Phantom 3 Comparison

The DJI Phantom 3 range is complete after the arrival of the Standard and it's been made even better now with the release of firmware which adds some great features. Waypoints, Point of Interest and Follow Me are long awaited additions to the Phantom 3's repertoire and will open up all sorts of exciting possibilities for video work. The same firmware upgrade has added 2.7K to the Advanced model's camera, which previously only went up to 1080 HD or 1K. We thought it would be useful to compare the most important features of the range so that you can make an informed choice when you buy your Phantom 3. As you'll see from the Heliguy comparison chart, the biggest differences are between the Standard and the rest of the range - the Advanced and the Professional. phantom-3-comparison-infographic_5.2-OLD-LOGO.png

Three new flight modes

The latest firmware upgrade includes three much-heralded settings which will make shooting video in particular an easier but much more rewarding experience. Waypoints offers a great way of recording and repeating routes. You can customise the speed and, while the aircraft is flying autonomously, you can tilt the camera to frame your shot perfectly. You can also save flightpaths and repeat them whenever you want to at any time in the future. That will make matching shots in editing a whole lot easier. Point of Interest (POI) is an extremely handy setting that's long been available on professional rigs like the S900 and S1000 with the DJI A2 flight controller. You choose the location of an object and then programme in the distance, the altitude, and the speed. The Phantom 3 will then fly automatically around the target while the camera adjusts to keep it in the centre of the frame. This makes it much easier to get impressive shots that would be difficult to achieve, even for an experienced Phantom pilot. Follow-Me-Skiing.jpg Follow Me is an exciting feature but it will need to be used responsibly. It allows your Phantom 3 to follow you (or rather your controller and phone or tablet) at a set height and distance. DJI say "Follow me is the perfect tool for pilots to get footage of themselves mountain biking, driving or jogging in wide open areas." Even in wide open areas you'll need to be careful of trees, power lines or high ground because if you're mountain biking, driving or jogging, you could be quite busy already. It has the potential to deliver some really nice shots though. For some reason Follow Me is not available for the Inspire 1. So there you have it. Three great new reasons for you to choose a DJI Phantom 3. You just have decide which one suits you best.