Is the P4 too much for a newbie?

[Westcoast604]

I am ready to take the plunge and am considering the P3 Pro for $860 USD taxes in, or a P4 for $1245 USD Taxes in.
Should I be saving the 400 bucks and making use of that money for accessories or should I get the P4? I have searched this dilemma but it always seems to apply to people already owning a P3 Pro.

Would you say the camera is of better quality on the P4?
Is the obstacle avoidance a must have for newbie pilots?

From reading forums there seem to be many weird fly aways and altitude anomalies with the P4. Have these started to clear up. The P3 Pro forum has far less weird events occurring.

There are many drone sites saying the 4 is the way to go, but they are all sites wanting to sell you the P4. So from someone not trying to sell me a P4 what is your opinion?

Thanks Guys.

ps. While I am a noob at drone flying, I do fly for a living, and I understand GPS systems, mapping and compass errors quite well. I am an intermediate to advanced computer geek too, so I usually have no problems tweaking systems etc to get everything working just right.

 

[Sky Pirate]

Here;s a copy of something I wrote last week.

At this stage I am new here.

I can only tell you of my experiences so far, but I hope they are of help.

Yes the P4 is quite a lot of money, but I have to say it is AWESOME from my point of view (having flown a few other things one way and another). It is as stable as a rock in hover, it's quite forgiving from a beginners point of view (just don't rush it, even though it is so very nice to fly and will beckon you to improve rapidly), take time to read the instructions, and to be sure you understand what you have read (it's not difficult), view these forums, they are great, they are very helpful. The onboard Video is as good a quality as you can really expect (up to 4k ! !) in a unmanned flying machine and the stills are also very good quality. I don't know anything about any other models of Phantom but for ME I'm positive 'I' made the right move, as I said 'AWESOME'

 

[Jim Bauer]

hey westcoast, sometimes when a new technology/product comes out it's a clear winner. that's not the case with the P4 vs P3 . P3 pro is a capable fun-to-fly mature product with super range and a 4K camera. if money was no issue then some people would still buy it over p4, it tells you something. now if you want to save some $$ then the p3 is a no brainer. cheers enjoy whatever you end up buying.

 

[4wd]

It's probably the easiest yet to fly when learning, due to the inbuilt obstacle avoidance etc.
Spending more makes control easier and disaster less likely..

 

[Aussieranger]

G'day from Australia, although I started off with the P1 and cautiously kept it flying until recently, I have just bought the P4. More than happy and while still cautious with such a new beast, more than happy with what it can do compared to the old P1.

 

[msinger]

am considering the P3 Pro for $860 USD taxes in, or a P4 for $1245 USD Taxes in

Nice deal. If you live in the US, make sure you buy from an authorized DJI dealer. DJI will not honor their warranty if you buy elsewhere. Here's the current verbiage from their warranty:

"For customers in North America, please note: DJI products purchased after August 1st, 2016 are covered under warranty only if they are purchased from DJI authorized dealers."

Should I be saving the 400 bucks and making use of that money for accessories or should I get the P4? I have searched this dilemma but it always seems to apply to people already owning a P3 Pro.

This is a tough one. Many of the people who only own a P3 will tell you not to spend your money on a P4. Those people who own both a P3 and P4 will often recommend to get the P4. I would personally buy a P4 if I could only buy one. FYI, I currently own all P3 models and a P4.

Check out the new features in my P4 overview here, consider the budget you have in mind, and make the decision for yourself.

Would you say the camera is of better quality on the P4?
Is the obstacle avoidance a must have for newbie pilots?

The lens has been improved, but I honestly cannot tell the difference between the photos/videos produced by the P3 and P4 camera. If this is your only reason for buying a P4, then you should definitely buy a P3.

Is the obstacle avoidance a must have for newbie pilots?

No. It's a nice-to-have feature though.

Reading the Phantom manual, learning everything you can about the aircraft, measuring twice and cutting once before you take off, etc. are must-haves for newbie (all) pilots.

From reading forums there seem to be many weird fly aways and altitude anomalies with the P4. Have these started to clear up.

These oddities will never clear up. Forums are a place where many people come to discuss problems.

The P3 Pro forum has far less weird events occurring.

I haven't tallied them up, but I recall seeing far more flyaways discussed in the P3 forum. That would make sense though since more people own a P3 and it's been on the market longer.

 

[Suhail78]

I bought a P4 9 days ago, its my first drone. its AWESOME. I don't regret the decision to pick it up over the P3 at all. The only accessory i have purchased is an extra battery and a lanyard for the RC Controller, although i have been considering a sunshade, b/c i'm using an iPad Air and there is a lot of glare. Can any one suggest a good shade to pick up?

 

[Westcoast604]

Thanks everyone for the great responses. I am always one for trying to future proof what I buy and I guess the P4 will help with that. Appreciate the insights and I will read the manual from front to back.

Cheers.

 

[r62ewa]

Read the manual from front to back but a better source of information is this forum, there's lots on here not covered in the manual and real world experience is invaluable. Just don't focus on the negatives in the forums, as mentioned, this is a place to discuss and share problems. Learn and read all you can and fly your Phantom, you'll be impressed.

 

[tcope]

Read the manual from front to back but a better source of information is this forum, there's lots on here not covered in the manual and real world experience is invaluable. Just don't focus on the negatives in the forums, as mentioned, this is a place to discuss and share problems. Learn and read all you can and fly your Phantom, you'll be impressed.

