This will be my 1st "non-toy" quad. Should I take advantage of the time tested, old technology P3P at a great price or should I jump-in and invest in the P4? The current price difference is about $550. I would then have to buy extra batteries for either system. Am i getting much more bang for my buck with the P3P or am I being foolish not "investing" and go forward with the newer technology?
1st time buyer. Which one?
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msinger
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I have a 150 acre horse farm that I would like to monitor from the sky. I have also been a hobby photographer since the days of dark rooms. My 12 year old son and I fly Syma x5 and x8's and we are quite proficient with them within their limited use. My son has put his x5 in a tree on two separate occasions, but keep in mind it does not have GPS and is very affected by wind drift. Since its release has anyone had a positive outcome avoiding small tree branches or power lines with the sonar of the P4. Those are the only real obstacles we need to worry about on the farm. My gut feeling is the "smart" features such as obstacle avoidance, unless very well executed, will put more P4's and H's in trees due to pilot overconfidence. So far I have not put my x8 into a tree mainly because I stay far away from trees. With a P4 or Typhoon H I feel people will let their guard down and fly closer to obstacles. Anyways that's where I stand without any 1st hand experience with anything more spectacular than a $100 Syma x8. So what do you think? P3P, P4 or although this is the wrong forum, the H?
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The P4 cannot see power lines and small branches. It would be best to scout out the flying area first so you're aware of the areas to avoid.
If money is a deciding factor and you have no need to shoot 4K video, then get the P3A. Otherwise, the P4 is a great choice for the reasons mentioned here. The autonomous features don't really interest me -- but, things like the design, dual IMU/compass, integrated gimbal, locking props, etc. really make the difference for me. If you have a chance to see both in person, you'll really be able to see the difference in quality.
Buy as much as you can comfortably afford. I just sold my P3 and loved it but like the new Battery on P4 and terrain avoidance and upgraded camera and A/C body more solid. You also will need extra Battery and in my opinion you must have a case which adds $230-$250 to your total. Best Buy sells both $999 for P3 and 12 months interest free. I am buying my case from the manufacture $249 for the P4 which I picked up yesterday. I am a retired 21 years Airline Captain and have owned 4 previous models all very enjoyable and impressive looking forward to flying the P4. Hope this helps.
Right now on Amazon P3A is $729 and P3P is as cheap as $815. With the better battery charger included with the P3P I wasn't even considering the P3A anymore. It seems P3P prices have fallen much faster than P3A.
I have read so much regarding DJI's poor service that seems to hold me back from jumping at the top of the line for my first purchase (of course people with bad experiences are much more vocal than those with good). Over your history with all the past models have you had to deal with DJI or have the different models held up and served you well?
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