The word “drone” has had bad press ever since the military started equipping them with missiles. But don’t be put off.

Drones – or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) – are becoming an essential piece of kit across a range of industries. By attaching a small camera and controlling it with a remote (or smartphone), dangerous or hard-to-reach places become accessible.

This makes them ideal for making movies and documentaries, covering sports events, and in news reporting. They can also take stills – great for real-estate photography or capturing outdoor music festivals.

But they aren’t just for the media and creative industries. Police and security forces can patrol the streets virtually – drones are due to be deployed in Delhi as airborne CCTV cameras; farmers can use them to check the progress of their crops; geographers can map areas quickly and affordably; and scientists can investigate contaminated sites safely.

In Indonesia, naturalists are using UAVs to study endangered Sumatran orangutans. DHL uses drones to deliver urgent packages to the North Sea island of Juist, 12km from mainland Germany.

And MIT is developing a flying machine that can deliver vaccines to remote locations. In March, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos said UAVs could deliver packages weighing up to 2.3kg within a ten-mile radius of distribution centres.

However, as with all new technologies, there are concerns. These are largely about privacy (from the state, corporations and paparazzi) and safety – from terrorism to poor piloting near airports. Right now, lightweight drones can be flown for fun legally in the UK without permission (see box below). But after a reported near miss at Heathrow last summer, there is an argument for further regulation.

1. DJI Phantom 2 Vision+
£940, dji.com

A drone with true GPS stabilisation, the Phantom knows precisely where it is at any time, so if a gust of wind blows it off course, it can automatically correct.

In 25mph gusts that would blow budget drones off course, the Phantom will simply hover. This is really useful in all weathers – you can relax and pilot it smoothly, without constantly making tiny adjustments. Plus, it offers smooth video footage.

Its built-in camera shoots 1080p (high definition) video at 30 frames per second and takes 14-megapixel pictures. The camera is mounted on a gimbal (an electronic stabiliser), which ensures the steadiness of the camera on three axes.

It’s piloted by an iOS or Android app via wifi and has a 25-minute battery and “return home” mode. For £999, you can also buy it bundled with a second battery for twice the flying time.

2. Parrot Bebop
£430, parrot.com/uk

The latest of Parrot’s hugely popular and affordable drones, Bebop is lightweight and has a built-in 14-megapixel camera with a fisheye lens.

This can capture images within a 180-degree field without distorting the horizon like some action cameras. You control the tilt of the camera independently of the drone’s movements.

The unit has a range of sensors (accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, ultrasound and pressure sensors) for a smooth ride but lacks the GPS stabilisation of more expensive models. The signal range is 250 metres and flight time is just 22 minutes – delivered via two batteries, offering 11 minutes’ charge each.

Both drone and camera can be controlled via an Android or iOS app with wifi connection. Alternatively, for £770 you can get the Bebop with a Skycontroller, which gives a true “first person view” experience via tablet or FPV glasses (extra). It also has a handy “return home” mode.

3. Parrot Rolling Spider
£90, parrot.com/uk

This tiny indoor or outdoor drone is essentially a toy, but for the price it’s a fun introduction to the world of UVA flying.

It’s ridiculously small, weighing only 55g and fitting on the palm of your hand. It can flip and loop with ease, and comes with big plastic wheels that attach to the sides, so it can roll along walls, ceilings and floors.

Plus it has a unique “free-fall take-off” mode – drop it and it simply starts flying. A camera on the underside captures 0.3-megapixel snaps. The range (Bluetooth) is 20 metres and flight time is up to eight minutes.

4. Lehmann Aviation LA100
€860, lehmannaviation.com

Drones aren’t always quadcopters. Some have more than four rotors, and some aren’t copters at all.

The LA100, Lehmann’s most affordable drone, is designed to carry a GoPro camera mounted either forwards or downwards. You launch it by hand and then flight is fully automatic, capturing professional quality aerial photography and film within a 500-metre radius of the launch site.

No piloting skills are required because you don’t pilot it – the aircraft follows a pre-programmed flight path for five minutes and then returns autonomously, gliding in circles around you and then touching down softly on the ground. It can cope with winds of up to 20mph.

If you’d rather be in control, pricier models from Lehmann let you design your own flight path on a Windows 8 tablet or phone.

5. Hubsan X4 Pro
US$1,399, hubsan.com

Hubsan is better known for toy drones, but this new model promises serious features as well as a beginners’ mode.

Novices can learn the basics in five minutes and program the drone via Google Maps, whereas experts can control everything manually, including the camera gimbal.

It is GPS stabilised and boasts a 40-minute flight time and high-definition video. The remote control is Android-based with a touchscreen. You can see your drone’s waypoints on a map and watch video footage from it at the same time.

