Drones have been flying GoPro cameras into the sky for what seems like ages now, but what about drones capable of carrying your DSLR into the air? Until recently, I was not aware of any drones that did such a thing. Enter, the BeetleCopter.

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The BeetleCopter is the brain child of talented wildlife photographer, Will Burrard-Lucas. Burrard-Lucas developed the remote controlled drone to be capable of flying GoPros and even full sized DSLRs into the air, all for a unique birds-eye look at wildlife. The video below was produce using the BeetleCopter, and it is very impressive.

The new drone comes in three different versions: one designed for use with GoPro Hero 3+, one for use with small mirrorless cameras, such as a Sony NEX-7, and a third version for use with full sized DSLRS, like a Canon 5D Mark III or Nikon D800. Each version can be controlled by up to two operators, one for the drone and one for the camera.

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Features of all BeetleCopters:

  • Stabilized camera gimbal for perfectly smooth video footage.
  • Foldable frames for easy transportation.
  • Industry leading DJI flight controller provides ultimate stability and ease of use.
  • GPS position hold and “return to home” fail safe function.
  • Video transmitter and portable screen allows you to see what the camera sees.
  • Flight time of at least 15 minutes depending on camera weight and battery size.
  • State-of-the-art radio controller for maximum range and reliability.
  • Completely preassembled – ready to fly out of the box!

As you can imagine they are not cheap, even the GoPro version will run you close to $2000 with the DSLR version running upwards of $6,700. But for anyone who has the funds, these BeetleCopters offer photographers a chance to go where they have only dreamed of going with their DSLR.

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If you are interested in learning more about the BeetleCopter, or its ground driven sibling the BeetleCam, you can checkout the Camtraptions website for more details.

[via MNN]