DJI is doing a sale on DJI Phantom 3 Drone's.
They have also reduced the prices of the Professional and Advanced models http://store.dji.com/compare-phantom-3
This is the lowest I have seen these advertised. I got one just before xmas with the ebay deal and cashback rewards for ~$940 and they are a really amazing piece of kit.
In short whats the difference between them. Worth it to get the pro?
Pro has 4K video, Adv has up to 2.7K video. Pro has faster 100W battery charger, Adv has 57W charger. Pro has better maximum 10 Mbps FPV video transmission while Adv only has 2Mbps.
Standard uses Wifi to communicate, so limits distance.
Only difference for Adv & Pro is the camera, so unless you need the 4k recording ADV is enough. It has the exact same drone, and lightbridge communication.
by edfoo : Pro has 4K video, Adv has up to 2.7K video. Pro has faster 100W battery charger, Adv has 57W charger. Pro has better maximum 10 Mbps FPV video transmission while Adv only has 2Mbps.
@GregFiona: So the only difference is the camera, and it's not FPV transmittions, it's bitrate of the recorded video. But the major difference is the WiFi/Lightbridge communication and the visual positioning system. That makes the standard harder to fly, less distance due to WiFi range and harder to hover and maintain position.
The Adv/Pro have the same 720p FPV preview transmission quality.
@GregFiona: Between the Adv and Pro, it's only the camera. For the difference between Std and Adv/Pro I've answered that too.
The 4k camera on a standard is a waste of money. If you need a 4k, then you need the range and abilities of a Adv/pro. You'll miss the local indoors capabilities of the adv/pro visual sensors needed for indoor flight missing from Std 4k, if range isn't an issue.
@Rumbaar: When someone pays extra $$$ for something it's good to know why they are paying extra.It's NOT only the camera that changes the price.
by edfoo : Pro has 4K video, Adv has up to 2.7K video. Pro has faster 100W battery charger, Adv has 57W charger. Pro has better maximum 10 Mbps FPV video transmission while Adv only has 2Mbps.
I have owned an Adv for 2 months, I don't shoot 4K video, my Adv has been an excellent stable flyer. But for someone who has no prior experience flying a quadcopter I still advise buying a cheaper quad such as the Syma X5C-1 and learn to fly it in manual mode first before you invest in these expensive Phantom 3, because you WILL crash in your first few flights.
Exactly why I want to get a phantom since I love my x5c-1 which I picked up from this deal, but yeh I understand its quite a big leap from a $50-60 quadcopter to a $800-1000+ one… but it's so tempting though.
It's so easy to fly, I've never flown an 'advanced' drone and the systems in the Adv/pro make it childs play. If you take it to an open field you'll never crash in your first few flights.
No sure why was downvoted, the difference in communication between standard and Adv/pro make them like totally different drones to operate.
Not true at all. I have had my Advanced for 5 months now and have never crashed it.
Pretty expensive way to perv on your neighbours.
Pretty stupid way to perve on your neighbors considering they'd hear it as soon as you took off.
I've heard they aren't the quietest.
Are the Phantom 2 on sale. I would prefer to add a FOV kit and use my GoPro.
Or maybe DJI know the new GoPro drone is coming and they want to increase interest beforehand.
they're not the quietest, none of them are.
Given that the better ones would have a decent camera could you not be a nice distance away and just zoom in?
These units have a fixed focal length, so only option is digital zoom. Post processing,
Is this US dollars?
Best to get Inspire 1….. That or nothing as far as I'm concerned!
Follow the link it says AUD
Wish the advanced had a bigger reduction. Wonder if any of the other authorised resellers will drop their price?
Yeah a better deal was last Tuesday with eBay 15%, coupled with the free hardcase backpack that was being given away prior to 31st December.
Dang. Didnt see that on OzB. next time eh. Thanks
Don't forget 4% cashback make it <$800
~$800 is so bloody tempting.
Although I've got one already for which I paid $120 more.
:O how do i get an extra 4% off???
I'm confused by how this fits in with the recently announced new models… are these soon to be obsolete, unavailable batteries etc?
The new models are on there, with the standard including a 4k camera. But that only uses WiFi for communication with controller so severely limits your flight range. The Adv/Pro use their lightbridge technology for greater range.
As a previous owner of the phantom 2 vision (loved it) be aware when DJI does big sales it means they are clearing inventory for an updated model.
Still, these are excellent priced considering mine was $1200+ at release.
Do you think it would be worth waiting for a new model as a first drone? Or would something like this suffice? My partner has wanted one for a while.. I'm thinking about buying one of these for her birthday.
It will be a few months before any new models are out, and the Advanced is a dream to fly. You will not regret an early purchase and flying. It's currently good season for flights. Though sun glare can be harsh on screen or keeping an eye on the drone in the sky.
It would MORE than suffice. The 2 year old P2 vision was brilliant….this is even better.
Awesome, thanks guys. Would I be better off spending more for the 4k? My partners uncle has a DJI and he can use his iPad mini as the screen on the remote. Which one of these would allow that?
