I’ve been doing trail running for about a year now and I’m thinking about getting a drone to record my runs, especially in the moorlands. I need something that can follow me or my phone without manual control and avoid obstacles like trees. The big issue is battery life—I’d love 90 minutes or more, but I’m not sure that exists.
Is this idea realistic or am I asking for too much?
You’re not going to find a drone with that kind of battery life. You’ll need to carry a few batteries, which isn’t hard with a small backpack.
I run trails and dabble with drones and YouTube. A DJI Mini Pro 4 could work, but it only has about 30 minutes of flight per battery depending on conditions.
If this is for YouTube, shorter videos are better. People tend to enjoy a mix of running footage, some commentary about how it felt, and a few great drone shots. A full 90 minutes of drone footage might be too much.
@William
Yeah, I usually lose interest after 3 minutes of straight drone footage. Most of the time it’s just unedited vacation stuff.
@William
Thanks for the input! It’s not for YouTube—just for personal use. I thought it’d be cool to have nice footage of the places I run without worrying about obstacles while running.
Seems like the tech isn’t quite there yet, which is fine. Honestly, you all probably saved me some money and hassle, so I appreciate it.
@Riley
The tech can do most of what you want except for the flight time. Maybe try a Neo—it’s only about $175.
@Riley
The DJI Mini3 Pro or Mini4 Pro could work. Both weigh under 250g, so no FAA license needed if you’re not using the footage commercially. But yeah, you’ll have to land and swap batteries a couple of times to get 90 minutes.
Changing batteries on the DJI Neo is super quick, and the batteries are small enough to carry easily. You might just need to stop every 15 minutes or so, or even swap while walking.
Thanks for the quick advice! I’m just starting to explore this idea, and you’ve all helped me a lot. I appreciate it.
The DJI Neo checks almost all the boxes except for flight time.
Mackenzie said:
The DJI Neo checks almost all the boxes except for flight time.
Fingers crossed for a Neo 2 or maybe a Mini 5 with all the features of the Neo.
The DJI Neo could work, but the battery life isn’t great. It’s about $200, and you don’t need a controller. You’ll need to keep an eye on it to ensure it follows you.
Check out this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rC0JwdbfvHw
The best battery life I’ve seen is 53 minutes with the Ruko F11GIM2.
The Mini Pro 4 is decent but might lose you if trees block its view.
Rowan said:
The Mini Pro 4 is decent but might lose you if trees block its view.
No drone realistically does more than 40 minutes on one battery. The Mini’s batteries are easy to swap, but 90 minutes of raw footage is a lot to sift through. Maybe focus on filming the most scenic parts and mix in clips from a GoPro or phone.
Maybe bring a friend with a GoPro instead?
Most drones max out at about 30-60 minutes of air time. If you’re in the US, there’s also an FAA rule against drones that automatically follow you.
A drone that lasts 90 minutes or 2 hours doesn’t exist, unfortunately.
90 minutes? Ha, this forum always cracks me up. Next, someone will ask for an EV that goes 1000 miles on one charge.
Even for personal use, 2 hours of footage is a lot. It’s like filming a whole concert instead of just the highlights. A DJI Neo might suit your needs. It’s compact, follows you, and works with or without a phone. Battery life is about 10 minutes, but you can carry spares.