The new sport mode is one of the highlights of the Phantom 4. The Phantom line was already the nimblest of the half dozen drones I’ve tested, but the sport mode puts it in a class all its own. With a top speed of 45 miles an hour, an ascent rate of 20 feet per second, and the ability to turn so fast the craft nearly flips over, sport mode is not necessarily the best way to shoot incredible video.
In fact, at top speed the props will be in your shot, and there will be some vibration in the video you shoot. But it sure is fun to fly that fast. Shooting forward while flying backward looks good well above normal mode speeds (though again, not at 45 mph), which will enable professional filmmakers to better track high speed sequences like chase scenes or races. With a top speed of 45 miles an hour, an ascent rate of 20 feet per second, and the ability to turn so fast the craft nearly flips over, sport mode is not necessarily the best way to shoot incredible video.
Sport mode does come with a price: the battery drains much more quickly. Also, you can’t use any of the automated flight controls or collision avoidance features. Sport mode is very clearly aimed at experienced pilots. If you happen to be one, it’s a lot of fun. DJI claims the
Phantom 4 is five times more stable than previous models, and while I have not empirical way to test this, it sounds correct based on my time with it. When watching footage where the Phantom 4 was just hovering, I frequently found myself thinking I had accidentally paused playback because the video shot did not change or shake at all. Even in moderate wind, the Phantom 4 managed to hold its position with hardly a waver.
Much of that stability comes from the Phantom 4 expanded array of downward cameras and sonar sensors. The
DJI phantom 4 with 4K HD camera compared to the
Phantom 3. This comes in handy indoors, which is one place the Phantom 4 is nothing short of incredible. Flying a drone indoors is a nerve-racking experience, even with the relatively stable Phantom 3. The Phantom 4, however, maintained its increased stability even inside when I flew it around an unused ice hockey rink. It was actually enjoyable to fly inside, though the lack of prop guards made me reluctant to get it too close to the walls.
The
Phantom 4 is DJI’s best Phantom offering yet. While the automated flight features might not entirely live up to the hype, they do make possible things that would have previously been very difficult or even impossible. They also pave the way for even better automation in future releases.
