GoPro Karma
From $1,349, gopro.com
Goodness, another drone? You betcha. See the name though? This beauty’s made by one of the biggest names in action photography, GoPro, so you know it’s going to be ace at producing epic videos and jaw-shattering pictures with the minimum of fuss. Designed to be future proof, it’s a drone that even the most novice of pilots can turn on, send skyward and take killer shots in a matter of minutes. Hold on, future proof? How so? Glad you asked. Most other drones come with their camera built into the beast’s body, while the Karma drone has a caddy made for the GoPro Hero5 Black. (That’s the 4K, top-of-the-line snapper, and it’s an optional extra.) Should GoPro release another action camera – and you’d be a fool to think otherwise – then you’ll be able to either slip that new unit into the caddy or attach a new one. So how do I fly the drone, exactly? With the home video game console-like controller. Press and hold the start button and the drone starts. Press the launch/land button and it’ll, er, launch or land, depending on what you’re up to. A series of preset moves can be accessed via the controller’s touchscreen for tracking shots and the like, and you can pair a smartphone to it as well. That way, you can be the pilot and a mate can be your cameraman.
I’m almost convinced, tell me more...
Also included in the Karma package is the Grip that can be mated to the gimbal, useful for hand-held shots or attaching to clothing for seriously stable footage. If you don’t already own a GoPro Hero5 Black, there’s another bundle that includes the five-star camera one for an extra $441.
Gah, I really want one. When can I buy this?
The GoPro Karma is available right now from GoPro.com and online retailers.