What's The Best Drone?

Whether you're just looking to have a little R/C fun, maybe map your neighborhood, or just make awesome aerial videos, a good drone—or quadcopter, depending on what you prefer—can be a good (but pricey) investment. They're all the rage, but we want to know if any of you are on the bandwagon, and which models you prefer.

To be fair, it's not like personal drones are totally mainstream yet. Even so, there are tons of articles with best picks for your flying needs, and even more models turning up at electronics conferences and trade shows. This week, let's talk about which ones you guys think are the best—and most importantly, which models you can easily buy and fly on your own (that means no nominations for Predators or Global Reapers, okay?) Sound off in the discussions below!

Let's hear your vote in the discussions below! To cast your vote, follow these guidelines:

1. Follow this format for your vote, including the bold print. If you don't, it won't be counted:

   A PHOTO OR SCREENSHOT OF THE BEST DRONE
   
   

   Vote: [BEST DRONE]

   Why: Explain why this model is the one you think is the best, or the one you'd choose! Maybe it has great battery life, both in the air and for its associated remote control. Maybe it's easy to control, or has standard camera mounts for GoPros or anything else you may want to attach. Maybe it's affordable, or just great for beginners. What makes it the one you'd recommend to others, and why? Make your case!

2. Don't duplicate nominations! Instead, if someone's nominated your pick, star (recommend) it to give it a boost, and reply with your story instead.
3. Please don't leave non-entry, direct comments on this post. They'll just get pushed down. Save your stories for others' submissions!

If you're not sure what we mean, just check out the nominations by our writers below. We'll give you a head start, and they should all be in the proper format, so you can just follow our lead.

The Hive Five is our weekly series where you vote on your favorite apps and tools for any given job. Have a suggestion for a topic? Send us an email at tips+hivefive@lifehacker.com!

Photo by Don McCullough.