About to purchase, accessory questions.

[Dirty Bird]

The filter pack I listed simply slips over the lens of any P3 camera. You don't need to remove the factory lens cover on the P3-Advanced/Pro. It likely has to be removed for a lens cover/gimbal clamp to be used but as it just slips on removing it after flight shouldn't be much of an issue.

@Travis726

@Dirty Bird Quick question about the ND filter pack - do you know if the 3d printed gimbal lock/ lense cover will fit over the aftermarket ND filter set you posted? It looks legit otherwise.

 

[Noble 1]

@alokbhargava I found Msinger's list VERY helpful but too exhaustive and I narrowed down to 2-3 then needed more help deciding. Great idea Alok! and Thank you Msinger.
I had a question about the Du-Bro Prop Balancer for $30. Is this the one you were recommending?

I heard prop balancing was more important for the plastic props and less for carbon fiber props, is that true? What are the pro-s con-s and best recommendations for props? Had a friend give me an handful of props and then I bought CF props. So I never worried too much about balancing. Seems foolish now!

@Dirty Bird Thank you for that explanation. This is the best RC forum I've ever found. So much info and help here...

 

[msinger]

I definitely want the newest version. Is there a retailer/re-seller you would recommend? Amazon is nice, but not necessary. STraight from dji? What kind of shipping times do you usually have?

If buying on Amazon, I would recommend only buying a Phantom that is shipped via Amazon Prime. That means Amazon will ship the Phantom and you will be able to take advantage of the 30-day return policy if your Phantom is damaged on arrival, it's DOA, etc. Items shipped directly from Amazon are delivered very quickly too. You can find a list of Phantoms in stock on Amazon here.

Buying a Phantom directly from DJI is not a bad idea either. The shipping speed really depends on how busy they are at the time you order. The estimate on their store page will tell you about how long your package will take to ship out. After it ships, it usually takes about 4 additional business days to get to your doorstep (in the US).

 

[Travis726]

If buying on Amazon, I would recommend only buying a Phantom that is shipped via Amazon Prime. That means Amazon will ship the Phantom and you will be able to take advantage of the 30-day return policy if your Phantom is damaged on arrival, it's DOA, etc. Items shipped directly from Amazon are delivered very quickly too. You can find a list of Phantoms in stock on Amazon here.

Buying a Phantom directly from DJI is not a bad idea either. The shipping speed really depends on how busy they are at the time you order. The estimate on their store page will tell you about how long your package will take to ship out. After it ships, it usually takes about 4 additional business days to get to your doorstep (in the US).

Yeah I always buy from the amazon prime venders so I can get their service. Any idea the chance of getting an old version (with the old motors and shell) if I buy from amazon?

 

[Rumbaar]

I bought a case that allows me to leave the props on, I can't imagine having to take the props off every time I put it in the case.

I wouldn't worry too much about having a lot of props, I fly FPV and break a lots of props on my racing done, but have never damaged a prop on my P3

With the likelyhood of not checking props for damage each flight, I'm hesitant to use a case that leaves them on.

Also Props are cheap, and always have a spare set.

You'll be needing/desiring at least 2 batteries, and wanting more as you soon enjoy flying more. The hard shell case came with my deal, and I'm so glad it did. Makes transportation so easy and less of a chore.

 

[TheRealNick]

I like stock everything, no gimbal guard or after market props....

 

[alokbhargava]

@alokbhargava I found Msinger's list VERY helpful but too exhaustive and I narrowed down to 2-3 then needed more help deciding. Great idea Alok! and Thank you Msinger.
I had a question about the Du-Bro Prop Balancer for $30. Is this the one you were recommending? View attachment 40727
I heard prop balancing was more important for the plastic props and less for carbon fiber props, is that true? What are the pro-s con-s and best recommendations for props? Had a friend give me an handful of props and then I bought CF props. So I never worried too much about balancing. Seems foolish now!

@Dirty Bird Thank you for that explanation. This is the best RC forum I've ever found. So much info and help here...

Yes this is the du-bro balancer. You should also order 6mm balancing rod with it.

Both plastics and cf props need balancing. But only DJI brand.

 

[alokbhargava]

Also order DJI RC strap:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00TSGKSF4/ref=ya_aw_od_pi?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[alokbhargava]

You may need short lightening cables if you use iPad:

Amazon.com: ZiBay(TM) 3 PACKS USB Charging/Sync Data Cable [12 Inches] for iPhone 6 / 6 Plus, iPhone 5 / 5S / 5C, iPad Mini, iPad Air, iPod touch 5, iPod Nano 7 [Compatible with all IOS] (3 PACKS): Electronics

 

[msinger]

Yeah I always buy from the amazon prime venders so I can get their service. Any idea the chance of getting an old version (with the old motors and shell) if I buy from amazon?

