The Micro Drone Neo 3.0 is a Cheap Way for Photographers to Start Flying

In self-hovering autonomous hold flight mode, the Micro Drone Neo 3.0 can balance a coin on its head.

Drones have become part of the photographer’s toolkit, but they can be daunting. This is where the Micro Drone 3.0 Neo by Extreme Fliers comes in.

Micro Drone’s director Vernon Kersell tells PetaPixel at The Photography Show in the U.K. that some people buy expensive DJIs and immediately crash them. “This one is cheap with replaceable parts,” Kersell says.

The Micro Drone Neo 3.0 has a magnetic top, which enables modularity. The stainless steel arms are made to withstand hard crashes, while the nylon landing legs absorb impact to prevent damage.

It is ultralight; less than 100 grams (3.5 ounces), which means no certification is needed to fly them in the U.S. or U.K. The 120mm x 120mm form factor means it can take off from the palm of the hand.

The cartridge style rechargeable Li-Po battery gives five to six minutes of flight time on a full charge, but it can be easily swapped out to keep flying. It takes about 15 minutes to charge each one.

In the air, it has a 2.4 GHz radio controller and comes with a self-hovering autonomous hold, allowing the pilot to take their hands off the sticks. It can fly indoors and outdoors, but it is probably best to avoid strong winds.

The camera module is 1080p with integrated Wi-Fi allowing direct streaming to a smartphone. There’s also an SD card slot to store photos and videos on.

The modular design means that hackers can add whatever kind of module they like to the Micro Drone 3.0 Neo via a PCB board, including things like thermal imaging.

“We are planning to launch in the U.K, U.S., and the rest of the world at the end of March 2026 with worldwide shipping,” Extreme Fliers say. “We are aiming to offer it under $99 as an inexpensive way to get started with drones so users are fully equipped with the skills and experience to fly bigger drones.”

To sign up for the early access program, head to the Micro Drone 3.0 Neo website for all details.

Image credits: Photographs by Matt Growcoot