Tested: DJI Phantom 4 Review

[@xarvous]

Always appreciate that you don't sound like you're plugging a product, actually giving benefits AND drawbacks.

[@ClutchFirst]

Really detailed and honest review. Keep up the good work. 👍🏽

[@ehyouman]

Thanks tested for being the first guys to give it an "honest review"

[@kunstwert]

+bigky226 I second that from the heart. Everyone else is just drooling about the OAS and the extended battery. This really is the first review, that is earning its name. Thanks Norm.

[@conditionnerd]

We sold our Phantom 3 Pro and purchased the Phantom 4, and it was totally worth it!

[@CAPTAINDRONE798]

Looking forward to your review of the Yuneec Typhoon H.

[@RoadTripTravel]

Great review. I too am disappointed by the fact that the "follow me" and "track" modes don't work that well. One thing you didn't mention that does work very well is the "point of interest" feature. I love this and it works nearly perfectly. I think this new Phantom 4 is an outstanding quad-copter, I'm very happy I got it!

[@chrispecchia9437]

Love the honesty just bought the 4 love it but in a few years we will be blown away by Dj is getting better and better

[@KerenWang]

This was my first copter. I never flown before and I think it was quite easy to learn. Buying many cheaper models to "train" seems like a bigger waste of time and money, imho.

[@EGOS42]

+Keren Wang Your point is well taken and I'm glad you had a great flight. The thing is everybody makes mistakes eventually and it's expensive when those mistakes are with a large quadcopter. I think one practice model is enough to get started. When I fly a toy quadcopter I challenge myself more and push the boundaries to the point of crashing on rooftops, getting stuck in trees etc. Once that's out of my system I can take what I learned from my mistakes and not repeat them on a more serious model. Thanks for your opinion.

[@philknirck7347]

Question: is this the best drone under 2k right now? It sure does like it to me? Appreciate the candid feedback, but also need reference to other drones on market? While I feel the feedback is fair, relative to other solutions it seems to have the best features? I.e. The yuneec is clearly not as advanced?

[@ahmedfaizan8292]

just love your reviews , very honest reviews , great job man really nice review keep it up

[@emreerokyar]

Didn't expect you to suggest the last year's model at all, which I think that I have to agree to some degree. It's very nice to see that you're staying honest! :-) Thanks!

[@bobbiac]

Are the avoidance cameras RGB? Is it possible to get a stream to a 3D HMD?

[@Sawmule1]

Why were you filming at the entrance to the Institute? And why you werent mown down by synths?

[@adambaron4143]

I think you neglected to mention better optics in the lens. There is definitely better overall sharpness and less distortion on the 4.

[@tested]

+Adam Baron yep, but it was negligible improvement for me. Still bummed you can't swap out lenses or add filters like ND

[@LeskiStation]

+Tested I don't know, I think you may have been a little harsh here. I have a P4 and my buddy has a P3 Pro, and I out perform him in every way, speed, maneuverability, battery life, camera clarity. I agree the features aren't great, but I have never had a battery overheat and I have sustained over 60mph with a good tailwind.

[@melissapeterson4745]

+LeskiStation Indeed, P4>>P3, it is now available for a very nice price thanks to the *massive DJI discount* click.dji.com/pwjuf7hPyuof3HmS?pm=link

[@flipflop1455]

bye

[@wiebiekiwi4252]

bye

[@visioneer32]

great review, however with your tests on battery life what mode did you test it?, because if you read the manual it does state that to get the longer battery life is in normal calm conditions and set to Atti mode as in this mode it it not using all of the available electronics, just a thought.

[@Three_Random_Words]

+Richard Bell Wouldn't the battery life improve some after a few cycles?

[@visioneer32]

+GreenJelloHell I would think yes I am going to do a test in atti mode to see how much flight time I get

[@UncVee0X]

Wow really appreciate your honesty with this review. Unlike the others out there. Thanks.

[@Enuroracer222]

I have gotten great results with the sport mode. Better than what you reviewed in this video. I can get around 45-50 mph on avg. and if you keep that speed for a period of time, the props ascend out of the camera view as the copter doesn't need as much forward propulsion to maintain that speed.

