The integration of drones into professional environments has profoundly transformed practices in a variety of sectors, including surveying, mapping, agriculture and technical inspection. However, there is a key question for companies and operators: should they invest in the purchase of a drone, or opt for rental? This article examines the main criteria to consider in order to help you make a strategic choice tailored to your operational needs.
Buying a professional drone
Buying a professional drone can quickly become a complex process. The market offers a wide variety of models and sensors, whose characteristics have a direct impact on data quality and the relevance of results. Without the right support, it’s easy to acquire equipment that quickly proves obsolete or ill-suited to your real needs. That’s why, in this section, we offer you an overview of the main steps to consider for a well-considered and strategic purchase.
Things to check before you buy
What’s the budget for a professional drone?
With the rapid evolution of the drone market, there is now a drone to suit every budget. However, it is essential to define a realistic budget, taking into account not only the purchase price of the drone, but also the ancillary costs that are often indispensable to its operation. These include the purchase of SD cards, additional batteries, ND filters, spare propellers and insurance adapted to professional use. Anticipating these costs will help you avoid unpleasant surprises and plan an investment in line with your operational needs.
What do I need?
There’s no point in going for the most expensive drone or sensor if its performance exceeds your expectations or isn’t suited to your missions. Instead, choose equipment based on concrete criteria such as video resolution, image quality,autonomy, size, weight, and above all theoperating environment (urban areas, rugged terrain, forest environments, etc.). If you need help defining these parameters, our expert advisers are at your disposal to help you choose the most appropriate equipment.
Training time
Using a drone for professional purposes can’t be improvised. It usually involves technical and regulatorytraining to ensure safe operation and compliance with Transport Canada. Investing time in specialized training can help you master drone functionalities, improve the quality of your missions and open the door to new opportunities in your sector.
The advantages and disadvantages
Buying a drone gives you full autonomy over the use of your equipment. You own it, which means you can operate it freely, integrate it into an existing fleet or adapt it to your own internal needs, provided you have the technical skills required for its use. This solution is particularly advantageous if you already have a trained and operational team.
On the other hand, if these skills are not present in your organization, the purchase can quickly lead to constraints. In particular, you’ll need to plan for regular maintenance, software updates, and be able to manage any repairs. In the event of failure or breakage, the unavailability of the drone can slow down your projects, especially if certain spare parts are difficult to obtain within a reasonable timeframe.
Drone rental: a flexible and strategic solution
The drone rental has become an increasingly sought-after option, both for professionals and for enthusiasts of aerial technology. It provides access to highly specialized equipment without having to assume the costs and responsibilities associated with acquiring, maintaining or updating the equipment.
Whether for aerial photography, precision mapping, industrial inspection or audiovisual production, our rental services offer a range of drones to suit every type of application. This solution also makes it possible to test different models before a possible purchase, or to temporarily dispose of a more powerful drone for a specific mission.
By calling on DroneXpertsusers benefit not only from access to the latest generation of professional drones, but also from personalized local support. Our team puts at your disposal its technical expertise, its mastery of operating environments and its in-depth knowledge of aviation regulations specific to Quebec, to guarantee efficient, safe and compliant operations.
Our selection of drones for purchase and rental in Quebec
DJI Mini 4 Pro
The DJI Mini 4 Pro is the latest model in DJI’s Mini series, designed to combine portability, ease of use and advanced functionality. Weighing less than 249 grams, it is positioned in a category that allows it to avoid certain regulatory obligations in Canada, while retaining capabilities close to those of professional drones.
Featuring a 1/1.3-inch CMOS sensor, the Mini 4 Pro captures images with a resolution of up to 48 megapixels, and shoots in 4K at 60 fps, making it perfectly suited to detailed aerial photography, even in varying light conditions.
Its OcuSync 4.0 transmission technology ensures a maximum range of 10 kilometers, with a stable connection and minimal latency, offering great freedom of maneuver. Flight autonomy reaches up to 34 minutes, enabling extended capture sessions without frequent interruptions.
Designed with safety in mind, the DJI Mini 4 Pro is equipped with three-way obstacle avoidance sensors (front, rear and bottom), enhancing flight reliability, especially in complex or restricted environments.
Compact, powerful and affordable, the Mini 4 Pro is an ideal solution for professionals on the move, or users who want a high-performance drone without compromising on lightness and regulation.
DJI Mavic 3 Ciné
The DJI Mavic 3 Ciné is the tool of choice for audiovisual professionals, filmmakers and content creators in search of exceptional image quality. Designed to meet the most demanding standards of video production, it features a dual-camera system, with a Hasselblad 4/3 CMOS sensor for faithful color reproduction and excellent light management. This is complemented by a telephoto camera for precise long-distance shots, without compromising quality.
The Cine version stands out for its ability to record in Apple ProRes 422 HQ up to 5.1K at 50 fps, meeting the demands of professional production workflows. To accompany these voluminous formats, the drone is equipped with a 1TB internal SSD, guaranteeing smooth, reliable storage of footage shot in high resolution.
