+Alexandroa Driigg Get the Phantom 4 with a huge DISCOUNT at DJI! Be quick because prices will be back up soon, check it out: click.dji.com/pwjuf7hPyuof3HmS
+Dominic Underhill This actually is a better deal, the Phantom 4 is available on DJI's own website for a very sharp price (: click.dji.com/CiHhivJ5QbKyUnz2?pm=link
Please purchase your future DJI gear via my link to support my work for free (I get a small commission)! DJI Phantom 4: goo.gl/JPGVo8 DJI Phantom 3: goo.gl/dMcCSM All other DJI products: goo.gl/EkF2Sa Thanks all together, stay tuned and fly safe!
Phenomenal comparison. I'm so pissed that I ordered my drone yesterday, and I also ordered another $200 in osmo accessories. I really want you to have the commission now. I promise you when I upgrade to the 5 or 6, I will use your links. Please keep up the good work.
Hey Tom, good comparison. The prop view mentioned is the only inaccuracy. Only with collision avoid (CA) enabled will you not see props, unless a gust of wind hits it, or you fly toward the sun at certain times of day, which flickers prop shadows. With CA enabled top speed is only 22mph, way to slow most the time. Disabling CA in P mode is like a P3 at about 35mph, and in S mode it will do over 40mph. There was one important omission, P4 has a 2X camera zoom in the Go app when recording in 1080, which basically crops the 4K sensor. It works good, very handy to have. FYI, zoom is not mentioned in the manual.
+Tom Spurlock Zoom in from the app, really? Wow! Is it variable or like two fixed position zoom? Still a great feature to have. Thanks for sharing that important info. DJ SOUL FORCE
This was the best detailed review I've watched of this product. Honest, direct to the point and I even learned few things from it as an owner of Phantom 4. Thanks. Subscribed.
Thanks for the great comparison video. DJI has served filmmakers very well. Both the Phantom 3 and 4 are extremely capable filmmaking tools, and with the release of the 4, the 3 is now extremely affordable.
Good but some of your facts are completely incorrect 1- tilted horizon problem exists in the phantom 4 also 2- props show up in videos for the p4 also. The reason why you didn't see the props in your video is because p4 flys slower in P gps mode hence there is not enough pitch .therefore props don't show. In your video clip you can clearly see that the p3 is flying faster and this is why you see it's props.
So Tom...by clicking on your link with DJI you benefit? I wish I would have done that when I ordered my Phantom 4. I will from now on. Love your stuff!
Excellent video, covering all the key issues. Improved stability will help in a lot of filming low altitude situations when the wind doesn't cooperate. Range of the 3 Pro and Advanced are fantastic, but illegal to use. The strength of signal quality may help with lower altitude shots. I'm disappointed in the flight time increase vs promised 28 minutes. I have been steering newbies to the Advanced for $800 and more batteries as of May 2016. 4K video is hard to justify, edit and store if you are not a professional film maker. Great value in the Advanced with 2.7K video. Not sure the "follow a person" is very useful. They need to allow you to name and store a POI flight, so you can repeat it. Ideal for construction project updates, seasonal changes of the same POI and other useful storytelling. I think more should be made of the capabilities of the still photos, which are much easier to share and have 95% of the artistic value without all the moving of the videos. The new lens on the 4 may be worth the entire cost upgrade if you take great still photos of interesting subjects. Less distortion, lower light levels and less high ISO noise might be worth it. Someone needs to post some cityscape still at night using the Pro and 4 to compare the camera lens quality. I have the 2, 2+, Advance and Pro, but can't justify adding the 4. Probably need to garage sale a lot of the old ones to newbies to get them started cheap.
One thing your video shows, but you didn't acknowledge, is that when the Phantom 4 is flying at its top speed, the propellers do come back into the view. You can see this at around 4:43 of your video. I've seen this in other video reviews of this drone. Yes, you could point the camera down to avoid "seeing" the propellers, but that limits your choices of how you capture your scene. This is where the Inspire 1 would be a better choice, although it is substantially more expensive. The Phantom 4 looks like the best choice overall. Especially on the issue of stability. While I know both drones have internal image stabilization processes, the stability of the drone itself is extremely important under any weather conditions. Regarding the maximum distance the drones can fly away from the controller, I don't see any problems with this. Flying the drone a mile / kilometer away is pretty damn far. I think with careful planning of your shots, you won't have the need to fly so far away. Three miles? Really? Good review. I have subscribed and look forward to future videos. Cheers.
bushgreen DJI has the Inspire drone, which has legs that lift up above the camera level so you avoid seeing them while filming. Of course, it's a more expensive version. But, probably worth it if you're going to use your drone for filmmaking.
Great review Tom. I can tell this took a lot of work. Found it interesting how the flight time for p4 was only slightly more and p3 flies further. does the p4 still have the same intelligent modes and is there any improvement in the way point mode? Any ability to pre-plan flights?