Read the _online_ manual. [emoji5]️

Sent from my SM-N930T using Tapatalk

 

[apex1]

I bought the P4 as my first drone. There are some people here who will lecture you that you should not start with a P4, but rather that you as a "newbie" should start with something less expensive. To me, some of that advice is given by people who like to pat themselves on the back virtually and hold themselves out as experts with enough experience so that their decision to buy a P4 was a wise one, whereas a new drone operator would be foolhardy to buy one. I think that's utter nonsense. The P4 has a lot of features that make it easy to fly and will protect operators from errors that would make them lose other drones. As with anything new, learn about it and take your time getting used to flying it and using its features. Also, start saving your money for batteries, a case, a tracking device, filters, maybe a longer range antenna and a different charger--the list goes on and on. It's unavoidable. Ask me how I know.......

 

[r62ewa]

I bought the P4 as my first drone. There are some people here who will lecture you that you should not start with a P4, but rather that you as a "newbie" should start with something less expensive. To me, some of that advice is given by people who like to pat themselves on the back virtually and hold themselves out as experts with enough experience so that their decision to buy a P4 was a wise one, whereas a new drone operator would be foolhardy to buy one. I think that's utter nonsense. The P4 has a lot of features that make it easy to fly and will protect operators from errors that would make them lose other drones. As with anything new, learn about it and take your time getting used to flying it and using its features. Also, start saving your money for batteries, a case, a tracking device, filters, maybe a longer range antenna and a different charger--the list goes on and on. It's unavoidable. Ask me how I know.......

Some very valid points here. I started flying on a cheap $60 drone I got for Christmas and that thing was like trying to drive a 3 wheeled shopping cart it was so awkward to handle. It could have been reason enough to doubt my abilities and not get further into the hobby. Granted there are much better cheap drones than the one I had, but still. Now flying the Phantom 4 is a whole different experience. I'm sure I learned some from my cheap drone, but I'm confident I could have jumped right into the Phantom 4 and been fine, it's great to fly.

 

[Suhail78]

I bought the P4 as my first drone. There are some people here who will lecture you that you should not start with a P4, but rather that you as a "newbie" should start with something less expensive. To me, some of that advice is given by people who like to pat themselves on the back virtually and hold themselves out as experts with enough experience so that their decision to buy a P4 was a wise one, whereas a new drone operator would be foolhardy to buy one. I think that's utter nonsense. The P4 has a lot of features that make it easy to fly and will protect operators from errors that would make them lose other drones. As with anything new, learn about it and take your time getting used to flying it and using its features. Also, start saving your money for batteries, a case, a tracking device, filters, maybe a longer range antenna and a different charger--the list goes on and on. It's unavoidable. Ask me how I know.......

How do you know?? Ha ha ha. New P4 owner here, and im online looking for accessories everyday!! New case is next on my list!!!


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[Lyverbe]

The P4 is my first drone too. It's perfect since it's almost impossible to crash (unless you're really not careful)

 

[Dronego]

I had the P3S and it was a nice drone to fly, but upgraded it 2 months ago to the P4 after reviewing the P3P and the P4. I guess I made the choice on the P4 as its the latest model with some nice new features and I'm glad I did. Very happy with it and a real joy to fly, it's never missed a beat, and it looks and feels very professional.
Good luck with your decision.


Sent from my iPhone using PhantomPilots mobile app

 

[LMT0286]

The p4 is my first drone. It's super easy to fly. Deff worth the extra $200 compared to the p3p. My only regret is not getting the inspire.


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[JamesH]

I'm going to add my voice to those who bought a P4 as their first drone. In fact, I'm going to argue the other direction a little bit.

I wanted a drone for quite a while, but waited for the P4 because of features like obstacle avoidance. I got it maybe a month after it was released and have absolutely no regrets. I really like the Inspire, but the price point was higher than my budget could handle. So again, I'm completely happy with my P4 and intentionally picked it as my first drone.

I'm not saying what I did is right for everyone, but it was absolutely right for me.

 

[P4 Phlyer]

I bought a P4 9 days ago, its my first drone. its AWESOME. I don't regret the decision to pick it up over the P3 at all. The only accessory i have purchased is an extra battery and a lanyard for the RC Controller, although i have been considering a sunshade, b/c i'm using an iPad Air and there is a lot of glare. Can any one suggest a good shade to pick up?

Have you turned up the brightness on your Air 2? This helps with glare. Happy flying.

 

[Cactus Wren]

I am ready to take the plunge and am considering the P3 Pro for $860 USD taxes in, or a P4 for $1245 USD Taxes in.
Should I be saving the 400 bucks and making use of that money for accessories or should I get the P4? I have searched this dilemma but it always seems to apply to people already owning a P3 Pro.

Would you say the camera is of better quality on the P4?
Is the obstacle avoidance a must have for newbie pilots?



Thanks Guys.

My STRONG recommendation is to go with the P4. If not, you'll encounter limitations from time to time that will make you wish you spent the extra money on the P4. Especially as months pass and newer and newer models from other companies come out.
Drones are at the beginning of that exponential growth phase we've all seen in the past with cell phones, digital cameras, and, through the 90's and early 2000's, computers, laptops and monitors. What you buy today is going to be old tomorrow, and obsolete next week. And it's going to be that way for a few more years, so my suggestion is to buy the top trend-setter now - the one that has the innovations that influence other designers - and hold onto that for a year or two until you're ready to plunge into the next, latest-greatest, innovative drone. I imagine they will become smaller, quieter, and have better stability and longer battery life.
For right now, my own opinion is that the P4 is the best drone overall. It has it's weaknesses, and some other drones are better at some things. But overall, the P4 is the way to go in my opinion.

 

[Suhail78]

Have you turned up the brightness on your Air 2? This helps with glare. Happy flying.

I'll have to double check that actually, i want to say yes.....but right now i'm uncertain. Great tip tho, thanks!