DJI Phantom 4

With a flight range of 5km which is considerably lesser than that of the  Mavic Pro, one may wonder why he should invest in this model especially  when it costs almost 2 times the price of Mavic.

Well, before we go  into that, here’s something you should take note of: recently, with the  release of Phantom 4 Pro,  the price of the present model has come down considerably, so it’s as  good a time as any to get your hand on the model if you are so inclined.

Pros

• 12 Mp stills with a resolution of 4000 X 3000
• 4K High Definition video (at 30 FPS)
• GLONASS and GPS dual positioning modules as well as dual IMUs and a dual compass module for greater reliability
• Flight time of 28 minutes
• Ability to handle heavy payload

Cons

• Longer charging time and shorter flight range than Mavic Pro

Features

A common consensus among enthusiasts is that the Phantom 3 ushered in  the birth of the camera drone. From that perspective, it’s fair to say  that the Phantom 4 is more of an evolved version of its predecessor — it  still carries most of the features found on the latter. Having said  that, though, it’s worth highlighting that DJI have introduced a number  of enhancements in key areas.

So here’s what you can expect to find on the Phantom 4:

1. Advanced optics: Although the camera remains pretty much the same as  that on the Phantom 3, it sports a host of upgrades in capability. The  refresh rate takes a leap from 60 to 120 frames per second. More  resolutions (3840 X 2160, and 2704 X 1520) are also provided alongside  the standard 4K option.
2. Active Camera Stabilization: This is an advanced 3-axis gimbal that  cancels out the camera’s vibrations and movements in flight.
3. OSS: Short for obstacle sensing system, this relies on 2  forward-facing optical sensors to help the drone detect obstacles and  navigate around them.
4. Automatic Flight Positioning System: Like the name suggests, this employs GPS technology to make the drone more user-friendly.

Performance

As a linear upgrade of the Phantom 3, the DJI Phantom 4 takes care of  most (if not all) of the former’s shortcomings. On the surface, it does  away with the old plastic body and replaces it with one made of a  magnesium alloy. This is informed not by the need to improve aesthetics,  but rather provide a more robust housing for the other improvements.