Need the Pro's help :)

[Reed L]

I was ready to buy a DJI P2 a few years ago when a local well known P2 owner came to give us all a demonstration. The P2 is about 150 feet up in the air, my friend is being shown how to operate the sticks and they hand me the FPV goggles. No sooner did I get them on and boom - they went black. I took them off as he was saying with a crazed look on his face... "It lost the connection." So about 20 of us got to watch the P2 drop out of the sky and onto the freeway below us. It sat there for maybe 20 seconds before a tractor trailer ran over it and shattered it into a million tiny little pieces just that fast...So, a couple of years later, fly back to home is installed and... Here I am, ready to buy.

Now here's the dilemma, I've been reading and looking and I did buy a cheap drone to see how I like it and I have researched for about 3 years off and on since the P1 was the choice. I like the bundle prices that I see on Amazon but should I buy one of these bundles from them or do we have better vendor's right here that will guide me personally?
Here's a few bundles that I'm considering and Drones Etc looks really good and it comes with the Trackimo, and they are based out of Utah. I know nothing about Kazoom because I guess they are a newer company.
So what do you guys recommend? Where should I buy it from?

I'm also looking at these add on's,
1) - P3 Filter 6-Pack-Professional and Advanced-PolarPro,
2) - 2 Pairs Genuine DJI Phantom 3 E305 9450 Props Carbon Fiber Reinforced,
3) - Carbon Fiber Camera Guard for Phantom 3,
4) - Gimbal Saver for DJI Phantom 3 Ribbon Cable Protection Fix by RC Killer,
and finally - 3 extra batteries totaling 4

It looks like the iPad mini 2 wins so far on that thread with the Asus not out yet but I do have a note 3 right now
___________________________________________________________________________
Here's the links -

- http://www.amazon.com/Professional-...3K5+mQL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160,160_

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B011SCICNU...TF8&colid=1XUMFGC2SRSCR&coliid=I1PT9VGREHD5ML

http://www.amazon.com/DJI-Professio...8abHUIL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160,160_

Thanks, you guys for sharing so much of your knowledge with us

 

[Reed L]

Still narrowing it down.... Can't make up my mind if I really need a Pro over an Advanced now just for youtube...
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B014TD24U2...UTF8&colid=1XUMFGC2SRSCR&coliid=IWCPAEKKOHOST

It's pretty quiet°°°

Any info on these at least? Yes or No?
1) - P3 Filter 6-Pack-Professional and Advanced-PolarPro,
2) - 2 Pairs Genuine DJI Phantom 3 E305 9450 Props Carbon Fiber Reinforced,
3) - Carbon Fiber Camera Guard for Phantom 3,
4) - Gimbal Saver for DJI Phantom 3 Ribbon Cable Protection Fix by RC Killer,

 

[herein2014]

I know it won't be very helpful but I recommend you just do what I did, look at the bundles add up the individual components and determine if you are saving anything with their bundles. Also check to see if you are getting/paying for anything you don't really need. Then determine which one works best for you. A lot of them had SD cards, cases, bags, lanyards, etc which I didn't need but which they were using to justify their prices.

For me, I did not find a bundle that met my needs so I ordered the P3P from Amazon, the case from Drone Crates, and the batteries from a vendor I found on this forum (there was a battery shortage at the time), and the NVIDIA Shield from Amazon. No one here can really tell you what best fits your buying style.

As far as the P3P vs the P3A, the specs are listed, the biggest difference is the ability to shoot in 4K for the P3P, and with the P3A's new ability to shoot in 2.7K, that difference has narrowed even more. The reason I went with the P3P is because I wanted the additional color data that is recorded when shooting in 4K, even though I downsample to 1080P the additional color data in the source footage gives you more color grading data to work with in post.

If all you are going to do is casual flying, the P3A should be fine.

 

[Reed L]

herin2014 said- "The reason I went with the P3P is because I wanted the additional color data that is recorded when shooting in 4K, even though I down sample to 1080P the additional color data in the source footage gives you more color grading data to work with in post."
Thanks for that herin2014.

The additional color data I hadn't thought about Mostly I will be filming for my YouTube Channel. I do a lot of blasting and some air shots will be great. We have a house sized boulder that we need to shrink to nothing. There's no flying in this but it shows some of what we do on a small scale.

So I went to Fry's Electronics tonight to look at the P3P's but they are locked in the box, which is fine. The salesman did his best to sell me a Yuneec Q500+, told us and another couple that they are the best selling drones with the best functions, etc. But the sales guy didn't know that the Q500's won't start above 8000ft in elevation or that the P3P's range distance is over double that of the Q500+.

But I did find out that they will match the lowest price that I can find, and if there is a problem with it out of the box, that I can exchange it, same day even with no problems. They only sell the P3P or the P2 in DJI and that's what they had on the shelf next to the other brands.

