The Parrot Anafi is a compact and foldable drone that promises impressive features for aerial photography and videography. With its 4K HDR video recording and 21 MP photos, it’s designed to capture stunning visuals from the sky. But does this drone live up to the hype? This review will delve into the Anafi’s performance, features, and overall value, examining its strengths and weaknesses to help you decide if it’s the right drone for your needs.

One of the Anafi’s standout features is its unique 180° tilting camera. This allows for creative shots that wouldn’t be possible with a fixed-angle camera, such as vertical shots without requiring the drone to flip. The Anafi also boasts a 2.8x lossless zoom, enabling you to get closer to your subject without physically moving the drone. While these features are certainly impressive, how well do they translate to real-world use?

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Beyond its technical specifications, the Anafi offers a user-friendly experience. The intuitive controls and straightforward interface make it easy to navigate and operate, even for beginners. Its compact size and portability also make it ideal for travel and on-the-go adventures. However, the Anafi’s battery life falls short compared to some competitors, and its price point may seem steep for some users.

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This review will explore the Parrot Anafi in detail, covering its flight performance, image quality, ease of use, and more. We’ll also compare it to other popular drones in the market and assess whether its innovative features and design justify its price tag. So, if you’re considering investing in a drone for capturing stunning aerial footage, read on to find out if the Parrot Anafi is the right choice for you.

Name:	Parrot Anafi
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Rating:	4.3 out of 5 stars
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Table of Contents

Parrot Anafi: A Comprehensive Review

The Parrot Anafi is a compact and portable drone that offers impressive camera quality and flight performance for its price point. Its sleek, foldable design makes it easy to pack and transport, while its lightweight build allows for extended flight times.

The Anafi’s standout feature is its 21MP camera, which boasts a 1/2.3″ sensor and a 4K video recording capability at 30fps. The camera is mounted on a 3-axis gimbal that provides smooth, stable footage, even in windy conditions. The Anafi also features a unique “cable cam” mode that allows you to capture cinematic shots with smooth, slow-motion movements.

In terms of flight performance, the Anafi is highly maneuverable and responsive, thanks to its powerful motors and advanced flight control system. Its flight time of around 25 minutes on a single charge is impressive for a drone of this size and weight.

The Anafi’s user-friendly app provides a comprehensive interface for controlling the drone and adjusting camera settings. It also offers a variety of intelligent flight modes, such as “Follow Me” and “Point of Interest,” which make it easier to capture stunning aerial shots.

Overall, the Parrot Anafi is a great choice for drone enthusiasts looking for a compact and capable drone with excellent camera performance and flight stability. Its unique features, such as the “cable cam” mode and intelligent flight modes, make it stand out from the competition. However, its battery life could be improved, and its price tag might be a barrier for some.

Design and Build Quality

The Parrot Anafi boasts a sleek and modern design that sets it apart from other drones. Its foldable arms and compact size make it incredibly portable, easily fitting into a backpack or small travel bag. The drone’s construction feels solid and durable, with a high-quality plastic body that can withstand minor bumps and scrapes. However, it’s worth noting that the Anafi’s landing gear is somewhat delicate and may require careful handling.

The camera module, housed within a gimbal system, is a key highlight of the Anafi’s design. The 3-axis gimbal provides smooth and stable footage, even in windy conditions. The camera itself features a 21-megapixel sensor capable of capturing high-resolution photos and 4K video at 30 frames per second. The Anafi also boasts a unique 180-degree tilting camera, allowing for a wider range of perspectives and creative shots.

One notable design feature is the Anafi’s integrated obstacle avoidance system. While not as comprehensive as some high-end drones, it provides a level of safety and peace of mind during flight. The drone’s intelligent flight modes and features like “follow me” and “point of interest” are facilitated by a powerful processing unit and sophisticated algorithms, making the Anafi a technologically advanced drone for its price point.

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Overall, the Parrot Anafi impresses with its well-designed and durable construction. Its lightweight and compact design, coupled with the robust camera and gimbal system, make it an excellent choice for both amateur and experienced drone pilots seeking high-quality aerial footage. However, the delicate landing gear and limited obstacle avoidance system are minor drawbacks to consider.

