Saturday, 11/14, DJI Phantom 3 Standard Edition for $550
2A "Pre-Black Friday" deal from Sam's Club, they're offering the DJI Phantom 3 Standard Edition for $550. Available only on 11/14, this also appears to be an online only deal.
Specifications
Up to 25 minutes flying time
0.5 mile/1km range
Super-stable video with gimbal stabilization
Ultra HD video with 2.7K camera
Stunning photography with 12MP still photos
Wi-Fi connection for HD Live View
GPS for enhanced stability
Auto-takeoff / auto return home
Auto pilot navigation including Follow Me + Orbit
- 16 comments, 47 replies
- Comment
Even at $700 (the current price) it's not a bad deal, considering what I've paid to add a camera and gimbal to my 1.1. Not to mention what I've paid for other 'copters that I still can't fly as smoothly.
@fultonmartin Agreed. Even my cheap a$$ Cheerson CX20... $240 for the quad, $130 for a 3d gimbal and $230 for a Hero 3+ Black. $600 and it has half the flight time of this Phantom 3 deal.
I just came here to post this. I am not sure if it is online only as the flyer I received does say "also available online". It also has free shipping. Also states limited quantities and no rain checks. Doors open at 7:00 am.
@mfladd Thanks for the tip. I just received my Sam's mailer & it does indeed say "minimum 6 per club".
Now the internal conflict... to splurge on this deal, or to continue saving for a 3DR Solo...
@ruouttaurmind It's a tough choice because it is a decent price.
Wow so this deal is going to be $149 off so you can get it with the hard case for $699 which is the current price for just the Phantom 3 Standard. Not a bad deal there.
@DJMajickMan The price on DJI's hard case is just obscene. $150... It would have to have a built-in solar charger and VRX display before I'd consider that kind of money on a pack.
What the hell.......... what the hell...............
@sportykev Does that mean you're getting one then? ;-)
@ruouttaurmind ARGH!! Maybe it's a good thing that I'm not a sam's club member? freaking 'cheap' man! totally worth +250 over the p1.1.1 meh deal
@sportykev Just in case you REALLY want one.... Groupon has a Sam's club offer. $25 for 2 cards. I split the cost with a girl from my office. $12.50 each for a 1 year membership. ;^)
I keep lurking this site reading and gathering information. So, for those of you in the know, what would be the downside to buying this deal (standard) vs. the professional version. Would I once again be better off waiting for the better option to come along (which is what I seem to be doing). Or would this be a great starter drone and later on make a heftier purchase.
As a little background, I would like to try to use this commercially at some point to make a couple of dollars (not a living just recoup some of my expenses). I also plan on playing with it :) There is no one local doing this commercially, but when I travel I see them used all over. I live in the middle of BFE, so there are plenty of farms, trails, hunting land, utv/atv trails etc. I also own acres of empty field that I planned on using as my training area. I see a need in my area for someone to do this at a reasonable price. I would imagine before hunting season the phone would ring off the hook.
Hell, maybe I'm just afraid to jump in the pool.
Welcome, @Ecriscit!
DJI has a handy little comparison chart that answers your question in excruciating detail, but the primary difference between the P3 Pro/Advanced and the P3 Standard is in the imaging systems.
Standard has a 2.7K camera and 2.4GHz FPV downlink.
Pro/Advanced has a 4K camera and LightBridge video downlink with a 3 mile range.
The controller (handset remote) is also different, with an extended control range for the Pro/Advanced.
There are a few other minor differences, but the camera and video downlink is what most of the extra money buys you. By the way, expect to spend at least twice the price for a Pro/Advanced compared to this Sam's Club deal.
Differences aside... is the Standard "good enough"? Absolutely. Can you make a few bucks with it? It's more than capable of real estate photos and video, crop and herd audits, geo audits, etc. So assuming you get an FAA edit: waiver before they change the system and start requiring full licensing, then, yes, the Standard is more than capable of paid imaging.
