We finally got our hands on DJI's latest version of their Phantom series of quadcopters, the Vision +. It comes in quite a nice box, with snug-fitting eggbox style molded cardboard with plenty of space to add more batteries. It has a handle on it when folded away and makes a good carry case just as it is. The self-tightening props make a big difference to the packing, being easily removable when leaving the flying site and easily attachable when you arrive. They're clearly marked so you know which prop goes where. You just spin them on and the motor movement does the job of keeping them tight. If you put them on the wrong way round they simply fly off and you go nowhere. The camera is very dinky, a lot smaller than I expected, but it is 3 axis stabilized and shoots 1080p video. It also has an easy access micro SD card slot on the side. Incidentally, the Phantom itself has an external USB access to update the firmware etc, I guess, which is going to be a lot less of a pain than on previous versions. The radio controller is 5.8 Ghz, which is a little worrying as this frequency is easily blocked by trees, bushes, and bits of building etc, so you may have to keep a close watch to make sure you don't dip behind the top of a tree slightly. There is an attachment on the radio to attach your phone, which receives video via wifi and can be used to control the on board camera. I believe there is, or is going to be, a DJI wifi booster to increase video range. We haven't had a proper fly yet or a camera test, but may be doing that later today. The new camera, for me, is the most exciting part to be honest so looking forward to that.
Nice little video. Is the phantom 2 bigger than the original phantom? How does the vision + camera's video and photos compare to the gopro 3?
The Phantom 2 is the same size, they're all the same size, apart from the battery bay is fatter to fit the larger battery. The motors are a bit beefier as well. I think the camera is very comparable to the Gopro, almost identical actually. I think you can get a lens adapter to flatten out the images, which will be much better than trying to do this with software afterwards. It also takes RAW images, albeit very slowly. For me the best thing is it flies for ages with everything on it, over 20 minutes.