4 Pro or 4 Pro+?

Gabriel Lehto Gomes · Jun 10, 2017

I had a P3P and now I bought P4P+... I'm loving it by now... actually, I can say some Pros and Cons:

Pros
- Very fast to setup
- Very convenient - I don't need to worry about the 3rd device and if it's charged and so...
- The display is very bright and much better to see on a sunny day than an Apple device, for example
- Very sharp and great image quality
- Image reception is very solid - my iPad mini sometimes froze and present "digital artifacts" during the flight... my brother has problems with his P3P and Ipad air when the iPad get hot
- Very very low latency, much less that I usually had in my P3P (P4P+ = 180ms / P4P = 220ms)
- No need cable - reduces the issues that can happen with a bad cable

Cons
- Android's device - it is not much stable as an Apple device - my P4P+ GO Dji app crashed 2 times
- Not able to use DJI Goggles or some VR goggles (I think) - maybe you can use HDMI, I didn't try that.
- Could be a little bigger... but the image quality is so good that it is not a real issue.

Comments for DJI:

- DJI could do P4P+ controller linkable with Apple or Android device as a regular P4P if you want or need to.

- The DJI could develop their own OS to use in the P4P+ controller and in their future products in order to have a very solid operation without any app crashes.

Overall I liked the P4P+ a lot and its benefits but for the DJI Goggles or 3rd part VR glasses I think to buy an additional regular controller... :\ It's not an awesome solution but... a solution...

JohnWebb332 · Jun 17, 2017

"With the birds" is correct, it is a great phone.

Tommygun45 · Jun 18, 2017

You made the right choice for what you do. I too use my Phantom for real estate photography and videography and for our uses the Pro+ is a no brainer. I would also recommend getting a case from Amazon. Amazon.com : Case Club Waterproof DJI Phantom 4 Drone Wheeled Case with Silica Gel (Propellers On) : Camera & Photo

I got that one. It is pretty awesome. I went through two Phantom 4 Pros and both of them were nightmares. I couldn't get them to fly straight and they would lose connections probably. I am pretty sure it had something to do with my iPad mini 2 which was an LTE device. I think there was interference with the controller. Anyways with the 4Pro + it has been night and day. The thing turns on fast, and is deployed in minutes. The screen is plenty bright enough and sure, I guess it could be bigger but then the entire thing would be bulkier and more of a hassle.

MGS9500 · Jun 18, 2017

I had a Phantom 4 and used multiple different tablets and Android devices. I used a Samsung S7 phone and a Samsung Tab3, both with Android Nougat. They worked ok but the screen did wash out in the sun. I researched the brightest screens.

As far as I can find, the screen on the Pro 4 Plus at 1000 nits is the brightest screen available. The Samsung S8 has a screen that bright, and is noted at 570 under testing..

The Apple i Pad mini 2 is 450 nits. The iPhone is 672. the Tab S3 by Samsung is about 500 nits.

So, a brighter screen, but smaller. And, the software running on a dedicated piece of hardware seems to work well.

KevMo Photog · Jun 18, 2017

ChipperRay said:
I have the CrystalSky Pro Plus controller and I have to say it hardly ever has a software crash unlike the regular P4P pro and an external android device. That being said, the "con" side of owning Plus is you have now joined the "step child" club. We are usually the last to get firmware updates (which sometimes isn't a bad thing), and I am just now finding out my HDMI port isn't necessarily compatible with 3rd party FPV goggles such as the Avegant Glyphs (which I question the timing of this "uncompatibility" with the release of the new DJI goggles). So, as in all things there is some good and bad. If you are in the drone game for just Realty work I am sure it will be just fine.

I have an amendment to make in this last statement. I have upgraded my Avegant Glyphs to the newest FW version 1.16 and now I have no problem with the HDMI port on the P4P Plus. I can use both frequencies 2.4 and 5.8GHz with no problems on the Glyphs. (6/17/2017).

Which Crystal Sky Monitor did you get? Isn't there a 1000nit and a 2000nit. 600 and 800 bucks???

SteelFlyer · Jun 18, 2017

Realtour Pro said:
I assume your speaking of the new iPad Pro? It's supposedly brighter than other iPads and it's 10.5" I wonder if it will fit in the controllers holder?

On another post, the OP said the new 10.5 inch iPad Pro does NOT fit in the mount. It is just slightly too big. He suggested that modifying the pads might allow it to work. That said, the new iPad Pro is 600 nits. I have the iPad Pro 9.7" which I believe is 512 nits. It's not bad, but I would gladly take the brightest I can get.

MGS9500 · Jun 18, 2017

KevMo Photog said:
Which Crystal Sky Monitor did you get? Isn't there a 1000nit and a 2000nit. 600 and 800 bucks???

I believe he is referring to the integrated Crystal Sky Monitor that comes with the remote. It is a 5.5 inch screen and rated at 1000 nit. It is part of the pro plus controller.

