About a year and a half ago, DJI Released it's first Phantom Quadcopter capable of mounting a GoPro. At the time it was an amazing value for a ready-to-fly quadcopter that was both easy to fly and loaded with features for the beginner, but it also had several issues that needed additional add-ons for camera use.
The GoPro mount caused severe Jello effects in video, which meant adding on various mounts or an aftermarket 3 axis gimbal. Without an FPV (first person view) Video stream you basically maneuvered the quad in hopes the camera was positioned for framing correctly. Without the FPV stream the operator needed to maintain a visual on the unit to steer the copter. This would limit the distance you could fly. Even if you could add an FPV stream, with all of the extra gear your flight time dropped below 10 minutes.
Fast forward today, DJI has released several new products catering to the Phantom Quadcopter line including the Phantom 2, a new 3 Axis Gimbal for the GoPro, the Phantom Vision (built in camera), and now the Phantom 2 Vision+ (built in camera with 3 Axis Gimbal).
DJI Phantom 2 Vision+ Plus Quadcopter + Hard Case + Extra Battery + microSD
My top pick for the best and easiest Ready-To-Fly off the shelf quadcopter for imaging is the new DJI Phantom Vision+! The new Vision+ is now a joy to fly with up to 25 minutes in the air, comes with a built in camera on a super stable 3 Axis Gimbal that streams live video back to your Smartphone. For beginners looking to dive into Quadcopters capable of incredibly smooth, incredibly stable aerial photos and videos, I highly recommend the DJI Phantom 2 Vision+. Here's a look at how easy it is to get setup for it's first flight.
The streaming video app takes all the guess work out of flying and shows important information like altitude, distance, and battery levels. Even if the unit is out sight, you can still fly through the video stream and tilt the camera through the smartphone. Without touching the remote the Phantom Vision hovers in the same spot. Stable enough they've also included a Timelapse setting in the app.
DJI Vision App for Phantom 2 Vision+ Plus Quadcopter
In case you dare to fly too far, the DJI Phantom will switch into Fail Safe and fly back to the location of it's original launch (just make sure you have a clear path back). While I can't say the quality of the Vision+ camera is comparable to a GoPro, the entire Ready-To-Fly system is built to work seamlessly together offering longer flight times, stable imaging, and live video streaming.
The DJI Phantom 2 Vision+ Plus Quadcopter can be akward to travel with, so I highly recommend a hard case, an extra battery for more play time, and you'll need a microSDHC card to store the videos and photos. The best bundle I have found comes as a complete kit with all of these extras and is available via B&H (click here).
DJI Phantom 2 Vision+ Plus Quadcopter + Hard Case + Extra Battery + microSD
[Important Note: The DJI Phantom 2 Vision+ is not a toy. It is a serious flying machine. Consider your safety and the safety of others. Extreme care should be taken, and all rules, regulations, and laws should be considered at whatever location you choose to fly. ]
Jerome Demers
gopro for video
vision + for pictures
I decide to use the gopro because I have more control over the camera with all the features. (I like taking pictures every 10 sec while it records a video)
Also the gopro4 should do 4K at good fps and probably be the same package.(hope so)
You have to use "common sense" when flying those quadrocopter. I try to avoid flying over people or anything that I would want my DJI to fall on. Anything can happen!
mike_tee_vee
Can anyone comment on the legality of using "drone" copters in residential neighborhoods? I love the POV these kits offer, but don't want the hassle of legal implications
Emm
Post author@allout tee - I agree the GoPro is an amazing camera and captures great footage. Now although it's pretty easy to get a gimbal mounted on the Phantom, the product you shared will still lack that streaming video FPV (first person view) of what the camera sees. This means you can't fly it too far as you need to see the copter and steer it by eye.
Without the streaming DJI App you can't judge your camera's framing so it's hard to judge what position your camera tilt should be. You also can't remotely change camera settings (if you needed to) going from still photos to video, changing from a wide angle to narrow view, know the altitude, distance of the unit, and monitor battery status.
You could of course add a streaming FPV kit, but it goes back to having less time in the air. There are pros and cons with each Phantom, and it's nice that DJI offers so many varieties depending on the person using it. Of course they also make much more high end multicopters if you really want to fly a serious camera.
allout tee
Yeah the prepackaged rtf status of the vision is nice, but i'm gonna go with the gopro version over the vision cause the image (especially with the go pro in pro tune) is so much better. b&h has packages with the gimbal installed, so don't think its rocket science to get the gopro version up & running…..:
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1042318-REG/dji_p2h33d_phantom_2_quadcopter_with.html
Marcus
The images that come out of the camera may be suitable for news or corporate videos, but it is in my opinion not at all viable for film of any kind. The Gopro 3 hero is very workable in post and if rumors on the Gopro 4 are true its gonna be even better.
If you wanna you are working on film of any sort pass on the vision model.
romeo
what to buy if you already owned a go pro 3 black
romeo
Which camera is better? go pro black or vision plus? if we chose to use go pro what features do we lose or technical difficulties do we face?
Harold
Very cool video. I'm surprised you got to fly over residential housing. If that isn't banned yet, it soon will be. I'd love to have one of these for my nature photo hobby. I better get one before there's a rule change.