But can it play? You betcha. Take off the fancy camera and gimbal, and fly it without the burden of that extra weight and it'll be a peppy little flyer with about 20 minutes of flight time. If you want to do FPV while joyriding, I still recommend taking off the fancy camera and slapping on a iLook, old GoPro, SJCam or Xaomi while you're effing around. Better to risk breaking a $100 iLook than a $400 DJI camera/gimbal.
So, that's that on this. Questions? Fire away!
@ruouttaurmind it seems that people who are willing to pay for professional services almost demand the use of the Inspire 1 now. Just an observation from various message boards. I don't know if it's about landing the gig or not, or simply being paid less. Still, I want the p3!
@sportykev Everybody and their neighbor has some form of Phantom or Phantom clone these days. I guess the look of the DJI Inspire sort of sets it apart from some realtor's snot nosed 14 year old neighbor with a Syma X5C. The Inspire I guess presents the image of a tool versus a toy.
From my own experience with the little quads like the P1, CX-20 and QR X350 Pro, compared to the much larger Tali H500 hexacopter...
The Tali is a hex. It's got 6 motors/rotors. It's much more stable in flight. A breeze, or even a gentle wind doesn't really affect it. When it's in position lock mode and recording video with the 3D gimbal, the video footage is very VERY stable. It's heavier, more powerful, and with the six rotors controlling motion, it just sits there like a rock.
The smaller quads on the other hand are lighter and a bit less powerful. With 33% fewer motors/rotors, that clearly results in some exponentially greater instability. With lighter weight and less power, they struggle a bit more to stay put in breezy conditions. You can also really feel any additional weight added (camera, gimbal, larger battery) trying to drag the quad back to terra firma, and the quad struggling to stay aloft. Video footage, even with a 3D gimbal, just doesn't compare to the stability of the Tali. I wouldn't say the Tali "blows it away" but it's clearly a different class of quality.
BUT... the smaller size, lighter weight, smaller batteries, controller and accessories make the smaller quads SO much easier to work with. They're small and light... much easier to pack up and head out the door. Plus, once you're at your destination, you can throw the quad, controller and a couple of batteries in a backpack and head out to find an adventure. The Tali on the other hand... twice as wide and nearly 2.5x taller than the P1. Batteries weigh three times as much, rotors are 1.5x larger, everything about it is bigger, heavier, and more effort to pack up and head out. And don't even THINK about taking this thing on a hike. Not only is it heavy, but it's WAY too big and bulky to fit in a pack. Tali, controller, camera, gimbal, 2 batteries weigh in at around 10 pounds.
So WTF is my point?
I love my Tali. It's an awesome tool. But frankly it sucks some of the joy out of the flight experience. If I really want an exceptional video, it's the right tool for the task. If I want to have fun, and still get some really good video, the smaller quads are my drone of choice!
At least until I can get @DJMajickMan to send me a 3DR Solo...
@ruouttaurmind I want to fly a Tali now!
@sportykev Send me a Solo and I'll send you the Tali! LOL!
@ruouttaurmind what a deeeeeeeeeeeaaaal!!
thank you for your response. I saw on the DJI site that it looked like it was only video differences for the most part, but the devil is in the details. I am not that knowledgeable about this subject matter and differed that to the people here e.g., maybe this one has the zz2000 arm and not the zz3000 arm (made up that piece, but you get the point).
Every time I go to price compare, the prices get cheaper and it makes me hesitant to purchase now.
@Ecriscit I assure you, the prices WILL get cheaper. But at this price, you'll get at least a 9-12 month head start.
Check eBay... USED Phantom 3's (standard edition) are selling for more than $550.
Save another $27.50 on this deal...
Discover Card offers 5% cash back bonus for Sam's Club online purchases if you link to Sam's via the Discover Deals website, dropping the net price to $522.50 (plus tax of course).
Other credit cards may offer similar deals. Check with your cc company for their shopping rewards deals.
An added bonus... Discover offers automatic extended warranty coverage & accidental damage coverage. They refunded 100% of my purchase price when my Walkera QR X350 Pro decided it didn't want to live anymore and drove itself headfirst into the football pitch on its second flight.
I was trying to compare this with the Cheerson CX22 (for $650) and decided this was the better deal--3 axis gimbal, mostly, and maybe no flight restrictions in the firmware.
