Range is 1000 meters, half the distance of the P3Pro and P4, battery life is 25 min in theory. Also, it looks like it won't go as fast as a P4 in sport mode. The camera I am sure is awesome but truthfully, I don't think I would "side-grade" to a Karma, I am pretty happy with my Phantom 3 Pro, waiting for the Phantom 5 before I would change anything. But I would really enjoy a camera upgrade, I am a photographer and I don't want to spring for an Aspire or more.
Range is 1000 meters, half the distance of the P3Pro and P4, battery life is 25 min in theory. Also, it looks like it won't go as fast as a P4 in sport mode. The camera I am sure is awesome but truthfully, I don't think I would "side-grade" to a Karma, I am pretty happy with my Phantom 3 Pro, waiting for the Phantom 5 before I would change anything. But I would really enjoy a camera upgrade, I am a photographer and I don't want to spring for an Aspire or more.
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That's 500M AGL (Above Ground Level), or from HP (Home Point, your take off location)
The number to compare the Karma's 14,000 altitude is in your Phantom manual. Mine says:
- Max Service Ceiling Above Sea Level: 6000M
Chris
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A big got'cha there is that they claim compatibility only with Hero5 and some Here4s (not the entire 4 line, amiright?). That renders both of my GoPro cameras (which are not otherwise obsolete) unusable in this platform.
On the other hand, a Hero3 might just work anyways, but I won't be getting a Gen #1 to find out the hard way.
If you're a photographer I think you'd be disappointed in the GoPro lens. It's certainly a downgrade from a P3P. If you don't need more portablity of Karma, P3P will be far superior, primarily from the superior flight range (thanks to Lightbridge), software features and display options.
It's cool that GoPro is entering this market. I always encourage market competition because I am a firm believer it will yield a better end product for us consumers for a better price.
I'm also not one to ever buy a V1 of any product. There will be kinks to work out and I don't want to be the Guinea Pig.
But, I'll for certain be watching their product development for a potential purchase a few years out; whether it is the GoPro, a better DJI, or some other brand with a great product.
I'm not yet convinced that this new UAV offering by GoPro is a large enough of a revenue/profitability impact to buy GoPro stock.
I'm also not one to ever buy a V1 of any product. There will be kinks to work out and I don't want to be the Guinea Pig.
But, I'll for certain be watching their product development for a potential purchase a few years out; whether it is the GoPro, a better DJI, or some other brand with a great product.
I'm not yet convinced that this new UAV offering by GoPro is a large enough of a revenue/profitability impact to buy GoPro stock.
If my Phantom 4 were stolen today, I wouldn't automatically replace it with another Phantom 4 without giving this drone serious consideration. For a lot of people, I think they are very much in the same market. If you take out the long distance flyers, I think you pretty much eliminate the differences in who they are designed to appeal to.
I'd say the Karma is pretty impressive out of the gates. Specs look similar to the p3. Cool that the 5 black is now water proof but 33 (1 add'l atmosphere) feet isn't very deep and GP will still make money on cases. Not crazy about the joysticks and don't think they have a moving map which is why they could fly where they did. I expect a boatload of software glitches and since the camera is multi purpose I don't think it will perform as well as the DJI 4K for pure aerials. Also I wonder if it can fly dead slow like a P3 in 0 wind conditions. Time will tell.
Seems very weird that they didn't do tracking or a follow-me type mode. I would bet a lot of GoPro's existing customer base thought the karma would be videoing themselves on their mountain bike or snow board.
I think that if GP's rank and file customers (MX, BMX, snowboarders, rafters etc) were to do a follow me function just about everyone would lose their drones on the first flight to obstacles. Also too big to be a true follow me drone. IMHO
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If it's an issue you just buy the kit that comes with hero5 black.
I live half the year in a ski resort. Full of the gopro target demographic. I sometimes go skiing and drinking with these folks. Mostly 20 somethings who, upon finding out that I'm a drone enthusiast, start asking the usual questions. And like all off those with zero drone experience, be they default extreme sport types or regulars, they start asking about follow me. I explain that it has no place on the mountain unless it's under controlled or empty conditions or when the first fully capable, 1080p minimum, palm size altitude hold GPS drone is released. Until then forget it. And the few of those guys who take time to come out with me agree at the first minute they see a standard size drone operating. Beach goers worldwide complain about drones. Imagine a ski slope with just a few flying around. Then add lift cables and the like to the mix. Interesting in theory, a nightmare in practice when numbers are involved. They would be banned within a week.
The other issue is how much disposable funds these extreme types possess. Mind you, back in my twenties I did plenty of BMX and surfing. Didn't have a bucket to piss in either. There are always exceptions but in the high end ski resort live in, the price of a good phantom is a lot steeper for the folks who frequent the jumps part of the slopes than it is for the thirty and forty something folks at the apres ski.
Hence, until a truly cheap, reliable, 15 minute plus battery, GPS, altitude hold palm size drone is released, follow me is a gimmick at best.
The other issue is how much disposable funds these extreme types possess. Mind you, back in my twenties I did plenty of BMX and surfing. Didn't have a bucket to piss in either. There are always exceptions but in the high end ski resort live in, the price of a good phantom is a lot steeper for the folks who frequent the jumps part of the slopes than it is for the thirty and forty something folks at the apres ski.
Hence, until a truly cheap, reliable, 15 minute plus battery, GPS, altitude hold palm size drone is released, follow me is a gimmick at best.
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Exactly. There are a few people in this thread that seem to be defending the Phantom line but that's not the target market AT ALL.
This thing is targeted at a totally difference space.
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I disagree. I think they are targeting the selfie drone people, the phantom people and the actions sports people.
They would be crazy to try to only target snowboarders and the like.
Phantom line is the kind of Drone market. They are trying to get you to sell it, especially those that have a GoPro laying around from the old phantom days.
They're selling compact, portable, etc. but who knows what they are thinking. You still need the remote for follow me right? You're not going to fix it on yourself and go down the slope.
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They would be crazy to try to only target snowboarders and the like.
Phantom line is the kind of Drone market. They are trying to get you to sell it, especially those that have a GoPro laying around from the old phantom days.
They're selling compact, portable, etc. but who knows what they are thinking. You still need the remote for follow me right? You're not going to fix it on yourself and go down the slope.
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We'll get an idea of how popular it is when N-number registrations start showing up in the FAA database. 
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Well I've never owned a gopro but have owned 3 alternative action cameras and do indeed do things such as hiking and biking the mountains of Borneo, so an "action drone" would appeal to me.
However it does seem somewhat underwhelming, at more than twice the price of my P3 Standard, and still requires a backpack, rather than sliding into my regular backpack.
However it does seem somewhat underwhelming, at more than twice the price of my P3 Standard, and still requires a backpack, rather than sliding into my regular backpack.
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