Excellent Video,.... Loved it. I do have one question. What happens when you TRY to fly out of the distance range? 1. It's stops itself? 2. Does it stay put until you find him again? 3. Will it return home projecting it own power to get home? Again nice video I watched the entire thing. Loving the 4
So biased towards the phantom 4.Because when the phantom 3 wins the range/speed he says "You wont even need to fly that far away" then he says the phantom 4 wins even though the phantom 3 wins.
Actually the phantom 4 won the range test, but just barely, so not really an improvement. It also wins the speed test in sport mode though. What it sucked in was max flight time, barely getting a couple extra minutes. The big sell points are the stability, raised props and collision detection. I guess it depends what you want to use it for, film making or hobby flying.
Saray Mubasiri The Avanced and Pro range is the biggest difference. It depends on what you are going to do with it. Where I fly, I need to be able to fly 1 to 2 miles out. The Standard maybe all you need.
Thank you for the detailed comparison review. I have the P3 and have been considering the P4 but this has made my mind up for me to stay with my P3. Thanks Again :)
This was the most helpful and thorough feature comparison I've seen. In fact, this was the most thorough feature review of the Phantom 3 alone as well. Thank you!! Fantastic video..
You got me at the propellers part... I was about, REAAALLY CLOSE, to buy the 3 Pro for the price difference, but I've always hated videos that propellers interrupt. Ill just save some money and get the better option. Thanks man. Great review.
Tom, Could you explain what altitude you are operating at? The reason for this is because the higher you are, the thinner the atmosphere is going to be, and the harder it's going to be for the phantom to displace its weight. DJI's fight times are probably quoted at sea level, where you are going to have the densest atmosphere on Earth, and thus the best flight times. Flight times are naturally going to fall off as your altitude increases.
Gr8 video! I just got my P4 as an upgrade from P3P. I agree with all your observations. You only forgot to mention that when in GPS- obstacle avoidance mode, the P4 is much slower than P3P. For me the deal breaker is the camera, much better: no more blurry pictures.
I just bought the 3 advance yesterday. I have crashed it twice already hard and only needed to replace the propellers. I love it..love it . .love it.... Absolutely no complaints here. The calibration set still doesn't work in my area. Trenton NJ...
Watched a number of youtube videos on the dji phantoms, with this one being by far the best! I appreciate the side by side views, specs, all brilliant to see the comparison in real time. Great work. Thank you :-)
You forgot The biggest downside of the Phantom 4. It costs approximately 600 € more and as a film maker only usability and picture quality counts and you can fly with both the way you want and the quality is even as other tests said. Yes the P4 is nice but 900 € vs 1.500€ are too much for these features.
If DJI will add a few more degrees to the rotation of their gimbal, then you could fly forward while pointing the camera backward. By flying forward the collision avoidance sensors could give you some protection while you're shooting a subject that you're pulling away from.
Thanks Tom , I have been looking at both phantom 3 and the phantom 4 trying to decide which one to buy.... i have looked at many videos ..... Your video comparison was by far the best one out there....... It enabled me to choose the one I want [ phantom 4 ]
Excellent review Tom, love your enthusiasm. I'm still getting used to my adorable Phantom 3 Pro, bought just a few weeks ago, otherwise, I would now be the owner of the Phantom 4. Watched one or two of your critiques when deciding what I needed for my first quad and made criticism of your overlay of loud music on some of your commentaries. This video has been a pleasure, the background volume, of music, just right.
3:20 in the U.S. we are not permitted to fly at night... are the new props more balanced than the P3P stock props? Is there a practical video use for that new maximum speed? Or do you consider video stability and image quality to be more important. ? I think I'm glad, that for now, I've decided to remain with the P3P... for me anyway, this isn't enough of a jump in image/video quality. I do like that the props don't show in video files, but again, that only happens during higher winds, or during faster operating speeds. Thanks for the review and comparison.. very well done.
It's absolutely NOT illegal to fly at night. Says you must maintain visual line of sight and fly responsibly. VLOS is alot easier at night with the lights
Just went by the FAA before you fly video guidelines... "never fly at night" I guess that was crap, not surprised. Glad you received permission, I don't know why they bother putting out non-applicable rules.
I have seen lots of videos about all kinds of rc-models, drones etc. - and I am VERY impressed. Very professional work, good sound, good picture quality - I would book you if I ever had to do a "documentary movie"... VERY WELL DONE !!!! Carsten, Hamburg - Germany
When you flew forwards to show that you don't see the props on the P4, you felw faster with the P3 than with the P4. I don't have to tell you that this strongly influences the results.
Thanks for the video Tom. I'm still running a P3 4k which takes some great pics and video, and has been very reliable for me even under adverse weather conditions, but it starts to lose signal at less than 500m with it's wifi setup even while using a range extender. Not sure how you got 2000 meters from yours, maybe it wasn't wifi. It's good to see the advantages for when it's time to upgrade to the P4.
That clip you showed of the 3 Pro not being stable and floating all around is crazy. Mine never goes down like that ... Mine looks very similar to how stable that 4 is.