[@snizzol]

You should play around with the gimball settings, slow them down and try the make it smoother, it works.

[@SethKHughes]

Solid review and great footage. Thanks Norm!

[@IDKOKIDK]

Brilliant non sell out independant review Norm, even though you got the 'white glove treatment' from DJI with training and free equipment. That's what I disliked about Will so much. When a company would throw a few bucks his way he'd just say nice things about the product & not mention the negatives. Omission is a form of lying in my opinion. But you Norm, are no Will. Respect

[@gcale]

Great review, Well done !

[@kongmw]

that's it, im getting the P3A. been waiting for a good review like this one. thanks!

[@TorIvanBoine]

+kongmw same here. P3P for me though.

[@EGOS42]

+kongmw The P3A is amazing. Bought mine last October right before they chopped a couple hundred dollars off some bundles. Still worth every penny. As Norm says though, don't make it your first quadcopter. Practice with something disposable in the $50 ballpark. The Phantoms are actually easier to fly than a cheap quad but learning the hard way prepares you well.

[@gordontarpley]

I JUST bought one today. Pretty excited!

[@kf7tkj]

What is the location or name of that building (the one that had a star shape)?

[@1010Tj1010]

If you think about it, you also need obstacle avoidance on top of the quadcopter. Say you were heading into a tree, it would avoid the tree trunk by moving upwards, but would fly itself into the branches above. They need to innovate a lot more before i drop money into a new drone, for now, i'll stick with my phantom 3

[@thebelgianwaffl]

I got the Phantom 3 Advanced as my first ever drone, and i think I'm just naturally good at flying it because i also have an RC plane, so i knew how to control it well. My drone is al well and still flies beautifully!

[@jy6221]

Thanks for the review, i also have a p4 and I disagree regarding your point that it's not a beginner's quad. Cost aside, this is one of the easiest quads to fly. In fact, there are many KZbin videos of kids under 10 flying it proficiently.

[@tested]

+Parzival just because it's a quad that beginners *can* fly doesn't mean it's one they should fly as their first quad. especially when it's a $1400 photography tool.

[@rumplstiltztinkerstein]

+Tested That makes sense. If that thing dropped from a great height or hit a wall on one of the sides it would lead to some serious tears.

[@PinchnerHouse]

+Tested Party pooper.

[@redplayerya]

+johnkg80 He mentioned the P3 and P3A in the video

[@melissapeterson4745]

+PinchnerHouse The Phantom 4 is available with a *HUGE DISCOUNT* on DJI right now click.dji.com/pwjuf7hPyuof3HmS?pm=link check it out

[@d.hansel854]

I'm an Android tablet fan. My question is what is the best Android tablet to buy to run the DJI Go software. I would like a quad core tablet . I would like to be able to put a 10" tablet on the bracket if it would fit. Please let me know. Thanks for reading....

[@matthewcoleman8267]

Norm, Phantom 3 standard or Xiro Xplorer V? The Xiro has many of the features that the Phantom 4 does that the 3 doesn't although the app seems buggy and the camera is only 1080p.

[@grahamhall2662]

Excellent review, very helpful in deciding. Thank you.

+Tested You've got the Phantom 3 and the Phantom 4, right? Could you please see for me if the Phantom 4 gimbal clamp fits on the Phantom 3 gimbal? Or if it would be easy to adjust it in a way that it could fit the phantom 3 gimbal? It looks a lot easier to attatch the P4 clamp, so I'm thinking to buy one for $5 at DJI if it also works for my P3.

[@TekMerc]

Beautiful shots of the bay Norm!

[@reallukx]

Big Thanks Norm for finally honest review of this DJI. I own P3P and was thinking about upgrading but wasn't sure if it's worth it. It'clears things up.

[@kitesteez]

Thanks for your honesty and Professionalism

[@dwaynebaker2336]

could you please test the autel x star premium, it's suppose to be an awesome drone:)

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

Wouldn't adding the ability to "watch" the entire surrounding areas of the drone or collision detection add weight, further decreasing speed and battery life? I appreciate the review Norm. This is my first quad. I've been enjoying it. Not sure I can agree that this is not an entry level drone .

