New Phantom 4 quadcopter?

[Volffas]

It looks like DJI is set to release their latest Phantom version on Tuesday March, 1st 2016. The rumour mill says the newest Phantoms might feature 6K recording, but that may be more wishful thinking than truth.

If you are in the market for a new Phantom, you may be able to get some killer deals on the Phantom 3 very soon. DJI started marking them down about 2 weeks ago, but I don't think they are done with the discounts yet.

They posted a teaser video that doesn't show anything at all.

 

[Murf'n'surf]

Now we have an extra day to wait thanks to Leap Year! Lol
Could look like this....

 

[Volffas]

That looks an awful lot like the existing market leader. I hope they will be more creative.

They are the current market leader.

I don't expect a big overhaul, probably just better camera, some kind of collision avoidance system and hopefully a bigger better battery. Retractable arms would be awesome as well.

And I REALLY wish they would come up with a waterproof version, but I don't think there is a big enough market to justify them making one.

 

[Bruce]

They are the current market leader.

Sorry, I thought we were discussing the GoPro copter

 

[Volffas]

About 20 minutes until the official release, but there are already YouTube videos with reviews going live.

 

[Volffas]

And here is DJI's official video. Obstacle avoidance is very cool. Hopefully it performs as advertised.

28 minute flight time and up to 45mph. With the "follow me" mode you could get some killer shots of your boat.

If i was in the market for a new Phantom, at $1,399 for this and $799 for the Phantom 3 advanced, I would go with the advanced. I just don't think there is enough improvements in the 4 to justify double the cost.

 

[Murf'n'surf]

I like it! Did they increase range?

 

[GTBRMC]

Wall Street Journal did a nice review in their online edition today. Video of their writer testing the follow-me & obstacle avoidance modes. Looked like it worked quite well. He also raved about the remote control software interface.

Also, he demo'ed the prop blade safety feature by slowly moving a hot dog dangling from some tongs into the prop's range (I challenge you to watch that without snickering!)

http://www.wsj.com/articles/phantom-4-review-djis-new-drone-outsmarts-bad-pilots-1456848437

Note: I don't know if you need a subscription to view it...I have an online subscription to WSJ, so I can't tell if you can get to it without one - worth a shot, anyway

 

[Volffas]

I like it! Did they increase range?

Same range, and basically the same camera, but with some lens upgrades.

Here are the camera upgrades as described by DJI website "The Phantom 4 camera has been improved in terms of image quality. Chromatic aberration has been reduced by 56% and lens distortion had been reduced by 36% compared to Phantom 3 Professional. In addition to lens improvements, camera firmware has been tweaked to enable the camera to capture 120fps video in full 1080p FHD (the camera’s field of view will be reconfigured to 47° when recording in this mode) for smooth slow motion. The camera is also used for ActiveTrack and TapFly modes."

 

[subysti]

Does the DJI 3 also have obstacle avoidance? Looking at getting a drone but thinking the 3 is more than enough. Not sure if the 4 is worth it if it just adds a few minutes time and a better camera.

 

[Murf'n'surf]

Does the DJI 3 also have obstacle avoidance? Looking at getting a drone but thinking the 3 is more than enough. Not sure if the 4 is worth it if it just adds a few minutes time and a better camera.

There is no obstacle avoidance in the 3. It's a new feature in the 4.

 

[Ronnie]

I canceled my air dog order last night and my finger is itching to pull the trigger on one of these right now. Dji's site indicates it won't ship until the 15th of this month. I didn't think it would be worth the upgrade cost either but after taking a closer look I realized this would be a lot easier to use while boating than the phantom 2 or 3. Towing and driving/captaining a boat is already plenty to do adding the task of operating a flying camera at the same time is not something to take lightly. This from a guy who, over th last two years or so, has had a phantom 1, two phantom vision 2s and currently has a Phantom 3 advance.

A few other points. The phantom3 doesn't have complete obstacle avoidance but does use sonar to detect the ground so it can maintain a safe distance from it automatically. The phantom 4 has an increased operating range of 20,000 feet out and up from the remote, that is crazy far/high. The 3 was limited to around 6,000 feet (I usually fly within 1,000 feet of the remote, most of the time within 100 feet). The phantom 2 and 3 have a max speed of about 25 mph so 45 in the 4 is a big improvement. The 4 Is more of a drone than any of the previous versions in that the advanced flight modes allow it to fly almost completely autonomously including take off, climbing to avoid obstacles and landing. Dji and other companies offer flight insurance/maintenance programs. Basically you pay $150 to $300 per year and if you crash it they fix it. With that kind of plan I would just put some floats on the skids so I will be able to recover what's left after a water landing And send it in to be repaired.

The refund on the air dog will almost cover the cost of a phantom 4 but I need to see if I get a discount on dji products (it's a long shot but I've been pleasantly surprised in the recent past) Before I decide if I will buy one. Another thing for me to consider is what to do with my p3. I've used it less than 20 times since buying it this summer and haven't flown at all since late September. I don't know if I should keep it or sell it to make room for a new one.

