With the Vision, you can accurately film things that you would otherwise find hard to see properly with your own eyes — like a historic building from the right angle, or surfers from a vantage point close to the waves. It is easy to imagine how the Vision could be useful for sports photographers, architectural photographers and even event photographers — because you know drone videos are going to be the next wedding special effect.

But is the built-in camera up to the job? Absolutely. Like the GoPro units it’s meant to replace, the unit has a wide-angle view and can record video onto an onboard micro-SD card in full HD at up to 1080i resolution and 60 frames a second. The vibration-reducing mount really does seem to do the job, too, resulting in smooth images.

This is particularly true if the drone isn’t maneuvering when you hit Record. The camera doesn’t record audio, but most external sounds would be drowned out by the loud whizzing of the nearby props and their electric motors.

Still images are captured at 14-megapixel resolution, which matches some high-end D.S.L.R. cameras, and the unit seems to do a good job of coping with a variety of lighting conditions. If the lighting is difficult, perhaps from bright sunlight, you can control some features, like white balance or shutter speed, from the app.

The imaging unit is not without flaws, and it’s not as powerful as a professional hand-held S.L.R. camera. For example, there’s a noticeable fish-eye distortion in the image that comes from the unit’s really wide vision angle, and you can’t zoom the field of view.

Even though the Vision is a large, complicated device, flying it is far easier than flying a traditional remote control helicopter or a large R.C. aircraft, thanks in part to its intelligence. If you let go of the controls, for instance, the Vision will use its GPS system to stop where it is in midair, keeping itself more or less stationary both horizontally and vertically, even in blustery wind conditions.

Still, all is not smooth sailing. First, it comes with a 50-plus page manual, which you must read, because what you’re flying is in effect a very light aircraft. The last thing you want to do is to crash it, damaging your machine or potentially even hurting someone with its 14-inch-wide, three-pound mass and whirling blades.