That's the only issue if not ordering directly from the seller -- if you even want to consider it an issue. There are many Phantoms out in the wild with old motors and shells. And, there is no evidence that the new shell and/or motors are better. I suppose the new shells are better at preventing cracks (assuming that's what DJI was attempting to fix with the updated design). Most people do not get cracks in their (new or old) shells though.

 

[Msvet]

Check out the following...
Polar Pro lens kits
Polar Pro landing stabilizers
Polar Pro lens cover/gimble stabilizer
Polar Pro Gimble guard.
Hoodman shade - expensive but worth it
DU-BRO 499 Prop balancer 6mm rod
Taco RC Aluminum Tablet controller upgrade bracket
Nanuk 945 or 950 cases
The absolute best Harness "Zero Gravity Harness" expensive but worth it.
That should cover most of the stuff you might want. Video on YouTube about Harness. Best thing I popped for. Makes flying so sweet.

 

[Karthikdoc]

Is a prop balancer very useful? What does it do?

 

[msinger]

Is a prop balancer very useful? What does it do?

 

[Travis726]

That's the only issue if not ordering directly from the seller -- if you even want to consider it an issue. There are many Phantoms out in the wild with old motors and shells. And, there is no evidence that the new shell and/or motors are better. I suppose the new shells are better at preventing cracks (assuming that's what DJI was attempting to fix with the updated design). Most people do not get cracks in their (new or old) shells though.

I thought some of the old motors were having issues with the new firmware (1.6 or something)

 

[msinger]

I thought some of the old motors were having issues with the new firmware (1.6 or something)

I'm not aware of any issues.

 

[skimis]

One consideration regarding ND filters. The purpose of these is to slow down the shutter speed. This can make your videos more cinema-like and produce some neat effects of moving objects. So on a really sunny day you'll use a darker filter to get the same effect. But you don't need them to film on sunny days if you like the look of camera's high frame rate. Here's a link to a good explanation. PhantomFilters.com - Lightweight ND Filters and POL Filters for Phantom 3 FREE SHIPPING — Why ND filters?

 

[Karthikdoc]

A nice video on Nd Filters

 

[Karthikdoc]

Video demonstrating the various nd filters and their effects on the output

 

[Wolfiesden]

Well, past whats been posted, here is another ND option. These are graduated ND filters. These are very useful for pano and horizon shots where sky is involved. They have a higher ND grating on top than on bottom. This knocks down sky light values more than ground. Under normal circumstances, the ground is darker than the sky. There are circumstances where the reverse would be possible (snow or white sandy beach). The filter can be rotated from the looks of it so you could have it inverted.

I use graduated NDs when shooting my DSLR and they are a great benefit when including both sky and ground in your shots.
P3 Series Graduated ND16-8 Filter


There is also a fairly high end variable ND filter
Phantom 3 Variable Lens Filters (Circular Polarizer & Neutral Density) variable filter kit

You could accomplish nearly the same thing by cross polarizing two sheets of filter material. If you take two sheets of polarizing material and mount them so they are not identically aligned, you have a variable ND. If they are aligned, no light cut. At 90 deg from each other, 100% is cut. Anywhere in-between a percentage of light is cut. Simply rotate one sheet opposed to the other to set how much light you wish to be cut.

 

[sbarton]

The Red Rock Aluminum case is about the best bang for the buck if you don't need waterproof. It's only around $100.

You'll definitely want a spare battery. Make sure it is official DJI. Cheapest I've seen is $149. I'm waiting for them to come down before I buy another so I have a 3rd.

Get official DJI props, not cheap aftermarket ones.

Here is a similar 8" shunshade but for 1/2 off at $11.

I'd also recommend getting a windsurfer range extender for $30. Gives you about 50% more range.

You will want a 64GB UH3 rated MicroSD card. I like the Lexar 1000x 64GB for only $49 as it is plenty fast for writing 4k video, but it is by far the fastest card for transferring the files to your computer at 150MB/s with included USB 3.0 adapter, which is really nice.
It's also not a bad idea to tape a spare SD card to the P3 just in case you forget your main card in your computer.

Alum Gimbal Ribbon Saver for $20

You can get a CF Gimbal Guard, Lens Cover, and sun hood combo for only $13. I spray painted my lens cover red so I remember to take it off, lol.