DIY: How to build your Own Custom Drone

Aerial photography used to be this giant production, requiring almost the amount of manpower you’d find in a typical film crew. Now, with the growing accessibility of drones, amateur and professionals alike are taking to the skies to get that perfect shot.

But, before you dive into the world of drone photography head first, you may want to consider making some customizations to your unit. For one, drones won’t automatically come equipped with the kind of preferences you’d get from your usual tripod/camera combo.

So, for all you DIY photo buffs out there, here are some tips to help you build your own custom drone.

Figure Out What Size You’ll Need

If you’re using an expensive camera, you’ll want a drone that can both carry the full weight of the camera, as well as protect against damage. Consider how many motors you’ll want attached to your copter — 4, 6, 8? It’s up to you, but consider building in redundancies for when all else fails. Here’s a look at the pros and cons of quad, hexa, and octacopters.

Building Your Drone

While most drones you’ll find are quadcopters with an x-frame, but you may want to look into a different design, depending on the type of camera you’re using. Here’s a guide from Penn State that delves into the steps needed to build your own quadcopter, which dives into sensors and receivers, as well as essential items like mounting your motors and more.

What You’ll Need

Whether you’ve got a ready-to-fly drone or are making your own, you’ll need a few items (aside from your camera) in order to make this a legitimate photography drone.

FPV Goggles

Because you’ll need to see what you’re doing, FPV (or first person view) kits are essential to drone photography. FPV goggles will allow you to see the world as though you are on the drone, allowing you to get your shot just right.

Gimbal

The gimbal is the apparatus that essentially functions as a mount for the camera. You’ll want to find a gimbal that can be supported by the drone frame, along with the weight of your camera. Additionally, you’ll want to consider how many axes the gimbal has—a two-axis model allows for the users to pan and tilt the camera, but a three-axis model offers more flexibility, enabling the user to rotate the camera in several different directions.

One more thing—knowing the type of camera you plan on attaching to the gimbal is key in selecting the right one. You can spend less on a hobby-grade gimbal if you’re planning on using something basic like a GoPro, but a nicer DSLR camera will require a heavier duty unit.

Radio

You’ll need a radio transmitter and receiver, too, which will send video to your FPV goggles or on a screen.

Or, if you’re looking for a drone that comes equipped with a camera, check out the Dronethusiast.com, guide to drones with cameras for a look at the best picks for aerial photography capabilities.

Now, it’s worth saying that before you start building or upgrading your drone, learn to fly the device before attaching a camera or any expensive gear.