DJI
DJI Phantom 3 Standard: power and rich possibilities
Aprox. 634€ - see price -
See specificationsOpening the range of the third iteration of the Phantoms, the Standard version of our test aims to be fun, intelligent thanks to its automated functions and easy to use. Embedded a camera capable of filming up to 2.7K, the P3S allows you to learn the joys of aerial photography in complete tranquility, but… sins with a finish that is clearly at a discount.
Positive points
Easy to handle.
Stable.
Very complete interface.
Automated flight functions.
RAW available in photo and D-Log curve in video.
Overall performance.
Acceptable autonomy.
Bad points
No Sonnar or camera for domestic flight.
Medium finishes.
Unpleasant remote control.
Interface in English only.
Wi-Fi back and not Lightbridge.
Image quality in low light.
Our review
Getting started
With its fat chubby physique, the Phantom 3 Standard surprises at first sight. The all-plastic finish is not the most graceful and the assemblies apparent when turned over are not very engaging. Worse, the release of a printed circuit connecting the camera (not removable) to the nacelle does not bode well for reliability over time. This annoying feeling of having nothing more than a big toy in your hands is reinforced by the grip of the remote control. The latter is similar to a large piece of plastic, far from the design of the market high-end models and is only equipped with an on / off button, two selectors and an index dial to the up / down orientation of the nacelle. Too bad not having at least integrated the Return to home button or the recording function of the camera.
Compared to its big brothers, the Phantom 3 is devoid of the vertical camera and sonar which provide stability for indoor flights and also ignores Glonass, GPS in Russian. In addition, the link between the remote control and the smartphone no longer goes through a cable but via 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi with a range of one kilometer.
The connection between the remote control and the smartphone therefore goes through a Wi-Fi entry point and a password. Installing and launching the DJI Go app is very easy. Once launched, we access a very complete interface and the possibility of adjusting many parameters. If we could not hide our doubts about the maturity of the machine during unpacking, these disappear when the DJI Go is launched. The interface is complete and offers a full view of the quadcopter. In addition to calibrating the Phantom or the electric gimbal, it is possible to personalize its photo and video shooting modes and to have access to intelligent functions such as the Follow me or the Orbit around a point of interest. Note, however, that the application is only available in English and that it is not possible to fly the drone using the application, unlike Bebop 2 by Parrot, for example.
Flight
The installation of the propellers is childish; just tighten them clockwise or counterclockwise, depending on the arrow indicated on them, while respecting the black and silver color code. First turn on the remote control, then the drone, then launch the application. The acquisition of satellites is done quickly and a simple press on the "take off" icon on the left of the screen allows the P3S to rise 1.2 meters from the ground and then wait for your instructions. Beware of the ground effect very present on this model: this phenomenon which occurs when an aircraft flies very close to the ground is manifested by an increase in lift and a decrease in drag. The air driven down by the propellers is blocked by the ground and compresses there before changing direction abruptly, which generates turbulence and destabilizes the drone. The Phantom 3 is made for large spaces! The handling of the controls requires a certain skill as the Phantom 3 is reactive and lively. Be careful, however, of obstacles in its path, because it can be driven by its own inertia and undergo a slight latency before a change of reaction. During certain maneuvers, it is also impressive to see it pitch up to slow down or, on the contrary, dive in during its acceleration phases. Capable of climbing to 6 m / s, descending to 2 m / s and reaching a maximum speed of 57 km / h, this drone has something to surprise the most novice. However, it is the latter that the Shenzhen firm targets, since it integrates into its application a "beginners" mode allowing the Phantom 3 not to leave a perimeter of more than 30 m around the pilot; clever! With a little training, therefore, and a lot of humility, you can manage it easily, especially as its stability is absolutely remarkable. Indeed, we flew under a cloudy sky dotted with clearings with a northwest wind blowing in gusts up to 30 km / h and the Phantom 3 did not move an iota. During our test, we lost for a moment the signal between the remote control and the drone, the latter automatically activated its "return to home" function to return to its starting point. Steering is therefore generally pleasant and reassuring.
Image quality
The Phantom 3 Standard has a non-removable camera equipped with a 12.4 MP Sony Exmor 1 / 2.3 "sensor. Its lens displays a viewing angle of 94 ° at f / 2.8 with a fixed focus on the In terms of image capture, it will be possible in photo to work in RNG + JPEG and, in video, to activate Cinelike or D-Log curves for a wider latitude of retouching in post-production. The photo and video modes are detachable, with in particular the possibility of working up to ISO 1600 in photo and ISO 3200 in video, as well as varying the exposure time from 1/8000 s to 8 s in still image. On the other hand, we will have to be satisfied with a recording at 30 frames per second as well in 2.7K as in Full HD 1080. In addition, both in video and in photo, we will note the absence of intermediate mode. It is thus not possible to work in priority ISO, which would have been greatly useful in particular to preserve a good quality of image in phot o and to take full advantage of the wide shutter range available.
