Parrot ANAFI Drone Review

The Parrot ANAFI is a 4K drone with many great features. It is light weight fun to fly and has a camera that tilts 180 degrees giving you the ability to look both below and above the drone as you fly. But it does have some shortcomings too. Check out this video where we go through every feature of the ANAFI and talk about the features we like and the design flaws of this highly hyped drone. If you are looking at the ANAFI as a drone you might want to purchase, you should definitely watch this video to help you make up your mind.
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[craigschumacher]

Cons...stop touching the card...it boots up and is transferable via USB so you don’t have to touch it....you learn to remove battery and it doesn’t care if you pull the battery pre initialization....landing is a non issue...the battery indicator shows level warning visibly in color change...no avoidance allows me to get close like I want as a pilot and keeps me engaged...keep the foam protector it came with to protect the sticks...never have had motion blur yet because fast yaws aren’t cinematic on any drone...phone complaint also shows users laziness to not deal with case but if you fly these type of drones you should get a cracked no provider phone and fly with that...no interruptions ever...stop forcing manufacturers to bow down to DJI...the camera capabilities are better then drones at twice the price for no props ever in the shot which is priceless in post....I’ve got over 200 flawless flights with the Anafi that are way more fun and creative then any other camera I’ve put in the air...and you skipped mentioning dolly zoom completely which is a home run for close shots in music videos...so I’m sorry but your cons are a bit nit picky and feels like an attempt to keep the DJI zealots happy.
I’m stoked that Parrot stays their course...here is the real negatives:
The remote is heavy and unbalanced with phone so it needs a neck strap but they left no place for it. I’ve modded a Yuneec four point strap to work by hot gluing small screw eyes into recessed holes for remote screws in the back.
It needs a hood and this is where the phone mount gets in the way...
You can damage the blades if you aren’t careful closing the case lid as they can get crushed if not aligned with the lid molding.
The file labeling and date stamping is confusing and you cannot change the file name if you want it in the gallery so you must upload those first to your mobile device if you want a quick view and post from phone.
There is no documentation on many features of the app so there is a learning curve...
Don’t expect perfect position in winds and it’s not precise in RTH.
Parrot has excellent customer service and are easy to reach and talk with actual techs.

[tjsnell]

As an ANAFI owner I think this review is spot on, but I'd like to give the reasons why I'm extremely happy with the drone. It all comes down to priorities of what you're looking for. First off, I want it to be as quiet as possible and it's extremely quiet. Next for me was portability and lack of additional cables/equipment needed. Having USB-C charging is fantastic. Next up in importance was camera quality, and it's pretty good! Heck, the Mavic Pro 2 doesn't have 4k 60fps, just 30fps same as the ANAFI. It always seems odd to me how many people care about image quality that haven't done post production in their entire life. Lastly, customer support, and Parrot has been fantastic thus far.

So those are my priorities, maybe yours are different, and that's fine! If I decide this isn't just a fun hobby a few days a month and I go and spend the $300 on Final Cut Pro, well, I'll be buying a Mavic Pro 2 (but don't get me started on how many people mention the word Hasselblad without knowing what part of that camera they made because nobody knows). But until then, the ANAFI has been rock solid after just about 100 flights and a dozen hours of footage. Hit me up with any questions about it as well. Like this reviewer I try to be as objective as possible and I'm happy to provide honest feedback.

[MrJesusenciso]

With all due respect, it is the most trending review I've seen in the ready set drone, with more focus on the negative things.

[jorgem]

Just bought the Anafi. Previously used two mavic pros for two years. I love the Anafi so much more. Best of all, NO NFZ!

[europeanslivingabroad]

You don’t ever have to take out the SD card. You simply connect the powered on Anafi to your Computer via the USB-C port and offload your footage. Most of the yaw stutter results from the high shutter and can be improved by using ND filters.
Honestly the Anafi has a better camera and more pro features than the Mavic Air as long as you know how to shoot in manual mode. The Anafi supports eg. DCI 4K and Log mode, which the Mavic Air doesn’t. So if someone is serious about the actual filmmaking and creative options the Anafi is the clear winner...

[LorenzoL]

I got this drone for Christmas and it is amazing. Easy and efficient in every condition. I would recommend it 100%. Of course it isn’t perfect but this is definitely close to it!