[@jonipaananen9304]

+hoshnasi I doubt the actual hardware would weigh much (basically just a couple of cell phone cameras) I suspect the limiting factor right now is processing power. They would probably need more expensive cpu's, and they might well draw more power as well. Computer imaging is quite processing intensive.

[@vandreu83]

Hi why do you like more P3A over the P3P?

[@tested]

+Victor Andreu only difference is video resolution, and for the $200 price difference, I can live with 2.7K video over 4K

[@dcast777]

+Tested How can you prefer the DJI over the 3dR Solo? night and day flying difference.

+Tested Agree!

[@melissapeterson4745]

+Axel Köhler I think P4 is the best option with the new discount DJI gives click.dji.com/pwjuf7hPyuof3HmS?pm=link

[@BartSzczepanski76]

+Tested ..also different charger - 57W (P3A) vs. 100W (P3P)

[@m.jackson8330]

What were the buildings you were flying over?

[@ianhuxstep211]

if you set up waypoints does the phantom 4 know if it has enough battery to complete the course?

[@TechLineHD]

Probably the best drone at the moment. Hopefully, we will see a price drop of drones in the next few years.

[@janheimann5125]

jeah its way to much the chroma sounds more interesting

[@jacquicampos7240]

+Jan Heimann ya he does

[@srbrome]

Great review, lots of helpful information!!!

[@jared9191]

great review Norm! I was excited for the DJI Phantom 4, but I still think i'm going to wait another generation.

[@DerZaubererFN]

Thanks for the honest review!

[@cesjr]

Great review! Just curious, what are those 6-point buildings that look abandoned?

[@osidius77]

Ya was hoping someone knew that too, looks like a base in star wars

[@SHADOWBLACKs650]

I just purchased this Phantom 4 Pro for $1,400 it came with 2 batteries I'm sure it's way more than I need, it's my first drone. do you know if I can use my Samsung tablet t900 with it all I see are Apple products for viewing. thank you ,nice review

[@alansavage9656]

Great video!! Hope to get at least the P3 Advanced. I thought about the P3 Standard but the person I talked to said the WiFi range isn't the best

[@macbomb]

Anyone know where this was filmed??

[@roguemediaau]

My phantom 4 can't really go past 1km. Do you have any idea why or is yours the same or? Thanks a lot, Sam.

[@wahapete]

Does active track work with altitude change, such as following a skier going down hill?

[@glotfeltys]

There is a youtube video of a P4 trying to track a skier. It doesn't work too well as the drone refuses to descend below the start altitude at the mountaintop and the skier gets smaller and smaller until the P4 confuses him with a tree. It keeps up horizontally but the height delta gets too great as the P4 won't descend the mountain.

[@wahapete]

Thanks, important info. How about the Typhoon H?

[@glotfeltys]

I don't have any info on the H. Latest P4 firmware mentions new attitude tracking that allows for descent of terrain - will have to watch to see if anyone tries it out on youtube again.

[@wahapete]

Thanks!

[@coltPI]

currently have a bebop 2 and i wanted a phantom 4 for a while. the bebop 2 has a really bad choppy live feed even while close to me with no other wifi signals around. Can anyone confirm to me that the phantom 4 in fact does not have any choppiness to it at all while live feeding to a phone or tablet.? I hate the bebop 2 for that

[@tricky.pixels]

Whats the abandoned building in the video?

[@allaroundgoodtimes]

I have been nothing but happy with my Phantom 4

[@TristanBarrocks]

Great job man!

[@marcezs08]

i bought the standard p3 as my first quad when it was discounted. Got it for 400$ which i think is a fantastic price for a beginner quad, not to mention is very good.

[@adrienvillez]

Can someone tell me how to plug one of those VR glasses on the remote with he HDMI plug?

[@bertsteenbergen6729]

Great and honest review. I am still happy with my P3A and you basically conform it is not worth to change it at This print in time and development of DJI's consumer phantom UAV's

[@22joek]

where did you shoot the drone shots?

[@msjenkins]

+joko geht ab Treasure Island, between San Francisco and Oakland. Used to be a Naval base.

[@Farmhand2k]

Great review and totally makes sense. I got the P3 Pro, and it's awesome!

