Like myself, you might be into a lot of action sports, and drones are an amazing way to get action shots! But, can you put a GoPro on a drone? I did some research and here is what I found.
Yes, you can attach a GoPro to a drone depending on what kind of drone it is. A lot of drones come with a way to mount a camera on to the drone and some come with mounts specifically for GoPros. However, not all of them have this mount so its important to check before you buy a drone.
If you want more information about the best drones that can carry GoPro’s then keep reading!
First, Check What Mount Your Drone Has
It is very important before buying a drone to check if it meets all your requirements or any other future requirements you might have.
Usually, you have 3 options when it comes to camera attachments on a drone:
- Fixed Camera. This is the camera that comes with the drone and is fixed onto the body or a gimbal and was designed to remain on the drone. Since you’re looking for a drone that you can attach your GoPro too, you’d want to stay away from these drones.
- Stationary mounts. Some drones come with a mount attachment to attach various cameras. Unlike gimbals, mounts are stationary which means the constant shakiness and movement of the drone while it’s in flight will affect the picture and video quality.
- Gimbal mounts. Then you have drones that come with gimbal attachments. Gimbals generally produce better video and picture quality because they counter the drones’ vibrations and movement.
With that being said, let’s take a look at 6 drones that have stationary mounts, and 5 drones that have gimbal mounts for video and picture quality.
5 Best Drones With GoPro Gimbal Mounts
GoPro’s are super exciting pieces of technology, and attached to a drone makes them even more fun! Here’s a table of some of the top drones that have GoPro gimbals and some cool information you didn’t know:
| Drone Name: | Flight Time: | Gimbal: | Price: | Purchase Link: |
| GoPro Karma Quadcopter | 20 min | Hero 5 included with gimbal | $1,099 | VIEW |
| Yuneec Typhoon G Quadcopter for GoPro | 20 min | 3-axis gimbal included | $350 | VIEW |
| 3DR Solo Quadcopter | 20-25 min | Solo Gimbal | $999 | VIEW |
| Holy Stone HS700 FPV | 20 min | 2K Camera + GoPro mount available | $210 | VIEW |
| Traxxas Aton Plus Quadcopter for GoPro | 20 min | Includes a 2-axis GoPro-compatible gimbal | $399 | VIEW |
As you can see, there is quite a wide price range for these drones, meaning they should accommodate most drone enthusiasts’ budgets!
6 Drones That Have GoPro Stationary Mounts
I also took the liberty of just naming a few drones that come with a GoPro mount or a GoPro can be attached to them, so keep reading to find out more:
| Drone Name: | Flight Time: | Camera & Mount: | Price: | Purchase Link: |
| 3DR IRIS+ | 20 min | No camera but does have mounting area. | $830 | VIEW |
| Phantom 4 | 28 min | 4K exchangeable camera. | $1,599 | VIEW |
| Altair Aerial Blackhawk | 17 min | GoPro Hero 3/Hero 4 | $100 | VIEW |
| Walkera QR X350 | 25 min | Does not come with camera but can mount a GoPro Hero 3 | $390 | VIEW |
| Blade 350 QX2 AP | 10 min | CGO1 1080p HD exchangeable camera | $469 | VIEW |
| Ghost Drone Aerial 2.0 | 25 min | Gimbal attachment and 4K camera | $400 | VIEW |
3DR IRIS+
The 3DR IRIS+ drone is designed to allow pilots to do some recreational flying but also allow them to capture some great video footage and photos.
Flight Time: This drone has a flight time of between 16 to 22 minutes. You might be wondering why there is such a large gap between those numbers, but the answer is quite simple. The flight time is affected by the amount of weight the drone is carrying as well as the weather conditions at the time, so if the mount and GoPro attached are a bit heavier this will decrease the flight time.
Flight Modes: This drone has both manual and automatic flight modes which will allow you to focus on the footage you are trying to capture or the photo you are trying to take.