In terms of flight performance, the Mavic 3 Ciné offers up to 46 minutes of autonomy and benefits from O3+ transmission for a range of up to 15 kilometers, ensuring optimum stability and responsiveness in flight. Its omnidirectional obstacle detection enhances safety, allowing the pilot to concentrate fully on creative and precise framing.
This makes the DJI Mavic 3 Ciné the ideal solution for professionals looking for a high-performance, reliable drone perfectly suited to the demands of high-quality film and TV production.
The DJI Mavic 3 Enterprise
The DJI Mavic 3 Enterprise is a drone specifically designed to meet the operational requirements of technical, industrial and institutional sectors. Available in two versions: Mavic 3E and Mavic 3T. It offers targeted solutions for a variety of applications, from precision mapping to thermal inspection and emergency response.
The Mavic 3E is equipped with a 20 MP wide-angle camera with mechanical shutter, perfectly suited to photogrammetry and aerial mapping missions. Its ability to capture sharp, precise images, even in low-light conditions, makes it particularly effective for fast, reliable topographic surveys.
The Mavic 3T, meanwhile, integrates a thermal camera in addition to the visual camera, offering a complete solution for technical inspections, infrastructure surveillance and search and rescue operations. This combination enables detailed thermal analysis while maintaining an excellent contextual view of the scene.
Both versions are compatible with an RTK module, ensuring the centimetric precision essential for demanding missions. With a flight autonomy of up to 45 minutes and a transmission range of up to 15 km, the Mavic 3 Enterprise guarantees high operational efficiency, even over vast areas.
Designed for intensive professional use, it also features omnidirectional obstacle-avoidance sensors and an OcuSync Enterprise transmission system for safe, stable flying, even in complex environments.
In short, the DJI Mavic 3 Enterprise offers an optimum combination of performance, reliability and versatility, making it an essential tool for professionals in surveying, inspection, public safety and beyond.
The DJI Matrice 350
The DJI Matrice 350 RTK is the latest-generation professional aerial solution, designed to meet the demanding requirements of the industrial, institutional and technical sectors. Designed for extended operations, it boasts a flight autonomy of up to 55 minutes, providing extensive coverage for mapping, inspection and surveillance missions.
Its high payload capacity enables the simultaneous integration of a wide range of sensors, including LiDAR modules, thermal and multispectral cameras, and photogrammetric systems. This compatibility makes the Matrice 350 RTK particularly suitable for complex projects requiring multi-dimensional data collection.
The integrated RTK system guarantees centimeter-level accuracy, essential for applications in surveying, precision agriculture, critical infrastructure inspection or advanced 3D modeling. Thanks to its IP55 protection rating, the drone withstands rain, dust and harsh environments, ensuring stable operation in variable weather conditions.
Its modular design facilitates maintenance, sensor configuration and platform upgrades, while reducing downtime. Combined with an OcuSync Enterprise transmission system, a DJI RC Plus intelligent controller, and advanced hardware redundancy, the Matrice 350 RTK represents one of the most reliable, high-performance platforms available to drone professionals today.
The DJI Matrice 30 & 30T
The DJI Matrice 30 series, comprising the M30 and M30T models, marks a new advance in compact industrial drones. Designed to combine portability and power, these drones are distinguished by their foldable design, making them easy to transport and rapidly deploy in the field, without compromising on performance.
The M30 incorporates a multi-sensor sensor system comprising a wide-angle camera, an optical zoom camera and a laser rangefinder for precise distance measurements. The M30T adds a thermal camera, providing essential thermal analysis capability for search and rescue or thermal inspection operations.
With a flight autonomy of up to 41 minutes, both models offer reliable endurance for critical missions. Their IP55 protection rating ensures high resistance to dust, water and harsh weather conditions. Operating over a wide temperature range, they can be used in hostile and unpredictable environments.
OcuSync 3 Enterprise transmission guarantees a stable, secure connection even over long distances, which is essential for operations in urban, rural or remote areas.
Thanks to their compactness, robustness and versatility, the DJI Matrice 30 and 30T are particularly well suited to sectors such as public safety,infrastructure inspection, emergency response, disaster management and industrial surveillance. They represent a reliable, high-performance solution for professionals looking for a drone that’s easy to deploy and suited to complex environments.
The WingtraOne GEN II
The WingtraOne GEN II is a fixed-wing drone with vertical take-off and landing (VTOL), combining the advantages of two architectures: the flight performance of a fixed-wing aircraft and the operational flexibility of a multirotor. This unique configuration enables vertical take-off and landing without the need for specific infrastructure, making it ideally suited to missions in constrained or rugged terrain.
With a flight autonomy of up to 59 minutes, the WingtraOne GEN II can cover up to 1,100 hectares in a single flight at a resolution of 3 cm/pixel, making it one of the most efficient drones on the market for large-scale aerial mapping.
