Spark vs phantom 3

[Cbourbeau32]

I am considering these two for now. What are the plusses and minuses of both? My priorities are (no particular :

Photography
Range
Battery life
Durability

Thanks!

 

[solentlife]

It will be difficult to filter out the bias in the replies ...

I'm a P3P flyer and love it.

There are Spark flyers who love them.

We do have a couple of people in our club who have both P3 and Spark ... one says he prefers P3 ... other says both ... but they do agree that for outside use and especially if wind is a bit blustery - the P3 is more stable.

I'm biased ... I have no desire to buy Mavic or Spark ... but I do have a foldup quad on its way ... a cheap Mavic lookalike for purely close in throw it in air stuff.

 

[PhantomFandom]

Hi,

I am glad that you included some of your priorities, because that is important. It all comes down to your personal preference and what your needs are. I have flown and owned the Phantom 3 Standard, Phantom 3 Pro, Phantom 4, and Phantom 4 Pro. Last month I bought a Spark just to play with and see how good it is. I thought it would be fun to have for quick trips where I wanted something ultra portable.

Personally for me I don't look at it as an either/or choice. I like BOTH. Just this past weekend I went out with both My phantom 4 Pro and my Spark, and they were both fun to fly. Here's more of a breakdown, with the criteria you mentioned:

• PHOTOGRAPHY
  You are going to get better pictures/video out of a P3P.
  You only get 1080p on the Spark vs 4K on the P3P. However, the camera on the Spark is amazingly good. I hardly ever shoot in 4K anyway because I just don't need it and the files are huge.
  You will also get more stable videos out of the P3P because the Spark has only a 2-axis gimbal.
  Hint: If you want really incredible video move up to a P4P. The larger sensor gives you great footage even in low-light conditions.
  Winner: P3P, but the Spark is really good.
• RANGE
  The Spark works on regular WiFi and that is more limiting. You legally should not be exceeding VLOS so range shouldn't matter. However, the P3P will definitely give you better range.
  Hint: For utmost range you would want either a Phantom 4, or a Mavic. They will blow away the Phantom 3.
  Winner: P3P
• BATTERY LIFE
  The Spark has a small battery that runs out quickly. You will get at least twice as much flight time out of a Phantom 3 battery. There is no comparison here.
  Winner: P3P
• DURABILITY
  This one is a toss-up. Holding both of them, it would seem that the Spark is more solid and could survive a crash better. However, I've seen many people crash a Spark and cause arms to break off. I have never crashed any drone so I can't personally comment. I just say that you need to fly safely and try to avoid crashing either one.
  Hint: The Spark has forward obstacle avoidance and the P3P does not. So it gives you a bit more of a safety buffer if you are a novice.
  Winner: TOSS-UP

So with your specific Criteria, the P3P definitely wins. However, here are some items based on my observations with both:

• PORTABILITY
  Hands-down the Spark wins here. To me it's not generally a big deal as I have no problem carrying my Phantom anywhere I need it. However, it is so nice to just pick up the tiny Spark case and be able to easily carry it anywhere. If you need to take it hiking or someplace where you need portability, the Spark is great!
  Hint: The Mavic Air and even the Mavic Pro, are almost as small as the Spark. All of them are super portable.
• FUN FACTOR
  This is one I totally was not expecting when I bought the Spark. It is FUN TO FLY. When you switch it over to Sport Mode, it is really zippy and agile. This is totally subjective of course, but it zips around and is more maneuverable at speed, than a Phantom or Mavic. I tested it this past weekend with my Spark, my Phantom 4, and a Mavic Pro. The Spark was more agile than the other two. It is fun! Note that the video is useless zipping around in Sport Mode and making sudden maneuvers. The gimbal just cannot compensate. The Phantom 4 video was much more view-able even in when zipping around in Sport mode.

