help deciding on new toy

[Lee C]

Hi all

At the moment ive got a phantom 1 which the wife got me for xmas and i love it. However ive now got the itch to get a f550.

My main worry is that if I get a 550 will i ever use the phantom again, which if I dont will not amuse the wife seeing as it now stands me in alot of money along with all the research she did to get it for me and keep it a surprise.

Are there any circumstances where the phantom will be better suited over the F550?

regards

lee

 

[JTheed]

Most people will say that the size of the F550 makes it difficult to travel with. They do now make a case for it but it is very large and very expensive, I saw the case and it sold for $650.00.
If you plan to build it yourself, I would recommend just buying the kit without the motors and ESC's and then buy the E300 Propulsion Kit. Don't know if they have any kits available with the E300 system yet or not.

 

[FangsCPO]

Someone posted the F550 now comes standard with the E300 kit at the same price as before. So check before you purchase.

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[whitelens]

I too am looking at the F550, although I do need to travel with one . .HHMMMM Just "built one up" form Helipal, both them building or me building (looks like I save about $210) I I build it. So, my question is, do I go with the F550 and the pain of the lower flight times, and the massive case . . . or go with a Phantom 2 ( I already have the Phantom Vision and I HATE the camera). I like the F550 cause it sounds like it is a lot more stable in the wind, and thus an over all steady(ier) video. So for you F550 guys, is it worth it to you? Is the video product that much better than the little brother (phantom vision or Phantom 2)?
Here is the "parts list" I put together . . does this seem to be a good setup? Thanks for the help.
FC550

F550 Prebuilt helipal Price
Combo 1199
NAZA V2 controller
H3-2D Gimbal
5500 Mah Battery
Devo 7 Transmitter
RX701 Receiver
10" props
8" Props
OPTIONS
iOSD Mini 69.9
Storm FPV Combo (deluxe) 329.9
Storm 11.1v 5500Mah Battery 79.9
Storm 11.1v 5500Mah Battery 79.9

GoPro Hero 3 Black 399.99
GOPro polarizer Glass Filter 29.99
TOTALS 2188.58

 

[OI Photography]

I love my 550 but I still fly my Phantom regularly, though I'm usually focused on one or the other at any given time.

Even professionally speaking, it still has its place in my hangar, there's some situations where the portability and smaller size make it the better option to use. I doubt I'll even get a case for my 550, they're all so big they end up being counter-productive and they usually cost even more than they weigh (which is a lot).

For personal use I'd say the Phantom is more of a sport flyer that doubles as a handy camera platform. The 550 is less nimble perhaps, but the better choice when you want a stable platform for video, or for more camera options than just a gopro.

I think you can still get a lot of use out of the Phantom, and I've gotten to the point where I just throw that in the trunk of my car whenever I'm out and about, just in case an unexpected opportunity pops up (same thing I've always done with just a camera)

 

[whitelens]

do you fly your Phantom with the GOPRO? If so, do you see a big difference in the final video from the F550? I have the PV2, and looking to upgrade the camera . .thus one main reason to go to the F550.

 

[OI Photography]

do you fly your Phantom with the GOPRO? If so, do you see a big difference in the final video from the F550? I have the PV2, and looking to upgrade the camera . .thus one main reason to go to the F550.

Yeah right now I use it on both the Phantom and the 550, and while there's not a huge difference in the result, the 550 does make it a bit easier to get smooth yaw for pans. Also easier to keep the props out of the shots.

I'm currently evaluating a few options in better cameras that should be small enough to put on a 3-axis gimbal on the 550, there's a few in the $500-$700 range that can give near-DSLR quality on both pics and vid.

 

[FangsCPO]

The biggest fail with the P2 is the **** battery......to pricey from what I've seen and from what I've read and you have to use the DJI charger which can take forever. Not good! The F550 uses the Lipo of my choice and I can use my own charger that can charge my lipos very quickly.

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[whitelens]

The biggest fail with the P2 is the **** battery......to pricey from what I've seen and from what I've read and you have to use the DJI charger which can take forever. Not good! The F550 uses the Lipo of my choice and I can use my own charger that can charge my lipos very quickly.

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So if you had a P2V with three batteries do you think your videos would be that much better? (That's what I have)

 

[FangsCPO]

LOL!!! I just like the compact size of the Phantom. To me the video quality seems just as good. I just don't like being told what battery and charger I have to use.

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[whitelens]

LOL!!! I just like the compact size of the Phantom. To me the video quality seems just as good. I just don't like being told what battery and charger I have to use.

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how much time are you getting out of your loaded F550? and What type of batteries are you using?

 

[FangsCPO]

LOL!!! I just like the compact size of the Phantom. To me the video quality seems just as good. I just don't like being told what battery and charger I have to use.

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how much time are you getting out of your loaded F550? and What type of batteries are you using?

I get 11:30 minutes. I'm using ONYX 6400 mAh 3S 35C lipo. I got them from Tower Hobbies. I'm using the 10in props. So far I'm pretty happy with the results. I am loaded. It's the RTF from Heli-Pal with the Storm FPV and iOSD. I also have two sets of LEDs which I hooked up to an on/off switch so I don't run them in the day time.

