Camera Drones under .55 lbs | Lightweight Drone for backpacking

There have been a lot of changes in drone regulations since the last couple of years. The most important one is to give freedom to the drones under .55lbs. Earlier each drone has to go through the same process of registration. But, recently FAA Ordered new rule is stating, there is no need of registration for the drones under .55lbs category. These drones will come under the recreational category, and their use is equivalent to the use of toys. This gave a huge relief to a lot of drone enthusiasts around the world, and that’s why the surge in drone users all around the world is palpable. That’s why DJI Created a 249 gram drone just to overcome the headache of FAA Drone registration.

As the number of drone users has become so huge, regulations imposed by the aviation authorities have also become very important at the same time. If you are new to drones and wondering whether you should buy register your drone with FAA or not then don’t worry. Read the complete article, and by the end of it, you would have better clarity. We will also cover the top 10 drones under 250grams, and you can choose the one that you like the most.

Even though your drone weighs less than .55lb, you don’t need to register it, but still, you have to follow the specific rules that we will discuss in details in below sections.

If you are new to drones, let me tell you one thing, drones are a wild creature, handle them properly. You should know how to control them. Even though, the drone that is less than half a pound, can cause serious damage. There have been many incidents seen in which drones which seemed like a toy caused some severe damage.

If you check online, you will find dozens of drones under this category buy most of them are worthless and not recommended for buying. These drones might seem very inexpensive at the starting, but when you start using, the controlling is pathetic, some of them have less battery time and while others have the problem of less flying range.

So, we are here to save your time, we have made the list of top 10 drones in the market. In case, we miss any first drone; you are free to let us know in the comments below. We’ll try to add that one as well.

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Drones under .55 lbs Rules

Recently Federal Aviation Authorities announced in the UK, the drones weighing more than 250grams have to go through the registration process. They also have to qualify the safety awareness test. Earlier, the rules were very different, anything that weighs more than 20kg was considered deemed for registration. But, now things have changed completely, any drone that weighs more than half a pound should go through the process.

Lowering the weight limit is undoubtedly a sign towards the stringent rules. This ruling came because there were several instances when drones created serious trouble in the aviation department. There was a case in China where more than 100 flights got delayed because of a small flying drone.

You can use drone laws readily by country over here. https://uavcoach.com/drone-laws/

Top 10 Drones under .55lbs (250 grams)

1- Zero Tech Dobby

This is one of the best drones that you can buy online under .55lb. The specifications of this drone are amazing. It comes with a 13-megapixel camera which allows you to record in 4k. The drone also has 2GB of RAM with Snapdragon 801 SoC. It also has 16GB internal storage that gives you ample amount of space. You can save hundreds of videos without needing an external SD Card. Below are some of the cool features of the drone that you should know about.

The drone is capable of facial recognition, and you can also do the visual mapping with it. There are multiple modes available as well; my best mode is followed me mode.
It has GLONASS and GPS that allows you to fly the drone at higher altitude without losing it.
The drone comes with longer battery life. It is easy to carry as it comes with foldable props, you can fit in the small bag.

2- AirSelfie

AirSelfie is a super lightweight drone made for taking selfies as it is clear from its name itself. You can easily connect this drone with your smartphone and take amazing pictures with your friends. It can fly up to 20 meters that allow you to take some cool wide angle shots.

The company claims that it has anti-vibration shock absorber as well so that you can click pictures and record video without jelly effect. It weighs just 52grams; you can carry it in your pocket as well. This drone is a future selfie drone. The drone can fly up to 66 feet that are good enough for capturing beautiful landscapes in normal and panorama mode. It has a flight of three minutes that could be a downside of it.

3- Parrot Airborne Night Mini Drone

Parrot is known for its fantastic drone performance. It has received excellent reviews online — the best thing about this drone that you can use it at night as well. The drone could be a little bit costlier than the other drones in this range, but it is definitely worth its price. Below are some of the features of this drone that you should know.

You can control it with your Android or iOS device. For that, you need to install the application from the play store.
The drone can fly up to 65 feet that provide enough height for clicking some cool pictures.
Drone is capable of doing some in-flight tricks like flip and 360-degree rotation that again gives it an edge over others.
The drone has a 0.3 MP VGA camera that is good for aerial photography. The drone can last up to 10 minutes once fully charged. Batteries can be fully charged in just half an hour.