In the laboratory, since, necessarily, we record very close to the scene, the sharpness is not folichon, even at 100 ISO. However, the Sony sensor delivering a serious and stable increase in sensitivity, it will be possible to exploit the images of the Phantom 3 over the entire sensitivity range. Chromatic aberrations are well controlled and the deformation completely acceptable given the wide angle of field covered. However, the on-board camera solution still does not deliver the same images as a real dedicated and interchangeable action-cam.
In flight, the nacelle does an excellent job of stabilization on three axes and the image in flight hardly changes. On the other hand, in terms of image quality, we expected better. Admittedly the image is relatively sharp, but an unpleasant effect of excessive accentuation appears quite clearly. In addition, pay attention to the ambient light: if the image quality is acceptable in good weather and low sensitivity, the finest details such as the leaves quickly disappear in high sensitivities when the daylight declines. Last note: if the 2.7K brings a flattering touch in video with a nice feeling of sharpness, the recording rate of 30 frames per second is too low on certain movements. It will be necessary to operate the panoramas with the greatest softness at the risk of seeing the image jerking if necessary.
## Autonomy (3/5)
The battery is a Lipo 4S of 15.2 V and 4480 mAh. DJI announces an autonomy of 25 minutes, but we did not exceed 15 minutes in real condition with a wind of fifteen kilometers per hour, continuous recording of videos and photos while ensuring a margin of safety for the return. Going to the end of the battery - it is possible to decide its critical threshold - we will get closer to 20 minutes, but not more. It is little compared to the promised autonomy, but ultimately not so bad compared to the competition.
Conclusion
This Phantom offers an unbeatable price / performance ratio. It is the only one at this price to integrate the 2.7K and an electric gimbal stabilized on 3 axes. Despite its finishing flaws, the Phantom 3 Standard is a fun drone, easy to take in hand and perfect for learning aerial photography.
Specifications
Reviews
Excellent Crafting
So I did a LOT of research when deciding on what drone to buy. I ended up going with the Phantom 3 Standard due to US government regulations: you can't fly more than 400 feet in the air or make your drone beyond your line of sight, which made it unnecessary for me to buy a super high-end drone if I couldn't use it to its full extent. So I just needed something with a decent camera and a good control.
My Phantom 3 arrived on time. You can detach the quadcopter's battery from the quadcopter and charge it separately. Meanwhile, the controller also needs to be charged. You stick your smartphone in a clamp at the top of the controller the way you may put it in a holder on the top of your car dashboard for map directions.
The quadcopter comes with stickers so you can replace the red bands. At first I didn't know how to use it so I wasted my bands by putting them on top of the red ones, not realizing I could remove the red bands first. I ruined my pink bands that way :(
Some random facts for people who have never owned a drone:
-You can't use these to spy on people because they're loud. Not leaf-blower loud (thank goodness), but hair dryer loud. A lot of people who don't own drones talk about using them to spy on people so that's why I brought it up.
-You do have to register your drone, but it was 5 bucks and the registration lasts 3 years so I wasn't bothered.
-It's fairy light. The weight of a filled coke bottle or so. When I carry it around I can stick my arm through the leg handles as if it were a weird plastic handbag.
As for flight, the quadcopter has its own SSID when you turn it on. You go into your phone, connect to the SSID, and that connects your phone to the quadcopter. You go into the DJI GO app and you will see a livestream through the app.
Now, nothing can be poking your camera. That means a completely flat surface, not grass, because the grass will keep the camera from turning which then means the drone automatically will not fly. It took me a while to figure that out. That can be annoying when you're testing it out in a park so I wish there were a way to override that and say go ahead and fly anyway (or maybe there already is? I have my drone on beginner mode).
Flying is automatic. You drag your finger across a bar on the screen and the Phantom 3 rises on its own. Landing is the same way - your drone can be a few hundred feet in the air and you just have to slide your finger across the screen and it descends slowly and carefully. In that sense it's idiot-proof, although once I flew the drone into a wall on a windy day so it's not completely idiot-proof, heh. Nothing broke but the propellers got a little scratched up, there's a black smudge that I can't get rid of no matter how hard I rub with soapy wet cloth.
The battery lasted me maybe up to 30 minutes but it starts shutting down at around 30%. I get a good 20 minutes of flight out of it though. I find myself staring at the phone's live feed. The live feed lets you either take pictures or start recording a video, so I like to fly up and then slowly turn the drone with the video recording on. I don't know whether I can include sound, as all my videos have been silent, but there are a lot of features so maybe I haven't discovered it yet. Best of all the live feed measures the height and distance from the controller you are holding: that way you can see whether your drone is 100, 200, 300 feet in the air and you don't break government regulations. I don't dare fly above 200 because I'm paranoid it will stop receiving signals from my controller.
You can also put a radius limit so that if you try to take your Phantom 3 beyond that distance it will not go any further. If you keep trying to make it go beyond that point it will simply hover in place. Great protection for a newbie like me.
Now, the wind can screw things up for you because the Phantom 3 is fairly light. The wind once blew my Phantom 3 into a wall, another time into a bush. Thankfully both accidents happened pretty low so then Phantom 3 fell only a few feet. The actual quadcopter is fine, only the propellers are a bit scratched up.
Overall it's an excellent product, I just wish I lived somewhere where I have more excuses to use it.