- Joined
- Jul 21, 2022
- Messages
- 28
- Reaction score
- 19
- Age
- 61
Hi all,
I'm a new Phantom 4 owner, and wanted to say hello. I've been playing around with drones for a number of years, starting with building them from parts, but I had never owned a really good one, and I had somewhat lost interest and hadn't really worked with them much for several years. Then a year or so ago, a friend gave me a Parrot Bebop drone that he wasn't using, and I found myself getting psyched about drone ownership again. In particular, I started getting excited about flying (the Bebop was much more user-friendly and fun to fly than any of my homemade drones) and also about aerial photography. The Bebop takes quite decent photographs, and I was happy with the quality for a while - but I've also been a photography enthusiast for years, and it wasn't long before I found that I was really outgrowing what it could do. So I started thinking about getting a professional photography drone.
Being somewhat strapped for cash, I decided to look for a used Phantom - they have been so popular that there are plenty of them available at decent prices on the used market. I initially thought that I could raise around $500, and thought that I could get a Phantom 3 Pro for that price if I looked around a little. Then I read more about the Phantom 4 series and got excited about maybe getting one of those. I figured there was no way I could afford a Phantom 4 Advanced or Pro, but the Phantom 4 Standard still seemed really good, and I thought if I could raise $600-700 I should be able to find one in decent shape.
I had pulled together about $550 when I happened to come across a new posting on FaceBook Marketplace - a Phantom 4, apparently in excellent shape, for $500. I agonized a little about buying it from there - I hadn't really used FB Marketplace much before, and never for as large a purchase. But FB does offer purchase protection, as long as you pay through their system and the item is shipped to you. So I decided to go for it. A week or so later it arrived, and I was thrilled to find that it was in absolutely perfect condition - not a mark on it. It came with two batteries, but it had been used only a few times before being stuck in a closet and never used again, and of course both batteries had fully discharged and were shot. I got a used battery with warranty online from a reputable site for $85, and once I had it and the controller all charged up, I was able to test the Phantom out; everything worked perfectly.
So at this point I was thrilled with my purchase - but then I made a discovery. I found the model number of my Phantom and looked it up - and according to what I was reading online, I didn't have the Standard model at all - I had the Pro version. I did a little more research, and found the various ways to identify the different models, and was able to settle it without a doubt - the one I had was a Phantom 4 Pro v2. This obviously was fantastic news - as a photography enthusiast, the improved camera on the Pro was my dream, but I never thought I could afford one. To have stumbled into this was just incredible luck. I really can't explain why the previous owner hadn't advertised it as a Pro model and set a higher price; my best guess is that they got it as a gift, and they never realized exactly what they had.
So now I'm looking to do get some serious aerial photography done! I took the FAA Part 107 exam a couple of days ago and passed; I'm now waiting for the certificate to come through, and in the meantime, I'm polishing up my flying chops (it's been a while) ... I absolutely love my new Phantom; it's really a dream come true for me to own one and I am beyond excited to see what I can do with it ... !
I'm a new Phantom 4 owner, and wanted to say hello. I've been playing around with drones for a number of years, starting with building them from parts, but I had never owned a really good one, and I had somewhat lost interest and hadn't really worked with them much for several years. Then a year or so ago, a friend gave me a Parrot Bebop drone that he wasn't using, and I found myself getting psyched about drone ownership again. In particular, I started getting excited about flying (the Bebop was much more user-friendly and fun to fly than any of my homemade drones) and also about aerial photography. The Bebop takes quite decent photographs, and I was happy with the quality for a while - but I've also been a photography enthusiast for years, and it wasn't long before I found that I was really outgrowing what it could do. So I started thinking about getting a professional photography drone.
Being somewhat strapped for cash, I decided to look for a used Phantom - they have been so popular that there are plenty of them available at decent prices on the used market. I initially thought that I could raise around $500, and thought that I could get a Phantom 3 Pro for that price if I looked around a little. Then I read more about the Phantom 4 series and got excited about maybe getting one of those. I figured there was no way I could afford a Phantom 4 Advanced or Pro, but the Phantom 4 Standard still seemed really good, and I thought if I could raise $600-700 I should be able to find one in decent shape.
I had pulled together about $550 when I happened to come across a new posting on FaceBook Marketplace - a Phantom 4, apparently in excellent shape, for $500. I agonized a little about buying it from there - I hadn't really used FB Marketplace much before, and never for as large a purchase. But FB does offer purchase protection, as long as you pay through their system and the item is shipped to you. So I decided to go for it. A week or so later it arrived, and I was thrilled to find that it was in absolutely perfect condition - not a mark on it. It came with two batteries, but it had been used only a few times before being stuck in a closet and never used again, and of course both batteries had fully discharged and were shot. I got a used battery with warranty online from a reputable site for $85, and once I had it and the controller all charged up, I was able to test the Phantom out; everything worked perfectly.
So at this point I was thrilled with my purchase - but then I made a discovery. I found the model number of my Phantom and looked it up - and according to what I was reading online, I didn't have the Standard model at all - I had the Pro version. I did a little more research, and found the various ways to identify the different models, and was able to settle it without a doubt - the one I had was a Phantom 4 Pro v2. This obviously was fantastic news - as a photography enthusiast, the improved camera on the Pro was my dream, but I never thought I could afford one. To have stumbled into this was just incredible luck. I really can't explain why the previous owner hadn't advertised it as a Pro model and set a higher price; my best guess is that they got it as a gift, and they never realized exactly what they had.
So now I'm looking to do get some serious aerial photography done! I took the FAA Part 107 exam a couple of days ago and passed; I'm now waiting for the certificate to come through, and in the meantime, I'm polishing up my flying chops (it's been a while) ... I absolutely love my new Phantom; it's really a dream come true for me to own one and I am beyond excited to see what I can do with it ... !