What do you guys think? $600 plus actual shipping for the p3, remote, charger, extra battery and set of blades, blade guards a soft back pack carrying case and custom floats/cut pool noodle sections (most not pictured)?

 

[Murf'n'surf]

I knew it!!! It only took 1 day!!

 

[MattFX4]

I canceled my air dog order last night and my finger is itching to pull the trigger on one of these right now. Dji's site indicates it won't ship until the 15th of this month. I didn't think it would be worth the upgrade cost either but after taking a closer look I realized this would be a lot easier to use while boating than the phantom 2 or 3. Towing and driving/captaining a boat is already plenty to do adding the task of operating a flying camera at the same time is not something to take lightly. This from a guy who, over th last two years or so, has had a phantom 1, two phantom vision 2s and currently has a Phantom 3 advance.

A few other points. The phantom3 doesn't have complete obstacle avoidance but does use sonar to detect the ground so it can maintain a safe distance from it automatically. The phantom 4 has an increased operating range of 20,000 feet out and up from the remote, that is crazy far/high. The 3 was limited to around 6,000 feet (I usually fly within 1,000 feet of the remote, most of the time within 100 feet). The phantom 2 and 3 have a max speed of about 25 mph so 45 in the 4 is a big improvement. The 4 Is more of a drone than any of the previous versions in that the advanced flight modes allow it to fly almost completely autonomously including take off, climbing to avoid obstacles and landing. Dji and other companies offer flight insurance/maintenance programs. Basically you pay $150 to $300 per year and if you crash it they fix it. With that kind of plan I would just put some floats on the skids so I will be able to recover what's left after a water landing And send it in to be repaired.

The refund on the air dog will almost cover the cost of a phantom 4 but I need to see if I get a discount on dji products (it's a long shot but I've been pleasantly surprised in the recent past) Before I decide if I will buy one. Another thing for me to consider is what to do with my p3. I've used it less than 20 times since buying it this summer and haven't flown at all since late September. I don't know if I should keep it or sell it to make room for a new one.

What do you guys think? $600 plus actual shipping for the p3, remote, charger, extra battery and set of blades, blade guards a soft back pack carrying case and custom floats/cut pool noodle sections (most not pictured)?
View attachment 33717

hmmm... I may be interested if you are going to sell it. Let me know.

 

[Murf'n'surf]

hmmm... I may be interested if you are going to sell it. Let me know.

Send him a PM -- I think he is serious. Grab it before someone else.

 

[Ronnie]

I'm serious. My wife has been cool about my drone obsession for the last few years but does not like to see several versions lying around the house unused. I will reply to your pm when I have more time to do so later today but consider you first in line.

Yuncee is another popular brand, well capitalized and managed out of the u.s. They offer drones comparable to the p3/4. I just didn't go with them because they are bigger and as I recall the video display is built into the remote so you can't take advantage of bigger screens on cell phones or tablets.

 

[MattFX4]

ok sounds good. Will wait for your reply.

 

[Volffas]

I canceled my air dog order last night and my finger is itching to pull the trigger on one of these right now. Dji's site indicates it won't ship until the 15th of this month. I didn't think it would be worth the upgrade cost either but after taking a closer look I realized this would be a lot easier to use while boating than the phantom 2 or 3. Towing and driving/captaining a boat is already plenty to do adding the task of operating a flying camera at the same time is not something to take lightly. This from a guy who, over th last two years or so, has had a phantom 1, two phantom vision 2s and currently has a Phantom 3 advance.

A few other points. The phantom3 doesn't have complete obstacle avoidance but does use sonar to detect the ground so it can maintain a safe distance from it automatically. The phantom 4 has an increased operating range of 20,000 feet out and up from the remote, that is crazy far/high. The 3 was limited to around 6,000 feet (I usually fly within 1,000 feet of the remote, most of the time within 100 feet). The phantom 2 and 3 have a max speed of about 25 mph so 45 in the 4 is a big improvement. The 4 Is more of a drone than any of the previous versions in that the advanced flight modes allow it to fly almost completely autonomously including take off, climbing to avoid obstacles and landing. Dji and other companies offer flight insurance/maintenance programs. Basically you pay $150 to $300 per year and if you crash it they fix it. With that kind of plan I would just put some floats on the skids so I will be able to recover what's left after a water landing And send it in to be repaired.

The refund on the air dog will almost cover the cost of a phantom 4 but I need to see if I get a discount on dji products (it's a long shot but I've been pleasantly surprised in the recent past) Before I decide if I will buy one. Another thing for me to consider is what to do with my p3. I've used it less than 20 times since buying it this summer and haven't flown at all since late September. I don't know if I should keep it or sell it to make room for a new one.

