P3 Standard for Quad Noob - Is it worth it?

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Hi there,
I am new to the quad world and have never flown an RC aircraft before. I have done a lot of research on which phantom to get and am leaning towards the standard because of the low cost.
My reasoning is that a quad is a risky investment and I cant afford to spend the extra cash on the advanced and have it crash or go awol on me. Before making my decision I thought I should ask the advice of some experienced pilots.
Is it worth spending the extra money? Should I go for the standard or perhaps even hold off for a while and see what new tech comes out - with the Lily camera and Go Pro drone on the horizon I'm sure DJI will be releasing some interesting new tech in the next couple of years. Is it worth spending more for the better tech now?
Failing that is it even worth all the hassle? I would love to do aerial photography but I'm getting put off the more I read into it on these forums.
 
I was in the same boat, I decided to learn to fly with a $20 mini drone and I think that totally paid off, but I was shocked how easy the P3S was to fly when I did get it. If you can get it for $500-600 I think it's a no brainer-buy. I've had mine for 2 weeks flown it maybe 20 times and got what I think is pretty nice results. Get it DJI future proofed with the long run times and high res low distortion camera.

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Hi there,
I am new to the quad world and have never flown an RC aircraft before. I have done a lot of research on which phantom to get and am leaning towards the standard because of the low cost.
My reasoning is that a quad is a risky investment and I cant afford to spend the extra cash on the advanced and have it crash or go awol on me. Before making my decision I thought I should ask the advice of some experienced pilots.
Is it worth spending the extra money? Should I go for the standard or perhaps even hold off for a while and see what new tech comes out - with the Lily camera and Go Pro drone on the horizon I'm sure DJI will be releasing some interesting new tech in the next couple of years. Is it worth spending more for the better tech now?
Failing that is it even worth all the hassle? I would love to do aerial photography but I'm getting put off the more I read into it on these forums.


I bought the standard as my first "real" drone. I taught myself to fly on a Syma x5sw and then took the plunge for the standard. I do not regret it at all, this drone is an amazing piece of equipment and for the the 500-600 price range is a steal. I am learning how to do photography and this fits the bill perfectly. Aerial photography is an amazing thing to get into but takes time to learn. My plan is to learn on this and use for the next 2 years, and then sell and jump up to a pro or whatever the new one is at that time. I do not think you will be disappointed at all. I know a lot of people scoff at the standard on here, but it really is a great quad.
 
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The Standard is my first drone and I'm loving it since it's so easy to fly and takes great videos. Go for it and don't wait...You won't regret it.
 
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Hi, I started with the Syma X5C and spent a fair amount of flying hours. With the low cost investment it was well worth delaying my purchase of the Phantom. I did lose one of the Syma's in a tree and another somehow landed 50 feet in front of me in a field. At the same time a man started talking to me about flying remote control aircraft. When I went back to pick up my Syma it mysteriously was gone. I had no idea where it went. I did get a Phantom Standard as a birthday present from my wife. The Phantom by itself is one cost, but by time you add extra batteries, a nice case and other accessories you are into the $1100-$1500 range very easily. My son has the Phantom Pro. In my opinion it is well worth getting the Phantom Advanced instead of the Standard. The Pro if you are going to be serious about the aerial photography with the 4K. My plan is to wait for the next generation from DJI and probably get it. If you are new I would definitely cut your teeth on one of the cheaper ones like the Syma first. I really think it's worth the difference to get the Advanced instead of the Standard, unless it is really out of your budget. You won't go wrong with any of the Phantoms. My best advise is to be disciplined no matter which one you get. Don't push the envelope or you will be very unhappy. I was flying my Phantom Standard at 700' and got into wind gusts that took it over 4000' away from me. I was absolutely sick about it the whole night. Fortunately I was able to find it the next morning in a farmer's field, as it had a perfect landing as the battery ran out. Luckily it didn't land in a tree or on a house or worse yet a car or the freeway. These are really fun but, be smart and learn as much as you can. You will also have your war stories too. Good Luck!
 
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Hi there,
I am new to the quad world and have never flown an RC aircraft before. I have done a lot of research on which phantom to get and am leaning towards the standard because of the low cost.
My reasoning is that a quad is a risky investment and I cant afford to spend the extra cash on the advanced and have it crash or go awol on me. Before making my decision I thought I should ask the advice of some experienced pilots.
Is it worth spending the extra money? Should I go for the standard or perhaps even hold off for a while and see what new tech comes out - with the Lily camera and Go Pro drone on the horizon I'm sure DJI will be releasing some interesting new tech in the next couple of years. Is it worth spending more for the better tech now?
Failing that is it even worth all the hassle? I would love to do aerial photography but I'm getting put off the more I read into it on these forums.
IMHO, if you wait for the next tech to come out, you will be waiting forever. There will ALWAYS be something newer and greater and more amazing on the horizon. That being said, it depends. Are you the kind of person who may end up wanting FPV goggles with easy hook up to your craft? If so, the standard is not for you. The advanced and pro allow you to do the goggles much, much easier than the standard. There is not even a manufacturer created or approved system available for the P3s. Nor is there an HDMI output available for the P3S. Or Lightbridge, which greatly extends the range of the live video signal.
But if you will be happy with an aircraft that flys for more than 20 minutes and has a camera that produces amazing video, but has overall less range than the Adv or Pro, then the P3S is an unbeatable option.
 