Maybe I should build a Tarot 680 for about the same price...
@fultonmartin I'm with you on the Tarot. I have most of the bits to build a bigger drone and I'm leaning towards a Tarot 960 or T18.
@ruouttaurmind Those are huge copters--beyond hobbyist. Are you wanting to get into business?
I'm trying really hard not to buy either the CX22 or the P3, both for around $700. I could build a Tarot 680 for under that, since I already have a FC, recvr, and a GoPro. But it wouldn't do 'follow me.'
@fultonmartin I have an FAA waiver, and do some RE photos and vids, but I'm not sure I exactly want to turn it into a "business". I did that with the DJ thing and it sucked all the fun out of it when it became a job.
But it's nice to have the option of making a few bucks when the opportunity comes up. My mom and her husband are farmers and I've done some mapping and surveys for them. Their neighbors have expressed interest in having some work done.
Mostly I want to build a BIG hex... just because. Same reason I want to build a little 160. Also... I'd like a platform powerful enough to heft my Nikon D5500. And frankly, the GoPro isn't the best possible camera for surveying. Takes too many passes to complete a grid. I'm thinking the Nikon can ride at a higher altitude and grab more image in fewer passes.
@ruouttaurmind Still, isn't one of those big hex/octos more than a couple of grand? But you said you have most of the parts... I'm with you on the 'want to build' thing. Love the feeling when it works on the first application of power.
@ruouttaurmind Where did you go to apply for the waiver? Not that I need one now but who knows what the future brings.
@DJMajickMan FAA has been kind enough to publish a guide for requesting a Section 333 exemption.
@fultonmartin I've got an APM FC, 3DR telem radios, M8N GPS, Devo F7 radio, Devo RX10 10 ch receiver. Basically I need the airframe, ESC, motors and rotors.
The airframe is about $300. Tarot 4108 motors are around $25 each ($150/6). Another $100 in ESC's and I've got myself one big, beasty flying deathtrap. :-)
I jumped into the pool today and picked up the DJI at sam's. It appears that there were at least 5 more available when I walked out of the store.
My new question pertains to the FAA 333 exemption. Do you have to have a pilots license to fly it commercially? http://www.faa.gov/uas/legislative_programs/section_333/333_faqs/#q1 This FAQ makes it appear that you do and the hobby/recreational allowance doesn't allow for selling photos/videos. Is this the correct interpretation, or am I allowed as long as it is below 200ft?
@Ecriscit Are you flying this for business purposes or recreational?
@DJMajickMan initially recreational, but I would like to use it for field work and real estate purposes later on. From what I have read on the FAA website, even if I don't charge for services rendered, I would still be required to get the exemption because it is being used commercially. It doesn't appear to matter at what height the UAS is operated at. If I have to get a pilots license to do this, then it is too cost prohibitive.
@Ecriscit Yeah there is good reason for them to require a pilot's license for commercial use. Having taken a flight lesson there are a lot of things you need to think about a know prior to take off that most recreational pilots don't think about or plan for.
It's like a kid on a bicycle with no training on how to cross the road or deal with traffic both vehicular and pedestrian. Someone's going to get hurt.
@Ecriscit When I received my COA waiver, there was nothing more required. I have no knowledge of that process changing, and the FAA hasn't contacted me regarding any change in my COA status.
Basically I filed a petition using the public docket petition process. The petition was simply a letter stating my purpose for requesting the waiver, what type of aircraft I intended to use, and how I intended to ensure safety of the public while operating for commercial purposes.
There was no charge for the entire process. My petition was reviewed and waiver granted within about 6 weeks.
I wonder whatever happened to @garyhgaryh. I could always count on him to teeter-totter on these deals.
@ruouttaurmind Thanks for tagging me! Too bad I saw your email at 1:25am on Sunday. The deal is over and I would have definitely teeter-totter on this deal. How are you @ruouttaurmind? I will be playing catch up soon. I need to finish online traffic school in 2 days and I'm working on that now :(.
@ruouttaurmind BTW, I got into another project that is why I disappeared. Built a new 16lb cross bike. Took me a few weeks to gather the parts, but i'm done and took it on it's maiden journey today.
