DJI Phantom 3 Revealed!

[Zx9rider]

I bought a brand new, just released, P2V nearly a year and a half ago. The Pro model of the P3 is the same price I paid. Look at the advancements in that short time span. Amazing.

Indoor flight
4k camera
no fish eye
Much better TX
Much better apps
built in light bridge
better motors
integrated 3 axis gimbal

What'll they have a year and a half from now???

-slinger

I

 

[Jacob]

But compared the the P2V+, what did they say it would get on FPV range vs. what it actually got? Let's use that dividend to determine what range might be practical.

 

[Mal_PV2_Ireland]

And what range can be modded

 

[Meta4]

But compared the the P2V+, what did they say it would get on FPV range vs. what it actually got? Let's use that dividend to determine what range might be practical.

The P2V+ specs say ..
Communication Distance (open area)
500-700m
I get 500-700m quite often and have managed 975 metres once so I's say DJI were accurate in their specs for range for the P2V+
Inspire flyers are reporting good distances and they have the same equipment so whatever they are getting should be similar.

 

[ianwood]

You will need to mod your GP4 with the 5,4mm lens to have nice footage, otherwise you have that cheap action cam look compared to the P3 camera. One more thing, the P3 take DNG Raw pictures, a trick the Gopros cant.

You absolutely do not need to modify the GoPro lens. Plenty of software solutions that remove lens distortion without any noticeable loss of detail. The 5.4mm lens is only useful in specific circumstances.

As for stills, I wound't be using either of these cameras. There are much better options.

 

[TMSmalley]

Holy crap was he incredibly annoying... He doesn't know crap about quads...

-slinger

There are a lot of unemployed game show hosts out there looking for work!

 

[Mako79]

You will need to mod your GP4 with the 5,4mm lens to have nice footage, otherwise you have that cheap action cam look compared to the P3 camera. One more thing, the P3 take DNG Raw pictures, a trick the Gopros cant.

Go pro's own studio software (that is free) romoves fish eye. Just check the option and convert.

 

[IflyinWY]

They said, when they release the SDK, a third party can develop apps for it, probably to work with the DJI Pilot app.

Hello KillerCut, Welcome to the party.

I'm listening.

 

[Ezookiel]

I use a GP Hero Black, so I can already film in 4K.
Yes the files are huge, and my poor Microsoft Surface Pro 3 just doesn't really like them very much at all. And when using Premiere Pro it stretches its capabilities even further, but I still shoot in 4K.
My main reason is that when it comes to extracting a still image from a video, the 4K seems to give much better extracts, and so it should, it's using more of the sensor.

I could shoot in 1080 with 5 second stills captured automatically, but they seem to my eye to be vastly inferior to the extracts from the 4K video, it might just be me, but they seem inferior, and secondly it often allows me to micro progress the video footage a single frame at a time, to extract just the perfect shot, rather than use the ones the GoPro took 5 seconds apart.

Most shots I framed deliberately and carefully and so it's not a problem, I just hold the position for at least 5 seconds, but I still find many great shots hidden away within the footage, that I hadn't noticed at the time because the FPV is quite low resolution, or because I rushed past that scene on the way to get the shot I had in my mind, so the highest possible resolution lets me grab even those bonus shots from within the footage.

 

[Ezookiel]

Go pro's own studio software (that is free) romoves fish eye. Just check the option and convert.

And in doing so, it removes large portions of the image, especially around the sides. So you need to be a long way back from what you were shooting, so that the lens-correction then has enough space to work with, and the result is basically lower resolution footage.

 

[Beni]

I'm sorry but this would be about the worse business model ever. It should be titled with, "How to fall behind every other company putting out drones". A subtitle could be "How to run DJI into the ground in 2 years"

There are so many drones coming out on the market that will have 4k cameras. Like 4k or not, people will buy into the "better" camera. DJI needed something now to stay on top of the drone market. I'm betting there are also several drones coming out with 1.5 mile video. DJI would know these things. If you sit on tech for a year in this market you might as well start looking for another business. DJI will sell a _ton_ of P3's. The customers they gain will _far_ outweight the few that they piss off by lowering their price.

Bottom line, you can be disappointed but you can't blame a company for offering a better product at a lower price. That is just stupid.

Well, lets see how the new quads from the different brands end up being.. some of them will be announced/presented this 13-16 may at NAB. but dji should be ahead, because they have been there and done this for some time now.

Of course they are going to sell P3's like ****!.. no doubt about that!.. in fact, anyone remotely interested in drones/quads for fun or for aerial imagery should get a P3P right away!!!.. they are getting a lot for their money right now! (maybe would be wise to wait some days though.. but I guess no one will have any better at their price point)

But still.. its not a correct move to annoy hundreds/thousands of phantom-pilots out there, just to meet the "market" (even worse.. just to surpass them in any way!.. at the cost of their recent customers)

Im disappointed, and yeah... I do blame them for doing things the way they´re doing it.. a better product at a lower price is ok!... but a "a lot better" for "a lot less" money, thats not good business (again, for all of those that are investing thousands of dollars with them).

 

[Beni]

It's an unusual situation where a customer is unhappy with a company for delivering better products cheaper ... horrible marketing? Gopro and other companies will only make DJI pay if they can come out with better products cheaper - but that's what you're complaining about??


Another approach is to let your work speak for itself. Worrying about the image your equipment should be well down the list of things to be concerned about.


If DJI continue to develop superior technology at the rate they have so far, in a few years you won't have to lift a heavy terrestrial camera like the GH4 with a jumbo drone. Would you complain then?

