Gadgetory

DJI is already the go-to name for affordable aerial photography and with its latest creation The Phantom for that honor isn't likely to go anywhere The Phantom 4 looks physically similar to previous models but the eagle-eyed among you will notice it has a slimmer design that's helped lower the overall weight which is very much appreciated on long hikes slowing beneath is the same stabilized camera from the last generation which is capable of shooting seriously good-looking 4k footage it's behind the lens though that DJI has made the big tweaks this time around there are whole host of intelligent features to help even the novices among you capture great shots using the app you can select a moving object for the camera to lock on to allowing the drone to keep your subjects in the frame while you focus on flying alternatively a follow-me mode tells the drone to fly along and track you the pilots great news if you want to film yourself on those lovely hikes in the country sensors on the front can detect when the drone gets too close to an object stopping it in its tracks before it crashes try as I might I couldn't convince for drone to smash into this tree or indeed my video producer it's every bit as easy to fly as previous models but the additional safety measures do help reduce your worry when you're flying if you're into pure performance though switch it to sport mode and enjoy its impressive 45 mile per hour top speed it's not all good news though as some familiar problems are present on the Phantom 4 you can only expect a maximum flight time of around 20 to 25 minutes on a full charge the batteries from previous models aren't compatible with the new model and spare batteries are extremely expensive and you'll certainly want a few spares ready to go if you're on a long shoot battery issues aside though the Phantom 4 is a fantastic piece of kit the intelligent mode will help you get great shots whether you're a first-time flyer or a seasoned aerial veteran it might not be cheap but it's certainly a cost-effective way of getting gorgeous video from the sky you