KevMo Photog · Jun 18, 2017

MGS9500 said:
I believe he is referring to the integrated Crystal Sky Monitor that comes with the remote. It is a 5.5 inch screen and rated at 1000 nit. It is part of the pro plus controller.

Oh ok. Did not know that was called The Crystal Sky monitor as well.

ChipperRay · Jun 18, 2017

Tommygun45 said:
You made the right choice for what you do. I too use my Phantom for real estate photography and videography and for our uses the Pro+ is a no brainer. I would also recommend getting a case from Amazon. Amazon.com : Case Club Waterproof DJI Phantom 4 Drone Wheeled Case with Silica Gel (Propellers On) : Camera & Photo

I got that one. It is pretty awesome. I went through two Phantom 4 Pros and both of them were nightmares. I couldn't get them to fly straight and they would lose connections probably. I am pretty sure it had something to do with my iPad mini 2 which was an LTE device. I think there was interference with the controller. Anyways with the 4Pro + it has been night and day. The thing turns on fast, and is deployed in minutes. The screen is plenty bright enough and sure, I guess it could be bigger but then the entire thing would be bulkier and more of a hassle.

Nice case!

ChipperRay · Jun 18, 2017

KevMo Photog said:
Which Crystal Sky Monitor did you get? Isn't there a 1000nit and a 2000nit. 600 and 800 bucks???

I just have the smaller one that came with the P4P Plus. It is ok, but if you do any precision flying in tight quarters it is really difficult; (at least for me), to judge the depth perception or how close I actually am to something. DJI says the one I have is "A 5.5in 1080p screen integrated with the Phantom 4 Pro + (mine) offers 1000 cd/m2 of brightness, more than twice as bright as conventional smart devices." Hopefully the new, larger CrystalSky display will be better.

DJI-

"A maximum 2000 cd/m² of brightness means the CrystalSky monitor is more than four times as bright as typical mobile devices. On-screen details are clear and sharp, and colors are vibrant, giving the quality needed to fine tune image composition. A dedicated Sunlight Readability Enhancement mode is especially designed for processing the image in real-time to ensure more comfortable viewing under bright light."

* 5.5” / 7.85” 1000 cd/m2 7.85” Ultra Bright 2000 cd/m2Resolution: 2048x1536 (7.85’’) / 1920x1080 (5.5’’)

hb-bob · Jun 19, 2017

The waypoint function does not work correctly in the p4p+. If that is important to you, get the p4p.

GadgetGuy · Jun 20, 2017

Realtour Pro said:
I assume your speaking of the new iPad Pro? It's supposedly brighter than other iPads and it's 10.5" I wonder if it will fit in the controllers holder?

It's a tight squeeze, but it will fit!

GadgetGuy · Jun 20, 2017

SteelFlyer said:
On another post, the OP said the new 10.5 inch iPad Pro does NOT fit in the mount. It is just slightly too big. He suggested that modifying the pads might allow it to work. That said, the new iPad Pro is 600 nits. I have the iPad Pro 9.7" which I believe is 512 nits. It's not bad, but I would gladly take the brightest I can get.

It will fit if you force it in. It fits very tightly!

MGS9500 · Jun 20, 2017

hb-bob said:
The waypoint function does not work correctly in the p4p+. If that is important to you, get the p4p.

I have the P4P . No noted problems with way point. What issues are you having?

Phantom_Menace66 · Jun 20, 2017

I got the P4P+ and aside from the initial set up problems (All fixed now) I am very happy with the Pro+. I can arrive at a location and have the Phantom in the air in 2mins. Even with the brightness cranked right up, I can go through 6 batteries without having to recharge the controller... Love it

Phantom_Menace66 · Jun 20, 2017

Munch520 said:
Yep, there's absolutely zero reason (that I can see) to go with the P4P+

Errrr... Perhaps the operator doesn't own an ipad type device? That's why I got the P+

GadgetGuy · Jun 20, 2017

Phantom_Menace66 said:
Errrr... Perhaps the operator doesn't own an ipad type device? That's why I got the P+

It's better to buy one, than pay the extra $300 for the P4P+. 128GB iPad Mini 4's were $299 just a few weeks ago at Best Buy. Lower memory versions were even cheaper. Mini 4 is a large as the largest $800 CrystalSky monitor, which runs a buggy DJI customized Android only version of GO 4, and cannot be used with 3rd party apps like Litchi, unlike the iPad Mini 4.

Alxy · Jun 20, 2017

Any opinion on Samsung Tab S2 8" or S3 9.7"? Both are OLED. Anybody compared them to iPads and CrystalSky in bright sunlight?

P4P+ has smaller screen, but it lighter and not as bulky. Does anybody actually prefer smaller screen because of easier handling?

hb-bob · Jun 20, 2017

I cannot delete missions or select a mission from those that have saved. I have poised this problem with DJI and multiple user groups and no one has indicated they can manage the saved missions with a p4p+