[@mariotontas]

what about the Solo?

[@felixfabian3915]

I want one of these but can't afford one. What to do?

[@Panoreth3DPrinting]

Or for 50 more bucks a phantom 3 4k, i just biught mine last night, it eill be my first quad

[@IrelandByDrone]

Nice review - I will be keeping my P3 professional for another year :)

[@BillRiccio]

what does tested think about casey neistat's drone/photography skills?

[@sandysoundy]

Wish you guys would test the 3DR Solo.

[@luckyviet]

awesome review

[@davidpierson]

I'm using the Phantom 4 in my KZbin videos, its great!

[@bjornssondj]

Very good review. First review that I've seen that mentions what is to me a pretty big downside to the feature - the bad shots you seem to get with active subject tracking. The drone doesn't seem to pan and tilt the camera smoothly enough when tracking a subject, even when tracking is working perfectly and it's not loosing track of the subject.

[@kevin1234gg]

hope they will improve again for the next model.

[@tobiasveerkamp4160]

Big misunderstanding here: the phantom 4 is MAYBE the best drone to start with for photographers, definitely not quadcopter pilots. If you want to get into drone flying, get a hubsan x4 for about 50 bucks. From there you can start building your own quadcopters which are waaaaay better than this 1400 dollar machine (and cheaper). Also keep in mind that this will never be close to the same experience as actual quad flying. This may be a good beginner quad for aerial photographers, but please, don't buy this if you are not planning on being an aerial photographer. Build one yourself or let someone build one for you, then you will truly have a professional quad. Contact me for further questions

[@tested]

+Tobias Veerkamp completely agree that the phantom line is for aerial photographers, not casual pilots. but when marketing and review call it a drone for everyone (and even show young children using it), we need to acknowledge that the ease of flying gives a false sense of security for prospective new flyers.

[@TheHappyRiderX]

+Tobias Veerkamp true story

[@tobiasveerkamp4160]

+Tested I know that you know, but Newb's might misunderstand. Please highlight this in the next video, as I am not against the phantom, but I think that people should understand its true purpose and capabilities.

[@davidpierson]

Good point here. I think something missed here is how fast you can set one of these up. Unboxing to flying in just a couple of minutes. It's great for when I want to grab a couple of shots for my videos and keep going. :)

[@tobiasveerkamp4160]

+David Pierson completely true, and is therefore great for aerial photography

[@meteoroz]

Spot on review. They need Panorama (Photo), and ActiveTrack needs to be able to change its elevation to match the subject.

[@meteoroz]

+Meteoroz Oh yeah, and it really, really needs a built-in lens shade.

[@silver5859]

Nice review!

[@dzonikg]

i watched other reviews that DJI 4 is much more stabile then DJI 3 because it now use other then GPS and Russian Glonass in same time so it has much more sattelites and precision But i agree that DJI 3 is now much better value for money

[@EGOS42]

+dzonikg Unfortunately the Phantom 3 line got very convoluted. The Advanced (which Norm recommended) and Pro both use GLONASS. The Standard and 4K don't. Confusing. The Standard and 4K models came out later and were substantial downgrades but cost less money. I think the advantages of the Advanced and Pro are well worth the extra money.

[@madbirds]

I still want a phantom... Probably not a 4 but 3. I really want one. Be so much fun to play with. (And get some nice views around where I live.

[@farrukhfitnessclub3709]

How many hours the phatom can fly can any one tell me?

[@LJ_AF]

What is this drone footage from?

[@RyanJosephLong]

Great Review!

[@diragusa]

So happy you did a proper review of this drone! I think it would be amazing if TESTED did a giveaway of the drone. Maybe doing something creative - like a video on why you would be awesome to have one - Regardless amazing review, I totally wish I had one. PS cheer up Norm ;)

[@snoopyjordyn27]

I feel like Exploring With Josh needs to go there if he already hasnt

[@mojtabasarlak389]

what can i will do ? i really want it

[@chrispecchia9947]

Great job 😀😀👏🏽👏🏽

[@jokiesg]

Casey approved 😅

0:25 That's a Phantom 3 professional.

[@jerryjoe88]

I see you're filming at Apples new digs.

