P3S vs P3A vs P3P Comparison

GadgetGuy · Oct 29, 2015

ScottyC said:
Yeah I know they can, that's why I'm saying I'd prefer 1080p over 2.7k. Why mess around with an oddball resolution like 2.7? 1080 will playback on most screens natively. 2.7k will require re-endcoding. Camera on the Pro kills the Standard purely for the option of recording in UHD as UHD screens are becoming more common now.

As Meta4 just stated above, all of them can shoot in 1080p, if that is your only criterion. The P3S and P3A aren't limited to shooting at 2.7K any more than the P3P is limited to only shooting at 4K. Shooting at a higher resolution like 2.7K, or 4K on the P3P, allows larger resolution stills to be extracted out of the video. The stills extracted out of the 4K video are almost the same size (4 MB) as the JPG images taken in Camera mode on the P3P, as opposed to only 1MB stills extracted from a 1080p recording. In 4K, you have 4x the data recorded to preserve dynamic range and sharpness, even if you later convert to 1080p. You can also zoom in at 4x to any 1080p portion of the 4K video frame to create 1080p video with no loss of sharpness or resolution. 4K is a huge benefit on the P3P, in addition to all the other reasons you stated.

ScottyC · Oct 29, 2015

As I said, I know they can all do 1080. I'm just saying, for video, I would prefer to shoot in 1080 as opposed to 2.7k for the reasons I've already stated. Having said that, I think the Pro camera is superior to the standard camera because it can also do 4k. I shoot in 4k for the same reason I would shoot in 1080 on a standard, screens and monitors support the resolution natively.

Hence why I think the Pro has a superior camera and I don't see the point of 2.7k.

But, I was forgetting the photography side of things and by all means, 2.7k would be an advantage in that aspect. I rarely take photos with my p3p so hadn't thought of the bonus pixels for that use.

toddseimer · Nov 1, 2015

I'm interested in getting a drone and this discussion is helping a lot. I've been looking at the standard and advanced and am getting the feeling that I'd be disappointed with the standard. I'm not concerned with video resolution beyond 1080p, but what I am concerned with is flight and video relay. Concerned that the standard wouldn't have enough range for me long term. Concrened that video relay would be choppy and delayed. I also saw that the standard doesn't have a video record button on the remote?

GadgetGuy · Nov 1, 2015

Standard is just another P2 with a 2.7K video. It's entry level, giving up both range and video quality, to meet a price point.

toddseimer · Nov 1, 2015

GadgetGuy said:
Standard is just another P2 with a 2.7K video. It's entry level, giving up both range and video quality, to meet a price point.

I don't own a P2 so that doesn't mean much to me. How much would the beginner drone pilot be affected by the distance limitations?

GadgetGuy · Nov 1, 2015

toddseimer said:
I don't own a P2 so that doesn't mean much to me. How much would the beginner drone pilot be affected by the distance limitations?

If you ever want to fly much beyond visual line of sight, which soon may be prohibited anyway, the P3P or P3A are a better choice to grow into. On the other hand, you should learn to fly first on a $55 Syma X5C so your crashes won't cost you $1,000 each, and you will crash!

toddseimer · Nov 2, 2015

Thank you, that's good advice. I'll start off on a cheap quad and see where it takes me. Do most phantom pilots like the hobby because of flying or because of making movies?

GadgetGuy · Nov 2, 2015

Can't speak for anyone else, but the P3P is certainly purchased because of the independently controlled camera, on gimbal which shoots 4K video and 12MB raw stills via the FPV link. It was specifically designed as a photographic flying platform, with superior flying stability and range. If you are only interested in flying, there are far cheaper and less risky options (P3P camera and gimbal alone will set you back about $600 if they break in a crash). The $55 Syma X5C also has a fixed camera that shoots 720p video and 1MB stills, and has a 150 foot range. It is virtually indestructible! It also includes audio, which the P3`s do not. 4" Hubsan quads for $50 are great for learning indoors, and also have 720p cameras and come with prop protectors, as does the Syma X5C.

clivek_77 · Nov 2, 2015

Meta4 said:
This is something I haven't heard about previously.
What about the Standard's camera makes you think it's the best camera in the phantom 3 range?

Oops sorry still new to this , been researching it too myself, thought the p3s had the same camera as the pro but with less features etc.

Meta4 · Nov 2, 2015

clivek_77 said:
Oops sorry still new to this , been researching it too myself, thought the p3s had the same camera as the pro but with less features etc.

The Advanced & Pro have the same camera (but the Pro has a little extra to allow 4K video)
The camera on the Standard is a different camera with a different sensor.

toddseimer · Nov 2, 2015

GadgetGuy said:
Can't speak for anyone else, but the P3P is certainly purchased because of the independently controlled camera, on gimbal which shoots 4K video and 12MB raw stills via the FPV link. It was specifically designed as a photographic flying platform, with superior flying stability and range. If you are only interested in flying, there are far cheaper and less risky options (P3P camera and gimbal alone will set you back about $600 if they break in a crash). The $55 Syma X5C also has a fixed camera that shoots 720p video and 1MB stills, and has a 150 foot range. It is virtually indestructible! It also includes audio, which the P3`s do not. 4" Hubsan quads for $50 are great for learning indoors, and also have 720p cameras and come with prop protectors, as does the Syma X5C.

How is the camera controlled on the standard? Is it not independently controlled?

TC Malker · Nov 5, 2015

How did all of a sudden the P3A go from 1080p to 2.7k? Is that even possible just through firmware upgrade? Is it the same exact camera? Or is the 2.7k available only on newer model of P3A?

Meta4 · Nov 5, 2015

TC Malker said:
How did all of a sudden the P3A go from 1080p to 2.7k? Is that even possible just through firmware upgrade? Is it the same exact camera? Or is the 2.7k available only on newer model of P3A?

Firmware upgrade is exactly how it happened.
September 7, 2015.
The following firmware updates are made available for all DJI Creator from next Monday. The firmware can be updated via the GO app.

5 new, intelligent flight functions: Waypoints (Inspire 1 / Phantom 3)
Point-of-Interest (Inspire 1 / Phantom 3)
Follow Me (Phantom 3)
Home lock (Inspire 1 / Phantom 3)
Course Lock (Inspire 1 / Phantom 3)

Phantom 3 Advanced: Camera Upgrade to 2.7K (2704x1520p30) video recording
New, old or whatever P3A, it's now 2.7K capable.