The phantom 3 pro in this video is the new version (with 2312A motor). This new version has reduced power in Lightbridge, means shorter range than P3P old version. So the winner for range is P3P old, P3P new, and then P4.
My Phantom 3 Professional NEVER bounces around like yours did when comparing the hovering stability. It seems like you didn't calibrate the compass on the P3 before you did that hover comparison. My P3 stays EXACTLY in place always.
You show the P3 and P4 broken propellers. What caused them to break -- did you impact them with another object, or did they simply break due to normal operation (normal wear and tear)?
Tom, in general DJI drones last longer when they are travelling forward at a moderate speed than when they are hovering. If you want to see how long the batteries last, try flying them around a large field.
A few things to keep in mind though. If you're upgrading from, say the Phantom 2, the props are compatible. Nothing else is, but at least you'll have the additional props. I got the P3 Advanced, and to avoid prop shots when moving forward, simply tilt the camera down a touch, or move at a slower speed and adjust the speed post production. I calibrate my compass whenever I fly in a different spot that I was before, so stability is no issue at all for me. Obstacle avoidance would be nice, but like you said, don't rely on it...if you can't 100% rely on it, than what good is it? I wouldn't be flying any different than I am now. Just my 2 cents. Good video, otherwise.
Jason Powell I haven't seen that, no. I don't recall a book that had that many pages in it either though. With the Phantom 2, it was recommended to recalibrate the compass any time you flew more than 10km away from the previous flight area. That's kind of what I base my practices on, maybe it's overkill, but I can't imagine it's hurting anything.
Page 51 for the Phantom 4 says: Calibrating the Compass Only calibrate the compass when the DJI GO app or the status indicator prompt you to do so. Observe the following rules when calibrating your compass.
Auto focus on cameras started out with sonar, but the two major flaws was range limited to 10m like on the Phantom, and it was only measured from a blob in the center of the image. I wonder since the P4 has stereo cameras for obstical avoidance if they'll add large aperture cameras to the bottom for some super accurate infrared, phase, and contrast detection.
It takes more power to Hover a quadcopter than fly around. I read that somewhere. Makes sense to me. Just wonder how DJI came up with 28 min?? Would like to know.
Hi tom I bought my first phantom two around three years ago and haven’t really used it much I’m thinking about getting a phantom 4 what software do you use for your film editing please .? keep up the good work and excellent job and very informative. Thanks Jimmy
Excellent review (the best one I've seen so far). I wonder if the prop breaking pattern is a just a fluke (or an environmental issue)? I just broke two of mine and they broke more or less like your P3 props.
Doesn't the 4 have a built in height restriction ? I was told the P3 is better because of that. I'm trying to decide on what drone to get so I don't want to regret a purchase. thank you
Hi Tom just want to let you know your affiliate link for the P4 below is showing the product is not available in my region. I'm in San Diego California. Thanks man! Keep up the good work and come see us in the USA soon!
Hey Tom, One downside I can see to the Phantom 4 is there are not many hard cases made for it yet.... Have you found any? From what I understand the 4 will not fit in a 3 case?
ive seen the propellers in my shot from the phantom 4 as well as the phantom 3 pro. its all to do with how fast you move into full throttle from a stand still. accelerate gradually to avoid the propellers getting in shot on both drones.
Don't forget to include the most important question when it comes to evaluating the differences in similar technology, especially comparing between product generations. That question is cost. I work in IT management and we always do our own Return-on-Investment (ROI) and Total-Cost-of-Ownership (TCO) to try and make it apples-to-apples. Being that that Phantom 4 is "supposed" to be technically and operationally superior .... at what costs? Looking at Amazon.com, it appears to be right around $500 price difference between the P3P and the P4. There are also "soft" costs that are hard to quantify, but make a huge difference when it comes to operational differences. Things like "risk avoidance", which are the costs to repair or replace your drone because of pilot errors. Collision avoidance in the P4 would drive down those risks costs. But how do you quantify that for a very good pilot versus a pilot that has poor depth perception? That would be worth every bit of the $500 difference in my opinion, for that type type of pilot. Keep up the good work and thanks! Greg
+Greg Secrist , oh yeah. My biggest peeve about the P4 from a cost perspective .... the change in battery design!!! For those of us that already have a P3 and purchased extra batteries, we are screwed to the tune of $120 a pop! Makes our decision easy when it comes to tech refresh cosideration. DJI pulled something out of the Apple product design play book when they decided to change the battery compatibility.:(
When you done the battery test Tom did both batteries have the same hours on them? Not a fair comparison if the P3 had more hours flight time on it. Also you went on about the props not showing in the video of the P4. The P4 flys slower in normal mode so that's the main reason for less props showing. In sport mode the props are half way down the screen. It would be good to see that done again with the 2 Phantoms sitting at the same speed and gimbal pitch. As far as I can see DJI sat the motors on top of the shell so the mounts bolted to the top and bottom of the shell to give them more strength. Good idea but they won't say that's the reason. 👍 For the video and thanks for making it.