@garyhgaryh Looks great! (but that seat would NOT be comfortable on my bony behind). I recall you had mentioned this project a couple of times before. Glad you've got it all buttoned up. I bet it was easier than assembling your ZMR250. LOL!
@garyhgaryh TRAFFIC SCHOOL? You scofflaw!
How long has it been since you had the P1 in the air?
@ruouttaurmind The ZMR project was easy until I got to the remote. You bailed me out which made the entire project a cinch (thanks). The hard part was flying it and determining what color blades go on what motor.
I think I flew the P1 about 2-3 months ago. It kept crashing because of my cheap chinese gimbal. I guess I crashed it one too many times since everytime the gimbal would swing the camera, the p1 would literally take a dive.
@garyhgaryh I take it you haven't gotten a chance to mount the Walkera 3D gimbal on the P1?
Try removing the gimbal, recalibrate the compass, then fly without any gimbal, and a stock battery. If it flies good, mount up that 3D gimbal!
Shipping update: FedEx says I'll have my P3 on Thursday afternoon, 11/18. Sweet! Now I'll have a new toy to play with this weekend!
@ruouttaurmind I'll be waiting with bated breath for your evaluation--I may still buy one for $700...
@ruouttaurmind You should have gotten it yesterday. So, what's the verdict? How does it compare to the P1? I can't believe you got another one. You also got the other quadcopter from the groupon offer!! And what a deal you got!
@garyhgaryh Ya, I had the date wrong, the day right. I will receive it today, Thursday afternoon, 11/19. Mea culpa. :-)
@garyhgaryh The second one from the Groupon offer never even made it out of the box. It's still sitting in my office, unflown. This might be a good time to sell it on. @fultonmartin has me really thinking about building that big Tarot hexacopter and the proceeds from selling that second Walkera QR X350 Pro would just about cover all the parts I still need.
My P3 is lost in New Mexico. Last FedEx update puts it somewhere in NM but still showing an expected delivery date of yesterday. Maybe it'll show up this afternoon. If not, I'll rattle the FedEx cage tomorrow & see what falls out.
Found! FedEx located my P3 and delivered it this evening. If time permits, I'm going to try and do an unboxing video & possibly a maiden voyage tomorrow.
@ruouttaurmind I'm hoping to see a report from you before Black Friday so I can either jump on the DJI $600 deal, or not...
Oh, yeah, Happy Thanksgiving!
@fultonmartin Happy Thanksgiving, my friend. Humble apologies. Delivery of the P3 was Saturday late afternoon. I had hoped to do it Sunday, but had some weather. If it clears up this afternoon I'll be able to do at least a preliminary flight & offer a first impression.
I can say with certainty though... after looking at several CX-22 videos & pouring over the specs & features... IMHO, it's overpriced right now. The platform seems decent enough, but the camera & gimbal fall well short of my expectations for the price point. I'd say my CX-20, generic 2D gimbal & $35 Vivitar camera offer at least equal if not better video... for edit less than half the price of a CX-22.
@fultonmartin Battery and remote are on the charger right now. I'm hoping to get at least one quick flight in this afternoon.
First impression? It's a bit smaller than I had expected. It's about 30mm narrower in the wheelbase (wingspan?) and maybe 10-15mm shorter than the Cheerson CX-20. I guess I expected it to be at least the same, if not a bit wider to provide more stability with the heavier load of the larger battery.
As far as fit and finish... it's ok. Obviously better than the Cheerson and Quanum. About on par with the Walkeras. Seams all fit reasonably well, with few signs of flashing. But the finish... not so much. All my Walkeras have a smooth, consistent semi-gloss white color. The Phantom is more of an eggshell type surface and inconsistent color.
But overall... it imparts an impression of reasonable quality.
The camera and gimbal assembly is comprised of a mixture of plastic and aluminum. I guess for this price I really had expected mostly aluminum. But it does feel fairly sturdy.
