In the past couple of years, drones have gone from being highly specialist pieces of kit to mainstream photographic tools. There are now several serious consumer-level models on the market, but the most impressive is DJI’s immensely popular Phantom 3 quadcopter. The Phantom is available in three kit options: the Standard (£649), the Advanced (£899) and the Professional (£1159). In this review we’ll take a detailed look at the Advanced model.
The kit comes with everything you need to get started, including an integrated GoPro-style camera. This can manage 12MP stills and Full HD (1080p) video at 60fps, allowing smooth 2x slow-mo. It doesn’t offer the 4K resolution of the Professional model or the 2.7K resolution of the Standard, but for most users this won’t be an issue. The camera is mounted via a three-axis gimbal which ensures perfectly level video footage, and also allows remote camera control from the ground. The Phantom’s controller, which is also included in the kit price, has a mount for a smartphone or mini tablet, allowing settings changes mid-flight and a live video feed.
Features
The Phantom’s line-of-sight range is 2km, and it can travel at speeds of up to 35mph in still conditions, although when filming at full tilt the props are sometimes visible in the top right-hand corners of the frame. The roll, pitch, yaw and altitude controls give the user an incredible level of control over the drone’s movement, making it extremely manoeuvrable and its operation surprisingly fluid. Despite the fact that the drone is constantly changing angle, the gimbal is extremely effective at keeping the camera level, producing footage with a consistently flat horizon even with sharp changes of direction.
Intelligent positioning
The Phantom has built-in GPS, so it always knows where it is, and new to this model is the Russian GLONASS GPS system for extra accuracy. Before take-off, the user calibrates the compass, and the drone registers its ‘home’ position. It can then return to and land on its precise launch spot if it flies out of range, runs low on battery or when the home button is pressed. If the user lets goof the controls, the Phantom’s GPS system will keep the drone in its exact position, even working against the wind to avoid drift. As well as these fail-safe features, the Phantom comes with auto take-off and landing, and there’s also a built-in virtual flight simulator so you can get used to the controller before you use the drone for real.
The propellers can be removed from the four brushless motors with a simple twist for easy transport, and the lithium-polymer battery, which boasts a 23-minute lifespan, clips in and out for easy charging. Although a second battery is a little pricey at £120, it is worth the investment. LED charge indicators are fitted on both the controller and the drone, and both are charged via the same mains adapter. Charge time is fast at just under 1 hour.
Verdict
This is an exceptional product that has been designed and built with staggering attention to detail. Operation is smooth and intuitive, and the calibre of the camera, especially for video recording, is excellent, though of course its small sensor isn’t brilliant in lowlight. The icingon the cake will come with the ‘follow me’ and ‘route mapping’ app updates. Overall, this is the best consumer-level tool for aerial photography currently on the market.