Any 'affordable' thermal imaging drones out there?

Hey folks,

I’m currently using a DJI Mini 3 Pro, but it doesn’t come with thermal imaging. I’m on the lookout for a drone that has thermal capabilities and isn’t insanely expensive, or maybe an attachment that I could add to my current setup. Any suggestions?

There’s nothing affordable when it comes to thermal imaging drones… believe me, I’ve looked.

Joss said:
There’s nothing affordable when it comes to thermal imaging drones… believe me, I’ve looked.

Are you sure you checked properly? What exactly are your ‘checking’ credentials? Got any examples to share that show how you came to that conclusion?

@Milan
Here’s my official checking credentials

Joss said:
@Milan
Here’s my official checking credentials

Haha, you got me!

Joss said:
@Milan
Here’s my official checking credentials

Is this link certified?

@Milan
He probably used a drone built specifically for price-checking drones. That’s how he knows.

@Milan
Lol, nice one.

@Milan
I swear, that’s exactly how I feel about these kinds of questions.

Parker said:
@Milan
I swear, that’s exactly how I feel about these kinds of questions.

Trust me, I’m on your side.

Milan said:

Parker said:
@Milan
I swear, that’s exactly how I feel about these kinds of questions.

Trust me, I’m on your side.

But how can we trust you? Credentials, please. We don’t take trust lightly around here.

Thermal and ‘affordable’ don’t usually go together. Trust me, I have the same drone, and when my dad asked me to turn on the thermal to find a lost calf… well, we had a good laugh about that.

NV/thermal and ‘affordable’ don’t mix.

Finley said:
NV/thermal and ‘affordable’ don’t mix.

Are you aware that technology is getting cheaper over time? You won’t be able to say stuff like that forever.

Kiran said:

Finley said:
NV/thermal and ‘affordable’ don’t mix.

Are you aware that technology is getting cheaper over time? You won’t be able to say stuff like that forever.

Sure, tech gets cheaper, but the question was about what’s available now, not in the future. That saying exists for a reason… because it’s still mostly true.

Your best bet would probably be a Mavic 2 Enterprise Advanced. But even that’s around $4K, so yeah, not exactly cheap.

If you’re looking for a decent thermal drone, your best options are the Autel Evo II Dual 640T or DJI Mavic 2/3 with the thermal add-ons. Even then, you’re still looking at $2K or more. If you can save up a bit more, aim for the $3K-$4K range. Personally, I think DJI does thermal better than Autel.

Yet another post asking for ‘affordable’ without giving a budget… Mavic Enterprise might be what you need. There, I said it.

I looked at the Mavic Enterprise Dual, but the lowest price I found was close to $2K :flushed:

Zahari said:
I looked at the Mavic Enterprise Dual, but the lowest price I found was close to $2K :flushed:

Honestly, $2K isn’t too bad. My Air 2S was about $1K just for the drone itself. So $2K for thermal sounds about right.