Help For First Time Purchase

[tvl]

Hi to all!

I will try to keep this very short and to the point:

I am looking to purchase my very first drone to play around with. After shopping around and speaking with different sales reps, I THINK I have a better understanding of what I MAY need??? For what it is worth, I'm not a videographer and therefore not really concerned with the 4K cameras and such ........... video that is at least pleasing to the eye is all that I require.

1- Unless I'm wrong, I'm thinking I definitely need something with obstacle avoidance. I really can't see spending a few hundred dollars on something that I can easily crash into an object. Both the Phantom 4 & Phantom 4 Pro have this feature. It does appear the Pro unit has 2 additional sensors in the rear of the unit. Are these additional sensors really worth the additional money? What would they realistically offer for someone like me?

2- Follow me and return to home features are a plus and I feel I will certainly appreciate them. However, am I about to overspend for something when there is a more affordable unit out there that will easily meet my needs? Whether it be another DJI model or some other manufacturer?

Thanks for your input!

 

[Darren Roach]

Hi and welcome. Firstly, sensors are a great help for mainly flying in tight spaces or in doors. It doesn't really matter how many sensors a drone may have as it does not mean that you will not 100% hit something.
They are a extra safety measure that's all but you can not fully rely on them to save your drone.
If you fly in big open spaces away from buildings, trees, poles and anything else that you could crash into in the air then you will be fine.
I fly the Phantom 4 which is a really nice craft to fly.
AS you build on your flying skills you will be less worried about flying into things.
Only you know just how made you want to go spending, its up to you. If you have been doing all your home work you should come to an informed decision.

 

[53-63-6f-74-74]

How much money do you want to spend (and potentially lose?). There's a big jump in price from a Standard to an Advanced. Yes, the Advanced or Pro is a better craft but you are paying for features that you may not actually need (and shouldn't rely on). The Standard is an excellent value right now and you get a huge amount of tech for what it costs. Refurbs were $350 recently, almost half the price of the Advanced. For that price, get it as a starter and either sell it in a year if you feel you want to move up a notch (other models may be cheaper in a year also) or keep it, buy the Litchi App, a couple of extra batteries and a nice case and still be spending less than you would have on the Adanced or Pro.

 

[tvl]

It doesn't really matter how many sensors a drone may have as it does not mean that you will not 100% hit something.

Well, I thought that was the idea behind the sensors and obstacle avoidance. These features would not allow the pilot to fly into an object such as a tree or building ...... the unit was smart enough to either stop or go around! If this is not the case, then why do store reps mislead folks such as me? I can't see paying good money for something that may not do its task!!!!!

 

[turbmeister]

This my friend is your drone . Say hello to mambo . Master one of these than you won't need to worry about ever needing sensors on p4 or mavic . I would never rely on sensors . They do make p4 look prettier though.

Sent from my iPhone using PhantomPilots

 

[Laar]

While flying at minimum speeds, the obstacle avoidance does a good job. While flying at higher speeds, the distance needed to come to a complete stop is often longer than the distance required by the time the sensors tell the bird to stop. I wouldn't say you are being misled, but those avoidance sensors only work well in certain circumstances.


Sent from my iPad using PhantomPilots

 

[tvl]

The Standard is an excellent value right now and you get a huge amount of tech for what it costs. Refurbs were $350 recently

Are you referring to the Phantom 3 Standard or Phantom 4. I haven't seen any 4's that cheap.

And if all of the bells and whistles aren't really worth the extra cash, then how about the Phantom 3 Standard? It can be purchased at a relatively low price!!

 

[53-63-6f-74-74]

Are you referring to the Phantom 3 Standard or Phantom 4. I haven't seen any 4's that cheap.

And if all of the bells and whistles aren't really worth the extra cash, then how about the Phantom 3 Standard? It can be purchased at a relatively low price!!

The Phantom 3 Standard is what I was referring to as being $349 recently. I have seen them as low as $315 for a short period of time. You cannot go wrong at that price. Also, don't discount the abilities of its 2.7k 12mp camera. It's an absolutely great camera for stills and takes fantastic and very stable video.

 

[SteveyB]

Yes, as 53-63 said at the beginning your focus on choice should not be for the obstacle avoidance. It's a nice to have but at the end of the day you will need to teach yourself to fly whatever you choose properly first. You should treat the obstacle avoidance as something that could get you out of trouble if despite your best training...you still get it wrong


Sent from my iPad using PhantomPilots

 

[tjshelton]

The P4 is $799 for a refurbished one. At least that's what I bought mine for. I'm keeping my eyes out for a refurbished Mavic to add to the fleet. I figure they'll start showing up around mid-march.

Sent from my XT1565 using PhantomPilots mobile app

 

[trippf33]

refurbished Mavic to add to the fleet

I have actually been wondering about these. Can anyone take a stab at how much they think they will cost?

 

[tjshelton]

I have actually been wondering about these. Can anyone take a stab at how much they think they will cost?

Right now they're $999. Nothing in the refurbished store yet...