Anyone reading this blog (does anyone read this blog?) would know that I have built quite a few camera drones - SK450, SK450 Deadcat, S500, S500 Hexacopter. Most of them used commercial frames, APM or Pixhawk controller, and Gopro or similar cameras. They all worked, some of the time, and I enjoyed building them.
But I was tempted by a very low price on a DJI refurbished Phantom 3 Standard and bought it. What was it like getting a pre-assembled and integrated drone working? In short, very good.
I will not do a full review but just highlight the big differences between a home built drone and the DJI.
Debugging - no debugging needed, just follow the instructions, watch a few Youtube videos, update the firmware and it was ready to fly. Contrast that with hours and hours trying to get a DIY drone working well.
Features - The DJI has more features than my homebuilts, although I could add more. Specifically, the DJI came out of the box with failsafes, FPV, full camera control from the ground, auto takeoff and land, as well as full OSD (on screen display).
Flying - I guess DJI has a lot of experience with people crashing their drones and complaining. The Phantom is easier to fly and has a beginner mode to keep you safe. The auto takeoff and land also prevent a lot of crashes.
Camera - The DJI camera is pretty good, maybe not quite as good as the Gopro Hero line, but acceptable.
Accessories - Good and bad things here. Accessories like carrying cases, landing gear extensions, and props are readily available at reasonable prices. DJI batteries are proprietary and expensive.
So all in all a very good experience with DJI Phantom 3 Standard for about $300 USD. If you are more into flying and photography than building and debugging, I definitely recommend it.
But I was tempted by a very low price on a DJI refurbished Phantom 3 Standard and bought it. What was it like getting a pre-assembled and integrated drone working? In short, very good.
Debugging - no debugging needed, just follow the instructions, watch a few Youtube videos, update the firmware and it was ready to fly. Contrast that with hours and hours trying to get a DIY drone working well.
Features - The DJI has more features than my homebuilts, although I could add more. Specifically, the DJI came out of the box with failsafes, FPV, full camera control from the ground, auto takeoff and land, as well as full OSD (on screen display).
Flying - I guess DJI has a lot of experience with people crashing their drones and complaining. The Phantom is easier to fly and has a beginner mode to keep you safe. The auto takeoff and land also prevent a lot of crashes.
Camera - The DJI camera is pretty good, maybe not quite as good as the Gopro Hero line, but acceptable.
Accessories - Good and bad things here. Accessories like carrying cases, landing gear extensions, and props are readily available at reasonable prices. DJI batteries are proprietary and expensive.
So all in all a very good experience with DJI Phantom 3 Standard for about $300 USD. If you are more into flying and photography than building and debugging, I definitely recommend it.
Lower resolution cameras are typically used to save space and weight. The best drones, pricing above $1000 are often used for cinematography…..Best drones
ReplyDeletenice post
ReplyDeleteThanks
ReplyDeleteI am a big fan of custom built camera drones, but I truly admire the originality of DJI Phantom 3. My model crashed and I am in need of a propeller guard. Do you have any suggestion? I found a few here: http://mydronelab.com/accessories/dji-phantom-accessories.html
ReplyDeleteI like that you have shared us your experience to built quite a few camera drones. People should follow this infromation before buying a DJI Phantom or racing drones. We should consider everything before buying a reacing drone.
ReplyDeleteI liked trying fully waterproof drones for shooting a short film that describes water logging in my area during rains. I posted this video on various social media sites, and it helped in awakening of the local administration much easily.
ReplyDeleteThe drone can be the best choice for us when we want to make the video form the height level and form this point which is cant reachable to us then we can easily take and make video of this point by using this best racing drones also use for recording the race.
ReplyDeleteTo make your decision easier, check out our buyer's guide for a better understanding of what drone features there are to consider.drone cameras review
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteAmazingly accommodating post. This is my first time i visit here. I found such an extensive number of captivating stuff in your blog especially its trade. Genuinely its unprecedented article. Keep it up. vlogging camera review
ReplyDeleteif you want to buy the drone for professional aerial photography and videography https://www.fullydroned.com/
ReplyDeletehappy to read your content really cool. feel free visit to know the best drones for beginner. Thanks
ReplyDelete