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How to choose a camera for an FPV drone

Updated: Jun 27

The drone's FPV camera not only affects the quality of the image in the pilot's goggles, but also has a direct impact on the performance of the combat mission.


Here are some important parameters for a military FPV:


Video transmission delay (Latency)

This is the time between the actual movement of the drone and the reflection of that movement in the operator's goggles.


  • Digital systems usually have a higher latency (20 to 40 ms, sometimes even more), but they provide a high-quality picture.

  • Analog cameras have minimal latency (about 1-10 ms), which, along with other properties, makes them practical for military drones.


Light sensitivity (LUX, ISO, WDR)

Determines how well the camera "sees" in poor lighting conditions


  • LUX – lower value = better work in the dark

  • ISO – the higher the number, the more light the camera captures, but noise appears.

  • WDR (Wide Dynamic Range) – helps with contrasting lighting (for example, when you fly out of a forest lane into bright sunlight)


Recommendation: For FPV, it is important that the camera has good WDR and a low LUX value, especially if you are flying at night or in dark places.


Photo from the FPV drone camera

Resolution (Resolution, TVL for analog cameras)

Determines the image detail


  • Analog cameras are measured in TVL (television lines).

  • The standard is 600-1200 TV


Recommendation: For combat flying, it is more important to have low latency than super-high resolution.


Field of View (FOV)

Determines how wide of a view you get through the camera


  • Wide FOV (150-170°) – ideal for freestyle and cinematography, gives a sense of space. But can cause distortion (fisheye effect)

  • Medium FOV (120-140°) is a good compromise for flight control

  • Narrow FOV (90-110°) – rarely used because it reduces the view and makes flying less intuitive


Recommendation: For military FPV, an average field of view of 120-150° is chosen, which allows you to cover enough space, but does not affect the quality of aiming due to the fisheye effect.


These are important, but not all, parameters that should be taken into account when choosing a camera.

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