P4 Verge Not for Everyone

[flyNfrank]

When it comes to something new there is two main groups. Those that want it because it's new, and those with reasons why not.

After doing a full rundown of spec comparison between the P3 & P4 for is a Very limited difference in the two. The P4 is Faster and has 5 minutes more flight time. But, the P4 also weighs 100g's more then the P3. I'm afraid that will be a wash as compared. Plus, the Remote Controller for the P4 transmits 3dBm more power then the P3's R/C which of coarse drain the R/C battery sooner. (However, I would prefer the P4 R/C cause more is always better, I think.) Up to this point the P3 is holding it's own. The P4 does have a slick smooth surface throughout on the body. That will help with less wind resistance, but will it that much difference is currently unknown.

I'd say it's safe to say the Hot Ticket with the P4 is the Collision Avoidance System(CAS). If it works as advertised it alone could be worth the upgrade, especially if you are a new operator. If you don't have problems with common sense, then you should not be lost without the CAS.

ActiveTrack - This has to be my favorite thing I've seen thus far. So much better that it tracks the subject and not dependent on a 100% signal. But I'm still not sure how often I would use this feature.

Anyway.... I've told myself I'm too broke right now to make the switch, and the time I should consider making the switch should come after a loss of the current P3. There just is not enough wow factor this time to warrant an immediate upgrade purchase.

Btw, those of you getting on board 1st thing... Don't let them trick you about the next firmware needing to upgrade. DJI is known to go downhill with firmware on new units.

Good luck Everybody!

 

[mcphipps]

Well, Frank,
I happen to agree with you on all the points you just mentioned.
I own a P3 Standard, so this P4 is like a giant upgrade for me.
But....
Other than the distance factor that it gets, it will do nothing for me.
I really am not into the lets see how far I can go out before it returns to home thing. Although 3.3 miles seem pretty impressive.
Collision Avoidance?....Yep I probably could use that. Maybe.

I don't know. It just did not "wow" me.
The only thing that really "popped" for me was the price. It was less than all the "sneak peek" prices of $1799.
Next thing is this: Are there going to be more P4's? They have four P3's on the shelf. Only one P4.
Kinda makes me wonder if they are done unveiling the P4 or not.

I think that maybe if I crash and destroy the one I got now and don't just give up on the hobby, I would
probably buy a P4 just because it is the newest, latest thing.

Mike (sitting on the fence)

 

[TheloniousMac]

Looks like DJI is keeping its lineup of cheap (standard) to reasonable (Adv/Pro) to pricey (Phantom 4) to bloody expensive (Inspire X5R)
This looks more like a Phantom 3 Pro Pro in a new body, as in the camera doesn't seem to be much improved but it has extra features not found on the Phantom 3 Pro. They now have a drone across every price range (the jump from Pro to Inspire was pretty big in price)

 

[Dirty Bird]

Loving the 44.7 mph & 28 minute flight times. Will definitely be picking one up but wrote DJI begging for an all-Black P4 option. We got an all-black Inspire. Why not a black P4 with matching controller option? Please DJI...

When it comes to something new there is two main groups. Those that want it because it's new, and those with reasons why not.

After doing a full rundown of spec comparison between the P3 & P4 for is a Very limited difference in the two. The P4 is Faster and has 5 minutes more flight time. But, the P4 also weighs 100g's more then the P3. I'm afraid that will be a wash as compared. Plus, the Remote Controller for the P4 transmits 3dBm more power then the P3's R/C which of coarse drain the R/C battery sooner. (However, I would prefer the P4 R/C cause more is always better, I think.) Up to this point the P3 is holding it's own. The P4 does have a slick smooth surface throughout on the body. That will help with less wind resistance, but will it that much difference is currently unknown.

I'd say it's safe to say the Hot Ticket with the P4 is the Collision Avoidance System(CAS). If it works as advertised it alone could be worth the upgrade, especially if you are a new operator. If you don't have problems with common sense, then you should not be lost without the CAS.

ActiveTrack - This has to be my favorite thing I've seen thus far. So much better that it tracks the subject and not dependent on a 100% signal. But I'm still not sure how often I would use this feature.

Anyway.... I've told myself I'm too broke right now to make the switch, and the time I should consider making the switch should come after a loss of the current P3. There just is not enough wow factor this time to warrant an immediate upgrade purchase.

