I have to say I am more than impressed with the quality of the camera sensor. The shots below are full frame grabs from 4k video.

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Below you’ll find my full review covering the drone, camera quality (which you can see is amazing), the DJI Go App that controls/views the Phantom’s camera, the remote control, charging times, and my experience with Drone Laws.

The Phantom 4 - physical quality

I am thoroughly impressed with the Phantom 4, it’s a solid build, heavy enough to handle strong winds but light enough to be conveniently carried around for 15-20 minutes. The included carrying case makes it really easy to carry everything you need and then some. Personally I left the charger at home and instead used that space for a GoPro Hero 3.

One thing to keep in mind is the noise of the Phantom (which any quadcopter or RC aircraft would make). I didn’t think about it and was surprised by how loud the propellers are.

Camera Quality

As mentioned above, the dynamic range is INSANE on this sensor. The videos look fantastic straight off the MicroSD card and the 3-axis gimbal does a stellar job of keeping the camera level no matter the flying speed and conditions. Some of the video may appear to be in slow motion, but I assure you it’s just that smooth and steady. I did shoot some RAW photos on it, to be honest, I’m not a fan of the wide lens for photos, it looks distorted but it definitely works and would be fantastic for landscapes. The portrait below was shot with the Phantom 4 in DNG then processed in Lightroom.

DJI Go App

No idea why this app only has a 3-star review on the iOS app store. There are so many great features of the app and there is no lag between the Phantom’s camera and live feed displayed on your phone or tablet. Whenever you capture a photo or film video on the Phantom a preview file is created directly on the phone so you can review footage and share clips to social media.

The app is easy to navigate and allows you to access various modes such as Activetrack, TaptoFly and Follow Me.

Remote Controller

The remote is very easy to get used to and just takes muscle memory to pull off beautiful cinematic shots. The large size makes it comfortable to hold and the device clip is very secure. I had no worries with my iPhone 6 or iPad Air clasped inside, not a single wobble.

Battery Life + Charging

Over the 2 weeks of flying I’ve charged the Phantom 4 - Intelligent Flight Battery close to a dozen times. Each charge took about an hour + a half, and lasted for the advertised 28 minutes of flight, so 30 minutes give or take including the time to calibrate before each flight.

As for the remote controller, I haven’t charged it a single time and it’s still got 2/4 bars of battery. According to the manual it takes nearly 4 hours to charge but it does last a looooooong time.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.

Voluntary Flight + Involuntary Landing - Experience with the Law

Before your first flight, make sure you find an open space that allows quadcopter flight. I didn’t do my research ahead of time and went to Vasona Park in Los Gatos, California on a Tuesday morning to get the hang of piloting the Phantom 4. The large field was totally empty but within 15 minutes the park ranger pulled over and let me know that no aircraft flight was allowed at any local parks. So I had to find large empty parking lots and private propertys out in the country to get flight time in. It’s still a very gray area, so I say fly where it’s safe to do so (away from people and moving vehicles) and always have eyes on the Phantom.

Hope you enjoyed this write-up! Watch my video review below:

Ben Revzin - San Diego, CA

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