Best HD Camera Drone Under $100 | U49W Blue Heron with Stabilized Camera (FPV & VR)

 These days, just having a camera slapped on a drone may no longer be good enough to get the killer shots you want.

With the rising popularity of gimbal-stabilized camera drones, the quality of drone footage is getting better by the day; however, this also leads to higher prices. Thankfully, with the Blue Heron you can get great rubber-dampening camera stabilization for great video at a better price!

Plus, you also get an array of great features that make these great beginner drones – read on to find out more!

The Drone

This camera quadcopter is a complete makeover of the already popular UDI HD+ U818 Discovery Drone. It keeps the already reliable and powerful features of the previous model, but adds an upgraded camera, high landing gear, way more flight time and much more!

Drone Body

This drone has received a total redesign of the exterior body, including sturdy heightened landing gear, a completely covered body for greater dust and landing protection, clear motor covers that allow you to see the motors and LEDs (even if it’s bright out) and ultra-thin yet protective propeller guards.

Safety Features

The prop guards make your drone extra safe, especially around obstacles, which makes learning to fly a breeze with no fear of ruining the propellers if you bump into something! This provides an extremely versatile flying experience, even if the space is somewhat limited.

Aesthetic Design

These features are the epitome of form following function, and a new level of beauty design to an already extremely snazzy drone. The ultra-thin propeller guards give it a fancy and futuristic look while the matte black and blue complement the overall design.

Flight Performance

Looks aside, this drone includes some killer functions that make this one of the best beginner drones you can buy!

Altitude Hold

Altitude hold is one of the best features of this drone line. Throttle control can be very difficult for kids or beginners, and this function eliminates the need to use it for stabilization. That makes flying much easier and more enjoyable, and makes image and video capture even smoother!

Don’t worry, though; you still have full control over the throttle – it simply stays at the altitude you set after releasing the throttle stick.

1-Key Lift/Land

1-Key Lift/Land is another great feature in drones for kids or beginners, and even for pros. With a single button push the drone will smoothly take off or land. This means no crash landings and more pro-level takeoff and landings.

Headless Mode

In the past, the problem of fly-away drones was rampant. Sometimes, when a drone gets far away, you can’t tell which way it’s facing, and so when you think you’re flying it back you’re really sending out even farther. Send it out too far and you’ll lose the signal – and the drone!

Headless Mode solves this problem by removing any need to remember which direction is the front.

You can calibrate the Blue Heron before takeoff so that it’s orientation is based on which way you’re facing, and will remain the same once it’s aloft. This means no matter which way the drone spins, it will always move the direction you want it to, rather than the direction it is facing. This makes it more fun to fly, without having to remember which direction is your “front”.

Wanna have even more fun? Fly in Headless Mode with the tilt-to-fly function! This means you can fly with your phone with no need worry about direction, leading to some super simple and fun flying for all ages and flying abilities.

In addition to making it easier for beginners, this also allows for some unique camera shots you couldn’t otherwise achieve, such as fly-aways (see here for an example), follow cams and more!

The Camera

Stabilization

The camera is one of the best and most innovative components of this drone. Some drones are notorious for having practically unviewable video because of how shaky the end footage turns out. With this drone there is never a worry about vibrating video, as the live rubber damping reduces vibration substantially.

In addition to vibration damping, Altitude Hold and the changeable camera angle also help reduce video shakiness. They allow for ultra-smooth movement and achieving the perfect angle, which gives you superior video from a drone of this caliber!

FPV & VR Compatibility

In addition to a great camera for video, you have the option to fly FPV (first-person view) through your phone screen! And, if you like, you can use a VR headset to see what the drone sees through a more real-life perspective for some truly out-of-this world sky-high views.

Camera Quality

The camera is full HD 720p; perfect for sharing on social media and viewing on your phone or computer! The 120° wide-angle camera allows you to capture a wide, but not fish-eyed, field of view.

This all adds up to even greater versatility and enjoyment from this drone. Not only do you get a powerful camera drone; you’re able to use it for FPV and VR applications as well!

The Controller

The controller is often overlooked by first-time drone buyers, yet it is one of the most important parts of any drone package.

Controller Functions

Some controllers overcomplicate things with complex buttons, switches and dials. This controller keeps things simple, feels nice and performs extremely well. With this package, you’ll be taking full advantage of all the features without having to think twice.

All the buttons are well labeled and intuitive; Headless Mode, 1-Key Lift/Land and more are all right at your fingertips.

Control App

The FPV app also boasts some amazingly advanced features that add to the Blue Herons’ overall value. This app comes free with all FPV-capable Force1 drones, and includes tilt-to-fly, onscreen controls, Custom Route Mode, photo and video functions, FPV screen, photo viewer and more!

One feature especially worth highlighting is Custom Route Mode. This allows you to literally draw a route on your phone and the drone will follow the course right before your eyes! This really pushes the boundaries for beginners and pros alike. For more in-depth information, see this video.

To Sum Up…

The bottom line is, if you’re looking for the absolute best camera quadcopter drone – this is it. It makes it easy for the beginner, yet has tons of features to take your drone photography and videography skills to the next level.

A lot of these features, especially the vibration damping and advanced-flight features, are hard to come by in a drone at this price. It’s truly intuitive with great operability for both beginners and advanced pilots.

Don’t wait to get your eyes in the sky and capture some killer footage – check out the Blue Heron today!

Still have questions? Feel free to contact us at support@usatoyz.com! We’re happy to answer any questions you may have. We offer all our customers 1-on-1 customer support and a 100% money-back guarantee on all our drones.

Get yours today!