Sorry for the stupid questions!
Edit: or going for the $1399 4K over the advanced?
@cala90: No need for the 4k Pro, as the Adv 1080/2.7k will be perfectly fine. Also the device you use on the controller doesn't capture at full resolution, that is done onboard via SD card.
They all allow that iPad mini, and a device is needed for all of them to be able to see the video during flight.
I'd advice against the standard, as the communication between the controller and STD is only WiFi and you'll limit your range and be more susceptible to interference.
Further to this - make sure you check what tablet you will be using to see if it is compatible (e.g. Ipad Mini 2,3,4) and its best to have one with cellular data to use some functions in P mode (GPS)
@RRRRRnz: I use a Sony Xperia Z with no data plan. You can cache the maps if you need prior to flight, so technically don't need one out in the field. Also a device without background processes will allow for better experience with the drone and controller/device.
You only need internet connectivity the very first time you connect to the drone, as it registers to DJI to allow the drone to actually start up. Which can be done at home via WiFi prior to flight.
This is all correct. However- you will need a device with cellular data (or GPS) to use dynamic home position feature and follow me feature
@RRRRRnz: I've not used the follow me feature, but I've used the dynamic home position feature without cellular data. That's pure GPS coordinates, so not sure why that would need data. I would also hazard to guess the follow would only use GPS as well. You'll not get live map data, but it should still work without knowing that data.
The GPS is in the drone, so has nothing to do with the device connected to the controller. You can technically fly it without anything connected.
http://www.phantompilots.com/threads/adding-gps-to-non-gps-iā¦
As per the link above - you will need a cellular phone / tablet to use the follow me function or buy a GPS receive for your wifi only device
@RRRRRnz: Like I said, I've not tried the follow me function. But you only need a GPS enable device, that's not cellular dependent.
Yes - but the majority of GPS enabled devices (smart phones and tablets) are generally cellular devices…
@RRRRRnz: Yes, but that doesn't negate the fact you do not need a mobile data enable device to use any of those features.
Judging from the Amazon reviews, DJIs' customer service seems to be quite appalling.
Yes this is nothing new as even when I bought mine 2 years ago buying from DJI direct was considered by all the early adopters as a dumb move as they were (and probably still are) notorious for bad service. As you had to deal with a call center in China who had no concept of customer service.
I would highly recommend you buy from a local hobby retailer even if it costs a bit more instead of buying direct from DJI. At least many of them are good about honoring warranty if you walk into their shop.
I lost count the number of people I read in the past with a warranty issue trying to deal with DJI in China (no Aussie tech support unless it's changed now) and getting nowhere.
that is an understatement.
Just don't fly it near places of interest in Japan otherwise you'll lose it…….
http://www.popsci.com.au/robots/drones/watch-japans-police-dā¦
Like a giant sticky fly catcher.
You can get a further 10% off if you have an .edu email account. Here is the link for the coupon http://store.dji.com/get-discount/edu
I have one to give away. pm me. first come first serve.
enrollment will not start before at least Feb though :(
Why you do this? I don't want to buy it… but I must!
Hey Thanks for that….I think?!
You just made me bite the bullet. $742 (after cashback) for the basic model.
My Dad was going to buy me a cheaper drone for Chrissie but for this price he can just buy me a spare battery :-)
I don't want one but thought I would apply for the discount. First to PM me gets it:
These are the two codes I got of course XXXXX is not the actual coupon code. Thought it may help others knowing the discount and what it applies to.
20% Off Coupon Code XXXXXX
(Can be used to purchase any products on the DJI Online Store, excluding the Ronin-M, the Developer Tools, Phantom 3 Series and Accessories, the Inspire 1 Pro, the Osmo, and the Zenmuse X5 Series, etc.)
10% Off Coupon Code XXXXXX
(Can only be used to purchase the Ronin-M and the Phantom 3 Series and Accessories, the Inspire 1 Pro, the Osmo, and the Zenmuse X5 Series)
code gone? does not accept new conversations .. :(
Cheers for the heads up. My settings didn't allow private message!
Sent to you now!
Still have one pm me.
anyone have an email i can just sent the link to and send me the coupon code in return? :) anyone please help a brother out :D :D
Anyone tried doing this with a different email address / account than the edu one ?
I just tried it with my usual gmail account and the cash rewards link and it wouldnt let me use the code.
edit: tried checking out as guest too, no avail. Eventually got it to work but had to use the same email address to check out as used to get the code.
For me, the discount code only worked with an account created for the same edu email address. so I created a new account.
yep, managed to check out as a guest with the .edu email account.
Total price was $773 less $39 cash back with cash rewards so $734 delivered.
How about the drone footage from Sydney fireworks TV broadcast. Was pretty awesome - flying right near/though the fireworks. https://youtu.be/snlSCvu7f_I
Guys, Why in the comparison says that there's no dedicated button for the video or shutter? How do I start recording a video then?
