This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter. When readers choose to buy Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, Wirecutter and Engadget may earn affiliate commission. After 45 hours of research and test flying 14 models, we think the DJI Mavic 2 Pro is the best drone for aspiring aerial photographers and videographers thanks to its high-end camera, autonomous obstacle avoidance, long battery life, and portability. Pilots of all skill levels will find it to be exceptionally reliable and easy to fly. The Mavic 2 Pro features a Hasselblad-branded camera (DJI bought a majority stake in the camera brand in 2017), which captures 20-megapixel photographs and 4K videos that look more colorful than those captured by the competition. Its ability to sense and avoid obstacles in all directions and steadily hold its position even in moderate winds lets you focus on your cinematography instead of worrying about keeping the drone steady. It also features DJI's smart-flight modes like ActiveTrack, which directs the drone to autonomously follow and film a subject while still avoiding obstacles. Its 31-minute battery life means you don't have to land for a battery swap as often as other drones, and at 8.4 by 3.6 by 3.3 inches folded and 2 pounds, you can take the Mavic 2 Pro almost anywhere--it fits exceptionally well in our top pick for drone backpacks. It's also compatible with the DJI Goggles FPV headset we recommend. The Mavic 2 Zoom looks and flies identical to the Mavic 2 Pro, but it trades out the Hasselblad camera in favor of a different camera that can zoom 2 times optically and 2 times digitally (with software that avoids losing detail), for up to 4x usable "lossless" zoom.

As making money with drone photography gets tougher, pilots are flying into new uncharted territories. What goes up must come down. This rule applies to both flying drones, and now unfortunately, to making a buck off them. With more affordable models entering the mass market, any enthusiast with a few thousand ringgit to spare can try his hand at aerial photography. While the lower barrier to entry may be good news for newbies, the increased competition is driving down remuneration.

Autonomous features in commercially available drones are nothing new. Heck, I'm old enough to remember when DJI Phantoms didn't even offer follow-along technology. Shorter version: Most every drone worth its rotors possesses some level of autonomy. The R1 isn't so much a drone as it is a flying, self-positioning action camera. It's sole purpose is to record the person it's following.

Artificial intelligence was one of the most hyped up technologies in 2017, and 2018 doesn't look like being any different, with good reason – AI is creeping its way into every aspect of our daily lives, whether it's browsing social media or chatting to a smart speaker in the corner of our living rooms. We've heard a lot about AI increasing its presence on smartphones – recognizing objects in photos, powering digital assistants and so on – but plenty of other gadgets now come with built-in AI. Drones need to have some level of autonomy to stop them from falling out of the sky or ramming straight into a tree, and it's thanks to AI that drones like the DJI Phantom 4 Advanced can pilot themselves as and when needed. The Phantom 4 Advanced, like several other models, is smart enough to pick you out from a crowd and can take a selfie of you without you having to be at the controls. The same kind of intelligent tech enables it to identify a quickly approaching obstacle so it can swerve to avoid it – all thanks to the on-board image processing AI.

But its flagship drone, the Solo, never really became a big hit, and soon after the company exited the consumer business and raised a last-ditch funding round to try to pivot to an enterprise offering. Well it worked, and now 3DR has found its sweet spot as a provider of software for mapping and surveying construction sites. But until now the software only ran on a dedicated drone made by 3DR, which was a big barrier to entry for some firms. This changes today – 3DR has just announced that its Site Scan capture software will now work on DJI drones, starting with the Phantom 4 and eventually expanding from there to support other drones in DJI's product line. This is a big deal for two reasons.

It's easy to get lost in the great pantheon of consumer drones. Even just looking at industry leader DJI's options, there are enough choices to set your head spinning faster than a quadcopter blade. Coming in at a cool $1,800, this marks the top end of what could be considered DJI's consumer line, with the next level up being the $3,000 pro-level Inspire 2. Nice controller with a bright screen comes bundled. Some of the autonomous flight modes are still lacking. The tablet controller isn't as powerful as your phone, and the app experience while streaming video is glitchier too.

While DJI's Phantom 4 Pro strictly targeted filmmakers, folks who wanted that form factor were stuck paying the long dollar ($1,500 - $1,800) for it. Sure, it might've been overshadowed by the company's less expensive Mavic Pro ($749 - $999), but not everyone wants a foldable UAV. That's where the newly announced Phantom 4 Advanced and Advanced come in, offering sizable improvements for less money. Oh and if you were a fan of the base Phantom 4, know that it's being discontinued soon. The Advanced's onboard camera has a 1-inch, 20-megapixel image sensor, larger than the standard Phantom 4's and inline with the Phantom 4 Pro.

A semi-autonomous drone modified with an umbrella canopy promises to shield users from the rain by automatically tracking their movements, but it's a hell of a lot pricier than a regular brolly. Drone retailer DronesDirect lists the creatively named Umbrella Drone, a specially adapted DJI Phantom 4 quadcopter, at a staggering £1,299, down from £1,499. The retailer, meanwhile, is selling the standard Phantom 4 for £997. However, a call to DronesDirect established that the Umbrella Drone is currently still in testing, and isn't available to buy just yet. The designers say the light-hearted creation came about because of the UK's notoriously unpredictable weather, and will be able to cope with even "the most adverse" conditions.

Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. The author is a Forbes contributor. The opinions expressed are those of the writer. So far I haven't gotten on board this whole "drone" thing. You mean remote controlled helicopters?

Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. The author is a Forbes contributor. The opinions expressed are those of the writer.