Phantom 4 Review

The motors on the Phantom 4 are now less noisy and raised to improve their cooling efficiency. With raised motors, the propellers are now able to rise so that they show up less in camera footage.

Camera/Gimbal

DJI has made major improvements to the design of their gimbal. The gimbal is now built into the Phantom’s body to bring it closer to its center of gravity. Generally, the gimbal on the Phantom 3 was the first to break, but DJI has created a new U-Frame design to keep footage steady and balanced. The new design provides extra stability for smooth and level footage while in flight.

When it comes to the camera there are no major upgrades, though a newly designed lens provides extra sharpness and less chromatic aberration. As an added bonus, the ND and UV filters from the Phantom 3 still work on the Phantom 4.

Tap to Fly

Tap to Fly is an easy to use new feature that allows the user to tap any spot on their screen and have the drone automatically fly to that specific place. With Tap to Fly the pilot can now capture automated shots that maintain their speed. Filming with Tap to Fly makes shooting video footage much smoother but this feature does need some work as it can only fly forward. Overall it is a great flight mode for pilots who want to capture a steady shot.

ActiveTrack

The brand new intelligent flight mode ActiveTrack allows the user to tap on any object in their app screen, have the Phantom 4 lock onto it, and then actively follow the object while keeping it in the center of the shot. ActiveTrack works best if the subject is large and in high contrast to its corresponding environment. The drone can lose track of the object if it is small or moving randomly at a fast pace, but generally, this feature works great and is an awesome new addition to the Phantom 4.

Obstacle avoidance

Any potential crashes will be significantly easier to avoid thanks to the Phantom 4's new obstacle avoidance system. The system is designed to have the drone come to a full stop or fly around obstacles by analyzing its surroundings and intelligently dodging the obstacle on its own. The system is limited to only being able to sense objects in front of the drone, and struggles during higher speeds or when trying to avoid smaller objects. Overall, this is an excellent feature for beginners but handlers should not solely depend on it.

VPS

The Visual Positioning System (VPS) on the Phantom 4 has been greatly enhanced with built-in, bigger sensors and two additional cameras for better depth perception. The VPS is now also capable of flying at altitudes of up to 33 feet, even without GPS.

CARRYING CASE

The new gray Styrofoam suitcase is extremely durable and compact. The case can now hold two batteries instead of one along with the drone, controller, propellers, and an iPad Mini. The case is a great plus compared to the cardboard box that came with the Phantom 3, and saves you from buying an additional carrying case after your initial purchase.

BATTERY LIFE

With up to 20% longer battery life the Phantom 4 can now stay in the air for an extra three minutes compared to the Phantom 3, for a total flight time of 28 minutes.

PROPELLERS

Innovative new quick-release propellers and pro guards make fitting and removing the propellers much more convenient, and overall setup much faster.

CONTROLLER

DJI has made some positive practical changes to the Phantom 4's controller. The new pause button which allows the user to have their drone stop and hover has been added to the right side, a convenient feature to have when using the intelligent flight modes. Additionally, the Phantom 3's HDMI output module is still compatible with the Phantom 4's controller.

THE BOTTOM LINE