New customers will be delighted with an amazing product at a blasting cheap price!.. but again, they are "new" customers... but "old" customers.. will have paid almost 3 times more (with light bridge included, etc..) to get something close!.. but still not there either!.. and that my friend, THAT is just plain stupid

Its like when a company launches a product at lets say $999, then 2 month later its $799 and then 1 year later is $499. wait what?? of course the newer customers are getting the best deal!.. but shouldn't the company have a better price for those who buyed first?.. think about it! lets say 10 thousand get the product at launch.. and thanks to them, spreading the word, the company sells over 100 thousand units!, shouldn't "in a perfect world" those first 10k people get it at $799 while then 2 months later, the rest should pay the $999 ?... and yeah.. in a year the $499 is ok!, its already an "old" product and will be soon replaced!

I would at least use that price system.. I believe that "early birds" should get a better price!.. think of someone at Kickstarter raising money for a product, and asks for $100 for a shipped unit.. and then when 600 suckers paid.. they start a webstore selling at $20 for everyone else!!... THAT would be just plain stupid!


about the "let the work speak for itself"... of course!.. Im in fact in favor of that ethos.. but!.. lets say you go to a car dealer (lets say Audi/Bmw/Mercedes) and a guy in a nice suit, with a nice hair, and kind, help you with your buy!.. wouldn't that be nice?... oh wait.. nah.. he could wear short pants, a girly top-tank, and greasy thin hair... because he´s a talent to sell?? I dont think so!

a Professional, is someone dedicated to the craft he´s working in.. and as that, he/she should strive to have not just great quality work, but also great quality equipment. Show off?.. yeah, some are! <- THATS plain stupid!... again I prefer a girl with her iphone taking my wedding pictures (if she's really good at it), than a sleazy ball, with the latest in Canon or Nikon (or Sony,/blablabla).. you get the point! BUT!.. if a talented, educated photographer, with great portfolio, is a nice person and in addition has the best equipment anyone could get... I would still prefer this person!

and with that bombshell my friend.. Im out!

 

[FantomPhlyer]

I'm just hoping it will fit nicely in my P2V+ case and use same batteries. If so, maybe a buy for me.

 

[Beni]

I'm just hoping it will fit nicely in my P2V+ case and use same batteries. If so, maybe a buy for me.

the case will be just fine.. but the batteries will not be compatible!

 

[Beni]

Phantom 3 "EIRP" is 100mw

 

[Beni]

I don't understand you guys.
Are you saying DJI would be a better company if they released this product for say $1,900 instead of $1,259 or $999. ?????
This is technology guys. Newer, better, and cheaper is to be expected.
I have a feeling you would have complained if the price was higher too.....

No I wouldn't had complained!.. in fact I would had prefered that price! ($1900), because that would make the step up a considerated one.. still cheaper than the inspire 1, but of course more on par of what you would end up paying if buying P2 + gimbal + gopro + lightbridge + ground station + more.. So it would have been a more realistic price point! and believe me, they could have sold almost as much!, without letting P2 (v2) and vision vision+ owners that buyed into it a bit late (or upgraded with all the extras)

Well beni, one things for sure; You're absolutely a communicative guy

Wow, what a post, but i must say it turned out a nice conversation. And by the way, I meant the other guys misunderstood you.

As we say in Holland:

"De soep wordt nooit zo heet gegeten als dat die wordt opgediend."
"La sopa nunca se come tan caliente como que se sirve."
"Suppen blir aldri spist så varmt som det som blir servert."
"The soup is never eaten as hot as that being served."

haha... thanks mate

as a quote says:
"Only takes one tree, to make 1000 matches
Only takes one match, to burn A thousand trees"

 

[Jacob]

I'm just hoping it will fit nicely in my P2V+ case and use same batteries. If so, maybe a buy for me.

It depends on how snug your case was. The P3 is slightly taller.

 

[DattaGroover]

4K is waaaaaaay overrated. Professionals may use it but they don't use action cams if they can help it. If you're shooting for yourself, do yourself a favor and shoot in 2.7K. It is the sweet spot of the Exmor / Ambarella imaging system and produces spectacular results.

The upset Norwegian with the new P2 and Hero 4 should be happy to know his Hero 4 black still shoots much better quality than the Inspire or P3. DJI may be using the same hardware but they lack imaging expertise. Who knows if they'll work that hard to get it to match.

And anyone who thinks 8K is around the corner is smoking crack. HD took 20 years. 4K the better part of a decade. My brand new top-of-the-line 5K Retina iMac can barely edit 4K without lagging.

More resolution is no substitute for latitude, exposure, uniformity and color.

Although 4K is not for everyone, for those of us with the horsepower (I have 4 cores, 64 GB of Ram, a 3.2 Ghz CPU, and 2 SSD scratch drives) it's nice to have that option. For me, mainly, it's the ability to crop 4K down to 1080p (including digitally zooming images in post). MOST of the time, though, I agree with you that 2.7K is a better option.

I am very curious about why you think the GoPro is better than the new (no the Vision's) DJI cameras. I don't know either way, though I like the rectilinear concept that DJI is offering. If I though I could get better video and stills with the P3 then with my P2 & GoPro, I'd switch right away, but the jury is still out on that.

Any additional insight you can give on the GoPro 4 vs the newer DJI cameras would be appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[DattaGroover]

And then there's this http://www.cnet.com/news/why-ultra-hd-4k-tvs-are-still-stupid/

Use 2.7 and 4K shots to make stunning 1080p and you'll be fine for atleast a couple years.

Great article, cleverly written. Thanks for the link.

. . . I especially like the line about the "sexy bald head aside . . ."

 

[kancur]

Guys, this price of 999 and 1299 is final, or pre-order only? Should I expect a price rise after the pre-order period? Thanks