DJI DJI Phantom 4 Drone Review and Comparison

The DJI Phantom 4 is a highly capable drone that's perfect for capturing stunning aerial footage and photos. It features a 1-inch 20-megapixel sensor that can capture 4K video at 60fps.

This drone is equipped with a 3-axis gimbal that provides smooth and stable footage, even in windy conditions. The gimbal can be adjusted to capture a wide range of shots, from sweeping vistas to tight close-ups.

The Phantom 4 has a top speed of 45mph and can reach a maximum altitude of 4000 meters. It's also equipped with a range of safety features, including obstacle detection and automatic emergency landing.

The drone's battery life is around 28 minutes, which is relatively long for a drone of its size and capabilities.

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The DJI Phantom 4 is pretty much ready to fly out of the box, with the only thing needing to be added being auto-locking propellers.

You'll also need to use a smartphone or tablet to get that first person (FPV) view, which is done by connecting it to the DJI Go app.

The carrying case it comes with is a great feature, allowing you to travel with the Phantom in a smaller-than-carry-on sized case.

The price tag of the Phantom 4 may be expensive to some, but to others, it's the deal of the century, offering a lot of technology at a relatively affordable price.

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The DJI Phantom 4 is ready to fly right out of the box, with auto-locking propellers that make setup a breeze.

You'll also need to use a smartphone or tablet to get that first person (FPV) view, which connects to the DJI Go app.

The carrying case is a great touch, allowing you to easily travel with your Phantom 4.

It's incredible that this level of technology is available at this price, making it a deal of the century for some.

The obstacle avoidance feature on the DJI Phantom 4 is a game-changer. It uses two front sensors combining with advanced computer vision and processing to give the drone its "Obstacle Avoidance" feature.

This feature means the drone will hover in a locked position a safe distance from obstacles, even if you have it pointed at a wall at full throttle. It's a huge confidence booster for drone operators, giving them peace of mind while flying.

The technology isn't perfect, though - it's limited to only sensing obstacles in front and bottom of the drone, so it can't detect obstacles if it's flying backward or laterally.

The DJI Phantom 4's controller is a well-designed piece, with buttons mapped to tap functionality on your mobile device, allowing for a more practical flying experience.

You can take a photo by tapping the shutter button on your screen or by pressing a button on the controller, giving you more flexibility.

The controller also features two customizable buttons on the base, within easy reach, making it easy to access frequently used functions.

I found the controller to be lightweight, comfortable, and robust, making it a joy to hold and maneuver.

However, there are a few minor drawbacks, such as the rubber battery port cover being a bit too fiddly and the grip elements being prone to dirt accumulation.

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The DJI Phantom 4 controller is pretty straightforward, but it does take some practice to get used to. The controls can be a bit confusing at first, but you'll learn them quickly via muscle memory.

The controller has a Power button and a Return to Home button, which is a lifesaver if you're feeling nervous or get lost. The 4 LED lights underneath the buttons show the remaining battery power of the controller.

You can extend the range of your Phantom 4 by using cheap accessories, which is a great option if you want to fly further away. Just make sure you have enough battery power left before you press the Return to Home button.

The Phantom 4 is incredibly responsive, which can be both a blessing and a curse. If you're shooting video, you may want to tone back the sensitivity of the motors to avoid jarring camera movements.

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The controller is designed with practicality in mind. It features buttons that are mapped to tap functionality on your mobile device, allowing you to take a photo by tapping the shutter button on your screen or by pressing a button on the controller.

You can also use the two customizable buttons on the base of the controller, which are within easy reach. This makes it convenient to access frequently used features while flying.

The controller itself is lightweight, comfortable, and robust. It's perfect for extended use without causing fatigue.

However, there are a few design choices that left me wanting more. The rubber battery port cover is a bit too fiddly, and the rubber used for the grip elements can get dirty quickly.

To get the most out of your controller, you need to slow down your actions while flying the Phantom 4. It took me a few flights to realize this, but it's essential for smooth and stable flight.

The DJI Phantom 4's performance is impressive, with a quick boot-up time that lets you start flying right away. This is a big improvement over the 3, which could take up to 2-3 minutes to warm up.

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The Phantom 4 is also incredibly fast and responsive, but you may need to adjust the sensitivity of the motors to avoid jarring camera movements. This is especially important for video, where smooth motion is key.

The drone's stability is equally impressive, allowing for sharp 3-second exposures that open up new possibilities for long-exposure drone imaging.