[nickferdinande]

I don't know why I find it so funny but it looks like you have antennas LOL

[hessybear]

Thanks for the review
I think anafi have done a great job, I've had mine for 3 weeks managed to get a steal £100 cheaper new.
So extra battery and some change left !
Some friends have the Mavic air and let's just say they want my drone now .
That air sounds horrible so intrusive.
My footage looks better then air and props in shot is just a no no no !
Yes feels little cheaper but it has flex it's its construction this I am sure will.be a benefit should you crash . I've test crashed mine a few times at low height . And it holds its own .
The obstacle avoidance means nothing I'm most likely to crash whilst flying left or right where the air would crash also, just like my friend did last week, it drains the battery as well . Just be careful and mindful of what you're doing .
SD card hmm they could have put more thought there, but tbf I put my 128gb in and never touch it . It plugs straight to PC or downloads to my phone or tablet.
It's fantastic and well worth its price I would be happy at £630 asking UK .

[DroneHDTV]

Thanks, as a pilot CAA trained in the UK enjoy your videos. I got one for fun! thanks for your video

[pmhnic]

Best Buy has them for $599. The things that pushed my to the Anafi were it's similar features to the Mavic and (this is a big one) the DJI no fly zones. That feature, even with the ability to get them unlocked by contacting DJI on an as needed basis really killed it for me given the number of airspace restrictions in the northeast U.S. I have a part 107 license and for the most part can get a waiver from the FAA via LAANC almost immediately (which I would always do if I'm going to fly in controlled airspace). One big brother is enough for me.

[AerialLensVideo]

THANKS for this review!
The TWO main reasons my opinion is with the Anafi and not with the Mavic Air (or any DJI semi pro product) are
1. The Anafi can fly into the wind/go fast and look up without any sort of propeller impingement onto the recorded camera image;
2. It does not have the draconian (and very unreliable) "no fly" fencing in the DJI models. I would venture a guess that a good many airspace authorized DJI owners are sick of that often unwelcome and time consuming overlord authority, in spite of their wonderful great flying machines.

[rymn]

A 4k hdr sony sensor lossless zoom 180 degree tilt camera, 2.5 mile range, 25 minute flight time drone at the spark price point of $399 ??? Are you kidding ! I beleive $600 is the sweet spot. Parrot just held a limited promo for $600 with an extra battery, now thats a deal.

[arnierosen]

I enjoy your comments and videos and find them most informative bit you made one mistake an important one at that. The anafi sells for 599 all over the US and not 700. So it is priced right. I will be purchasing one sometime this month. Best buy has the drone and so does Amazon. One point that you didn't mention is that as with all parrot products they can be taken apart and reassembled with only a screwdriver. All motors plug in motherboard fan antennaslig on armslug in -- no soldering involved. Thru are made for the consumer to reassemble and parts can be purchased from parrot. Now to be honest I fly the mavic air and there really is no comparison but for 599 it is a fair deal. Love your videos and conclusions. Keep the great job!!

[pmhnic]

In my opinion most of the cons are minor in nature versus the major pros of the Anafi. Those pros are the Anafi is very quiet (just about unnoticed once you're 25 feet away), 180 camera angle, no corporately imposed no fly zones, no spoiled shots because propellers got in the way, very easy flight application and at this point (I've had the Anafi since January) no updates which I hear is a constant complaint with DJI products. The price at this time is $599 so in the range mentioned in the review as a competitive price point.

[mattball]

Anafi is our choice of drone for roof inspections, soffits, and so on. Great camera, zoom is outstandingly good. Nice that you can do that, put it on screen and show clients what is going on. Best for inspecting chimneys. mortar cracks, and other things. We used DJI drones for this prior, but Anafi is so quiet and so good at what it does, we leave the DJI gear in the truck. For real estate, this drone is outstanding for indoor. Very stable, nice flight, and again if a room has vaulted ceilings and you want to get that dolly view, this $600 or so drone has it all in spades.

[NMOSG]

Thanks for making this very helpful video. Love my Anafi and your video helps remind me of these outstanding features!

[SCAerialsSteveCarpenter]

Kelly, Outstanding review and testing of the ANAFI! As always, your reviews are well balanced and without prejudice. This was the best review on this drone I've seen to date, it has a lot of benefits and some shortfalls, but you've brought everything to the table so a person looking to purchase this drone can do so with confidence. Thanks for the very good review!

[Sterlin]

You mentioned something about the controller and the sticks not coming off. I sit here on my desk and loo at my SkyController 2 that I use for my Parrot bebop 1 and my ScyController 3 for my ANAFI and I noticed that I can take my sticks off on my SkyController 2. I am wondering why they didn't put the feature on the SC3 because the SC2 is way less portable. Since the Bebops are very cheap now. I would recommend that you source one and fly that around for a feel and check out the gimble setup on it as well. I think that is a drone that is very under rated especially for the price that you can get them now.

[dharlow]

As far as the camera looking up 90 degrees...it is a great application for real estate photographers and videographers. It gives us the ability to give our clients angles and shots that no other drone can provide, especially when filming in cameraman mode.

[Andrew.Stuart]

Been waiting for this, thank you. I look forward to the head to head comparison with the Spark.