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It looks like the time of the DJI Phantom is almost at its conclusion. DJI has officially ended support for the DJI Phantom 4 as of July 15th and the DJI Phantom 4 Pro Obsidian Edition from July 1st.
DJI ended support for the Phantom 2 and Phantom 3 4K drones in September 30th, 2022. With support for the two Phantom 4 models being over, this leaves only the DJI Phantom 4 Pro V2 (buy here) on DJI’s official lineup, although most retailers show it as being out of stock.
Demands on technology companies these days are pretty intense. It used to be that a company released a product, customers either loved it or hated it, and then a new model came out in 5 or so years to replace it. Today, it’s very different. No sooner had the Sony A7III been announced, for example, than wishlists appeared for a theoretical Sony A7IV. People want to see new camera kit far more often than they used to.
When it comes to drones, the “upgrade cycle” is even shorter, with people expecting new and upgraded models on an annual basis. Lately, there’ve been a number of rumours surrounding several new possible models from drone leaders DJI. The Mavic Pro 2, the Phantom 5, the Inspire 3 and a new fixed-wing drone, the DJI VTOL (Vertical Take-Off and Landing). The “leaks” on specs so far look quite exciting, but can they really be believed?
DJI has officially added a new member to their drone family – Phantom 4 Advanced. After announcing the termination of Phantom 4, it seems it got a decent replacement. Phantom 4 Advanced has some similarities to the rest of the series, like its sleek and elegant look and some of the features. But it has some advantages and improvements over its terminated predecessor. It seems that a new and improved version of Phantom 4 is ready for takeoff.
Most people use drones to take magnificent aerial videos and photos. I mean, that’s what drones are for, right? But, this video shows us that it doesn’t necessarily have to be the case. Here you will see a video of a couple filmed with a drone, but in quite an unconventional way – without flying it.
Shooting quality aerial video is the main reason that most people get a drone like the DJI Phantom 4 Pro. So, when your footage doesn’t look that great, it’s a bit of a disappointment. Often, though, the problem is simply down to not understanding how your drone works, and the different flight modes it offers.
In this video, drone enthusiast Billy Kyle takes us to drone flight school to teach us all about the twelve intelligent flight modes offered by the Phantom 4 Pro. If you have a Phantom 4, Mavic Pro or earlier drone, it’s still worth having a watch. Even though all of the flight modes might not be available to you, the ones you do have access to are probably mentioned. It also serves as a good reference for what it can do if you’re considering buying, too.
There are undoubtedly many gorgeous drone videos and timelapse videos on the internet. But Belarusian timelapse photographer Artem Pryadko has combined the two styles. He created a video that shows all the beauties of Minsk recorded from the air. He turned aerial shots into a timelapse and got a dronelapse that’s true eye-candy.
DJI is terminating the production of Phantom 4 only ten months after its release. They recently sent their dealers a message, notifying them about the updates on DJI products. And after releasing Phantom 4 in March 2016, in January 2017 it’s already time to say goodbye to it.
If you’re a recent DJI Phantom 4 owner that was upset by the price drop after the announcement of the Mavic Pro, then you’re going to love this one. British drone retailer Drones Direct are offering a 24 carat gold plated DJI Phantom 4 for sale. This too, has had its price reduced, dropping from £21,999 (around $27k) to a more reasonable £19,999 (about $24.5k).
It offers all the same features as the original Phantom 4, but with bling. Drones Direct calls it “the world’s most lavish drone”, and they’re probably not wrong. Unfortunately, the gold plating does not extend to the controller, but the drone itself will definitely stand out in the air.
For some, the image quality is going to take a distant second to ease of use and convenience. There’s no doubt that the new DJI Mavic Pro is super convenience. Fitting into a small bag, or a large pocket, it’s easy to take wherever you go. But, is that convenience going to be enough? Is it going to make Phantom 4 owners sell up and replace it with a drone that costs almost as much and doesn’t offer the same quality?
Well, for Casey Neistat, the answer is a definite yes. To satisfy some of the haters from his previous video showing off Mavic footage at a mere 1080p, Casey shot today’s video in 4K. In it, he puts the DJI Mavic Pro head to head with the DJI Phantom 4. He also includes the GoPro Karma. Ok, well, he sort of includes the Karma. He doesn’t have a Karma yet, but he does have a GoPro Hero 5 Session, which is the camera the Karma uses.
But, here’s the footage, check it out for yourself.
Udi Tirosh is an entrepreneur, photography inventor, journalist, educator, and writer based in Israel. With over 25 years of experience in the photo-video industry, Udi has built and sold several photography-related brands. Udi has a double degree in mass media communications and computer science.
Alex Baker is a portrait and lifestyle driven photographer based in Valencia, Spain. She works on a range of projects from commercial to fine art and has had work featured in publications such as The Daily Mail, Conde Nast Traveller and El Mundo, and has exhibited work across Europe
Dave Williams is an accomplished travel photographer, writer, and best-selling author from the UK. He is also a photography educator and published Aurora expert. Dave has traveled extensively in recent years, capturing stunning images from around the world in a modified van. His work has been featured in various publications and he has worked with notable brands such as Skoda, EE, Boeing, Huawei, Microsoft, BMW, Conde Nast, Electronic Arts, Discovery, BBC, The Guardian, ESPN, NBC, and many others.
John Aldred is a photographer with over 20 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter - and occasional beta tester - of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.
Dunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.
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