The DJI Phantom 3 is so easy to set up and fly, and it’s a great way to take your drone obsession to the next level The DJI Phantom 3 Professional hovers motionlessly in front of me like a giant, plastic, very angry wasp, with its directional LEDs flashing, which makes it look scary. So far, all I’ve done is turn it on and hit the takeoff button. The drone handles everything else.
Take control
If the camera is a big step forward, the new controller and app represent a huge leap forward. Both borrow from DJI’s higher-end (and more expensive) Inspire 1 drone, and they make taking off, flying, and recording much simpler than before.
First, setup is now much easier. Download the new DJI Pilot app (which also contains a number of tutorials), and you just plug it into your mobile device via the provided cable to connect.
It’s a little fiddly to do everything in the order in which you do it, but really, there’s nothing much more important than that. No more fiddly connecting via Wi-Fi – just plug in, calibrate the compass on the drone, and you’re ready to fly.
Thanks to GPS, a digital compass, an altimeter, and gyro sensors, it maintains its position completely stable with no user input required—even moderate winds only cause it to wobble momentarily. Meanwhile, it records high-quality 4K video footage via a motorized, stabilized onboard camera, and streams live 720p video directly to my smartphone screen.
It’s amazing how much technology DJI has packed into its latest consumer-grade quadcopter. However, visually, it looks very similar to its predecessor, the Phantom Vision 2+, which I reviewed earlier this year. The only notable differences are the new gold badge and the gold stripes adorning the drone’s arms. So what’s new? The answer is that, despite the exterior, there’s a lot going on.
First, the new camera may look the same, but it’s capable of recording 4K video at up to 30fps and 1080p video at up to 60fps. It shoots 12-megapixel stills, up to seven frames in a burst, and automatically captures bracketed shots and time-lapse sequences.
And the results from its Sony sensor are stunning, far better than what I was able to capture with the Vision 2+. With a maximum video bitrate of 60Mbits/sec, it can pick out tiny details from hundreds of meters away; I could see blades of grass and leaves moving in the breeze. Dynamic range is equally impressive, and the camera does a very good job with extreme areas of brightness and shadows. The lens isn’t as wide-angle as it used to be, so there’s much less of a fisheye effect in footage. As with the Vision 2+, the camera is mounted on an active motorized gimbal. This keeps the camera rig rock-steady even in moderate winds or close to the ground, and the overall effect is very professional. With a little practice—though you still have to be careful with the controls or the footage will look jerky—it’s possible to produce super-smooth footage that wouldn’t look out of place in Tour de France coverage.
It’s a little fiddly to do everything in the order in which you do it, but really, nothing really matters. No more fiddly connecting via Wi-Fi – just plug in, calibrate the on-drone compass, and you’re ready to fly. The new model even makes it easier to fly the drone indoors: a pair of position sensors in the Phantom 3’s belly means it can stay stable without a GPS signal – though you’ll still need a decent-sized space to fly if you don’t want to risk a crash. Residents of cramped Victorian terraced houses need not apply.
Conclusion
The DJI Phantom 3 is such a great performer and so easy to fly and shoot video that my biggest concern when testing it was finding a safe spot to fly. Even living in a leafy suburb outside London, I could only find a few nearby spots that were off the beaten path and far enough from buildings and roads to meet the rules for flying this type of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).
“Find the best DJI Drone Battery price! Search Batteriesfast.co.uk for DJI Drone Battery. Get fast shipping and top-rated customer service.
＞＞＞＞＞＞＞＞＞＞＞＞＞＞＞＞＞＞＞15.2V 5870mAh Replacement Drone Battery for DJI PH4
＞＞＞＞＞＞＞＞＞＞＞＞＞＞＞＞＞＞＞＞DJI Phantom 3 Professional Drone Battery