I've seen a few posts with some great pictures from a drone. Mostly on this site. If a beginner wanted to purchase a decent,Relative cheap one, what drone would you suggest?

I'd start with a drone forum somewhere online.

I'd personally start with a Parrot Bebop Drone

Depends on what you mean by "great pictures," "decent" and "relative cheap" because you are buying a camera as well as an aircraft. The camera itself could be anything from a $40 webcam to $4000 production video camera, and that price might be before buying lenses.Starting out, probably the best approach is a complete package: aircraft, camera, radio control system. The BeBop at $500 is a good start for "let's go up and see what's out there." It holds cost down by skipping conventional radio control. It uses the smartphone you are presumed to already have as the controller, setting up peer to peer WiFi as a limited operating range 2-way radio. The camera this is not pointable (you point the aircraft) and has a 180-degree fisheye view. That may or may not mean "great pictures" for you.$1300 Yuneec Q500 4K Typhoon puts a decent 4K video camera on gimbals into a quad-copter chassis with a fairly high performance radio control system (for greater operating range). Q500+ Typhoon at $1050 has a HD video camera, fixed focus with 110 degree field of view. The camera is gimbal mounted pointability and some stability, but it is not like having a gyroscope. There are also Typhoon models to carry a GoPro, if you already have that ($250-400) action camera.Next step up, minimum pro expectations on video quality, will be about $4500-8000. Yuneec's Tornado line is an example, aircraft with about 2000 meter operating range carrying a HD video cam with a focusing zoom lens. Still not gyro stabilized, that's in the 5-6 figure price range. At this level, the camera probably represents 1/4 to 1/2 the cost of a system, the bare aircraft with the capability to lift a lightweight semi-pro camera and gimbal costing around $2500, $3500 with a controller. Then it is a matter of do you install $500 worth of camera and mount, or $4000 camera, or whatever in between.Many others out there, these have become respected in the photographic community.FWIW, once you get up past the "carry my GoPro" class, the most frequently carried camera is Panasonic's Lumix GH4, for 4K video quality, weather resistance, and remote-controllability. A GH4 body costs about $1300, lenses start at about $180 and go up into the $1000 range, which isn't bad considering Nikon and Canon lenses can run as high as 10X that. Yuneec sells a gimbal specifically for this camera.

I didn't know there was any cheap ones out there. but in saying that I bought on with a camera off the HSN last year for $69. but I see they were twice that this year.

Also, before you actually fly one, it's worth checking into FAA regulations so you don't get in trouble...like here

Camera Drones | Good Sam Community

Gene_Ginny
Explorer
Nov 20, 2015
bigred1cav wrote:
.... Air space is not owned by the landowner. ....
That is partly correct. Read more here
monkey44
Nomad II
Nov 20, 2015
bigred1cav wrote:
The eye can not trespass. Air space is not owned by the landowner. If you don't want to keep your privacy do whatever it is you do in private.

I believe you're wrong -- and believe this, for as long as this post stays up -- if you own one, and hover it over my family in my yard, it will be target practice. Period.

Do you believe your eyes are not invading my private space if you peek over my fence too? Or look in my windows? It's called "a peeping tom" and you will get arrested for that.
bigred1cav
Explorer
Nov 19, 2015
The eye can not trespass. Air space is not owned by the landowner. If you don't want to keep your privacy do whatever it is you do in private.
Hondavalk
Explorer II
Nov 19, 2015
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyWKaTs16Yg
monkey44
Nomad II
Nov 19, 2015
Warped sense of humor or not (and a lot of us have one) there's quite a difference between a Google vehicle driving down a public road (US Supreme Court decision allows photographing from any public property, even your home front) and a hovering craft capturing images of a family from above a private back yard.
Hondavalk
Explorer II
Nov 19, 2015
Ya I use to get in trouble with my wife a lot but after 30 some years she finally figured out my warped sense of humor. :B
Jimmie2
Explorer
Nov 19, 2015
Here's another one from Jetty Park at Port Canaveral, FL

Very fun to fly if used correctly!
rseymour21
Explorer
Nov 19, 2015
Nice shot Jimmie! These and sunrise/sunsets can be great!
Jimmie2
Explorer
Nov 18, 2015
I have a DJI Phantom Vision 2 Quadcopter and take it with me camping all the time. I like to get all my camp sites from above. Here is the last place we were at - Mama Gerties east of Asheville, NC.
dapperdan
Explorer
Nov 18, 2015
monkey44 wrote:
stevewise wrote:
You may also want to check out the FAA website as the laws are rapidly changing for drones, on who and where you can fly them. Being a pilot and also flying drones I have heard of some very close calls with aircraft because people do not follow the instructions delivered with every drone.

Yes, check laws carefully ... Based on several comments on various professional photo forums, you folks better buy the cheap ones, because any one that gets a bit irresponsible and invades privacy or security areas will find it used for target practice, whether one calls it a drone or a copter/camera makes no difference.

If I remember correctly it's now legal to shoot down an UAV flying over your property in the state of Colorado.

It only takes a handful of idiots to ruin it for everybody. Flying in most parks is STRICTLY prohibited.

Dan

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