With that, my view is that I am keeping both my Spark and Phantom. If you need to choose one based on your criteria, then it seems that the Phantom wins. Although I would suggest widening your scope beyond the Phantom 3 Pro. If you look at the Mavic Pro, you are getting everything (and more) that you get in a P3P, plus the portability. If you look at a Phantom 4, you also get everything and more than a P3P. If your number one criteria is video, then you won't do any better than a Phantom 4 Pro. Also note that on a Spark you won't really be able to use any ND filters. The Phantoms all support ND filters very well, giving you better video quality in the appropriate conditions.

Happy Flying!

 

[3rdof5]

Hi,

I am glad that you included some of your priorities, because that is important. It all comes down to your personal preference and what your needs are. I have flown and owned the Phantom 3 Standard, Phantom 3 Pro, Phantom 4, and Phantom 4 Pro. Last month I bought a Spark just to play with and see how good it is. I thought it would be fun to have for quick trips where I wanted something ultra portable.

Personally for me I don't look at it as an either/or choice. I like BOTH. Just this past weekend I went out with both My phantom 4 Pro and my Spark, and they were both fun to fly. Here's more of a breakdown, with the criteria you mentioned:

• PHOTOGRAPHY
  You are going to get better pictures/video out of a P3P.
  You only get 1080p on the Spark vs 4K on the P3P. However, the camera on the Spark is amazingly good. I hardly ever shoot in 4K anyway because I just don't need it and the files are huge.
  You will also get more stable videos out of the P3P because the Spark has only a 2-axis gimbal.
  Hint: If you want really incredible video move up to a P4P. The larger sensor gives you great footage even in low-light conditions.
  Winner: P3P, but the Spark is really good.
• RANGE
  The Spark works on regular WiFi and that is more limiting. You legally should not be exceeding VLOS so range shouldn't matter. However, the P3P will definitely give you better range.
  Hint: For utmost range you would want either a Phantom 4, or a Mavic. They will blow away the Phantom 3.
  Winner: P3P
• BATTERY LIFE
  The Spark has a small battery that runs out quickly. You will get at least twice as much flight time out of a Phantom 3 battery. There is no comparison here.
  Winner: P3P
• DURABILITY
  This one is a toss-up. Holding both of them, it would seem that the Spark is more solid and could survive a crash better. However, I've seen many people crash a Spark and cause arms to break off. I have never crashed any drone so I can't personally comment. I just say that you need to fly safely and try to avoid crashing either one.
  Hint: The Spark has forward obstacle avoidance and the P3P does not. So it gives you a bit more of a safety buffer if you are a novice.
  Winner: TOSS-UP

So with your specific Criteria, the P3P definitely wins. However, here are some items based on my observations with both:

• PORTABILITY
  Hands-down the Spark wins here. To me it's not generally a big deal as I have no problem carrying my Phantom anywhere I need it. However, it is so nice to just pick up the tiny Spark case and be able to easily carry it anywhere. If you need to take it hiking or someplace where you need portability, the Spark is great!
  Hint: The Mavic Air and even the Mavic Pro, are almost as small as the Spark. All of them are super portable.
• FUN FACTOR
  This is one I totally was not expecting when I bought the Spark. It is FUN TO FLY. When you switch it over to Sport Mode, it is really zippy and agile. This is totally subjective of course, but it zips around and is more maneuverable at speed, than a Phantom or Mavic. I tested it this past weekend with my Spark, my Phantom 4, and a Mavic Pro. The Spark was more agile than the other two. It is fun! Note that the video is useless zipping around in Sport Mode and making sudden maneuvers. The gimbal just cannot compensate. The Phantom 4 video was much more view-able even in when zipping around in Sport mode.

With that, my view is that I am keeping both my Spark and Phantom. If you need to choose one based on your criteria, then it seems that the Phantom wins. Although I would suggest widening your scope beyond the Phantom 3 Pro. If you look at the Mavic Pro, you are getting everything (and more) that you get in a P3P, plus the portability. If you look at a Phantom 4, you also get everything and more than a P3P. If your number one criteria is video, then you won't do any better than a Phantom 4 Pro. Also note that on a Spark you won't really be able to use any ND filters. The Phantoms all support ND filters very well, giving you better video quality in the appropriate conditions.