What do you guys think? $600 plus actual shipping for the p3, remote, charger, extra battery and set of blades, blade guards a soft back pack carrying case and custom floats/cut pool noodle sections (most not pictured)?
View attachment 33717

I would be interested as well, but I'm afraid shipping will be too much $$ from San Fran. If it isn't too ridiculous, I can have cash in a paypal account tomorrow. I'll send you a PM and if MattFX4 doesn't want it, we can talk more. I'm not sure what the size and weight of the package would be, and I would want to make sure there was some kind of brace on the gimbal before shipping it across country.

Just to point out a couple of things from your review of the 4, it has the same lightbridge technology as the 3 advanced and pro have, so there really isn't anything gained as far as control. The 3 standard and 3 4K do not come with lightbridge and do not have the same distance as the other pro and advanced models. Also, the top speed of the advanced in ATTI mode is 35 mph, not 25mph. I agree with you that the follow me on the Phantom 4 is a huge improvement and would be freakin' awesome for following a boat or a tuber/wakeboarder.

 

[Ronnie]

I don't know what shipping will cost but don't expect it to be high. The heli is around 3 pounds , add the remote extra battery etc and it should still be less than 10 pounds. I haven't figured out if I should ship it in the original box or the backpack in its box.

The 3 comes with a gimbal lock but no lenses cover. Here Are a few pics.



The range of the p2/3 standard is about 1/3 that of the p3p and a / 4 but this is just for the remote / heli connection. The wifi (camera/display) connection of the 2/3 s was only about 400 feet for me. Not a big deal if you tend to fly close, huge if you don't and you rely on the display to fly instead of line of site.

Here is a pic of dji's apec for the 3, not sure what 16/ms is in mph but the 2 is specd at 15/ms. I did a speed run on the 2 when I had it and on the 3 tonight. I got the 2 up to 22 or 23 mph and the 3 hit 25 with a light tail wind. So if anyone is expecting more out of it they will be disappointed.

I am hoping that using the advanced flight modes on the 4 is more intuitive than it is On the 3.

As to actual costs, the main bundle is just the start at $1400, add $140 for tax here in my neighborhood. Got have at least one extra battery $185 including tax. I'm getting the crash plan for at least this coming boating season , chalk up another $300. So right around $2000 when all is said and done. This is before the compatible smart phone or tablet and optional fpv goggles. I'm not selling mine (they cost as much as a new p3a). Hmmm when o look at it like this I need to reevaluate of the 4 is with the cost. If I take the air dog refund and put the proceeds of the p3 sale toward the p4 I'd still come up short / out of pocket. Hmm

F it, I'm over due for some retail therapy and don't want to pay much more out of pocket. I will be placing my p4 order soon, just waiting on the refund and I may as well sell the phantom 3 in the interim.

 

[Volffas]

I don't know what shipping will cost but don't expect it to be high. The heli is around 3 pounds , add the remote extra battery etc and it should still be less than 10 pounds. I haven't figured out if I should ship it in the original box or the backpack in its box.

The 3 comes with a gimbal lock but no lenses cover. Here Are a few pics.
View attachment 33744
View attachment 33745

The range of the p2/3 standard is about 1/3 that of the p3p and a / 4 but this is just for the remote / heli connection. The wifi (camera/display) connection of the 2/3 s was only about 400 feet for me. Not a big deal if you tend to fly close, huge if you don't and you rely on the display to fly instead of line of site.

Here is a pic of dji's apec for the 3, not sure what 16/ms is in mph but the 2 is specd at 15/ms. I did a speed run on the 2 when I had it and on the 3 tonight. I got the 2 up to 22 or 23 mph and the 3 hit 25 with a light tail wind. So if anyone is expecting more out of it they will be disappointed.
View attachment 33746
I am hoping that using the advanced flight modes on the 4 is more intuitive than it is On the 3.

As to actual costs, the main bundle is just the start at $1400, add $140 for tax here in my neighborhood. Got have at least one extra battery $185 including tax. I'm getting the crash plan for at least this coming boating season , chalk up another $300. So right around $2000 when all is said and done. This is before the compatible smart phone or tablet and optional fpv goggles. I'm not selling mine (they cost as much as a new p3a). Hmmm when o look at it like this I need to reevaluate of the 4 is with the cost. If I take the air dog refund and put the proceeds of the p3 sale toward the p4 I'd still come up short / out of pocket. Hmm

F it, I'm over due for some retail therapy and don't want to pay much more out of pocket. I will be placing my p4 order soon, just waiting on the refund and I may as well sell the phantom 3 in the interim.

I would have swore the P3 advanced had the lightbridge remote that was good for 5km (3+ miles). But no big deal, I can't ever imagine where flying a quad over 3 miles away is a good idea.

I sent you a PM yesterday. If MattFx4 isn't interested I will take it. I won't need the noodles as I could make my own and that will save on shipping space. I would like to double check the shipping rate first, if you have weight and dimensions I can plug it in to UPS website and figure out what it is. Just let me know.

Thanks!