The Phantom 4 boots up very quickly, a big improvement over the 3 which could take up to 2-3 minutes.

You can fly the Phantom 4 in cold weather, but be aware that the batteries may be too cold to fly safely. The DJI GO app will warn you of this.

The Phantom 4 is incredibly fast and responsive, making some camera movements feel jarring. You may want to tone back the sensitivity of the motors for video.

The drone is also very stable, allowing for sharp 3-second exposures. This opens up new possibilities for long-exposure drone imaging.

The Phantom 4 has minimal radio signal loss or weak connection, even in challenging environments like mountains, water, and roads.

Flying the Phantom 4 can take some practice, but you'll learn the controls through muscle memory.

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The DJI Go app is a crucial part of the Phantom 4 experience, and it's what allows you to pilot your drone.

The app is not the most user-friendly, and you may need to do some trial and error to figure out which buttons to press initially.

A 20-minute firmware update is required before using your Phantom 4 for the first time, which needs to be done with a computer and an Internet connection.

The photo/video integration of the DJI Go app is seamless, and any footage you take is stored on a Micro SD card inside the drone in full 4k glory.

Footage is also transferred immediately to your iPad, which is incredibly useful for reviewing your photos and videos on the go.

The app includes a simple way to piece together a movie on your iPad, along with free background music for you to use.

You can also trim your video clip to a more mobile-friendly size, ready to email to friends, which is a great feature.

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The mapping functionality of the Phantom 4 quadcopter is also impressive, allowing you to see exactly where the drone was located on a Google map.

The Phantom 4 records its flight path and all GPS data associated with any footage you take, which brings a new level of functionality to Lightroom's Map feature.

The battery life of the Phantom 4 is a crucial aspect to consider. It's advertised to last 28 minutes per flight, which is quite impressive for a drone.

For a first-time drone user, this might seem short, but for those upgrading from other models, it's actually quite impressive. In practice, I was averaging around 20-25 minutes of flight.

It's essential to return with at least 5 minutes worth of battery power 'in the tank' to account for unforeseen circumstances like strong headwinds or getting lost. Thankfully, the DJI Go app does a great job of showing you an estimate of remaining battery time.

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The battery power drops below a certain level, the controller will alert you with a visible and audible warning, which can be quite startling the first time it happens. The battery charger can charge both the controller and the drone's battery at the same time, which is a convenient feature.

The batteries on the controller and the Phantom 4 take around 90 minutes to charge. If you're planning any extended drone usage, it's a good idea to invest in a couple of extra 'Intelligent Flight' batteries.

The DJI Phantom 4 is a game-changer for photographers. It's incredible that something with this much technology is available at this price.

The camera on the Phantom 4 is designed for professional use, whether for stills or video. It can shoot 12 megapixel stills and capture 4k video at 30fps.

The camera housing is suspended from the drone body via a gimble, which provides incredibly smooth footage. In still photo mode, you can shoot at 1/80th and still get an adequately sharp image.

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The gimble is motorized, allowing full wireless control via the controller. This allows the camera to be moved 90 degrees, and you can pan the drone body to turn the camera 360 degrees horizontally.

The camera sends a live video feed to the controller, allowing you to see a first-person perspective of what the drone is seeing on your monitor. I found an iPad Mini to be the best size screen for this.

The Phantom 4 features a fixed 20mm f/2.8 lens, which provides a good balance between an immersive perspective and little distortion. The 20mm field of view is perfect for taking photos from high above.

The sensor on the Phantom 4 is a 1/2.3″ CMOS sensor, allowing it to capture 4k video at 30fps and 12 megapixel stills. You can save photos as Adobe DNG RAW and video footage in flat profiles such as D-Log and Cine-D.

There are several shooting modes to choose from on the Phantom 4, including burst mode, time lapse, HDR, and exposure bracketing. The Auto setting does a great job, but I preferred to use Manual mode to expose for the highlights.

In Manual mode, you can control the ISO and Shutter Speed independently. The fixed f/2.8 aperture of the lens means you can adjust exposure by altering ISO and shutter speed.

The Phantom 4's lens is a fixed f/2.8 aperture, which is perfect for aerial photography. However, it does mean you need to be careful not to overexpose your images, especially when shooting in bright sunlight.

The zebra lines on the iPad screen show overexposed areas of your image in real time, making it easy to adjust your exposure. This feature is incredibly useful, especially when flying the drone in bright sunlight.