The P4 was announced about a week ago, and I was delighted when I had the opportunity to borrow one from the company this weekend. In this post, I would like to share my experience with it.
Below is a photo I took with the Phantom 3 on top of the Phantom 4.
The P4`s battery is a bit thicker than the P3`s. That is because the battery cells are further apart, so that heat dissipates more effectively. You can see in the pictures that there is no single cell has swelled up.
Plugging in and pulling out the P4`s battery is considerably easier than it was with the P3. P4 batteries have grooved, rubber clips on both sides, not just one side. The battery socket is also designed to be more ergonomic.
Below, you can see the P4 battery`s air vents.
The LEDs on the aircraft arms are now concave. Unfortunately, because the P4’s shell is sized differently, so it doesn’t fit so well into the P3’s hard-shell backpack. The batteries also don’t fit.
This GIF shows the Active Track function, which is amazing and very useful. I am wondering if the Phantoms can detect and be controlled by body language in the future. Then we could control drones without a remote controller!
In the GIF, the Phantom is following a person running on a curved track while flying backwards. However, there is no obstacle sensors on the P4’s tail, so if you’re flying backwards, make sure there are no obstacles its way.
I’m going to have a lot of fun with ActiveTrack in the future.
The new lens on the P4’s camera produces much clearer images than the P3.
You can also now shoot at videos at 120 frames per second at 1080p. 120fps makes for much better slow motion when you’re shooting at close range (like in the picture below), but if you’re shooting from high altitudes (like in the picture below), you won’t need to shoot at such a high frame rate.
The image above shows the aircraft’s motion in S Mode
The Forward Obstacle Sensing system won’t work while using the S Mode. So make sure to use S Mode in an open area. Then have a blast flying crazy fast.
The aircraft is flying straight backwards in the image above.
Conclusion
The P4’s battery life has increased a lot, and the Active Track function is really amazing. However, there are some conditions under which you may lose track of the object or person you’re following. Make sure that the object is well contrasted with the background, and fly around the object or person before starting to track it. This way, the P4 can study the subject from all sides and learn its shape and characteristics. Also, make sure to keep the object in the center of the frame.
My time with the P4 was limited, so I haven’t had the chance to check out all the new functions. Hoping to take it out again soon!