Drone technology has evolved tremendously over the years, with manufacturers churning out almost unbelievably advanced quadcopters capable of doing amazing things. Of particular interest are drone cameras, which are now state-of-the-art and capable of taking extremely sharp photos and videos from great distances. Most of the time, how far a drone can see is an issue. Everyone likes their privacy, no one likes someone monitoring them with a drone from far away.

Some drone cameras can see great distances, while some can’t see at all. Here’s why some drones can see farther than others, and how far they can actually see.

What Influence The Distance Of A Drone Camera can See?

There are four main factors that determine how far a drone can actually see. I’ve included some examples so it’s easy to see how they affect the field of view of the drone camera.

• Digital Zoom

The range of drone cameras is quite wide. Unless it’s very close to something, it won’t see much unless it zooms in.

Digital zoom is what most drones use to zoom in, and it does this by cropping the image. The more you zoom in, the worse the image quality. You can only zoom in about 5x on a drone camera without getting a very poor-quality image.

• Higher Resolution

If the drone camera has a higher resolution, you can get better quality when zooming in.

• Optical Zoom

To solve the quality problem of digital zoom, some cameras use optical zoom.

The only downside to optical zoom is that it needs to be on a second camera. iPhones have optical zoom, that’s why they have two or three cameras.

• Amount of Light

People can’t see in the dark, and neither can drones. Even in a dimly lit room, the drone camera can’t see the piece of paper on the wall unless it’s very close.

• Terrain and Obstacles 

Drones cannot penetrate solid objects. So if you’re flying in an area with lots of obstacles and uneven terrain, chances are the drone camera won’t see that far.

• Quality of drone cameras 

Different drones are equipped with cameras with different capabilities. Some drone cameras can see farther than others due to their superior quality.

• Air conditions during flight 

Flight conditions can also affect how far the drone camera can see. If it’s raining and windy, the drone camera’s image quality will suffer and the range will be shortened, but if the sky is clear, it will be able to capture sharp images from far away.

To sum up, if there are no obstructions and flying conditions are ideal, a normal drone camera can usually see 1500-2000 feet away during the day. However, this number depends on the quality of the cameras mounted on the drone. Better quality cameras can be seen on pricier drones, while lower quality drone cameras can see farther.

How Far Can a Drone Camera See?

To sum up, if there are no obstructions and flying conditions are ideal, a normal drone camera can usually see 1500-2000 feet away during the day. However, this number depends on the quality of the cameras mounted on the drone. Better quality cameras can be seen on pricier drones, and lower quality drone cameras can see fart

How Far Can a Normal Drone Camera See?

Most drone cameras are different, so the numbers we give here will vary from drone camera to drone camera. A typical drone can see up to 165 feet (50 meters) away at night. After this distance, the drone camera will only see blurry images that are unrecognizable. Unless your drone camera is equipped with night vision, it can only see well-lit objects at night.

While there are more expensive drones on the market with better lenses and zoom capabilities, they cost tens of thousands of dollars to get sharper images at night from 165 feet away. At this distance, it’s difficult for drone cameras to see exactly what you’re doing. If the drone does get close, you’ll most likely hear the sound of the propellers, in which case you’ll know you’re being watched.

How Far Can A Drone Zoom In?

As we’ve already discussed, drone cameras can see 1500-2000 feet during the day and 165 feet at night. For the most part, that seems impressive, but you can’t help but wonder if that’s the same number for a drone camera with zoom. So how far can drone cameras zoom?

Many drone cameras offer digital zoom capabilities, which means image quality suffers (downsizing) when in use. Only a few drones offer an optical zoom option.

A 2x zoom lens will double the distance at which you can get a sharp image, but even that level of zoom is limited by the factors mentioned above (weather conditions, obstacles, lighting, etc.).

Final Thoughts

The distance a drone camera can see depends on the resolution of the camera, its optical zoom capabilities, and how close it is.

For example, a drone hovering at 400 feet can see if you’re walking into your backyard, but it won’t be able to see what you’re reading unless it’s hovering right above you.