited to be flown indoors, and with only a 65 feet range, you won’t go very far outdoors.
Price: The drone just makes it on to this list with a price of $49.
09. Hubsan X4 H502S
The Hubsan X4 H50S is a great little drone, and with the added bonus of being under 0.55 lbs, you do not need to register this drone, which means even children under the age of 13 can fly this drone freely.
It features full GPS, which enables steady flight, which is more common in larger drones and not one of this size. Having GPS allows this drone to have features such as follow me, which allows the drone to follow and track you autonomously.
It’s great for beginners as it has a return to home feature thanks to having GPS. So, if you are new to flying drones, this drone really is a top pick!
Camera: The H502S has a 720p camera, which is great for video recording.
Flight Time: The drone has a 12 minute flight time, which isn’t great considering that the drone needs to be recharged for 2 hours and 30 minutes!
Range: It is able to fly 66 feet away from the controller.
Price: It is a great drone for the price of $33.
10. Cheerwing CW4
The Cheerwing CW4 Drone is a medium-range quadcopter and is intended to be used by beginners, but even experienced users will find it fun to play with.
The drone is great for beginners because it has an auto-landing feature in case you lose control of the drone. This helps you prevent any crash landings.
The Cheerwing CW4 drone is excellently designed, and it is manufactured with lots of features to make its operation easy, things like the one-touch down feature make it easier to land the drone safely.
Camera: The drone records in 720p and is able to take fantastic still, even though it only has a 2MP camera.
It has a Micro SD card to store the pictures and videos, but unfortunately, it doesn’t come with FPV, so you can’t view the videos while flying.
Flight Time: The drone has the best flight time on this list with 15 minutes of continous flight.
Range: Suitable for outdoor use and indoor use, you have around 165 feet to explore.
Price: With a price of $29, this drone is an absolute steal.
11. Cheerwing Syma X5SW
There are many reasons why this drone is on this list. The X5SW is easy to fly, and it is easy to land with the enclosed landing gear.
Camera: The camera is one of the essential features on a drone because it allows pilots to watch the in-flight video and see real-time photo captures.
This drone has a decent 2MP camera built-in. It connects to your smartphone using Wi-Fi. The camera also takes decent video, but the footage might be a little shaky.
Flight Time: The drone’s flight time is short but decent when compared to other drones on this list.
Range: The drone can travel a total of 164 feet, but you might not get very far as it isn’t terrific in the wind.
Price: The drone costs $39.
12. Holy Stone HS370
The HS370 is a great beginner drone for any photographer who wants to start aerial photography as well.
This drone will please any photographer on a budget, anyone, who is a beginner pilot, and any drone pilot who wants a good drone for a low budget.
Camera: The HS370 has a nice 720p HD camera.
Flight Time: The flight time for this drone is 13 minutes.
Range: The Holy Stone can go 98 feet away from the pilot before needing to return to home
Price: The HS370 just makes it onto this list with a cost price of $49.
13. LBLA FPV Drone
The LBLA FPV drone is larger than most of the drones on this list, mainly because at this price you can usually only get mini drones, but this drone is a full-sized RC Quadcopter.
The parts of the drone, like the controller, however, feel a little on the cheap side and flimsy, but what can you expect from a drone that costs less than $50?
The drone does make up for it with its features. You are given a set of propeller guards with the drone and extra props in case your flights get a little bumpy.
Camera: The drone has two cameras, one in the front and one underneath, to give you 720p footage both forward and directly below.
Directing the cameras with the joysticks is not possible, SO you must either tilt the front camera down or up before you take off.
Flight Time: You have 10 minutes of continous flight with the LBLA.
Range: You can fly freely for about 150 feet before losing signal.
Price: And for just $49, this is one of the best drones on this list!