 

[whitelens]

LOL!!! I just like the compact size of the Phantom. To me the video quality seems just as good. I just don't like being told what battery and charger I have to use.

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how much time are you getting out of your loaded F550? and What type of batteries are you using?

I get 11:30 minutes. I'm using ONYX 6400 mAh 3S 35C lipo. I got them from Tower Hobbies. I'm using the 10in props. So far I'm pretty happy with the results. I am loaded. It's the RTF from Heli-Pal with the Storm FPV and iOSD. I also have two sets of LEDs which I hooked up to an on/off switch so I don't run them in the day time.

Very Nice setup . . . I can live with 11:30 flight time. . the 6 mins was a little too short for me. I think I'm about to pull the trigger on this thing! BTW, how do you like the Storm?

 

[FangsCPO]

LOL!!! I just like the compact size of the Phantom. To me the video quality seems just as good. I just don't like being told what battery and charger I have to use.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk

how much time are you getting out of your loaded F550? and What type of batteries are you using?

I get 11:30 minutes. I'm using ONYX 6400 mAh 3S 35C lipo. I got them from Tower Hobbies. I'm using the 10in props. So far I'm pretty happy with the results. I am loaded. It's the RTF from Heli-Pal with the Storm FPV and iOSD. I also have two sets of LEDs which I hooked up to an on/off switch so I don't run them in the day time.

Very Nice setup . . . I can live with 11:30 flight time. . the 6 mins was a little too short for me. I think I'm about to pull the trigger on this thing! BTW, how do you like the Storm?

I have the Storm Deluxe.....love it!!! It's nice knowing that if u lose line if sight, you can always look at your screen and see where exactly you are.

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[ladykate]

I bought the storm RTF kit and get about 7-9 minutes flight times. That seems enough if I'm going after a particular shot. So far, it has been more than adequate. The nice thing about the 550 is that it is easily extendable. I'm still using 3S batteries. Like Ol Photograhpy, I use both. I've modified the 550 a bit and will continue to do so - it is easy and fun.

Around the general area, I can throw either in the truck and go fly. For trips, I use the P2. I think the P2 has much more capable video than the P2V - the Zenmuse on both the 550 and P2 is very nice. If you have a Vision, then the 550 with a Zenmuse and GoPro will give better and more stable shots. However, your P2V will be the choice if you are traveling.

 

[whitelens]

I bought the storm RTF kit and get about 7-9 minutes flight times. That seems enough if I'm going after a particular shot. So far, it has been more than adequate. The nice thing about the 550 is that it is easily extendable. I'm still using 3S batteries. Like Ol Photograhpy, I use both. I've modified the 550 a bit and will continue to do so - it is easy and fun.

Around the general area, I can throw either in the truck and go fly. For trips, I use the P2. I think the P2 has much more capable video than the P2V - the Zenmuse on both the 550 and P2 is very nice. If you have a Vision, then the 550 with a Zenmuse and GoPro will give better and more stable shots. However, your P2V will be the choice if you are traveling.

good stuff, thanks! I'm now starting to lean towards the P2 with the gimbal . . . I think having to travel is going to be my deal killer on the F550. But then again, i really want a stable platform. :?: :?: :?: :?: :?:

 

[OI Photography]

I bought the storm RTF kit and get about 7-9 minutes flight times. That seems enough if I'm going after a particular shot. So far, it has been more than adequate. The nice thing about the 550 is that it is easily extendable. I'm still using 3S batteries. Like Ol Photograhpy, I use both. I've modified the 550 a bit and will continue to do so - it is easy and fun.

Around the general area, I can throw either in the truck and go fly. For trips, I use the P2. I think the P2 has much more capable video than the P2V - the Zenmuse on both the 550 and P2 is very nice. If you have a Vision, then the 550 with a Zenmuse and GoPro will give better and more stable shots. However, your P2V will be the choice if you are traveling.

good stuff, thanks! I'm now starting to lean towards the P2 with the gimbal . . . I think having to travel is going to be my deal killer on the F550. But then again, i really want a stable platform. :?: :?: :?: :?: :?:

The Phantom isn't exactly unstable per se, and with some care and attention it can be plenty stable for most uses. And it definitely wins the portability category by a long shot, which can make some of the benefits of a platform like the 550 not as attractive as they'd otherwise be.

 

[whitelens]

even though I have a gimbal on my PV2, I do find time (in windy situations) that the aircraft is really unstable . . . and for my clients, I often times dont have the luxury of waiting for a day when the wind has died down. Of course I'm the only one that really seems to care or notice

 

[OI Photography]

Very true, but even with the 550 you'll need at least a 2-axis gimbal to help smooth out the buffeting on a windy day. To be honest, I think the P2V is the version of the Phantom that's least well-suited for even semi-pro grade work just because of the restrictions of the DJI camera and 1-axis gimbal

 

[whitelens]

oh yeah . . only gimbals for me from now on. Now, what if instead of a F550 I got a F450 . .a little bigger than the P2, but not as big as the F550 . .I wonder if it would be a little more stable? Thoughts?