Cabela's sells the P3P also and I have a credit there so we are researching their price match guarantee because at retail, they are out the window at $1400+. I am really happy that I can buy them locally and I might be going this route in the next few days. As far as the accessories, I will wait for the vendors to check in tomorrow and do my best to finalize my decisions this next week because that carbon fiber paint job does still stir the blood

I did find another P3P storage case today, anybody have some insight on it? It's a microraptor pro? http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00XM39PTE...TF8&colid=1XUMFGC2SRSCR&coliid=I3IYZLNOE27AFE

 

[herein2014]

Personally I think the Drone Crates case is the best on the market right now. They all use pretty much the same outer shell, but Drone Crate's foam is great, they have the exact cutouts I needed, not some random spaces where you can put stuff, and even the look is more professional to me than the dull grey:

DJI Phantom 3 Roller Case

By comparison, the case you linked to has random cutouts, doesn't hold 6 batteries, and your SD card holders will probably end up at the bottom of the case somewhere.

 

[Reed L]

Personally I think the Drone Crates case is the best on the market right now. They all use pretty much the same outer shell, but Drone Crate's foam is great, they have the exact cutouts I needed, not some random spaces where you can put stuff, and even the look is more professional to me than the dull grey:

DJI Phantom 3 Roller Case

By comparison, the case you linked to has random cutouts, doesn't hold 6 batteries, and your SD card holders will probably end up at the bottom of the case somewhere.

Wow The P3 Roller case is way better Thanks again!

 

[wolfweb]

Wouldn't waste money on the Pro. The Advanced does 2.7K" video (2704x152) and the extra color info in 4k, filming in 4k, mucking about down sample is really overkill and a lot of extra work for youtube. Only 1% of people have a 4k TVs. By the time more people have it the next version or two of the Phantom will be out and you'll be ready to update the bird anyway. For a case I'd recommend a hardshell backpack. Fits in the overhead luggage of an airline, keeps the p3 safe in the hard shell, and very comfortable to put on your back and carry it into locations.

 

[Reed L]

Wouldn't waste money on the Pro. The Advanced does 2.7K" video (2704x152) and the extra color info in 4k, filming in 4k, mucking about down sample is really overkill and a lot of extra work for youtube. Only 1% of people have a 4k TVs. By the time more people have it the next version or two of the Phantom will be out and you'll be ready to update the bird anyway. For a case I'd recommend a hardshell backpack. Fits in the overhead luggage of an airline, keeps the p3 safe in the hard shell, and very comfortable to put on your back and carry it into locations.

Great Advice and thanks wolfweb Mostly I will be driving offroad to different places and I definitely need a hard shell

 

[Reed L]

So I went to Hobby Town yesterday to look at trackers and came out empty cause all they had was The Screecher One that constantly yells at you really loud... lol. And that was the end of my looking in stores. Yes I can buy the P3P but for YouTube like has been said above, I really don't need it. Then I looked at bundles and came up with this one being the only one that saves me money and that's because they "Throw in" 3 mini sd cards but that makes it worth it to order it this way instead of ordering everything separate. Then I also am buying the Speedy prop balancer for this and my other drone and a few other things to round it out. I'm going to be gone until next week so I'm going to order everything right before I leave on Thursday and I should be flying with the new P3A by mid week unless I hear a big No from you guys on this. Then we are heading up to Ft. Steven's, OR for a trailer rally, where I'm looking forward to getting my first shots for my next movie.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B014TD24U2...UTF8&colid=1XUMFGC2SRSCR&coliid=IWCPAEKKOHOST

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B011JOA7BC...UTF8&colid=1XUMFGC2SRSCR&coliid=I4EPGIUUTI1UJ

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ZNYVBWO...TF8&colid=1XUMFGC2SRSCR&coliid=I33DCOAJ1X3QW9

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00Y95G6BO...TF8&colid=1XUMFGC2SRSCR&coliid=I1NJF2ZXVUGIHK

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B010BEEGNG...TF8&colid=1XUMFGC2SRSCR&coliid=I18SE7U3JEIBFY

DJI Phantom 3 Roller Case
Because I have a broken shoulder, a backpack is just always painful, so this case recommended above looks great.

With the prop guards, I'm kinda, it's better safe with but the problems that I've had with them is that the guards make great hangers. I did get my practice drone hung on a tree limb by the guard on it but I was able to get it off by accellerating and stopping until it rocked itself off of the branch and took off. It was about 75 feet in the air and hanging there... lol, I thought my $55 had become my first Drone Christmas Ornament after it was blown into the trees because of the limited fly mode that it starts out in for beginners. I learned right then to fly in advanced mode at all times for total control on this little drone

So prop guards or no prop guards is the question today?

 

[Reed L]

I just pulled the trigger and bought the P3A Bundle,
The Lenses Boxed Set from Rainbowers,
The Roller Case from Drone Crates
and most of the other things listed above including the prop guards. But... I mean I did have a drone in a tree already, hehe.

I didn't order the Carbon Fiber blades because if something happens and the blades hit something and stop, being that they are Carbon Fiber and really strong, I would really rather brake a blade over cooking a motor or gears, so I'm sticking with the plastic blades, make sense???
Comments on the Carbon Props?