Hey Tom ... I have a question about the Active Tracking feature on the new P4. Is there a way to tell the drone to adjust altitude/filming angles etc in Active Tracking mode? For example: In your video you are only tracking the girl who is running from behind ... would it be possible to have the drone move up to the side of her and then turn around to the front and film from that angle as well? Thank you!
Very good job, real test. I still own the Phantom 3 Advanced and disappointed by the poor quality of the camera, gives distortions at the edges, in my case the lower left edge with great aberration ... the camera should have multi-detection instead of concentrating all their attention on the center. I have not heard of any firmware to correct this, Dji also indicated that no detected errors ... anyone know of any improvement for this great visual detail?
Tom as an earlier adopter of DJI (P2 modded with range extenders etc.) I shall stay with my P3 pro... (for now) I totally agree with your findings.... I think the object avoidance is an absolute game changer... But to my mind the biggest game changer is the Active track... I want to see 360 degree sensors (Matrice!!!) Bring on the P5.... Thankyou for making this Video. Keep up the good work..
Thanks for the very in-depth review! Quick Question: While it's clear that the phantom 4 is better than the 3 Pro as expected I want to understand more about value. I have a local retailer selling a Phantom 3 Professional for $699.99. At that price would you recommend the 3 Pro over the new 4? PS. This will be my first drone.
Do you think there will be a Phantom 4 w/ a better camera coming out at any point? I have the P3 Pro but some of the bells and whistles in the new P4 doesn't seem worth it quite yet.
Had my P3 Professional for almost 2 weeks. That horizon camera tilt was annoying. Calibration after Calibration... Anyway, the P4 price went down so just in time to return the P3P and get the P4.. Can't wait to just get out and fly instead of jacking around with calibrating the camera..
I got mine, pushed the home button and it flew back to China.
haha
About the 400th time I have read that :/
+Alexandroa Driigg Get the Phantom 4 with a huge DISCOUNT at DJI! Be quick because prices will be back up soon, check it out: click.dji.com/pwjuf7hPyuof3HmS
Lol
+Dominic Underhill This actually is a better deal, the Phantom 4 is available on DJI's own website for a very sharp price (: click.dji.com/CiHhivJ5QbKyUnz2?pm=link
ISO test was unfair. The phantom 4 gets a view directly under a light, but while the 3 is facing away from the light.
Please purchase your future DJI gear via my link to support my work for free (I get a small commission)!
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Thanks all together, stay tuned and fly safe!
where did you see a phantom 3 for $350 ?? Unless there's no camera on it
+FrankRizzo2002 why is the advanced better than standard
Nice
+FrankRizzo2002 and 4k
H
the problem is that the P4 is wayy more expensive than the P3 Pro
Illuminator SHITPOSTING true
yup makes me ignore the Phantoms 3's flaws. I can live with that.
Phenomenal comparison. I'm so pissed that I ordered my drone yesterday, and I also ordered another $200 in osmo accessories. I really want you to have the commission now. I promise you when I upgrade to the 5 or 6, I will use your links. Please keep up the good work.
28 min was a lie, they should not say that
+How To Make Sushi what dji dont mention is the drone must be hovering still, and even then its only just over 27mins of flight.
Mate! What a fantastic comparison! VERY WELL DONE! A HUGE amount of work has gone into this video. Thank-you and Hi from Australia!
great comparison!! Price difference is very big, obstacle avoidance is awesome, the buyer will decide which one to go for...
Excellent Comparison Video Tom!!! Everything anyone could ever need to know! Worth the 4 days effort!
Hey Tom, good comparison. The prop view mentioned is the only inaccuracy. Only with collision avoid (CA) enabled will you not see props, unless a gust of wind hits it, or you fly toward the sun at certain times of day, which flickers prop shadows. With CA enabled top speed is only 22mph, way to slow most the time. Disabling CA in P mode is like a P3 at about 35mph, and in S mode it will do over 40mph. There was one important omission, P4 has a 2X camera zoom in the Go app when recording in 1080, which basically crops the 4K sensor. It works good, very handy to have. FYI, zoom is not mentioned in the manual.
+Tom Spurlock Zoom in from the app, really? Wow! Is it variable or like two fixed position zoom? Still a great feature to have. Thanks for sharing that important info. DJ SOUL FORCE
This was the best detailed review I've watched of this product. Honest, direct to the point and I even learned few things from it as an owner of Phantom 4. Thanks. Subscribed.
Thanks for the great comparison video. DJI has served filmmakers very well. Both the Phantom 3 and 4 are extremely capable filmmaking tools, and with the release of the 4, the 3 is now extremely affordable.
P3 Pro: 84% from what´s promised in flight time. P4: 76% of promised flight time.
same here :)=
Hey guy same here haha
I own 2 Phantom 4s. Tilted horizon issue is still there.
Good but some of your facts are completely incorrect
1- tilted horizon problem exists in the phantom 4 also
2- props show up in videos for the p4 also. The reason why you didn't see the props in your video is because p4 flys slower in P gps mode hence there is not enough pitch .therefore props don't show. In your video clip you can clearly see that the p3 is flying faster and this is why you see it's props.