[@seanknight9898]

Gotta say. Don't completely agree. I'm having a better experience with mine. Certainly not having the slow down in sport mode your talking about although it may be warmer in San Fran right now.

[@Dan48001]

+Sean Knight That definitely an important point! On the east coast we've had much more temperate weather, and that would probably make a big difference in heat building up. I'm curious, what did you buy yours for? A job, a particular need for aerial photography, or just to have a really cool toy?

[@seanknight9898]

+Dan I'm in Vancouver BC and bought directly off DJI in the states. I ended up putting out the $1400 US and with extra blades that I doubt I'll ever need and a couple visors, put out $1843 CDN. Didn't get hit at the boarder either. I did some social media for DJI and they gave me a 50% off batteries so I'm up to three now. Usage. Love me some toys. But the real reason is for a big adventure trip with a buddy on our adventure bikes.

[@DoubleD72]

Now that was a great review. Spot on... This is why i'll never buy another quad before it has been tested buy real world people. I am completely happy still with my P3P.

[@rebelduck40]

Review the 3DR Solo!

[@Rulerofwax24]

I'm glad I still haven't bought a full sized quad yet. I think I will wait another maybe two years and then the technology will be much more impressive and cheap.

[@Babybleu1]

they should get into retractable landing gear and a 360 gimbal

[@TotalVerzockt]

exactly what i thought: the p4 is just a p3 with some comfort features

[@HermanBelmer]

5:15 I can see me horribly overpriced apartment from here! Seriously though, that's a killer camera.

[@JohnLolasDad]

Not a beginners drone?. I would say you are wrong there. With frontal collision avoidance as long as flying in P mode and collision avoidance enabled it is a better choice than the P3A or P3P which does not have collision avoidance. The props are better on the P4 as they are not going to come loose in mid flight where as any of the P3 units can if the props are not installed tight enough. Speaking of props the only time the props appear in the video on the P4 is when flying in sport mode. The P3 series has props showing throughout the video.

[@glotfeltys]

I had an opportunity to repurchase one with just a dozen hours flying time at 2/3 cost. My son is a film student with just experience flying handheld quads and he is just a couple hours into it. I flew with the previous owner I found the return to home very helpful ascending to higher than obstacles height and returning then descending. The prop lock system is very easy too. So some of the safety/ease of use features are helpful to newer quad pilots. GPS is extremely smooth in position holding and lack of video shake, props, or shudders in camera. I do appreciate the serious evaluation of some issues with the new features including tracking and flight time. So far we are pretty happy - only time will tell. We also seem to see firmware updates to the quad so it will be interesting if DJI can improve some of the issues. Thanks Norm.

[@TedChow221]

great review norm!! f the haters

[@danielross5292]

Wow I like it!

[@CabralsCorner]

I love my Inspire 1 :)

[@oofeeleelee6556]

Dji p3 or p4

[@ChaseAnnalise]

I love mine. It's so easy to fly and fun! I've got some footage in my channel.

[@diragusa]

+ChaseAnnalise love the footage! I need one badly!

[@ChaseAnnalise]

Pull the trigger if you can! It'll definitely give you a new perspective on the world.

[@johnlcallaway]

Thanks for the great reviews. Great suggestion about the 'beginner' drone. I recently bought a $50 drone after watching some of your other reviews, and had a lot to learn about handling it. Better to destroy/lose a $50 drone than a $1,400 drone. I figure if I can learn to fly this crappy thing, the 'real' ones will be a breeze! It's still flying, but I've had to retrieve it from 'challenging' places more than once!

[@DaveFisher1]

actually, those cheap drones are a lot harder to fly than the phantom... :)

[@jan-roarbernhardsen7626]

Thanks for the review. Follow the first one to. The thing to have. Next on the shoppinglist :) But maybe wait for the next generation Have a nice day

[@xchri5x]

what are those abandoned buildings?

[@armiyolo]

You should do AirDog instead

[@CurtisBHertz]

Tested, sorry for the off topic, but did the still untitled podcast not get done this week? I'm assuming from Adam being at the White House science fair?

[@david_r_morgan]

The podcast was cancelled they said on Twitter