The present invention relates to a photoelectric pod type selection method and device at unmanned aerial vehicle routing inspection. The method comprises the steps of determining whether the types of the photoelectric sensors inside a photoelectric pod are suitable for the unmanned aerial vehicle routing inspection overhead transmission line tasks; according to the Johnson rule, determining the resolution ratios of the photoelectric sensors; according to the resolution ratios of the photoelectric sensors, determining the index values of the photoelectric sensors, and determining whether the photoelectric pod is suitable for the unmanned aerial vehicle routing inspection overhead transmission line tasks by comparing the index values of the photoelectric sensors with the ratios between the focal distances of the photoelectric sensors and the pixel sizes; if the photoelectric pod is suitable for the unmanned aerial vehicle routing inspection overhead transmission line tasks, utilizing the load parameters of the photoelectric sensors to obtain a first stability theoretical value, determining a second stability theoretical value according to the requirements of the routing inspection tasks to the positioning precision, and if the stability actual value of the photoelectric pod is better than the first stability theoretical value and the second stability theoretical value, determining that the photoelectric pod is suitable for the unmanned aerial vehicle routing inspection overhead transmission lines.