Did you have the GPS turned on during the flight time test? Because the promised flight time is WITHOUT GPS.
Another great video.. Thanks Tom! Now to make a decision whether to upgrade or not?????
So Tom...by clicking on your link with DJI you benefit? I wish I would have done that when I ordered my Phantom 4. I will from now on. Love your stuff!
+natserog Yes, Sir. That's how you can support my work for free. Thanks for your support!
Yes, Sir. Please purchase your DJI gear through this link to support me for free: click.dji.com/_9NUClUM7SenNVWw?pm=link&as=0004
+Tom's Tech Time hi mate I would love to review one on my other channel could you send me one
Main Gamer Photography you want a free drone
yes
Tom, I just wanted to mention, that you did a great job with this review! Really nicely done, professional work!
12:40 quite obvious that the winner is phantom 3!
phantom 3 is a lot cheaper and better then 4
It lasted less
what he means is the the phantom 3 was closer to the promised flight time than the 4
WinArmy the ps3 was 3 min short and the ps4 6 minutes....he he declares the ps 4 winner?
Excellent video, covering all the key issues. Improved stability will help in a lot of filming low altitude situations when the wind doesn't cooperate. Range of the 3 Pro and Advanced are fantastic, but illegal to use. The strength of signal quality may help with lower altitude shots. I'm disappointed in the flight time increase vs promised 28 minutes. I have been steering newbies to the Advanced for $800 and more batteries as of May 2016. 4K video is hard to justify, edit and store if you are not a professional film maker. Great value in the Advanced with 2.7K video. Not sure the "follow a person" is very useful. They need to allow you to name and store a POI flight, so you can repeat it. Ideal for construction project updates, seasonal changes of the same POI and other useful storytelling. I think more should be made of the capabilities of the still photos, which are much easier to share and have 95% of the artistic value without all the moving of the videos. The new lens on the 4 may be worth the entire cost upgrade if you take great still photos of interesting subjects. Less distortion, lower light levels and less high ISO noise might be worth it. Someone needs to post some cityscape still at night using the Pro and 4 to compare the camera lens quality. I have the 2, 2+, Advance and Pro, but can't justify adding the 4. Probably need to garage sale a lot of the old ones to newbies to get them started cheap.
One thing your video shows, but you didn't acknowledge, is that when the Phantom 4 is flying at its top speed, the propellers do come back into the view. You can see this at around 4:43 of your video. I've seen this in other video reviews of this drone. Yes, you could point the camera down to avoid "seeing" the propellers, but that limits your choices of how you capture your scene. This is where the Inspire 1 would be a better choice, although it is substantially more expensive.
The Phantom 4 looks like the best choice overall. Especially on the issue of stability. While I know both drones have internal image stabilization processes, the stability of the drone itself is extremely important under any weather conditions. Regarding the maximum distance the drones can fly away from the controller, I don't see any problems with this. Flying the drone a mile / kilometer away is pretty damn far. I think with careful planning of your shots, you won't have the need to fly so far away. Three miles? Really?
Good review. I have subscribed and look forward to future videos. Cheers.
they should hang the camera lower so the propellers dont come into view at all
bushgreen DJI has the Inspire drone, which has legs that lift up above the camera level so you avoid seeing them while filming. Of course, it's a more expensive version. But, probably worth it if you're going to use your drone for filmmaking.
+VFX Todd but for the phantom 5 they should hang the camera lower and put taller legs for it so the propellers never come into view.
bushgreen True. All drone models should be designed with that in mind.
Great review Tom. I can tell this took a lot of work. Found it interesting how the flight time for p4 was only slightly more and p3 flies further. does the p4 still have the same intelligent modes and is there any improvement in the way point mode? Any ability to pre-plan flights?
Great review Tom. I'm still a noob flying my P3S and loving every minute of it. I do look forward to the day I get my hands on a P4 though.
Excellent Video,.... Loved it. I do have one question. What happens when you TRY to fly out of the distance range?
1. It's stops itself?
2. Does it stay put until you find him again?
3. Will it return home projecting it own power to get home?
Again nice video I watched the entire thing. Loving the 4
I just received my Phantom 4 and this video along with your others, is brilliant for explaining the features. Thank you.
So biased towards the phantom 4.Because when the phantom 3 wins the range/speed he says "You wont even need to fly that far away" then he says the phantom 4 wins even though the phantom 3 wins.
Actually the phantom 4 won the range test, but just barely, so not really an improvement. It also wins the speed test in sport mode though. What it sucked in was max flight time, barely getting a couple extra minutes. The big sell points are the stability, raised props and collision detection. I guess it depends what you want to use it for, film making or hobby flying.
David Vazquez I'll agree with you there, not really worth the extra cash
+Tropic Events Watching other videos said it got a 25 percent better battery.
harry Minkley ikr how can you even compare the two!!
