Phantom 4 UAV Review for Photographers and Enthusiasts

The Phantom 4 UAV is a game-changer for photographers and enthusiasts alike. It's a powerful tool that can capture stunning aerial footage and photos.

One of the standout features of the Phantom 4 is its 12-megapixel camera, which is capable of capturing high-quality photos and videos. This camera is mounted on a 3-axis gimbal, which provides smooth and stable footage even in windy conditions.

The Phantom 4 has a top speed of 45 miles per hour and can reach altitudes of up to 400 feet. This makes it perfect for capturing sweeping aerial views and footage of large areas.

With its advanced obstacle avoidance system, the Phantom 4 can navigate complex environments with ease. This system uses a combination of ultrasonic sensors and cameras to detect and avoid obstacles in real-time.

The Phantom 4 UAV is a versatile and user-friendly drone that offers a variety of key features.

Its ability to fly smoothly and steadily is due to its advanced stabilization system, which ensures a stable and level flight experience.

The aircraft's intelligent flight modes allow you to achieve different flight experiences, such as hovering in place or flying at a set altitude.

With the Phantom 4, you can also achieve a variety of flight experiences, such as flying at a set altitude or following a subject.

Its advanced obstacle avoidance system allows the drone to detect and avoid obstacles in its flight path, giving you peace of mind while flying.

The Phantom 4's camera system captures high-quality photos and videos, making it a great tool for photography and videography.

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The Phantom 4's camera is a game-changer, featuring a 1-inch 20MP CMOS sensor and a mechanical shutter that eliminates rolling shutter distortion.

The camera's advanced sensor and processing capabilities capture every detail, providing the image data needed for advanced post-production.

An optimized f/2.8 wide-angle lens ensures consistently detailed photos and videos that remain vivid and sharp while maintaining color accuracy.

The Phantom 4's camera is suspended from the drone body via a gimble, which counteracts the movement of the drone, providing incredibly smooth footage.

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In still photo mode, you can shoot at 1/80th and still get an adequately sharp image.

The gimble is motorized, allowing full wireless control via the controller, which allows the camera to be moved 90 degrees.

To turn the camera 360 degrees horizontally, you need to pan the drone body using the controller.

The camera sends a live video feed to the controller, allowing the user to see a first-person perspective of what the drone is seeing on your monitor.

The video feed is responsive and great quality, often with the drone hundreds of feet away.

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Having a reliable and safe flight experience is crucial when operating a Phantom 4 UAV. Comprehensive Flight Safety is achieved through advanced aerial intelligence and flight automation, giving you the confidence to capture more complex images.

Redundant IMUs and compasses monitor critical data and rule out possible errors, dramatically enhancing the reliability of flight. Obstacle sensing in five directions improves safety and overall flight experience.

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To ensure an issue-free flight, follow the pre-flight checks recommended by DJI and Heliguy. This includes checking that all devices are fully charged, propellers are attached correctly, and the Micro-SD card is inserted if you plan on storing images or footage.

Here's a quick checklist to keep in mind:

Having a comprehensive safety system is crucial when it comes to drone flight, and DJI's Phantom 4 has it covered.

The FlightAutonomy system is an advanced aerial intelligence and flight automation platform that provides a real-time view of its environment and a 3D map, giving you crucial data to make informed decisions.

This system also includes redundant IMUs and compasses that monitor critical data and rule out possible errors, dramatically enhancing the reliability of flight.

Obstacle sensing in five directions improves safety and overall flight experience by detecting potential hazards.

To ensure safe flights, all drone pilots must follow regulations put in place by governmental and regulatory bodies, such as the CAA.

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The Phantom 4 has built-in limitations, including height, distance, and specific No-Fly Zones, to help users operate the aircraft safely and within the law.

These limitations can be altered in the DJI GO app, but be aware that you cannot exceed 1640ft.

To manage flight safety, all limits and No-Fly Zones function simultaneously in P-mode, while in A-mode, only height limits are in effect.

Before each flight, it's essential to perform a series of pre-flight checks to ensure everything is in working order.

Here's a checklist to help you get started:

The Return to Home feature is a lifesaver in case of emergencies. It automatically returns the aircraft to its last recorded 'Home Point', which is usually the take-off location if the aircraft acquired a strong GPS signal beforehand.

The Phantom 4 has three types of RTH procedures available: Smart, Low Battery, and Failsafe. You can initiate Smart RTH by pressing the RTH button on the remote controller or DJI GO app when connected to GPS.

In case of a low battery, the Low Battery failsafe is triggered when the battery depletes to a point that affects safe return. The DJI GO app will display a notice when the battery charge level gets too low, and the aircraft will return to the 'Home Point' after ten seconds of inactivity.

While the pilot can cancel the Low Battery RTH process by pressing the RTH button, it's not recommended at this point. The Phantom 4 will automatically land when its current battery levels can only support it long enough to descend from its current location.

The Failsafe function will automatically activate when the RC signal is lost for more than three seconds, as long as a 'Home Point' was recorded successfully and the compass is fully functional. This RTH process may be interrupted if the signal connection is re-established, allowing the pilot to take back control.

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The controller for the Phantom 4 is a game-changer, featuring buttons that are mapped to tap functionality on your mobile device, making it easy to take photos without having to release your grip on the controller.

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The controller is also lightweight, comfortable, and robust, with two customizable buttons on the base that are within easy reach.

You can use a range of tablets with the controller, but the iPad Mini 4 is a great choice due to its size and weight.

The battery life of the controller is a bit limiting, but you can make the most of it by slowing down your actions while flying the Phantom 4.

The Phantom 4 has several shooting modes to choose from, including burst mode, time lapse, HDR, and exposure bracketing, with controls in Auto or Manual mode.

In Manual mode, you can control the ISO and Shutter Speed independently, allowing you to adjust exposure to your liking.

The Phantom 4's lens is a fixed f/2.8 aperture, so in Manual mode, you mainly need to adjust the ISO and shutter speed to affect your exposure.

In daylight flying, you can simply adjust the shutter speed to affect your exposure, which is a big relief when you're trying to focus on flying the drone.

The iPad shows highlight clipping via zebra lines, which is a very useful feature, especially in bright sunlight.

The Phantom 4's flight controller features a number of upgrades, including a new 'Sport' flight mode, which greatly enhances the manoeuvrability of the aircraft.

In Sport mode, the Phantom 4's maximum flight speed is increased to 45mph, and the aircraft's responsiveness is significantly increased.

The new air braking system and increased stability also make the Phantom 4 a joy to fly in Sport mode.

The Phantom 4 has three main flight modes: Positioning (P), Sport (S), and Attitude (A), each with its own unique characteristics.

In Positioning mode, the Phantom 4 uses the GPS and Obstacle Sensing System to stabilize itself and track moving objects.

In Sport mode, the Phantom 4's maximum flight speed is increased to 45mph, and the aircraft's responsiveness is significantly increased.

In Attitude mode, the aircraft will only use its barometer for positioning to control the altitude when both GPS and the Obstacle Sensing System are unavailable.