Camera and Mount: The 3DR IRIS+ does not actually come with a camera or a gimbal attachment which means that if you are interested in buying this specific drone you need to be willing to spend a few extra dollars on buying a gimbal if you want steady footage.
However, the drone still has a mounting area and you can attach your GoPro to the drone if you have the right mounting equipment.
Price: The drone costs $830, which in my opinion, does not make it a great choice and you might have better options out there considering it doesn’t come with a camera.
The drone still has many amazing features but it just requires a little extra spending.
DJI Phantom 4
The Phantom 4 is classified as a quad-copter, which is a drone more suited to carrying heavier cameras and other accessories such as gimbals that are necessary to stabilize the camera for pristine footage. DJI advertises and sells a wide variety of Zenmuse series of gimbals specifically to be used with GoPro cameras.
This does mean that you will have to remove the gimbal that comes with the drone and install a new gimbal on the drone, but it’s well worth it for the footage you will be able to capture with this drone!
Flight Time: The Phantom 4 has an approximate flight time of 28 minutes which is plenty of time to capture amazing footage. Once again, the flight time may change depending on the type of camera and gimbal that you install.
Camera and Mount: The Phantom 4 is equipped with a 1-inch sensor and shoots amazing 4K 60fps video. Of course, this camera can be swapped out for a GoPro camera as long as you change the gimbal mount attached to the drone.
Price: The Phantom series of DJI drones has been discontinued, but you can still find them on Amazon for around $1,599.
Altair Aerial Blackhawk
The Altair Aerial Blackhawk is an intermediate drone designed to be used alongside the GoPro Hero specifically, or it can be used with another action camera that is similar to the Hero.
Flight Time: The drone has a flight time of about 17 minutes when the throttle is handled perfectly.
Camera and Mount: The mount on the Blackhawk is designed to carry a GoPro Hero 3 or the Hero 4, but it can also be paired with a camera that is similar in size to these cameras. So, if you own one of these cameras this is a big bonus for you.
Price: At $100 this drone is a steal for the amount of fun you can have while shooting all the footage!
Walkera QR X350 Pro
The Walkera QR X350 brings a new element and enjoyment to aerial photography. The Walkera also has autonomous flight and allows the pilot to focus on the footage instead of avoiding obstacles.
Flight Time: Walkera improved the flight time of the X350 to 25 minutes with the pro.
Camera and Mount: The drone can be paired with the Hero 3 but does not actually come with a camera and needs you to spend a bit extra to mount one on.
Price: The Walkera QR X350 has a cost price $390.
Blade 350 QX2 AP
The Blade series of drones is similar to DJI’s series of Phantom drones and it has also seen a lot of improvements made to the drone over the years. The QX2 AP is the latest in line of their quad-copters and now introduces safer technology.
Flight Time: The QX2 has a 10 minute flight time which is not bad, but it would have been great to see a longer flight time for this drone to get the most out of it.
Camera and Mount: It has a CGO1 1080p HD camera but you can also remove this and mount a GoPro camera on the drone instead.
Price: The drone comes at a cost of $469 which is a bit expensive considering it has a flight time of only 10 minutes. Usually, drones of the same quality are quite a bit cheaper.
Ghost Drone Aerial 2.0
The Ehang Ghost Drone is an amazing drone and incorporates a lot of features into the drone itself. With immersive aerial-filming with VR goggles, this brings a lot of joy for any enthusiasts flying it.
Flight Time: The drone has a flight time of 25 minutes, which is a great amount of time to capture amazing footage of any scenery.
Camera and Mount: The drone comes with a gimbal attachment and 4K camera that helps capture amazing aerial footage with the camera. It is also able to mount a GoPro which is an amazing bonus!
Price: For only $400 it is one of my favorites on the list, because of the features it has and its convenience.
Final Thoughts
A drone having a way to mount a GoPro is extremely convenient for both enthusiasts and commercial drone pilots alike. With such a wide range of GoPros available on the market, taking amazing aerial photographs has never been more exciting—or innovative!