There’s also a simpler OLED screen displaying text, so if the Android OS crashes, you can still see stats and decide whether to land it or tell it to return home. There’s even a built-in parachute which is automatically deployed if things go completely wrong.

6. 3DR IRIS+
US$750, 3drobotics.com

The IRIS+ is described as a “personal drone” and it truly is, because you can link it with your Android smartphone and then tell it to follow you. It is ideal for extreme sports fanatics who want to film their stunts – just be sure to think about obstacles if your drone is going to follow you automatically.

IRIS+ has built-in GPS and a flight time of 16-22 minutes, depending on payload. It comes with a GoPro mount and a gimbal is available as an optional extra, offering stable video. An FPV kit for live streaming from GoPro is also available.

Users can easily draw a flight path on any Android tablet or phone, and the Follow Me function continues centring the camera’s attention on one target, while simultaneously panning around it for maximum effect. It’s an affordable option that you can accessorise over time if you get bitten by the drone bug.

7. 3DR Aero-M
US$5,400, 3drobotics.com

Fly this aeroplane-style mapping drone for an incredible 40 minutes, across 1 sq km. It comes with a Canon digital camera that shoots 12-megapixel aerial photos geo-tagged with location data, and 1080p video. (You can also load it with other specialist cameras.)

Use the supplied Pix4Dmapper software to stitch together your images for a stunning level of detail, where each pixel represents 5cm on the ground, good for large-scale operations such as farming, construction and conservation.

The Aero-M flies autonomously, but unlike the LA100 you are in control – you program the area you want to cover and software plans its flight path and landing in advance.

The most fun part, though, is launching because you do this manually: like a giant paper plane with a two-metre wingspan.

8. Blade 350 QX3 AP Combo
£800, horizonhobby.co.uk

This drone is clever, so you don’t have to be. Its smart mode offers smooth flights with self-levelling, altitude and position hold, perfect for beginners and filming video.

Its stability mode uses GPS stabilisation to hover in one place – you can let go of the control and it stays still, even when windy – while its agility mode lets experts perform aerobatic manoeuvres. There’s also a return home function.

Flight time is ten to 15 minutes. This Combo version comes with a 1080p high-definition camera that streams to your iOS or Android phone or tablet, with a two-axis gimbal for smooth footage.

The QX3 is also available without the camera and has a GoPro compatible mount.

ESSENTIAL ACCESSORY

GoPro is the go-to brand for action cameras – pretty much any drone that doesn’t come with its own onboard camera will have a GoPro compatible mount.

The advantage of adding a separate camera is that you can pop it off your drone and use it to film all your other exploits – mounts are available to attach it to your helmet, chest, surfboard… even your dog.

There are two versions of the latest GoPro Hero4 action cameras. Black (£400) offers 4K ultra-high definition film at 30 frames per second and 1080p at 120 frames per second, while Silver (£330) offers 1080p HD footage at 60 frames per second but comes with a touchscreen – handy for lining up non-drone shots. gopro.com

UK RULES AND REGULATIONS

There’s no such thing as a drone licence but if you’re using one professionally (ie, being paid), you need permission from the Civil Aviation Authority. Otherwise, you’re allowed to fly drones weighing less than 20kg as long as you follow a few rules.

The drone must be within your line of sight, not too far away, and it must stay away from people and property.

According to Craig Palmer, sales manager for Resource Group, which trains drone pilots: “It needs to stay less than 400 feet [122 metres] off the ground and no more than 500 metres away from you, although your drone’s range may be less than that. It also needs to be 150 metres away from other people and buildings that aren’t yours, which basically means staying away from built-up areas.”

There are also no-fly zones around airports, airfields and more. An interactive map of these can be found at noflydrones.co.uk.

Visit flysafeflylegal.co.uk for more advice on drone safety.

ADVICE FOR BUYERS

Drones make great toys – you can create spectacular selfies, take bird’s-eye shots of your own home and more. Some also offer First Person View (FPV) – live in-flight footage.

Andrew Griffiths, managing director of Droneflight, says GPS is the standout feature. “Older or cheaper drones have a gyroscope, so they just know which way is up,” he says. “They move with the wind. But drones with GPS can auto correct, so even on a windy day they can hover. It makes a big difference. With cheaper drones, you constantly have to make tiny corrections.”

Other notable features include “follow me” capabilities (watch out for potential obstacles), and a “return home” button that automatically pilots the drone back to you. It’s also worth looking at the flight time – some smaller drones have batteries that last only a few minutes.

There are alternatives to the classic quadcopter, too. Some have more rotors, others are basically unmanned planes.

“The choice depends on application,” Griffiths says. “A quadcopter is accurate, it stays where you leave it, and can take off and land in small spaces. But to stay in the air for a long time you need the efficiency of a wing.”