Camera Performance

The Parrot Anafi boasts a 21MP, 1/2.4″ CMOS sensor capable of capturing stunning 4K video at 30fps. It also supports 2.7K video recording at 60fps, offering smoother slow-motion footage. The camera is mounted on a 3-axis gimbal, ensuring smooth and stable shots even in windy conditions. The Anafi features a unique “cable-cam” feature, allowing you to tilt the camera up to 90 degrees, providing unique perspectives that other drones can’t capture. The camera lens offers a 2.8mm equivalent focal length, providing a 108° field of view. The Anafi also supports HDR video recording, enhancing dynamic range and capturing more detail in challenging lighting conditions. While the image quality is good, some users have noted that the camera’s low-light performance could be better. However, the Anafi compensates for this with its impressive HDR capabilities. The Anafi also comes equipped with a 2x lossless zoom feature, allowing you to get closer to your subject without sacrificing image quality. This zoom feature is particularly useful for wildlife photography and videography, enabling you to capture distant subjects with detail. Overall, the Anafi’s camera performance is impressive, offering a combination of high-quality image and video capture capabilities, a unique cable-cam feature, and a useful 2x lossless zoom.

Flight Performance and Stability

The Parrot Anafi boasts impressive flight performance and stability, making it a reliable choice for aerial photography and videography. Its lightweight design and powerful motors contribute to a smooth and responsive flight experience. The drone is agile and maneuverable, capable of navigating tight spaces and executing complex aerial maneuvers with ease.

The Anafi’s stability is particularly noteworthy. It maintains its position well, even in windy conditions, thanks to its advanced flight control system and GPS stabilization. This stability is crucial for capturing steady shots and smooth video footage. The drone’s 3-axis gimbal further enhances image stabilization, ensuring that your shots are free from camera shake.

The Anafi’s flight time is also impressive, clocking in at around 25 minutes on a single charge. This allows for ample time to capture stunning aerial footage without worrying about running out of battery.

Overall, the Parrot Anafi‘s flight performance and stability are a testament to its engineering excellence. It’s a well-designed drone that’s both powerful and precise, making it an excellent choice for both beginners and experienced pilots.

Battery Life and Charging

The Parrot Anafi‘s battery life is a bit of a mixed bag. On a single charge, you can expect to get around 25 minutes of flight time, which is decent for a drone in this class. However, it’s worth noting that this is with the drone hovering in a controlled environment. If you’re flying with more dynamic movements, such as filming fast-paced action sequences or flying in windy conditions, your flight time will likely be reduced.

One of the nice features of the Anafi is its quick charging capabilities. The included battery charger can get the drone’s battery to 80% capacity in just 30 minutes, which is very convenient for those who need to get back in the air quickly.

However, a potential drawback is the lack of hot-swappable batteries. This means that you’ll need to wait for the battery to fully recharge before you can fly again. While the 30-minute charge time is relatively fast, it can still be a bit of a time constraint if you’re on a multi-hour shoot.

Overall, the Anafi’s battery life is adequate for most recreational use, but it might not be ideal for professional videographers who need extended flight times. If you plan on flying for longer durations, it’s recommended to carry spare batteries and utilize the quick charging feature.

Software and App Experience

The Parrot Anafi‘s software and app experience is a mixed bag. On one hand, the FreeFlight 6 app is easy to use and navigate, offering a streamlined interface for controlling the drone and accessing its features. You can easily adjust settings, choose flight modes, and even use the drone’s gesture control system to take photos and videos. The app also provides real-time telemetry data, allowing you to monitor the drone’s battery level, altitude, and other important metrics.

However, the app has some shortcomings. Some users have reported issues with connectivity, especially when using the drone in areas with strong Wi-Fi signals. The app also lacks some advanced features found in competing apps, such as object tracking and waypoint navigation. These features are particularly useful for photographers and videographers who want to capture more creative shots. While the app is functional, it could benefit from some improvements in terms of stability and functionality.