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Thanks very much for all of your advice! :) I think I will get the Syma first and practice manual flight, then get my phantom. The standard would be almost perfect for me as I am not worried about the limited range - being a beginner I wont be flying it out of eye sight really.
Also I am not too fussed about FPV and will be monitoring on an android tablet - I was also thinking of getting the Asus Nexus 7 to monitor with. Has anyone used this tablet?
The only thing that is making me consider the Advanced is the Lightbridge and better GPS. I am worried that if I buy the Standard I could run into connectivity issues later down the line. How are people finding the Wi-Fi connection? Also, can you use filters on the Standard lens?

I have found the following prices online in the UK:

P3 Standard - £500 (£600 with Battery)
P3 Advanced - £800 + Spare Battery
P3 Pro - £869 + Spare Battery

I'm guessing a spare battery is a must?
This is from a reputable website and I am saving a fair bit than buying straight from DJI.

Thanks for your help on this guys.
 
Thanks very much for all of your advice! :) I think I will get the Syma first and practice manual flight, then get my phantom. The standard would be almost perfect for me as I am not worried about the limited range - being a beginner I wont be flying it out of eye sight really.
Also I am not too fussed about FPV and will be monitoring on an android tablet - I was also thinking of getting the Asus Nexus 7 to monitor with. Has anyone used this tablet?
The only thing that is making me consider the Advanced is the Lightbridge and better GPS. I am worried that if I buy the Standard I could run into connectivity issues later down the line. How are people finding the Wi-Fi connection? Also, can you use filters on the Standard lens?

I have found the following prices online in the UK:

P3 Standard - £500 (£600 with Battery)
P3 Advanced - £800 + Spare Battery
P3 Pro - £869 + Spare Battery

I'm guessing a spare battery is a must?
This is from a reputable website and I am saving a fair bit than buying straight from DJI.

Thanks for your help on this guys.
where you at in the uk ?
 
Thanks very much for all of your advice! :) I think I will get the Syma first and practice manual flight, then get my phantom. The standard would be almost perfect for me as I am not worried about the limited range - being a beginner I wont be flying it out of eye sight really.
Also I am not too fussed about FPV and will be monitoring on an android tablet - I was also thinking of getting the Asus Nexus 7 to monitor with. Has anyone used this tablet?
The only thing that is making me consider the Advanced is the Lightbridge and better GPS. I am worried that if I buy the Standard I could run into connectivity issues later down the line. How are people finding the Wi-Fi connection? Also, can you use filters on the Standard lens?

I have found the following prices online in the UK:

P3 Standard - £500 (£600 with Battery)
P3 Advanced - £800 + Spare Battery
P3 Pro - £869 + Spare Battery

I'm guessing a spare battery is a must?
This is from a reputable website and I am saving a fair bit than buying straight from DJI.

Thanks for your help on this guys.


Where can you get the pro that cheap with a spare battery?
 
Hi there,
I am new to the quad world and have never flown an RC aircraft before. I have done a lot of research on which phantom to get and am leaning towards the standard because of the low cost.
My reasoning is that a quad is a risky investment and I cant afford to spend the extra cash on the advanced and have it crash or go awol on me. Before making my decision I thought I should ask the advice of some experienced pilots.
Is it worth spending the extra money? Should I go for the standard or perhaps even hold off for a while and see what new tech comes out - with the Lily camera and Go Pro drone on the horizon I'm sure DJI will be releasing some interesting new tech in the next couple of years. Is it worth spending more for the better tech now?
Failing that is it even worth all the hassle? I would love to do aerial photography but I'm getting put off the more I read into it on these forums.
If you can get it for $599 (as I did), you really can't go wrong. I have a Phantom 2 H4 3D with a Hero 4 Black, with iOSD Mini and 5.8 GHz transmitter for live video stream etc... and I love it. That being said, I just added a P3S to the garage and took it for it's maiden voyage today. Below is my first "POI" attempt which was also done on the first (and only) flight.
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If you can get it for $599 (as I did), you really can't go wrong. I have a Phantom 2 H4 3D with a Hero 4 Black, with iOSD Mini and 5.8 GHz transmitter for live video stream etc... and I love it. That being said, I just added a P3S to the garage and took it for it's maiden voyage today. Below is my first "POI" attempt which was also done on the first (and only) flight.
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Nice vid :) so you don't think the extra price bump is worth it for the Light-bridge and better GPS?
 
If you can get it for $599 (as I did), you really can't go wrong. I have a Phantom 2 H4 3D with a Hero 4 Black, with iOSD Mini and 5.8 GHz transmitter for live video stream etc... and I love it. That being said, I just added a P3S to the garage and took it for it's maiden voyage today. Below is my first "POI" attempt which was also done on the first (and only) flight.
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Also what tablet do you use?
 
I use nexus 7 and works great. It has to be 2nd edition. I found 1 on Craigslist almost brand new for 100 dollars. It was in mint condition and came with a Bluetooth keyboard.
 
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If you can get a pro for that price and trust SLR Hut then I'd jump on that quick.
 
If you can get a pro for that price and trust SLR Hut then I'd jump on that quick.

I am really tempted to go for the Pro at this price. Although since I have never flown before I am really nervous about spending so much on a quad and crashing it. The standard just seems like a safer option since I don't need 4k atm. Its only the wifi signal and the gps on the standard that concern me. I think I would be more confident learning on a cheaper quad then upgrading in a year or two.
 
I am really tempted to go for the Pro at this price. Although since I have never flown before I am really nervous about spending so much on a quad and crashing it. The standard just seems like a safer option since I don't need 4k atm. Its only the wifi signal and the gps on the standard that concern me. I think I would be more confident learning on a cheaper quad then upgrading in a year or two.


Truthfully I wouldn't worry too much about crashing it. It really is good to learn on something cheaper with manual controls but not necessary. The phantom essentially flies itself!
 
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