It is compatible with high-precision imaging sensors, such as the 42 MP Sony RX1R II, guaranteeing exceptional quality deliverables for 3D modeling, orthophotos and detailed topographic surveys. Its integrated PPK GNSS system ensures centimetric accuracy without the need for ground control points (GCPs), considerably reducing set-up time and costs in the field.
Thanks to its robustness, accuracy and ability to cover vast areas, WingtraOne GEN II is the solution of choice for professionals in surveying, mining, construction, natural resource management and the environment. It is a powerful lever for organizations seeking to optimize their geospatial operations while guaranteeing the quality and reliability of the data they collect.
Rental service for sensors, cameras and LiDAR.
At DroneXperts, we offer professionals a rental service for specialized sensors and cameras, to meet one-off, strategic or exploratory needs, without heavy initial investment. This service allows you to benefit fromhigh-performance equipment, regularly updated and perfectly maintained, to guarantee data quality and reliability in the field.
We offer several sensors for rental from the DJI Enterprise range, compatible with platforms such as the DJI Matrice 350 RTK, according to the specific needs of each mission:
- The Zenmuse L2is a complete LiDAR solution incorporating a laser module, a 4/3 RGB sensor and a high-precision IMU. It is ideal for 3D terrain modeling, forestry surveys and volumetric analysis.
- The Zenmuse H30Tlatest-generation multi-sensor camera combines a powerful optical zoom, a radiometric thermal camera, a long-range laser rangefinder and an advanced night mode. It is a reference tool for public safety interventions, technical inspections or environmental monitoring.
- The Zenmuse H20is more compact but just as versatile, incorporating a zoom camera, a wide-angle camera and a laser rangefinder. It is ideally suited to industrial inspection, rapid mapping and visual reconnaissance missions.
- The Zenmuse P1featuring a 45 MP full-frame sensor with global shutter, is specifically designed for high-precision aerial photogrammetry, with maximum efficiency over large areas.
Thanks to the flexibility of rental, you have access to specialized sensors for short or medium-term assignments, without having to commit long-term capital. What’s more, our team will support you in your choice of equipment, technical configuration and, if necessary, training in its use.
Things to remember
The choice betweenpurchasing or leasing a professional drone depends closely on the needs and circumstances of each individual user or company. Purchasing a drone offers the advantage of having the equipment permanently available, enabling unlimited use and customization to specific needs. This can be particularly beneficial for companies that regularly use drones as part of their operations, ensuring total control over the equipment and long-term cost amortization.
However, the purchase involves a substantial initial investment, accompanied by additional costs for training, maintenance, technological upgrades and insurance. What’s more, the speed with which technologies evolve can render equipment obsolete within a few years, necessitating new investments to stay at the cutting edge.
On the other hand, drone rental offers financial and operational flexibility. It provides access to a wide range of state-of-the-art equipment without the high acquisition costs, ideal for one-off projects or for testing different models before committing to a purchase. Leasing often includes additional services such as technical support, training and sometimes even a certified pilot, making it easy to integrate the drone into your projects without the need for extensive prior expertise.
However, leasing can have limitations in terms of equipment availability and customization, and can result in high cumulative costs if used frequently or over the long term. It also implies dependence on the service provider for maintenance and equipment availability.
So it’s essential to carefully weigh the pros and cons of each option against your specific needs, frequency of use, available budget and long-term goals. A thorough analysis of these elements will enable you to make an informed decision, aligned with your operational and financial priorities, whether to buy or lease a professional drone.
FAQ – Frequently asked questions
Do I need a permit to fly a drone?
Yes, in Canada, it’s mandatory to have a drone pilot certificate issued by Transport Canada if your drone weighs between 250 g and 25 kg. There are two types of certificate: basic operations and advanced operationsdepending on the environment in which you plan to fly.
Do I have to register my drone?
Yes, any drone weighing between 250 g and 25 kg must be registered with Transport Canada. The registration number must be affixed in a visible place on the aircraft.
What licence-free drone?
Only drones weighing less than 250 g, such as certain models in the DJI Mini series, can be flown without a pilot’s license. However, even without a permit, users must comply with current safety regulations, notably concerning airspace, privacy and restricted areas.
Where can I fly my drone in Canada?
You must fly your drone in authorized areas, away from airports, heliports, airfields and restricted zones. The NAV Drone application is the recommended tool for checking airspace and planning your flights in full compliance.
What’s the best drone for photo shooting?
For high-quality aerial photography, models such as the DJI Mavic 3or the Mavic 3 Pro are often recommended. They feature large-format sensors, excellent image dynamics and high resolution, ideal for professional results.
Which drone to choose for optimum video quality?
For advanced video performance, the DJI Mavic 3 Ciné is a benchmark, thanks in particular to its Apple ProRes compatibility, Hasselblad camera and 5.1K recording at 50 fps. It’s particularly well suited to content creators, videographers and professional audiovisual productions.