Another key aspect of the software experience is the drone’s built-in image processing capabilities. The Anafi can automatically process images and videos, enhancing color, contrast, and dynamic range. This is a handy feature for quickly sharing images and videos on social media, but some users might prefer having more control over the processing settings.

Overall, the Parrot Anafi‘s software and app experience is decent but not exceptional. It’s user-friendly and offers a good range of basic features, but it could be improved with better connectivity, more advanced features, and more customization options.

Features and Capabilities

The Parrot Anafi is packed with features designed to enhance your aerial photography and videography experience. Its key selling points include:

4K Video Recording at 30fps: Capture stunning high-resolution footage with smooth, cinematic quality.
180° Tilting Camera: This unique feature allows you to capture shots from angles that are otherwise impossible with traditional drones. Simply tilt the camera upwards or downwards to achieve unique perspectives.
2.8x Lossless Zoom: Get closer to your subject without compromising image quality. The Anafi’s digital zoom provides a smooth and effective way to frame your shots.
HDR Video Recording: Enhance your footage with HDR (High Dynamic Range), which captures a wider range of tones and details, especially in challenging lighting conditions. This results in more vibrant and lifelike videos.
Slow-Motion Video Recording: Capture fast-paced action in stunning slow-motion at 120fps. This feature is perfect for recording sports, wildlife, or any other scene where capturing fleeting moments is crucial.
Smart Video Modes: The Anafi comes equipped with several intelligent video modes like “Dolly Zoom,” “Hyperlapse,” and “Orbit.” These modes simplify capturing professional-looking shots, even for novice pilots.
FreeFlight 6 App: Parrot’s intuitive app allows you to control the drone, adjust camera settings, and manage your footage. The app also features a wealth of additional features like flight planning, obstacle avoidance, and live video streaming.
3-Axis Gimbal: This highly stable gimbal ensures smooth and steady footage, even when flying in windy conditions. The gimbal also allows for precise camera control for optimal framing and composition.
Obstacle Avoidance: While the Anafi doesn’t offer full 360° obstacle avoidance, it does incorporate a forward-facing sensor to detect obstacles and prevent collisions.
Extended Flight Time: The Anafi boasts an impressive flight time of up to 25 minutes on a single charge. This provides ample time to capture your desired footage.
Compact and Portable Design: The Anafi folds down compactly for easy transportation and storage, making it a convenient drone for travel or on-the-go adventures.
USB-C Charging: The Anafi charges via USB-C, a common and convenient port. This allows you to charge the drone using a portable power bank or other compatible devices.

These features make the Parrot Anafi an attractive option for both hobbyists and professionals seeking a powerful and versatile drone for capturing stunning aerial content.

Pros and Cons

The Parrot Anafi is a compelling drone that offers a blend of features and performance at a competitive price point. Let’s break down the pros and cons to give you a clearer picture of what it brings to the table:

Pros:

Exceptional Image Quality: The Anafi boasts a 4K camera with impressive image stabilization, producing vibrant and detailed footage. The ability to rotate the camera 180 degrees vertically is a significant advantage, especially for capturing shots from unique angles.
Compact and Portable: The drone folds up into a surprisingly small package, making it convenient to carry around. This portability makes it ideal for travel and on-the-go adventures.
User-Friendly App: The Parrot FreeFlight 6 app is intuitive and well-designed, providing access to various settings, flight modes, and real-time controls. The app also offers features like 3D mapping and point of interest (POI) programming.
Smart Features: The Anafi includes several smart features like “Follow Me” mode, which allows the drone to automatically track your movements, and “Cable Cam” mode for smooth, cinematic shots along a predefined path. These features add a layer of versatility and creativity to your aerial photography.
Competitive Price: When compared to other drones in its class, the Anafi offers a compelling value proposition, striking a balance between features and affordability.

