There is no doubt that Parrot is one of the most well known names in the drone industry. And their newest release in the market does not disappoint at all as you will see in this Parrot Anafi drone review. Parrot is a French drone-manufacturer, and as is usual with the French, they build everything with a touch of love and with the future in mind. After you buy this drone, your aerial videography and photography will never be the same again. If there is something like a performance commercial drone, this is it.
Parrot Anafi Drone Features & Technical Details
Size
This is a small drone because it is made with traveling in mind so that you can shoot videos and photos from different locations. It measures 9.6 by 2.6 by 2.5 inches and it packs small in its bag (it is sold with a carry bag) which you can easily pack inside your travel case without taking up too much space.
Camera
The 4K camera is designed on 3-axis gimbals, which enables 180-degree vertical movement so that you can shoot videos and photos of what is happening above and below the drone. The 21MP camera can zoom 2.8x in 4K and still maintain high quality results. Another important thing to note is that the camera can shoot HDR (high dynamic range) videos, and this is quite a feat because many camera drones can only shoot HDR photos.
For videos, you will be able to shoot ultra high-definition videos at 3840 x 2180 at 30fps. Turn on your phone’s GPS and the drone can follow you wherever you go taking pictures and shooting videos.
You can do some nice tricks with the camera, which Anafi engineers say has been designed with some effects from Hollywood. For example, the camera has a dolly zoom effect, which allows it to zoom as the drone flies further from the object/subject shooting photos to create quite a dramatic effect.
The camera can also shoot photos in Lossless mode where you can magnify the power of the camera for up to 2.8x. Lossless mode also means that even when shooting from a distance, you will not lose the resolution quality.
Batteries
This drone comes with one 2,700mAh lithium-polymer, which lasts for 25-minutes when fully charged. While the time on paper always varies from the actual time, the difference cannot be all that big. If you can buy a second battery, then it means you will shoot pictures and videos much longer with your drone.
To get the drone started, just click the button found on the battery-pack, the Parrot Drone powers-on and aligns its camera ready for flight and camera work.
Any standard USB-C charger can charge the battery, even your smartphone charger. The manufacturer says that charging with an iPhone USB charger can take about one and a half hours while the slower cords takes up to two and a half hours.
Storage
Even though the drone itself does not come with storage space, it will be shipped with one microSD card with a capacity of 16GB. This capacity is enough to store your videos and images until such a time as you can transfer them to another drive. You will find this card under the drone’s removable battery.
Flight modes and safety
Users will be happy to know that at last, here is a drone that is made to fly in the wind. It has been designed to do a maximum speed of 33 miles per hour, quite high and better yet, it has a wind resistance of winds flowing at a speed of 31 miles per hour.
But great flight is nothing if it is not safe flight and Parrot understands this perfectly. That is why they have incorporated a return to home feature, which enables the drone to return home when battery is low. Then there is a GeoFence feature, with which you can define the boundaries for this drone such that it does not fly out of the designated area.
With the Find My Drone feature, just tap at a button and the drone beeps, enabling you to find it easily.
App and controller
XBOX lookalike, but a bit heavy on the hand as you will feel when you start using it. However, it has many things going for it. It is black, looks quite sturdy and as you open the antennas, you will also access the smartphone stand, but your device must be utmost 6 inches in size to fit.
To control the drone through your smartphone, which by the way can be an android or an iOS device, just download the free Anafi app and you will be ready to go. After installing it, choose the camera mode and start shooting photos and videos.
Short Summary of Feedback From Existing Owners
I am very proud to have been one of the very first users of the Parrot Anafi. I am very pleased with everything except the heavy controller. Remy K.
I find this drone much quieter than many others that I have tested in the past. We flew it in a small room and we could talk normally and hear each other above the humming noise of the drone. Excellent piece! Ricky J.
I just cannot wrap my head on the left joystick, which is ideally supposed to move the drone up and down or rotate it. I always mistake one movement for the other, rotating it when I need it to move up, and so on. Otherwise, I am happy with this drone. Treza R.
I did shoot some awesome photos and videos in the backyard as I was testing this drone. I have not yet taken it to the beach or park to shoot some videos as I ride my bike, but I will soon. Satisfied User
Pros of Parrot Anafi Drone
- It is a lightweight compact package, which weighs 320g
- Solid 21MP camera with 4K High Dynamic Range (HDR)
- Camera stabilization features
- Highly flexible making it very resilient to crashes
- 25-minutes flying time
- Light and portable
- Sold with 8 spare rotors
Cons of Parrot Anafi Drone
- Controller feels a bit heavy
- Though small, drone cannot fit in pants pocket
- Rotors are not protected
Who Should Buy the Parrot Anafi Drone?
People who want to make aerial videography and photography can use this drone. You will be able to fly it without a controller if you choose the right flight mode. Its stellar camera provides creative and fulfilling filming experience. Besides personal photography, professional users can also use Parrot Anafi Drone. Its tilting capabilities and zooming, together with its special filming modes, make Anafi to stand out among all portable drones. This is without doubt going to be one of the best commercial drones in the market.
Conclusion and Recommendation
If you have been searching for a portable drone, perhaps you should think of Parrot Anafi. It has clear object-awareness and long transmission range as you have seen in this Parrot Anafi drone review. You can charge it through a USB-C connection, is user-friendly with very small learning curve even for the first-time user, and so simple to set up. The electronically stabilized camera provides top quality that every user would want. More so, the drone is suitable for professional presentations and making high quality YouTube videos.