I was disappointed in the mobile device mount (phone mount) on the remote controller. I expected to be able to at least mount a 7 inch tablet/iPad mini, but forget it. Anything bigger than a medium sized phone won't fit. I have a HTC EVO 3D phone with a 4.3" display and it BARELY fit with the Otterbox case installed.
Anyway... now the waiting game. Battery and remote are charging and I'll head out to the park for a quick test as soon as they're done.
@fultonmartin I have a show stopper... I'm unable to install the DJI Go app on my phone ("This version is not compatible with your device"), and the remote mount won't hold my tablet. I'll try maybe holding the tablet long enough to start the camera recording maybe.
@fultonmartin One of those days... I've installed the DJI Go app on my tablet, but when I connect to the Phantom the app crashes. I have no way to start recording on the camera.
I didn't expect this. App not compatible with my Android phone, app crashes my Android tablet. I have an iPad. I guess I'll try that next, but it's at work (an hour round trip drive) so it won't be today.
My iPad is an Air 2. I didn't really plan on using a full-size tablet on this thing. Not sure what to do for a permanent solution... maybe shop for a cheap old used iPhone? I guess it doesn't even need to have a clean ESN since I'll only be using the Wifi to connect to the Phantom.
I am a bit disappointed with my purchase at the moment. I hadn't expected to have to spend another $100+ to be able to use it. Sure would have been nice if they had some sort of camera activation process on the remote controller. On the Tali I can start/stop recording with a switch on the remote.
@ruouttaurmind I want my p3! (and hopefully not get trix'd). Sucks that the Android app is crashing for you. #FirstWorldProblems
@sportykev FML, I can't even fly this thing until I can successfully activate it with the app! LOL!
@ruouttaurmind what kinda crap is that?! it's like DRM or something? lol.
@sportykev @ruouttaurmind i think that's the new NFZ NoFlyZone functionality. Trying to determine where you are and if it's legal to fly there. Look for hacks online maybe there's a way to bypass that.
@ruouttaurmind Sorry that it's not working out--seems strange that you couldn't / can't fly it without the app. (Just for grins, I installed it on my Nexus 6 with no problems.)
Thanks for the report; don't think I'll get one at the current prices.
I saw the video you managed with a friend's phone. I didn't know you had a CX-20 and a Quanum--aren't they the same thing? And with the Tali, why did you even bother with the P3...oh, wait, you're an addict. Never mind.
@fultonmartin Ya, CX-20 and the Nova are the same bird. I had the CX-20, then tripped on a great price on the Nova. I figured if one was good... two MUST be better, right?
I love the Tali, but its too big to saddle up in a backpack & take hiking or biking, so I was thinking the P3 would be an option for that. The bigger battery & longer flight times combined with DJI Go ground station app seemed like it would be better than the Cheerson & Quantum. In the end I guess a couple more batteries would have been a wiser investment.
http://www.phantompilots.com/threads/tablets-and-phones-that-work-well-with-dji-go.48525/
I found this site to be extremely helpful and informative. Much better than the DJI site. I am going to pick up a cheap tablet, especially for the viewing. This site also has a forum for what to remove from your tablet/phone that tends to cause problems with the DJI go app.
Anybody still looking for this price, check out http://slickdeals.net/f/8324029-dji-phantom-3-quadcopter-aircraft-w-3-axis-gimbal-2-7k-camera-599-50-50-25. (I've already spent what I had "budgeted" for it on another TiVo.) Edit: Never mind, they're out of stock. :(
Better then Black Friday deal :D
DJI 10th Anniversary promo
@DJMajickMan Definitely a better deal. Apparently ordering directly from DJI gets free shipping and no sales tax.
I still wouldn't own a Standard edition. It looks like they've introduced a new model, the Phantom 3 4K. I like the specs and features, but not the price point. It has all the features the Standard edition SHOULD have had, but price is till too big a bite for my taste.
I fear DJI is making the same mistake Samsung made with their Galaxy tablet line (Tab, Tab Pro, Tab 4, Tab 4 Lite, Galaxy Note, Galaxy Tab Note... all in the Galaxy tablet line). Too many different versions of apparently the same model. Muddying the pool and confusing the consumer who is finding it difficult to discern between the numerous similarly named models.