4- Blade 200 QX

The Drone comes with 800mAh battery that allows the drone to fly up to 11 minutes that is appreciable for the drone at this price range. What, I love about this drone that there is a lot of room for customization where you can showcase your creativity by adding some extra features. The drone has the solid build quality and looks great at the same time.

Blade 200 QX has excellent efficiency and smooth handling. If you are a newbie, then this drone is recommended for you.
The drone is compatible with E-Fliet EFC-721 HD camera that certainly gives it an edge over others and makes this drone capable of capturing some cool videos.

5- Hover Camera

This is one of the most popular cameras in under .55lb drones list. At this range, most of the drones lack in picture quality, but hover camera does the photography task elegantly. The quadcopter has a super compact design, and its foldable design makes it easy to carry while traveling. It has 13MP Camera that is remarkable at this price range. It can record videos in 4k; you can capture beautiful landscapes with this small drone.

The drone has a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor that makes the processing very smooth. Its visual mapping and facial recognition technology take this drone at next level. You also get the live stream of the video directly to your smartphone once it is synced with a drone.

6- JJRC – Elfie

Elfie drone is by JJRC brand. It weighs only 73grams that makes it super, and there is no FAA registration required for this. This costs around $50 and built in China. There are a lot of features in this drone that brings it in our top 10 list. The drone has a feature like an altitude hold mode that allows the drone to be stable at a certain height once you don’t touch the throttle. This is helpful for beginners, and you can have some cool pictures without having the jelly effect.

The drone is smooth and easy to fly. If you lose your drone, you can bring it back to home with one key return feature. When it comes to battery backup, it can fly up to 8-15 minutes after a single charge. The drone is also capable of doing stunts like 3D flips, 360 roll, and many others.

7- JJRC H6D FPV

JJRC H6D FPV is well known for its efficiency and durability. It’s been three years since its launch, and it has gained good popularity among drone enthusiasts since its launch. The drone is also very affordable, and that’s why preferred by a lot of people.
It runs on 5.8 GHz frequency which gives you lag-free transmission. The 2MP Camera is capable of clicking some cool pictures. It also has a headless mode which is helpful for newbies. It is also capable of giving live video feed. The battery backup is around 7 minutes, and it can fly up to the 200m radius that is good enough for taking some cool shots.

8- Hubsan H107D

Hubsan has produced some quadcopters in the market. This is their one of the smallest quadcopter. The drone is stable as it comes with six-axis gyro stabilization. The Company claims that it even has good stabilization in a windy situation. It has a Hubsan trademark HD camera that gives you great picture quality. It has a resolution up to 1280×720.
Hubsan H107D also boasts about its headless mode which is helpful for the beginners. It also has multiple intelligent modes as well that give this drone an extra edge.

The quadcopter has the good build quality, and it also looks stylish. It is one of the smallest drones you will find online. The drone is good for kids & adults both. If you want to enhance its ability, then you can go for extra accessories available on Amazon.

9- Walkera Rodeo 150 Racing Quadcopter

This is also a very tiny drone. It has FPV feature, and you can use it for racing purpose. The drone is ready to fly; it comes preassembled. It has a 600Tvl camera that gives you high definition live view. Its frame is unique and smart in design. The drone dimensions are 5.5 x 5.5 x 3 inches, and item weighs around 3.95 pounds.

The company claims that their camera is capable of capturing good quality footage in night time also. In most the cases, when the drone is flying at high speed, the footage that is recorded is blurry, but here you won’t see that problem. You would be getting better picture quality.

This camera has a 110-degree FOV. With 5.8GHz, you won’t see any lag in the video transmission. You can use the goggle if you want and use this drone for racing purpose.

It has 40 channel support and can fly up to 800 metres, and that is the highest range in this category. Its 7.5 volts battery gets easily charged and provides up to 8 minutes of flight time.

10- Cheerwing Syma X5SW-V3

Drones made by Syma company is popular among drone enthusiasts. This quadcopter is full of advanced features. It has a six-axis gyro control system, 3D lock, multiple flight options and much more. It also has an HD camera that allows you to click great pictures. It can help you in bringing in the new perspective. To use all the features, you need to connect the drone with your smartphone by installing the application.

You can also perform 360 rolls, continuous roll with the drone that the flying experience real fun — the drone suits all the age groups. If you are beginner or adult, the drone has something for everyone.

The controlling is smooth and stable. You can also go for different speed modes and flying at the speed that you are comfortable with. The drone dimensions are 12.4 x 12.4 x 4.1 inches, and it’s super lightweight.