I like to see the props in the shot
wish you could hear the drone too through the cam
Obviously the newer updated model is better....without surprise...but good video. I think Ill be buy the P3 Advanced as my first drone
P3 professional
Can't go wrong with the P3A. You don't need 4K or a 100W charger. I find the P3 flies better, but the camera isn't as sharp as a P4. I now own 2 P4s.
I got the P3S. Really wished i got the P3A instead
Just got the Standard, why do you think you'd want to have the Advanced or Pro instead? Thanks.
Saray Mubasiri The Avanced and Pro range is the biggest difference. It depends on what you are going to do with it. Where I fly, I need to be able to fly 1 to 2 miles out. The Standard maybe all you need.
Thank you for the detailed comparison review. I have the P3 and have been considering the P4 but this has made my mind up for me to stay with my P3. Thanks Again :)
This was the most helpful and thorough feature comparison I've seen. In fact, this was the most thorough feature review of the Phantom 3 alone as well. Thank you!! Fantastic video..
You got me at the propellers part... I was about, REAAALLY CLOSE, to buy the 3 Pro for the price difference, but I've always hated videos that propellers interrupt. Ill just save some money and get the better option. Thanks man. Great review.
Tom,
Could you explain what altitude you are operating at? The reason for this is because the higher you are, the thinner the atmosphere is going to be, and the harder it's going to be for the phantom to displace its weight. DJI's fight times are probably quoted at sea level, where you are going to have the densest atmosphere on Earth, and thus the best flight times. Flight times are naturally going to fall off as your altitude increases.
Gr8 video! I just got my P4 as an upgrade from P3P. I agree with all your observations. You only forgot to mention that when in GPS- obstacle avoidance mode, the P4 is much slower than P3P. For me the deal breaker is the camera, much better: no more blurry pictures.
I just bought the 3 advance yesterday. I have crashed it twice already hard and only needed to replace the propellers. I love it..love it . .love it.... Absolutely no complaints here. The calibration set still doesn't work in my area. Trenton NJ...
Watched a number of youtube videos on the dji phantoms, with this one being by far the best! I appreciate the side by side views, specs, all brilliant to see the comparison in real time. Great work. Thank you :-)
You forgot The biggest downside of the Phantom 4. It costs approximately 600 € more and as a film maker only usability and picture quality counts and you can fly with both the way you want and the quality is even as other tests said. Yes the P4 is nice but 900 € vs 1.500€ are too much for these features.
Boo boo booooooooiiiioooooooooooooooooooooo
W
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If DJI will add a few more degrees to the rotation of their gimbal, then you could fly forward while pointing the camera backward. By flying forward the collision avoidance sensors could give you some protection while you're shooting a subject that you're pulling away from.
this was an amazing video, you put in so much effort, one of the best drone videos on youtube and the views reflect it!!
Thanks Tom , I have been looking at both phantom 3 and the phantom 4 trying to decide which one to buy....
i have looked at many videos ..... Your video comparison was by far the best one out there....... It enabled me to
choose the one I want [ phantom 4 ]
Excellent review Tom, love your enthusiasm. I'm still getting used to my adorable Phantom 3 Pro, bought just a few weeks ago, otherwise, I would now be the owner of the Phantom 4.
Watched one or two of your critiques when deciding what I needed for my first quad and made criticism of your overlay of loud music on some of your commentaries.
This video has been a pleasure, the background volume, of music, just right.
3:20 in the U.S. we are not permitted to fly at night... are the new props more balanced than the P3P stock props? Is there a practical video use for that new maximum speed? Or do you consider video stability and image quality to be more important. ? I think I'm glad, that for now, I've decided to remain with the P3P... for me anyway, this isn't enough of a jump in image/video quality. I do like that the props don't show in video files, but again, that only happens during higher winds, or during faster operating speeds. Thanks for the review and comparison.. very well done.
+Frederick Dunn and only a 2 minute battery advantage, no real reason for the upgrade.
It's absolutely NOT illegal to fly at night. Says you must maintain visual line of sight and fly responsibly. VLOS is alot easier at night with the lights
+Shady your right. i just got done flying at state capitol building at night, and i got permission from faa as well as neighboring airport.
Just went by the FAA before you fly video guidelines... "never fly at night" I guess that was crap, not surprised. Glad you received permission, I don't know why they bother putting out non-applicable rules.
+Frederick Dunn i think your reading "proposed laws". If it was up to them, they'd ban it outright.
Thanks for a Great review! ... now we will wait for your review on the Typhoon H!
I have seen lots of videos about all kinds of rc-models, drones etc. - and I am VERY impressed. Very professional work, good sound, good picture quality - I would book you if I ever had to do a "documentary movie"... VERY WELL DONE !!!! Carsten, Hamburg - Germany
One of the best videos explaining the differences and the options Thank You
Excellent side by side comparison! Better than most of the competitors. Keep up the great work, both thumbs up 👍👍
When you flew forwards to show that you don't see the props on the P4, you felw faster with the P3 than with the P4.
