DJI Phantom 4 Pro Review And Thoughts

I recently procured a new tool or toy, depending who you ask, a DJI Phantom 4 Pro drone. I have had many smaller, camera-less drones over the years and have wanted to step into the advanced models for some time. After doing extensive research, watching videos on many models, weighing the pros and cons of each I decided that DJI was the brand I was going to invest in. They are the ‘Apple’ of the drone world. DJI’s advances in flight modes, object detection sensors and flying controls were what pulled me in.

The two models I was looking at were the new DJI Mavic and the DJI Phantom 4 Pro. Inner technology those two drones are very similar. They same flight modes, sensors and capabilities. The Mavic is perfect for transporting. It folds up, it’s small, the controller is smaller and it’s very stable. The Phantom 4 Pro has a superior camera and that’s really my intent for a drone.

So at the end of the day I decided that a Phantom 4 Pro would be a better investment for what I would use the drone for and how I would travel with it. I have had the Phantom 4 Pro for two weeks now and I am not disappointed. Below are the first two photos I took with it.

The camera on the Phantom 4 Pro records in 4k at 60fps, the camera takes wonderful 20mp shots and like any camera requires some learning on how get all the settings just right. If you miss a settings that’s OK because it can take RAW shots and you can adjust in post.

Flying the DJI Phantom 4 Pro is very, very easy. There is a beginner mode to get the feel of it and not let you travel too far or too high. The other flight modes keep you in check for speed and height. If you get out of hand and start to panic at the controls all you need to do is let go and the drone will stop and hover. The drone has a range of over 4 miles, well beyond you vision to track it, and if you do lose it there is a Return to Home feature. The drone if it loses signal or you call it back it will rise to a pre-set height (preferable above all obstacles for clear flight) and return to the spot that you took off from. It will also land and shut off the motors automatically. Very cool when you see it in action.

The other safety features are built into the drone to keep you from smashing it into buildings or solid objects. There are vision sensors in the front, back side and bottom (not top) that will stop the drone before it hits anything. You cannot control the drone to go forward when objects are detected. All of those features help you protect your investment smashing to the ground.

If you want a detailed, how-to, for all the features you can check one of hundreds of places that do that.

https://www.dronezon.com/drone-reviews/phantom-4-intelligent-modes-obstacle-sensing-active-tracking/

Here’s my first real video I put together from a flying session at a nearby lake.

The last and most important aspect of the Phantom 4 Pro is that it is fun to fly. To get up and see regular places you are familiar with in new angles and viewpoints. Going to parks and lakes but seeing them from the other side where you never walked, or from above to see the land around it. That’s fresh and fun.

End of line.