For a few years now, DJI’s Phantom series has been the dominant beast of the consumer drone market. All the way from its humble 720p beginnings, the Phantom has grown up significantly. The DJI Phantom 4 is a sleek, feature-packed drone equipped with a 4k camera. We couldn’t wait to take one out for a spin. After spending a few exciting days of test flights, here’s our Phantom 4 review.
Compared to the Phantom 3, the Phantom 4 looks very similar aesthetically, but a host of new features sets the two apart. The two most significant new features are automated flight control and a collision avoidance system.
The DJI Phantom 4 Drone is equipped with sensors that detect objects and stop the drone from hitting them. This is great, but the sensors only detect objects in front of the drone, not on the sides or rear. So while the amount and likelihood of crashes will certainly be reduced, they can still happen.
The other convenient new feature is Tap Fly. Using this, you can tap on your touchscreen device at any location within the camera’s field of view and the Phantom will fly in that direction. This is a great feature that truly makes flying a lot easier, especially for the less experienced pilot.
In addition, the new Phantom has an Auto Track feature, where you can select a moving subject and the drone will track it, keeping that subject in the center of the frame.
The camera gimbal allows for pitch axis control (up and down), but does not allow for the 360 degree pan (left and right) that the Inspire series offers. In our opinion, this is the only major drawback of the Phantom 4 – but it’s also important to note that no other drones in this price range have that ability either.
Specs:
- Flight Time: 28 minutes
- Weight: 3 lbs
- Max Speed: 45 mph
- Max Ascent Speed: 13.4 mph
- Max Range: 3.1 miles
Camera:
- 12.4 megapixels
- Video Resolution: 4K – 30 fps, 1080 HD – 120 fps
- ISO Range: 100 – 3200