I don't have to tell you that this strongly influences the results.
Tom, I'd love to see an explanation/demonstration of the Phantom 4 indoor flying using visual positioning settings...please!
Thanks for the video Tom. I'm still running a P3 4k which takes some great pics and video, and has been very reliable for me even under adverse weather conditions, but it starts to lose signal at less than 500m with it's wifi setup even while using a range extender. Not sure how you got 2000 meters from yours, maybe it wasn't wifi. It's good to see the advantages for when it's time to upgrade to the P4.
I just got a phantom 3 advance and your videos have helped so much thanks
Hands down the best drone reviewer on the internet
That clip you showed of the 3 Pro not being stable and floating all around is crazy. Mine never goes down like that ... Mine looks very similar to how stable that 4 is.
The phantom 3 pro in this video is the new version (with 2312A motor). This new version has reduced power in Lightbridge, means shorter range than P3P old version. So the winner for range is P3P old, P3P new, and then P4.
My Phantom 3 Professional NEVER bounces around like yours did when comparing the hovering stability. It seems like you didn't calibrate the compass on the P3 before you did that hover comparison. My P3 stays EXACTLY in place always.
For the remote control, did DJI provide the iPad, or did you just buy the standard RC, and then buy the iPad separately, and download the apps?
You show the P3 and P4 broken propellers. What caused them to break -- did you impact them with another object, or did they simply break due to normal operation (normal wear and tear)?
Tom, in general DJI drones last longer when they are travelling forward at a moderate speed than when they are hovering. If you want to see how long the batteries last, try flying them around a large field.
A few things to keep in mind though. If you're upgrading from, say the Phantom 2, the props are compatible. Nothing else is, but at least you'll have the additional props. I got the P3 Advanced, and to avoid prop shots when moving forward, simply tilt the camera down a touch, or move at a slower speed and adjust the speed post production. I calibrate my compass whenever I fly in a different spot that I was before, so stability is no issue at all for me. Obstacle avoidance would be nice, but like you said, don't rely on it...if you can't 100% rely on it, than what good is it? I wouldn't be flying any different than I am now.
Just my 2 cents. Good video, otherwise.
David Vazquez Yep, that's the compass calibration you're doing, and it's a good idea to do it every time you change locations.
+David Vazquez has no one read page 51 where it says Only calibrate when the app or indicator indicates to do so?
Jason Powell I haven't seen that, no. I don't recall a book that had that many pages in it either though. With the Phantom 2, it was recommended to recalibrate the compass any time you flew more than 10km away from the previous flight area. That's kind of what I base my practices on, maybe it's overkill, but I can't imagine it's hurting anything.
Page 51 for the Phantom 4 says:
Calibrating the Compass
Only calibrate the compass when the DJI GO app or the status indicator prompt you to do so. Observe the following rules when calibrating your compass.
Jason Powell ok. I was talking about the Phantom 3 Advanced. It might be the same though, I don't know.
Auto focus on cameras started out with sonar, but the two major flaws was range limited to 10m like on the Phantom, and it was only measured from a blob in the center of the image. I wonder since the P4 has stereo cameras for obstical avoidance if they'll add large aperture cameras to the bottom for some super accurate infrared, phase, and contrast detection.
Great comparison video. I like the side by side of the Phantoms hovering.
This was an amazing review. Tom you have made me a new follower! Nice and thorough and really like the comparison/suggestions you make.
Excellent review! You go over the important things like camera differences! The white balance also looks much better!
This was the best review I have ever seen on anything. Great job!!
Keep in mind that hovering burns off battery faster than cruising. I am interested to find out what your result would be with less hovering.
It takes more power to Hover a quadcopter than fly around. I read that somewhere. Makes sense to me. Just wonder how DJI came up with 28 min?? Would like to know.
It's a great time to pick up Phantom 3 now.
Just bought the 4K version for $600.
One of the best Videos I think.
Very well presented.
thanks tom. I will be getting the phantom 4. your the best.
Thanks for another great review and for keeping DJI honest on flight time.
Hi tom I bought my first phantom two around three years ago and haven’t really used it much
I’m thinking about getting a phantom 4
what software do you use for your film editing please .?
keep up the good work and excellent job and very informative. Thanks Jimmy
Excellent review (the best one I've seen so far). I wonder if the prop breaking pattern is a just a fluke (or an environmental issue)? I just broke two of mine and they broke more or less like your P3 props.
Doesn't the 4 have a built in height restriction ? I was told the P3 is better because of that. I'm trying to decide on what drone to get so I don't want to regret a purchase. thank you
This is what you call a review, nicely done
I'm in the UK so can't use your links, but I did find the video very useful when buying my first DJI machine....I chose the P4 (of course).
Hi Tom just want to let you know your affiliate link for the P4 below is showing the product is not available in my region. I'm in San Diego California. Thanks man! Keep up the good work and come see us in the USA soon!
I really, REALLY enjoyed watching this video and learning a thing or two. BIG thumbs up for you dude! Keep doing what you do!
