DJI Phantom 3 Standard Controller Review and Comparison

The DJI Phantom 3 Standard Controller is a reliable and user-friendly option for those looking to capture stunning aerial footage. It's a great choice for beginners and experienced pilots alike.

This controller features a 3.3-mile range and a live HD video feed, allowing you to see exactly what your drone is capturing in real-time.

The controller is designed with a compact and lightweight build, making it easy to take on the go.

With the DJI Phantom 3 Standard Controller, you can expect a smooth and responsive flying experience thanks to its 12ms latency and 720p live video feed.

Intriguing read: Dji Phantom 3 Standard User Guide

The DJI Phantom 3 Standard's remote control is a hand-held unit that resembles the previous Phantom 2 Vision+, but with a few notable improvements. It features a pan slider on the upper left corner, allowing you to control the camera without taking your hands off the control sticks.

The remote also has a left stick that locks into place when pulled all the way down, making it easier to keep the drone descending. This is a useful feature, especially when flying in tight spaces or navigating obstacles.

The remote connects to your phone or iPad via Wi-Fi, and you'll need to install the DJI GO app to control the drone. This app displays a live feed from the camera, as well as information about the drone's position, altitude, and remaining battery life.

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The remote control for the Phantom 3 Standard is a hand-held unit that resembles the previous Phantom 2 Vision+.

It has a pan slider on the upper left corner, allowing you to control the drone's camera without taking your hands off the control sticks. This is a convenient feature that streamlines your flying experience.

The remote also has a left stick that locks into place when pulled all the way down, enabling you to keep the drone descending without having to maintain backward deflection.

To control the drone, you need to install the DJI GO app and connect your phone or iPad to the remote's Wi-Fi network. This app provides a live feed from the drone's camera and allows you to trigger video recordings or stills.

The app displays the drone's position, altitude, remaining battery, the number of GPS satellites it can see, and an estimate of whether the drone has enough battery power remaining to fly back home.

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Stability and Control is crucial for a smooth and enjoyable experience with your hardware and remote. The stability of your device is directly related to its ability to maintain a consistent connection to the remote server.

A strong and stable internet connection is essential for seamless communication between the device and the remote server. This is why a wired connection is often preferred over Wi-Fi for critical applications.

The remote server's control over the device is also a key factor in stability and control. The server's ability to send and receive data in real-time ensures that the device is always up-to-date and running smoothly.

A well-designed remote server can handle a large number of devices simultaneously, making it an ideal solution for applications that require a high level of stability and control.

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The DJI Phantom 3 Standard controller delivers impressive flight performance, earning a 7 in our testing. This puts it in the middle of the pack, but still ahead of non-gimbal models.

It's very stable during takeoff and landing, giving you a degree of confidence when flying. However, it doesn't hover quite as steadily as other models, occasionally bobbing up and down or to the side.

The Phantom 3 Standard has a maximum flight time of 25 minutes, which is more than enough time to capture any shot you need. This is a great feature for photographers and videographers who need to get a lot done in a short amount of time.

We were also impressed with the drone's autonomous flight features, including orbit a point of interest and cable cam functions, which produced smooth flight and good footage. However, these features were maybe just a bit less smooth than on the Phantom 4.

The Phantom 3 Standard's camera produces great video and stills, with a 35mm equivalent of 20mm at f/2.8, and can store images on its included SD card as both JPG and Adobe DNG RAW files.

The camera can record "2.7K" video at 24 or 30 frames per second, and also shoot 1920x1080 video at various frame rates. It stores video as MPEG4 AVC/h.264 files on the drone's SD card slot.

Low light performance is improved, mostly due to having a superior lens and sensor, but it's still not wonderful. The images it beams back are still fuzzy, even with the flashing LEDs helping to keep track of the drone at night.

The Phantom 3 Standard scored a 6 in video quality testing, putting it well ahead of non-gimbal models but tied for the worst score amongst gimbal models. It still provides 2.7K resolution and captures fairly vibrant colors.

However, the footage from the Phantom 3 Standard looks crisp but upon close inspection, it doesn't quite match the crispness of the Phantom 4's footage. The gimbal is quite workable, but there can be some perceptible camera shake when flying aggressively or under less than ideal conditions.

Propellers can appear within the camera's frame of view, especially when flying fast and aggressively or pointing the camera at the sun. This can be avoided with a little practice and camera tilting.

The downlink is completely workable, allowing for accurate framing of shots, but the on-screen video is of slightly lesser quality than some other models.

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The DJI Phantom 3 Standard's ease of use is in the middle of the pack. It scored a 7 out of 9 in our testing, with the non-gimbal models scoring a 3.

The initial setup of the 3 Standard was a breeze, with rotors installing easily and battery charging and installation working flawlessly. However, it did require a software update, which took a couple of minutes to download and transfer to the drone.

The controller feels slightly inferior to other Phantom controllers, with slightly sticky joysticks and a spring-loaded phone clip that's more difficult to use.

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The Phantom 3 Standard scored a 7 in ease of use testing, placing it in the middle of the pack. This is because its initial setup was a breeze, with rotors installing easily and battery charging and installation working flawlessly.

The drone's controller, although similar to others, felt slightly inferior due to stickier joysticks and a less convenient phone cradle. This is a drawback that's only noticeable in a side-by-side comparison.

First flight with the Phantom 3 Standard is a quality DJI experience, thanks to on-screen controls that allow for automatic takeoff and landing. The on-screen record button is also large and easy to use.

The drone's automatic landing feature is a nice touch, gently touching the copter down in a controlled manner. This feature makes it easy to get started with flying.

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The app and interface of the Phantom 3 Standard are a major improvement over its predecessor. The new iOS app is both easier to navigate and much smarter than the previous version.

One notable feature is the ability to do live YouTube streaming from within the DJI app. This is a significant upgrade, allowing users to share their aerial experiences with a wider audience.

The app's design is more intuitive, making it easier for users to access and control their drone's features. This is a welcome change, especially for those who are new to drone flying.

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The DJI GO app, which comes with the Phantom 3 Standard, is a powerful tool for controlling and monitoring the drone. However, it's worth noting that the prerelease version of the app wouldn't run on an iPhone 5S, limiting testing capabilities.

The app's capabilities and interface are so advanced that they warrant a full review, which will be done once the product is available and shipping hardware and software are in hand.

The DJI Phantom 3 Standard controller is about to get a whole lot more exciting. The Follow Me feature is now available out of the box, allowing you to capture smooth and steady footage while the drone follows you.

This means you can focus on enjoying the experience without worrying about flying the drone. The Point of Interest feature is also included, which lets you set a specific point for the drone to orbit around.

The Waypoint feature is another exciting addition, allowing you to set a series of points for the drone to follow. This is perfect for capturing stunning aerial footage of a specific area.

The DJI GO app, the updated version of the DJI Pilot app, also features these new options. This app is effectively V2.0 of Pilot, and it's a game-changer for Phantom 3 Standard users.