Is standard worth buying?

SubChop · Dec 11, 2015

P.Lindblom said:
That applies to the earth's surface. Because of the curvature of the earth, among other factors, you can only see the ground about 5km away, if everything around you is completely flat.

Yes, that's correct, that is the formula for distance to the horizon, assuming flat ground (or the ocean's surface).

Kenneth Marsola · Dec 12, 2015

cdawg said:
Hello I'm buying the dji Phantom 3 in the next 2 weeks and was wanting to know if the standard dji phantom was worth paying $700 for

I bought two P3 Standards on Thanksgiving Day for $499 each + free shipping at ADORAMA
One to fly & one for spare parts.

LOVE IT !!!

Mark_DeKruyter · Dec 12, 2015

Yes they are.

Jezzy · Dec 12, 2015

Love mine and meets my needs big time and best bang for buck. If I had extra funds I would have gotten the advanced just for the light bridge.

dditzler · Dec 12, 2015

I have a P3 Pro and I bought a Standard to see if it would fit the filter kits I sell, it did. I sold the Standard before ever flying it. For me the big advantage of the P3 Advanced and Professional is all the manual fingertip controls for the camera on the transmitter. The Standard had none of the great physical controls. You can control the camera with the mobile device the same way but not having the controls on the transmitter was the deal breaker for me.

forenplayer · Dec 12, 2015

Phantom standard is total crap waste of money, this is for someone who doesn't do research before buying and just goes for cheapest price. And reason is WIFI. It loses signal at 100 meters and that's best case scenario. Also the remote control is very basic. Spend another $300 and buy yourself Advanced you'll love it, 2 km range and no issues

Jescam23 · Dec 12, 2015

What's the difference in range between p3s and p3a

Mrsweep · Dec 12, 2015

But if you're conscious of a budget and want to learn and do general stuff ... It's a bargain

Techcop50 · Dec 12, 2015

I've had my P3S for about 3 months now, and I am completely satisfied. Then only thing I missed (that matters to me now) is range, and the Itelite DBS01 mod took care of that, for about $90. The video is fantastic, and flight time is a bit more than the others, probably due to the absence of the ground-radar module. If I lost it today, I might consider the P3A, but I would probably buy the Standard again. As far as GPS goes, I don't miss the GLONASS, my Standard has never lost GPS. Also, keep in mind, the camera on the Standard was 2.7k as released. At that time, it was superior to he P3A @1080. Now the P3A is 2.7 thanks to SW updates. I researched the HELL out of this purchase, knew what I was and was not getting, and bought the Standard. It's been nothing but great for me.

RodPad · Dec 12, 2015

forenplayer said:
And reason is WIFI. It loses signal at 100 meters and that's best case scenario. Also the remote control is very basic. Spend another $300 and buy yourself Advanced you'll love it, 2 km range and no issues

100 meters (325') That must be a defective unit.

My first unit was defective,
My replacement unit at,
1150 meters (3800') Activated RTH.
I still had Video

Phantom 3-Std Weak Remote Signal | Page 5 | DJI Phantom Forum

Bearcatrp · Dec 12, 2015

Makes me wonder if I really need the advanced as my 1st drone. Just want it to fly up and around. Can turn it to capture photos or video but not sure. With my iphone 6+, I should be able to see where I am flying, right? Or would I need some upgrade? Sure would suck to spend 1000+ to see it crash and burn. Are the controls on the P3A that much better than the standard?

Kenneth Marsola · Dec 12, 2015

LOVE IT !!![/QUOTE]

I got my P3 Standard for $499 with Free Shipping from ADORAMA on thanksgiving morning, using a slick deals promo code.
The standard and Advanced share almost all features, they both share:
same camera
same gimbal
same body (Standard has the new shell as well, most early P3 advanced don't)
same motors
same battery
same 720P display resolution
upgrading firmware over wifi , is actually better with the standard
Same DJI GO app
Standard has longer flight times
Standard does not have Glonass ( I get 9 or 10 satelittes without ever losing GPS)
Standard does not have VPS ---I don't think that I would ever use it.
Standard does not have lightbridge, which is a Plus for the advanced
Advanced has a better Controller as well
Advanced has longer range which is a plus --But I have flown out to 2400 feet from home, several times I 'm happy with that
I would rather be disappointed with a $500 purchase , than a $1000 purchase.
Also, when DJI unveils the Phantom 4 in a few months, I'll have another $500 in my pocket for the upgrade.
I am extremely happy with my Standard, as I has exceeded my expectations
In my opinion, The advanced overall is a better bird, but not a better deal.

Bearcatrp · Dec 12, 2015

Think I will get the standard to learn flying. All I want is ability to fly from the box without big bucks on add ons. Then when the 4 comes out, will see if I want to upgrade. Was looking at the solo but seems they are having allot of issues so this will do me for now. Thanks for your input.

JonE5 · Dec 12, 2015

have shot video with all manner of cameras including, DSLR's, Panasonic P2 cards, and even the Red One, and if i wasnt selling the footage in any profesisonal way, i wouldnt worry about the difference in cameras. They will all shoot exceptional video.

I would make my decision between, Standard, Advance, Pro based on my range needs. After flying a lot of copters i dont really feel the ground sensor is userful for my needs either, so really based on the range.

If you need double the range, dish out double the price. If not, then go for the savings. At $499 Black Friday + rewards cash back it was an easy choice for me to go with the standard.

My buddy, got a pro, and he plans to use it to survey his ranch property, so he needs the extra range.

Bearcatrp · Dec 12, 2015

Not far so think the standard will do for now. Thanks for the info

mejda · Dec 12, 2015

cdawg said:
Hello I'm buying the dji Phantom 3 in the next 2 weeks and was wanting to know if the standard dji phantom was worth paying $700 for

The only drawback to the standard phantom 3 is that it will only go out about a half mile and then you'll lose signal and it'll come back home. But it still is fun to fly and it takes some really great pictures and video. I might one day upgrade to the advanced P3 which has about a 3 mile range. But for me, I'm happy with my P3 standard quad.

dhsprogis · Dec 12, 2015

I bought the Pro on the basis that I will want to be looking at 4K in 2025 and I will be kicking myself over a few hundred bucks.

pe9999 · Dec 12, 2015

I got mi

atj24 said:
I love mine. Perfect for amateur/semi pro stuff I think. The video quality is fantastic!!

What extras have you put into yours? I'm loving my new purchase, but keen on seeing what others have done to theirs to make them better! TIA

I got my at $599. The money I saved got me extra batteries and case. I picked the P3S over P3A because of the camera and the price.

Kneepuck · Dec 13, 2015

In the coast guard I learned that at sea the horizon is 12,000 yards. That is 6 nautical miles. Yes, you can see a ship at that distance, but if you could see a Phantom or even an Inspire at that distance, I would like to purchase your eyes for use in a transplant.

dirkclod · Dec 13, 2015

forenplayer said:
Phantom standard is total crap waste of money, this is for someone who doesn't do research before buying and just goes for cheapest price. And reason is WIFI. It loses signal at 100 meters and that's best case scenario. Also the remote control is very basic. Spend another $300 and buy yourself Advanced you'll love it, 2 km range and no issues

Not an issue if you do a little work