Cons:

Battery Life: While the battery life is decent, it’s not the longest among its competitors. This might pose a challenge for extended flight sessions, especially if you’re planning on capturing a lot of footage.
Wind Resistance: The Anafi’s lightweight design can make it susceptible to wind gusts, impacting stability and flight control. It’s advisable to avoid flying in windy conditions.
Limited Range: The Anafi’s maximum range is average compared to some other drones, which could limit your ability to explore vast areas or capture shots from greater distances.
Obstacle Avoidance: The Anafi lacks advanced obstacle avoidance sensors, which means you need to be more cautious when flying near objects or in complex environments.
Limited Storage: The internal storage is relatively small, which might be a concern for users who plan on capturing extensive footage without a microSD card.

Conclusion

The Parrot Anafi is a compelling drone for both beginners and experienced pilots. Its compact design, intuitive controls, and impressive image quality make it a strong contender in the consumer drone market. While it may not be the most feature-packed drone available, the Anafi excels in ease of use and delivers excellent results for aerial photography and videography. If you’re looking for a drone that’s easy to fly, delivers great image quality, and offers a good balance of features at a reasonable price, the Parrot Anafi is definitely worth considering. However, if you need advanced features like obstacle avoidance or longer flight times, you might want to explore other options. Ultimately, the Anafi’s strengths lie in its user-friendly design, impressive camera performance, and overall value proposition, making it a solid choice for those seeking a reliable and enjoyable aerial photography experience.

Alternatives to Consider

If you’re looking for alternatives to the Parrot Anafi, you have a few great options depending on your priorities. Here’s a breakdown of some popular choices:

For budget-conscious flyers:

DJI Mini 3 Pro: This drone offers fantastic image quality and impressive flight performance at a competitive price point. Its compact size and portability are a big plus, making it ideal for travel.
Autel Nano+: Another excellent option in the sub-$1,000 range, the Autel Nano+ boasts powerful features like obstacle avoidance and a long flight time.

For professional-grade photography and videography:

DJI Mavic 3: This drone is a powerhouse, offering incredible 4/3 CMOS sensor image quality and a versatile zoom lens system. It’s a top choice for professional filmmakers and photographers.
DJI Air 2S: If you need a drone that can capture stunning aerial footage but don’t require the absolute best image quality, the DJI Air 2S provides an excellent balance of performance and price.

For advanced features and capabilities:

Freefly Alta 8: This professional-grade drone is a serious contender for filmmakers and aerial cinematographers. It offers exceptional image stabilization, modularity, and a wide range of accessories.
Skydio 2+: This drone is known for its advanced autonomous flight capabilities, making it a great option for pilots of all skill levels. It can automatically follow subjects, avoid obstacles, and even capture cinematic shots.

Ultimately, the best alternative for you will depend on your specific needs and budget. Consider factors like image quality, flight time, features, and portability when making your decision.

Final Verdict

The Parrot Anafi is a compelling drone for both beginners and enthusiasts. Its compact design, user-friendly interface, and impressive camera performance make it a great choice for capturing stunning aerial footage. While its flight time could be better, the Anafi delivers excellent value for its price, especially when considering its advanced features like 4K video recording, 3-axis gimbal stabilization, and a 180° tilting camera. If you’re looking for a high-quality drone that’s easy to use and delivers professional-level results, the Parrot Anafi is definitely worth considering.

In conclusion, the Parrot Anafi is a solid drone option for those seeking a balance between performance and price. Its 4K video recording capabilities, 21-minute flight time, and compact design make it ideal for both beginners and seasoned pilots. While its lack of advanced features like obstacle avoidance may be a drawback for some, the Anafi delivers a reliable and enjoyable flying experience.

The drone’s excellent image quality and intuitive controls make it a great choice for aerial photography and videography. Its foldable design and lightweight construction make it easy to transport and store, making it suitable for travel and outdoor adventures.

Although its battery life could be better, and the lack of obstacle avoidance might be a concern for some, the Anafi’s overall performance and features justify its price point. It’s a highly capable drone that delivers excellent value for money.

Ultimately, the Parrot Anafi is a great option for anyone looking for a user-friendly and capable drone that offers impressive image quality and flight time at a reasonable price. Its strengths in video recording, compact design, and intuitive controls make it a solid choice for both recreational and professional use.

Parrot Anafi Review ⚠️ (July 2024)