Btw, those of you getting on board 1st thing... Don't let them trick you about the next firmware needing to upgrade. DJI is known to go downhill with firmware on new units.

Good luck Everybody!

 

[grant575]

Loving the 44.7 mph & 28 minute flight times. Will definitely be picking one up but wrote DJI begging for an all-Black P4 option. We got an all-black Inspire. Why not a black P4 with matching controller option? Please DJI...

I doubt you'll get 28 minutes at that speed ha ha.

This unit does nothing for me, I will be sticking to my p3p until the next evolution comes out. Maybe that will have more new stuff on it.


Sent from my iPhone using PhantomPilots mobile app

 

[Fplvert]

Good points to consider, Frank!

One thing I always consider are my accessories. Are they compatible, or will I have to procure more tablets, batteries, cases, ect. The upgrade from P2 Vision to the P2V+ was the most painless. Everything was compatible. Next came the P3 which needed a better tablet, different props and a different hard case.

One year later, I'm asking the same questions and thinking I'll hold off until I know the P4 has accessories available, or at least will fit in my backpack. The battery shortage with the P3 really did me in on early purchase last year.

 

[taz291819]

There are plenty of rotary-wing pilots that have lost their lives due to something minor. Saying they didn't have common sense is a little naive. The same is true with flying a UAS. Even the best pilots crash sometimes. Any kind of object-avoidence is welcomed, imo.

 

[Drone_on]

Loving the 44.7 mph & 28 minute flight times. Will definitely be picking one up but wrote DJI begging for an all-Black P4 option. We got an all-black Inspire. Why not a black P4 with matching controller option? Please DJI...

I agree I hate the white-color!!! I am sure there will be a distributor with custom paint jobs but that might take a while...you think a black bird would be easy to produce this thing is not an iPhone it's a drone and they need to lose the drab white! I would pull the trigger on one today if there was a black option.

 

[Dirty Bird]

I don't hate the white. It's great for bright sunlight stealth missions. I always love coming in with the sun at her back & watching people look up because they hear it but can't see it!

I just want the black for something different. How about faux carbon-fiber black like the Tali 500 had? Now that would be cool.

I agree I hate the white-color!!! I am sure there will be a distributor with custom paint jobs but that might take a while...you think a black bird would be easy to produce this thing is not an iPhone it's a drone and they need to lose the drab white! I would pull the trigger on one today if there was a black option.

 

[flyNfrank]

Loving the 44.7 mph & 28 minute flight times. Will definitely be picking one up but wrote DJI begging for an all-Black P4 option. We got an all-black Inspire. Why not a black P4 with matching controller option? Please DJI...

You can fly 44.7mph with your current P3 with the firmware you have....and in atti A-mode. The 28 minute flight time wont happen either....and why you might ask? Well, it's like this....the added speed(in sport mode) will eat juice, and the added 100g's weight will clearly eat minutes plus one more minute. lol!

I could probably give as many reasons not to, as I could why you should get a P4. What's best here is we all respect each others decision on the route's taken. But I might give you a hard time though Dirty Bird.

 

[Fyod]

First thoughts:
Ugly and obese. The Phantom looks like a toy compared to other small drones on the market (partly due to bad cheap copies).
The new features are like ABS and ESP. Aimed at people who aren't interested in learning how to drive and expect electronics to think for them.
DJI always states flight times longer than in reality and most users recommend not flying under 25% battery because of their poor life. So expect 20-22min calm flying.

Not sure where the 15.2V figure comes from. 4S is 14.8V nominal, looks like a pair of 4S 2650mAh packs.

The price is indeed $1700 equivalent overseas.

 

[AlexSP]

In my opinion DJI came up with an even "friendlier" quad with the P4. I've always seen DJI focusing on offering the easiest, most accessible and intuitive (perhaps safer) drone for the masses. And the P4 is the next logical step, with the increased FPV on-screen and new flying features such as CAS being the most obvious, and the redundancy as the not-so-much.

But that alone may not appeal to the initiated, who already can fly and film OK with the P2 and P3. So DJI made sure to include a few catchy "improvements" on aircraft capacity (range, battery and speed). That could draw current owners and more seasoned pilots, since many already do mods aiming for that anyway. The other news aren't really all that much, certainly not the camera upgrades it seems, objectively speaking.

