In short, I wanted to know whether the DJI Phantom 4 quadcopter could be a tool for professional photography. If the control signal is lost, the Phantom 4 Pro V2.0 will retrace its original path to assist it regain its connection after one minute. When it reconnects, it will return following a straight route. If it fails to regain connection, it will also revert to straight line RTH. This is an excellent tutorial of the Phantom 4 Follow Me intelligent mode using ActiveTrack. Both TapFly and ActiveTrack are very easy to configure in the DJI Go app.
Use the higher positional accuracy of the Phantom 4 RTK to build better 3D models for any type of work. Take advantage of the RTK accuracy of the Phantom 4 RTK to capture data and create topographic maps of work sites. Offering a range of control schemes and complementary technologies, the DJI Phantom 4 RTK is developed to provide survey-grade results with greater efficiency than ever before. As a test image we used a custom reference poster you can download here.
The mapping functionality of the Phantom 4 quadcopter is also amazing. I loved the ability to see on a Google map exactly where the drone was located. I particularly liked the ability within the software to trim your video clip to a more mobile friendly size, ready to email to friends. I have to say that it’s not the best designed app, and does require some guess work as to which buttons to press initially.
Over the past year or more the Phantom 4 RTK has become the popular entry-level mapping drone. But now with its older brother, the Phantom 4 Pro, back on the block, it’s worth taking a good look at how these drones go head to head on surveying and mapping. For visualization purposes, you can think of a rubber sheet and a glass sheet. The model created by the Phantom 4 Pro is a lot like a rubber sheet, and the ground control are like tent stakes that tie the model down in the corners and the center.
But that approach has its own drawbacks, and we don’t recommend it as highly. It’s still an Editors’ Choice winner, and it greatly improves on the Phantom 4’s imaging and video capture capabilities, while adding modest improvements in obstacle avoidance and flight time. It’s just not the jaw-dropping standout the Phantom 4 was at launch. But like the Phantom 4, we’re naming the Phantom 4 Pro our Editors’ Choice.
With the OcuSync system, the Phantom 4 Pro V2.0 can also wirelessly connect to DJI Goggles, freeing users from the constraints of cables. The advertised battery life of the Phantom 4 is 28 minutes per flight. For a first time drone user, this probably sounds short, but for those upgrading from other models, it really is quite impressive.
Also interesting to note that DJI isn’t continuing its two-tiered Professional/Advanced model approach. For now, there’s just one choice of phantom 4, and you can pre-order starting today. Apple retail stores will stock them starting March 15, and everywhere else at the end of the month. Sign up for Lab Report to get the latest reviews and top product advice delivered right to your inbox. I’m not sure if I picked this up as a 3 or 4 year old product, but it is new to me, and a nice upgrade from my old Phantom 3 standard, which was also a great quadcopter. Other than all that, it flies great, very smooth, it takes great videos, pictures, and has a lot of great features otherwise, very pleased with it overall.
In the next paragraph, I will describe the details of the camera. FAA estimated ‘hobbyist’ drones reaching between 2.75 million and 4.5 million units by 2021. As of 2018, DJI controlled an estimated 74% of the global consumer drone market, with no other company controlling more than 5%. The RTH feature automatically calculates an phantom 4 optimal route according to the environment and bypasses obstacles along the way. The camera is for the most part unchanged from the Phantom 3 Professional’s excellent shooter. But DJI added a slow-motion option capturing 1080p at 120fps and it has improved the lens so there’s less chromatic aberration and better corner sharpness.
Switching between flight modes grants pilots the control they need, whether they seek smoothness, simplicity, or speed. Intuitive controls dji drones and a maximum speed of 45 mph simplify complex shots. If you’re fortunate, everything will go smoothly and you’ll be flying right away.
More powerful video processing supports H.264 4k videos at 60 fps or H.265 4k at 30 fps, both with a 100 Mbps bitrate. Advanced sensors and processors ensure everything is captured with more image detail and the image data needed for advanced post production. The onboard camera was redesigned to use a 1-inch 20-megapixel CMOS sensor. It’s the first DJI camera to use a mechanical shutter, eliminating rolling shutter distortion which can occur when taking images of fast moving subjects or when flying at high speeds.