Advance v Pro - Camera Options

Specialist · Dec 27, 2015

Hi There, i'm looking to purchase a DJI 3 after many weeks of deliberation.

I guess my question is ... is the Pro really worth an extra £250 ? It seems quite a lot of money for a faster charger and a 4k camera that only shoots at 30fps.

Has anyone compared both camera ? I'll be using the drone for aerial photography and hopefully some video footage of cycling, trail running etc.

My other option is that I have a GoPro 4 Silver already. Do you know if the Pro and Adv are sold with a GoPro Gimbal and would you people say the GoPro 4 is better than the Pro Camera ?

So many questions

.. Thanks in advance

fordruid · Dec 27, 2015

In my mind the choices are Standard or Pro. If I understand it right the pro has better camera stuff and signal stuff for remote than Adv (could be wrong). Standard for close flying, Pro for serious pictures and great flights I own both, Adv was not an option for me

Phantom 3's have a dedicated camera, no 'easy' change.

Meta4 · Dec 27, 2015

Specialist said:
I guess my question is ... is the Pro really worth an extra £250 ?

Only if you absolutely, positively need 4K video
The cameras (and everything else) is identical except that the Advanced will only handle up to 2.7K video which is plenty for most purposes.
Everything else is the same.
For stills, there is no difference.
Save the $$ and use it for batteries.

Specialist said:
Do you know if the Pro and Adv are sold with a GoPro Gimbal and would you people say the GoPro 4 is better than the Pro Camera ?

There's no GoPro option with the P3 series but very few people would want to use the GoPro after the P3 which gives full camera control in the air, something not possible with the GoPro.

Specialist · Dec 27, 2015

fordruid said:
In my mind the choices are Standard or Pro. If I understand it right the pro has better camera stuff and signal stuff for remote than Adv (could be wrong). Standard for close flying, Pro for serious pictures and great flights I own both, Adv was not an option for me

Phantom 3's have a dedicated camera, no 'easy' change.

The standard doesn't us GLONASS does it ? and doesn't have as powerful motors?

fordruid · Dec 27, 2015

Specialist said:
The standard doesn't us GLONASS does it ? and doesn't have as powerful motors?

No to both, but I bought it for when it 'might not come back'. Think flying into a active volcano....yes, most of my fun starts with "hey, ya'll watch this" or "here, hold my beer".

Specialist · Dec 27, 2015

Meta4 said:
Only if you absolutely, positively need 4K video
The cameras (and everything else) is identical except that the Advanced will only handle up to 2.7K video which is plenty for most purposes.
Everything else is the same.
For stills, there is no difference.
Save the $$ and use it for batteries.

There's no GoPro option with the P3 series but very few people would want to use the GoPro after the P3 which gives full camera control in the air, something not possible with the GoPro.

Fantastic aerial photography there Meta

.. They look very crisp indeed. And that was with the advance ? .. Thanks for sharing

Meta4 · Dec 27, 2015

Specialist said:
Fantastic aerial photography there Meta .. They look very crisp indeed. And that was with the advance ? .. Thanks for sharing

Thanks .... yes, I fly the P3 Advanced

Meta4 · Dec 27, 2015

Specialist said:
The standard doesn't us GLONASS does it ? and doesn't have as powerful motors?

No Glonass on the standard but the motors are the same as the newer version motors that all P3s now have.
Just slightly less powerful that the original motors but it makes no appreciable difference.

Specialist · Dec 27, 2015

fordruid said:
No to both, but I bought it for when it 'might not come back'. Think flying into a active volcano....yes, most of my fun starts with "hey, ya'll watch this" or "here, hold my beer".

lol .. thanks fordruid ... we don't have any active volcano's here in the UK .. we have some active chimneys bellowing out smoke.. that's the closet we get

PhantompilotNL · Dec 27, 2015

Hai meta and specialist, the extra battery is one of the reasons to choose the advanced. Have you even try to edit 4k video on your pc? Think about that... Greetz

fordruid · Dec 27, 2015

Specialist said:
lol .. thanks fordruid ... we don't have any active volcano's here in the UK .. we have some active chimneys bellowing out smoke.. that's the closet we get

But if you were video recording the Tardis and The Doctor took off.....

Καλλιστώ · Dec 27, 2015

Hi everybody!
Specialist, i have you very same dilemma, and what i'm unsure of is the video bitrate of the two.
I fear the the pro has an higher bitrate (60 Mbps vs 40 Mbps) that means more informations also using Full HD setting (that it will be probably my favourite settings for video).
So far i can't find it this difference exists or the higher bitrate is because the 4k capability...

Specialist · Dec 27, 2015

Marcel said:
Hai meta and specialist, the extra battery is one of the reasons to choose the advanced. Have you even try to edit 4k video on your pc? Think about that... Greetz

You must have had a bundle deal .. i'm not sure by default that the advance comes with an extra battery? 4k Editing on your PC isn't that bad.. you need quite a bit of disk space and a really good graphics card

Specialist · Dec 27, 2015

Hi Καλλιστώ .. I've been doing some reading this morning and the 4k is 60Mbp/s (25fps) and strangely 1080p only runs 25/Mbp/s (25fps)

There is a petition for DJI to increase 60Mbp/s to a minimum of 100Mbp/s .. The Actual video encoder in the DJI is capable of 240/Mbp/s

See link - DJI: 100Mbp/s bit rate for the Phantom 3 Professional

Καλλιστώ · Dec 27, 2015

Specialist said:
Hi Καλλιστώ .. I've been doing some reading this morning and the 4k is 60Mbp/s (25fps) and strangely 1080p only runs 25/Mbp/s (25fps)

There is a petition for DJI to increase 60Mbp/s to a minimum of 100Mbp/s .. The Actual video encoder in the DJI is capable of 240/Mbp/s

See link - DJI: 100Mbp/s bit rate for the Phantom 3 Professional

Thanks!
Keep studying...
(obviously i've signed the petition)

PhantompilotNL · Dec 27, 2015

Very interesting research... Dji has to upgrade based upon the hardware!!!! Moderators Just try...
I think this will be the phantom 4 professional in may 2016 released....based on the same hardware....

fordruid · Dec 27, 2015

Marcel said:
Very interesting research... Dji has to upgrade based upon the hardware!!!! Moderators Just try...
I think this will be the phantom 4 professional in may 2016 released....based on the same hardware....

I agree. Buy the best now that you can afford (everyone's situation is different) or wait for P4. Or judge you needs. What works for me may be insane to you (and from past experience, insane may be the right term for me...look it up)

JustinJ · Dec 27, 2015

Welcome specialist!

The answer to your question lies within your expected usage of the P3? (Recreationally / professionally)

Also, think about your editing / viewing capabilities. (I personally, upgraded both after getting my first pro - But I still recorded in 4K prior to this)

I will be (officially) operating commercially in the UK very soon (which is why I chose the route I did)

I live in Dorset (near / overlook sandbanks), there is no such thing as a "boring" flight around here, the Jurassic coast is all around me & the new forest is a short drive too, so I have always wanted to capture footage as best as possible on my P3 (regardless of it's intended use)

My next investments are inspires (more so for commercial reasons)

The P3's (adv / pro) are bang on the £ for their capabilities.

fordruid · Dec 27, 2015

JustinJ said:
My next investments are inspires (more so for commercial reasons)
.

Me too, for a hobby.

rskardon · Dec 27, 2015

One other consideration that I have come aware of is that the live feed to the iPad or phone that you use is much lower quality on the advanced (2mbs vs 10 Mbps) than on pro, I'm probably going back to a pro based on this... The advanced is totally usable but it is a big difference in quality