With the standard model you start / stop video via your smart phone or tablet using the DJI Phantom application.
And can you say more about the FPV? Is it possible to pilot through that or the delay is too high?
I'm really thinking about buying this one, but $800 is too much money!
Also, I'll leave the country soon, so probably I'll get the taxes back, with the .edu discount comes to less than $700.
The feed is live to your connected device. The latency in the feed will be more apparent in the STD models over the Adv/Pro due to it using WiFi to communicate to the controller. But yes you can use that to pilot your device. You should always maintain a VLOS with your drone, but you'll use the feed to position the camera and such.
What's the maximum payload?
Are there any drones that can carry the weight of a small gun?
It would have to be light, the current flight time is 20-25mins. So any extra load will reduce this a lot. It will also run into balance issues. Expect it to drop out of the sky due to the batteries going from 30% - 0% with unexpected loads.
300 grams on the top of the its camera.
Their customer service sucks and they don't provide any extras that are promised
I did lots of research about the drones (around $1000-1500 price range) . My conclusion was dji phantom 3 advanced.
You can compare most good quality drone on this site
Www.drones.specout.com/
e.g. for phantom 3 standard: www.drones.specout.com/l/44/DJI-Phantom-3-Standard
Or advanced
Www.drones.specout.com/l/17/DJI-Phantom-3-Advanced
There are good drones out there too like yuneec which makes very good drones with good customer service too but all depend what you want from your drone. E.g. I didn't like that yuneec lock the drone to maximum attitude of 120 m (400 feet) but phantom can go as high as 1500m high or 4.5km range which I wanted.
So the best solution as I was mentioned here before buy from somewhere with good customer service.
I found both good price and customer service with "eglobaldigitalcameras"
www.eglobaldigitalcameras.com.au/dji-phantom-3-advanced-rtf-ā¦
I both the drone for $1359 but later I saw %15 ebay discount. I contacted them with price on ebay and ad for %15 discount and they refund me $140 two days later which made the Phantom 3 advanced for me $1215 ššš and they told if I have any request in related to warranty I can contact them for a quick response . I ordered extra battery with the discount and now I am super happy with my present to myself (wife doesn't know yet)
"wife doesn't know yet"
RIP
could take her out with a drone strike
Might knock her out for a few seconds with the dji, enough chance to do a runner ;-)
one potential issue there is that eglobaldigital are not an auth dealer for DJI, so you may have issues if you need to deal with DJI for warranty etc. better hope EGDC have a pretty robust customer warranty policy!
forget about phantoms, they are boring all they do is float around the top and do nothing… it get something like a vortex and some fatshark or skyzone goggles and do some real racing, flips and all sorts of things (try yt bmsweb for starters).
Does someone know for how long this promo will last? I'm really tempted but I'm still thinking about it.
Also, I need to know If I will have enough space in my lugagge as I'm going overseas.
I'm in the same boat. Also note that this doesn't have good FOV equipment. The bluetooth alone is not so good.
This is a good toy, but it doesn't fly for very long. It's very cheap compared to other drones in the market and has an app to control the camera angle via your phone. It also has a gyroscope to keep the camera recording relatively level even though it may be physically moving around a lot.
I wonder what drones Amazon uses for their delivery service. Apparently those can carry heavy items and fly long distances…
Just bought one. Great first post OP. Got 10% extra for edu email as well!
Does anyone know why my cashrewards would show $1024.65 when I paid a total of $818.20
Shhhhh.
Should of got the advanced mate, way to go if your gonna splash almost a grand on a drone
It's actually my third. Had a Phantom 2 Vision+ for 18 months that I loved but camera rendered useless during crash(es). Received a new FPV racer today, which made the decision to get another photography one hard. The discount was the reason I pulled the trigger. The Advanced would have been another $550.
Edit: Today I received my Skyzone goggles and FrSky controller and will be getting into FPV.
so how many of you bought this? i dont think i can get this budget approved :(.
Do they have crash avoidance?
You mean collision advoidance? No
ta
For those that do have a Phantom, any ideas on how they can be packed into a backpack not designed for drones? (e.g. DJI hard backpack)
I know for example DJI has a hardcase backpack, but I'd rather use my own (Oakley Icon) as it has more pockets for me to carry other things
Just wondering whether there may be other solutions
cheers
How do u get the cash awards?
Damn thats a good price but their followup warranty and customer service worries me. Feedback from a local seller says Phantoms are hard to repair.
Anyone have experience with the Cheerson CX-20. This has been suggested to me as a great alternative in price, but once you add a gimbal the price then gets up towards this special.
What to do??
Is it worthwhile then just to pay the extra and get a Phantom from a local seller?
for anyone buying DJI Phantoms, I strongly advise getting the propeller guards. if you hit a wall, there will be a good chance that this will save the propellers being clipped, thus saving it from crashing.
What impact does the propeller guards have on flying? I presume it will create drag, but does that have a noticeable impact on the aerial handling ?
The Pro price is still the same as before, only the Standard and Advanced have price reduction.