All that is very Apple-like if I may say so. Very clean, calculated and deliberated stuff to increase the client base while seducing current users into upgrading. I'd like to try it but I'll stick with with the P3 for now. Objectively, I have no reasons to change. Maybe get a P4 later this yr, if I have enough demand to justify. Or wait for the real deal when the P5 come out - but certainly not selling my P3.

 

[Flytodd's]

Oh I pre-ordered a P4. Coming from a P3P, which I loved,I believe this is a significant improvement on the platform. I love the additional speed,CO,improved camera,shell etc. Clearly I would like even more battery time, 4K at 60fps,etc., but this is a good move forward. I'm surprised at how many are complaining about omissions from the P4.
Excited about the new product.

 

[TheGreenPhantom]

The P4 is faster in its "Sports' mode, however in normal GPS mode, it is slower than the P3 (they have had to do that because collision avoidance is not at a stage yet where it will work at high speed). Just how much slower it will be interesting to see. Slower speed in GPS mode is definitely not a plus for me...

The tracking mode is great, but going off the youtube "Tested" video, it kind of looks like it hasn't quite been perfected yet...

 

[Fyod]

In the Tested intro the video quality is atrocious. As it flies, you can see as if a poor frame rate, possibly due to shutter speed and the exposure is having trouble coping with the color a detail of the grass. The last time I saw video like that was the P2V.

 

[Flytodd's]

The P4 is faster in its "Sports' mode, however in normal GPS mode, it is slower than the P3 (they have had to do that because collision avoidance is not at a stage yet where it will work at high speed). Just how much slower it will be interesting to see. Slower speed in GPS mode is definitely not a plus for me...

The tracking mode is great, but going off the youtube "Tested" video, it kind of looks like it hasn't quite been perfected yet...

The way it reads on the website is that top speed is achieved in both sport mode and atti mode. However sport mode does use GPS, see question 19? At least that how I understand it.

 

[TheGreenPhantom]

I'm only going off what was said in the "Tested" video, where the DJI guy agreed that it is slower in the normal mode, or something to that affect. Perhaps it has GPS, but its just the collision avoidance that doesn't work in Sports mode. (?) I don't know if anyone has perfected high speed collision avoidance yet have they.

 

[Flytodd's]

I'm only going off what was said in the "Tested" video, where the DJI guy agreed that it is slower in the normal mode, or something to that affect. Perhaps it has GPS, but its just the collision avoidance that doesn't work in Sports mode. (?) I don't anyone has perfected high speed collision avoidance yet have they.

Absolutely, we just know it will continue to improve with each version.

 

[John Locke]

In the Tested intro the video quality is atrocious. As it flies, you can see as if a poor frame rate, possibly due to shutter speed and the exposure is having trouble coping with the color a detail of the grass. The last time I saw video like that was the P2V.

That poor video quality was a post editing flaw. When you observe the tracking demo later on in the video, it looked fine.

 

[flyNfrank]

I watched a P4 video today where the trail bike rider has the P4 following. The image clarity was awesome.

But I noticed when the P4 comes upon an obstruction, in this case it was a tree, the P4 stops and hovers per the Obstacle Sensory System(OSS). It appears, even very brief, the P4 will just remain in the hover and the pilot will have to reset up a new follow mission(or whatever you prefer to call it). I would have to think as soon as the P4 breaks a visual connection with the mark, it will stage itself in a hover. If that indeed is the case, it of coarse is way better then having it crash. But this is where several viewers get a misrepresentation of what the P4's abilities truely are. If the P4 is truely unable to maintain flight with a selected target in a woods/forest, then don't build up the image in that manner. You know what I mean?

I then watched a video on speed. Here again they show and talk about the speed and what not. But then they go right into the 50ft sensory yada yada...leaving the viewer with the impression that the system will be enabled in fast flight. If the P4's OSS is active while is Sport/ATTI mode, then the video is right on target with the message it is relaying. If not active at high speeds, then don't mess up a good product by giving the viewer the wrong impression.

DJI seems always come out with a good product. But their issue is, it seems like once each department gets ahold of it to put their stamp on it they jack something up.