Hey Guys,

I'm a photographer; and I'm planning to buy a DJI Phanton for a new perspective in photography, and perhaps for some aerial videos too. I've never used any drone before.

I see the Phantom 1 and 2, and even 3 are more affordable now. My question is that I don't want the camera to be built in. I remember the initial phantom came with just a space to put the go pro.

Hence, which Phantoms have the options of letting me put my own go pro? And does the Phantom 3 just have a built in camera that is not removable? I would prefer the option to put a go-pro, as then I can remove it from the drone and use it for other things as well.

Thanks in advance!

The Phantom 3 has an integrated camera on a gimbal. Personally, I like it better than the GoPro cameras I have used, but part of that is the GoPro is fixed as a wide-angle lens, giving a bit of a fish-eye effect. I find the video from my Phantom camera doesn't have that curving distortion towards the edges that a GoPro does.

The flipside of that is, as you stated, the camera cannot be easily removed and used separately.

As for being a first-time drone flyer, I've only flown small drones before (a Nano quadcopter and the Blade Glimpse), and the Phantom 3 Standard has been hands-down the easiest to fly and the most stable. Unlike my smaller ones, I can take my hands off the controls, and the Phantom will hold position on its own (I've put it a few feet in front of me at eye level, with a breeze blowing, and was able to take my P&S camera out of my pocket and shoot photos of it in flight, without it drifting or losing altitude). If you start off with the Beginner Mode, it limits you to 30 meters distance from take-off point, and 30 meters of altitude. This keeps it well within easy visual distance while you learn the basics of controlling the drone and the camera.

With the technology built into the Phantom 3 line, I think you'd be better getting a P3 verses an really old Phantom with a GoPro and brushless gimbal. It will cost you more to go that route.
If you want to frame your shot, you will need a monitor and a video TX/RX and batteries. And your only getting  analog video, plus flight times of 10-12 minutes.

Spend less money, get a P3 and have incredible 720p HD video downlink to your iPad.
Plus a ton of incredible features that are not available on the older Phantoms.

"I would prefer the option to put a go-pro, as then I can remove it from the drone and use it for other things as well"

If you are a photographer you'd appreciate being to control camera functions in the air as well but that's not possible with a Gopro.
Flying with a Gopro may have been OK 3 years ago but the technology has moved on much more since those early days.
No serious aerial photographer is still using Gopro because of the limitations.
Get yourself a P3 Advanced as a minimum and it's all upward from there.

I agree with Labroides.
Get yourself a P3 Advanced model. Not too expensive,easy to control for first time flyers with the option to video and take pictures.