Hey Tom,
One downside I can see to the Phantom 4 is there are not many hard cases made for it yet.... Have you found any?
From what I understand the 4 will not fit in a 3 case?
ive seen the propellers in my shot from the phantom 4 as well as the phantom 3 pro. its all to do with how fast you move into full throttle from a stand still. accelerate gradually to avoid the propellers getting in shot on both drones.
Don't forget to include the most important question when it comes to evaluating the differences in similar technology, especially comparing between product generations. That question is cost. I work in IT management and we always do our own Return-on-Investment (ROI) and Total-Cost-of-Ownership (TCO) to try and make it apples-to-apples. Being that that Phantom 4 is "supposed" to be technically and operationally superior .... at what costs? Looking at Amazon.com, it appears to be right around $500 price difference between the P3P and the P4. There are also "soft" costs that are hard to quantify, but make a huge difference when it comes to operational differences. Things like "risk avoidance", which are the costs to repair or replace your drone because of pilot errors. Collision avoidance in the P4 would drive down those risks costs. But how do you quantify that for a very good pilot versus a pilot that has poor depth perception? That would be worth every bit of the $500 difference in my opinion, for that type type of pilot. Keep up the good work and thanks!
Greg
+Greg Secrist , oh yeah. My biggest peeve about the P4 from a cost perspective .... the change in battery design!!! For those of us that already have a P3 and purchased extra batteries, we are screwed to the tune of $120 a pop! Makes our decision easy when it comes to tech refresh cosideration. DJI pulled something out of the Apple product design play book when they decided to change the battery compatibility.:(
You are really excellent at this..well done Tom
So when are you doing a giveaway contest of the phantom 4?
+Hector L Whenever someone gives me a giveaway unit... :p
Great comparsion my friend, thankyou... Its definitly either a P4 or Typoon H for me..
Fun to watch the oldies. DJI has come along way.
When you done the battery test Tom did both batteries have the same hours on them? Not a fair comparison if the P3 had more hours flight time on it. Also you went on about the props not showing in the video of the P4. The P4 flys slower in normal mode so that's the main reason for less props showing. In sport mode the props are half way down the screen. It would be good to see that done again with the 2 Phantoms sitting at the same speed and gimbal pitch. As far as I can see DJI sat the motors on top of the shell so the mounts bolted to the top and bottom of the shell to give them more strength. Good idea but they won't say that's the reason. 👍 For the video and thanks for making it.
Does your iPad need cell data to operate the phantom? Thank you in advance and thanks for the great videos
Hey Tom ... I have a question about the Active Tracking feature on the new P4. Is there a way to tell the drone to adjust altitude/filming angles etc in Active Tracking mode? For example: In your video you are only tracking the girl who is running from behind ... would it be possible to have the drone move up to the side of her and then turn around to the front and film from that angle as well? Thank you!
A tip maybe..
When you do a hover test you should use stockprops on both drones.
Great reviews Tom, great video comparisons. Love your work and effort ! :)
Cool video :D You changed my mind of buying Phontom 3 to Phtom 4 in 5 mins! Great video!
Enjoyed your review, I would have liked to have seen the point of interest demonstrated.
GREAT VIDEO Tom, nicely done. Keep it up..
Very good job, real test. I still own the Phantom 3 Advanced and disappointed by the poor quality of the camera, gives distortions at the edges, in my case the lower left edge with great aberration ... the camera should have multi-detection instead of concentrating all their attention on the center. I have not heard of any firmware to correct this, Dji also indicated that no detected errors ... anyone know of any improvement for this great visual detail?
Tom as an earlier adopter of DJI (P2 modded with range extenders etc.)
I shall stay with my P3 pro... (for now)
I totally agree with your findings....
I think the object avoidance is an absolute game changer...
But to my mind the biggest game changer is the Active track...
I want to see 360 degree sensors (Matrice!!!)
Bring on the P5....
Thankyou for making this Video.
Keep up the good work..
+Paul Miller Download Litche, replacement for DJI GO. Gives you P4 tracking, etc.
good review. What makes the choice harder is that the P3P is now about $550 less than the P4.
+Utah State University Extension Wait for the P5 to come out and then the P4 will be $550 less
Thanks for the very in-depth review! Quick Question: While it's clear that the phantom 4 is better than the 3 Pro as expected I want to understand more about value. I have a local retailer selling a Phantom 3 Professional for $699.99. At that price would you recommend the 3 Pro over the new 4? PS. This will be my first drone.
Forgot to ask you.
how did you brake the propellers? It was during some flight ?
regards!
Excellent video as always! Keep up the good work!
Do you think there will be a Phantom 4 w/ a better camera coming out at any point? I have the P3 Pro but some of the bells and whistles in the new P4 doesn't seem worth it quite yet.
Had my P3 Professional for almost 2 weeks. That horizon camera tilt was annoying. Calibration after Calibration... Anyway, the P4 price went down so just in time to return the P3P and get the P4.. Can't wait to just get out and fly instead of jacking around with calibrating the camera..