Happy Flying!

Excellent post!!! I've never owned or flown a spark but i do own a P3P which i love. And I agree about the 4k vs 1080p comment you made. 4k is nice but the files are huge and I dont own a 4k monitor anyway (yet) so i shoot in 1080p 60fps.

 

[Forgotten_Fox]

 

[PhantomFandom]

Excellent post!!! I've never owned or flown a spark but i do own a P3P which i love. And I agree about the 4k vs 1080p comment you made. 4k is nice but the files are huge and I dont own a 4k monitor anyway (yet) so i shoot in 1080p 60fps.

Thanks! If you get the opportunity to fly a Spark, I think you will like it.

Also on the video, I hardly ever shoot at 60 fps. For normal viewing/playback, 60 fps is a waste of space. It really is only needed if you plan on creating slow motion footage, or you are filming some very fast motion subjects.

 

[3rdof5]

Thanks! If you get the opportunity to fly a Spark, I think you will like it.

Also on the video, I hardly ever shoot at 60 fps. For normal viewing/playback, 60 fps is a waste of space. It really is only needed if you plan on creating slow motion footage, or you are filming some very fast motion subjects.

Must be the gamer in me, MORE FRAMES PER SECOND!!! lol

 

[solentlife]

The table above pits the Spark against the Standard ... which TBH is not a contest. If the P3P was instead of the Standard ... then a different ball game altogether.

As to FPS video ... this has been mentioned by various ... 4K is great BUT large files and many PC editing programs will downgrade it anyway ... as well as Youtube and most TV's at home. 1080 is better for general use. You can also increase the FPS to greater than 30fps to remove the occasional jitter that the natural frequency of the eye picks up when FPS is set at 30.

 

[Forgotten_Fox]

The table above pits the Spark against the Standard ... which TBH is not a contest. If the P3P was instead of the Standard ... then a different ball game altogether.

As to FPS video ... this has been mentioned by various ... 4K is great BUT large files and many PC editing programs will downgrade it anyway ... as well as Youtube and most TV's at home. 1080 is better for general use. You can also increase the FPS to greater than 30fps to remove the occasional jitter that the natural frequency of the eye picks up when FPS is set at 30.

I used the standard comparison because the price range is almost identical. Of course a p3p or 4k will out-do the spark, but that includes out-doing the spark’s price range.

 

[Chrislaf]

I have both a Spark and a Phantom 3 Standard. They complement each other and I fly both regularly.

Here are some of my observations about these two drones which have very similar price points.

WiFi: Both are WiFi drones but the Spark has better range than the P3S does.

Colour Reproduction: The Spark reproduces colours better in both photos and video but is limited to JPEGs in photos and 1080p in video whereas the P3S can shoot in RAW and 2.7K

Gimbal: 2-axis for Spark vs 3-axis P3S. The video from the P3S is smoother because of the 3-axis gimbal but the 2-axis gimbal on the Spark works well as long as you understand its limitations.

Flight Software: The Spark has more advanced flight software with more features.

Portability: Spark is the ultimate portable drone especially when paired with the Charging Station.

Launching/Landing: you can hand launch and hand land the Spark which makes it a very versatile drone.

Weather: In addition to being able to handle stronger winds, the P3S handles cold temperatures better than the Spark.

Chris

 

[Cbourbeau32]

I want to bring this back to the top to ask a new question:

I can get a good used Phantom 3 for $200 (I may offer $175 to see if they will bite). Is this a good price assuming everything works well and it has a good battery?

Thanks, Charlie

 

[3rdof5]

I want to bring this back to the top to ask a new question:

I can get a good used Phantom 3 for $200 (I may offer $175 to see if they will bite). Is this a good price assuming everything works well and it has a good battery?

Thanks, Charlie

Absolutely it's a good deal, a decent OEM battery is worth half that price alone. The P3 is, and always will be, a solid bird and always worth that price.