Happy holidays, dear reader! I hope you've been enjoying time off from work, recharging your batteries, and are happy with however you've chosen to spend the holidays. Downtime from work means you've got time to take your camera or drone out for a spin and be at one with nature.
If you know me or are familiar with my work as a senior reviews writer at Tom's Guide, you'll know that not only do I adore anything related to photography, but I review the best drones and best cameras day in and day out. Few things make me happier than being able to see the world from a bird's eye view.
While 2024 was a great year for drones, 2025 has arguably been better — trust me, I'd know, given that I've reviewed every drone that came out this year. DJI has continued to set new standards with every release, while a new 360-degree drone from Insta360's Antigravity joined the fight. I've taken many videos and photos on every 2025 quadcopter, so as I did last year, I've rounded up my favorite shots. Welcome to my Drone Photography Wrapped 2025!
On December 23, 2025, the FCC banned the import and sale of any new foreign-made drones and components, noting that any entity "posing an unacceptable risk to the national security of the United States or the security and safety of United States persons" would be added to a "Covered List" going forward. Consumers anywhere else, outside of the U.S., will still be able to buy new drones from foreign manufacturers.
Every drone I've tested this year
- DJI Flip : $499 / £369 @ Amazon
- DJI Mavic 4 Pro : $2,699 / £1,879 @ Amazon
- DJI Mini 5 Pro : $759 / £689 @ Amazon
- DJI Neo 2 : $319 @ Adorama / £209 @ Amazon
- DJI Goggles N3 : $229 @ Adorama / £229 @ Amazon
- Antigravity A1 : $1,599 @ Adorama / £1,219 @ Amazon
- HoverAir X1 Pro : $499 / £459 @ Amazon
- HoverAir X1 ProMax : $699 / £639 @ Amazon
- Potensic Atom 2 : $329 / £299 @ Amazon
My best videos on drones
January 2025 was a fantastic month for one reason: DJI came out with the DJI Flip, and as soon as I tested it, I knew it was the best drone for beginners. I loved its propeller guards which give beginner pilots reassurance when flying in tight spaces, detailed and hi-res 48MP stills, and 4K/60fps video. I also adore that it looks like a droid from Star Wars.
2025 also saw DJI set a new gold standard for mini drones with the DJI Mini 5 Pro. Massively improving on its predecessor by introducing a large 1-inch sensor for improved low-light performance, better obstacle avoidance, 225° gimbal rotation, and more packed into a compact body, the Mini 5 Pro is a formidable drone, and one I struggled to put down.
But of course, beginner, amateur and casual pilots weren't the only ones who had all the fun this year. For prosumers and professional content creators, the DJI Mavic 4 Pro was (and still is) the quadcopter to get. Although pricey, the Mavic 4 Pro is worth every cent if you want best-in-class 100MP Hasselblad-powered stills, 6K/30fps video, and a rotating gimbal.
I've captured some of my best footage on the Mavic 4 Pro — primarily because I took it to the beach. But also because thanks to its peerless image stabilization and three-axis mechanical gimbal, I could capture shake-free footage even in extremely windy conditions.
Alongside being a great year for aerial photographers and videographers, 2025 was lovely for those who just wanted to have fun, either solo or with others. It's the year I started enjoying DJI's QuickShot Intelligent Flight modes even more. My partner's family and I took the Mavic 4 Pro to the beach and had a lot of fun with the QuickShot modes, and it helped us create memories we will remember forever.
I've always been a fan of FPV (first-person view) headsets, and I never skip a video of a pilot flying their drone through one of these — so I'm very lucky that I got to try one out myself this year. I reviewed the DJI Goggles N3 paired with the DJI Neo, and it made me realize that I don't want to fly drones with traditional controllers if I can fly them via FPV headsets instead.
The Goggles N3 and the RC Motion 3 motion controller make flying much more immersive, and give you more control over your drone, enabling you to fly in tight spaces and make tricky maneuvers. It's some of the most fun I've had testing a product — and when you're having fun while working, it doesn't really feel like work, does it?
My Drone Photography Wrapped 2025 would be incomplete without me talking about the brand new Antigravity A1, the world's first-ever 360-degree drone. Antigravity is "incubated" by Insta360, so it utilizes the same tech found in the brand's 360-degree cameras, and it's a feat of engineering.
8K/30fps aerial video that can be reframed to 4K in post-production while maintaining hi-res quality is a game-changed for quadcopters, and it shows that DJI needs to pull up its socks. The possibilities are endless, and pilots can get super creative thanks to the ability to capture every single angle. The A1 is a triumph, and I can't wait to see what Antigravity (and DJI) does in 2026.
My best photos on drones
Drones aren't just about videography, of course, and I captured some fantastic stills on this year's quadcopters, as you can see in the gallery above. I especially enjoyed using the DJI Mavic 4 Pro for photography because, well, it's basically a Hasselblad with wings. The drone packs a whopping 100MP camera, making it the best camera drone out there (and I think that'll be hard to beat).
As someone who reviews drones for a living, I can confidently say that 2025 has been the strongest and most exciting year for quadcopters yet — and I have high hopes for 2026. Perhaps we'll see more 360-degree drones to give the Antigravity A1 competition, perhaps there will be more FPV flying ones. Regardless of what happens, rest assured that I will be covering them as and when they come out.
And there you have it, folks. Thanks for tuning into my Drone Photography Wrapped 2025. I wish you all restful holidays, and I will see you next year.
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