Hi Gang, my first post. (Been lurking for awhile)
I was considering a Vision, so I thought I'd post the reasoning behind my decision to go with a naked Phantom instead. Perhaps it will help others on the fence.
My background. I'm an old guy new to rc and became interested in flying (not building) multirotors to take pictures and video, and to fpv. So, like many before me, I started reading the boards. I bought a few mini quads to learn to fly with. After gaining a little flight experience, I am ready for the next step. While I'm not necessarily afraid of building, I just would rather not in the beginning. I will modify and tinker to a greater degree as I progress.
That brings us to the Phantom vs Vision, finally!
Ok, now for my subjective view on the pros and cons.
Pros of the Vision over the current v1.1.1 Phantom:
1. All in one rtf, video, still, fpv w/telemetry package, no fuss. (It is no surprise that this is its greatest marketing feature, right?)
2. Larger battery and therefore, flight time.
3. The demo videos out there so far tend to make me feel the Vision is up to its assigned task.
The cons:
1. The unkown. Is the camera really on par with a gopro 3?
2. Can the camera be removed and replaced with a gimble mount?
3. The frequency manipulation in order to use smart phones is a little unnerving. Cool...yes, But??
4. Smart phones out in the daylight as a monitor will work, but not optimal.
After a lot of thought, and doing the math, I opted to go for a standard Phantom with the following additional equipment.
1. Fat Shark Domminator goggles, 5.8GHz module, and battery. $365.00
2. ImmersionRC 600mW 5.8GHz A/V Transmitter. $70
3. (2) Mobius Action cams w/cable to attach to VTX. $150 (1 camera will record 1080p video, and the other will record (2) decent jpg still images every second for the entire flight with no need for me to worry about it.
Add these items to the cost of the Phantom ($480) and the total cost for this setup is $1065.00 Subtract that from the cost of the Vision still leaves $135.00 in the bank which will cover adding an external PMU and iOSD Mini if I want to in the future.
This setup lacks the extended flight time of the Vision, and does not have tilt in flight control for the camera. The fpv system, however is far superior to the Vision, in my opinion.
Also, a gimble and a gopro is always an option. Plus, all the fpv gear can be used on another model if I choose to get one.
I'm sure my reasoning is not perfect, and it is not meant to denigrate anyone else decision to get a Vision. This is the process that brought me to my decision to cobble together the parts instead.
Cheers
I was considering a Vision, so I thought I'd post the reasoning behind my decision to go with a naked Phantom instead. Perhaps it will help others on the fence.
My background. I'm an old guy new to rc and became interested in flying (not building) multirotors to take pictures and video, and to fpv. So, like many before me, I started reading the boards. I bought a few mini quads to learn to fly with. After gaining a little flight experience, I am ready for the next step. While I'm not necessarily afraid of building, I just would rather not in the beginning. I will modify and tinker to a greater degree as I progress.
That brings us to the Phantom vs Vision, finally!
Ok, now for my subjective view on the pros and cons.
Pros of the Vision over the current v1.1.1 Phantom:
1. All in one rtf, video, still, fpv w/telemetry package, no fuss. (It is no surprise that this is its greatest marketing feature, right?)
2. Larger battery and therefore, flight time.
3. The demo videos out there so far tend to make me feel the Vision is up to its assigned task.
The cons:
1. The unkown. Is the camera really on par with a gopro 3?
2. Can the camera be removed and replaced with a gimble mount?
3. The frequency manipulation in order to use smart phones is a little unnerving. Cool...yes, But??
4. Smart phones out in the daylight as a monitor will work, but not optimal.
After a lot of thought, and doing the math, I opted to go for a standard Phantom with the following additional equipment.
1. Fat Shark Domminator goggles, 5.8GHz module, and battery. $365.00
2. ImmersionRC 600mW 5.8GHz A/V Transmitter. $70
3. (2) Mobius Action cams w/cable to attach to VTX. $150 (1 camera will record 1080p video, and the other will record (2) decent jpg still images every second for the entire flight with no need for me to worry about it.
Add these items to the cost of the Phantom ($480) and the total cost for this setup is $1065.00 Subtract that from the cost of the Vision still leaves $135.00 in the bank which will cover adding an external PMU and iOSD Mini if I want to in the future.
This setup lacks the extended flight time of the Vision, and does not have tilt in flight control for the camera. The fpv system, however is far superior to the Vision, in my opinion.
Also, a gimble and a gopro is always an option. Plus, all the fpv gear can be used on another model if I choose to get one.
I'm sure my reasoning is not perfect, and it is not meant to denigrate anyone else decision to get a Vision. This is the process that brought me to my decision to cobble together the parts instead.
Cheers