DJI Phantom 2 Review

Photographers and video shooters are looking for more and more ways to take their skill to the next level. Camera drones have made it possible to capture stunning images from above. DJI is a company that specialises in producing remote-controlled aerial vehicles, also known as drones. Their drones are known for the ability to even carry external cameras.

DJI Phantom 2 is one of the best-selling and highest rated quadcopters available. One of their advantages is the simplicity. Their drones are pretty much an out of the box and fly product. And that is why I decided to do a small DJI Phantom 2 Review.

Tech Specs

The Phantom 2 has GPS to keep track of its location. It can also hover in place when the pilot is not near the controls. Another interesting feature is that you can make the drone avoid flying near airports or other no-fly zones. This is an interesting feature that will keep you from getting into trouble with the law.

The Phantom 2 includes a Wi-Fi range extender which is advertised to have a communication distance of 300 meters. You can also connect the drone to a smartphone app and view real time flight information such as altitude, speed, distance, battery level.

DJI Phantom 2 doesn’t come with a camera. If you wish to buy a drone with an integrated camera then you can take a look at DJI Phantom 2 Vision. However the Phantom 2 does allow attaching a camera. The most popular option is the GoPro camera. A lot of different mounts are available online to attach a camera onto your DJI Phantom 2. This of course does not mean you can’t use other cameras! Choose the camera best for you and find a mount!

Setting Up The Drone

DJI drones are pretty much an out of the box and fly product. However before taking off make sure you are running the latest software! Updating the firmware is quite simple. The drone has a micro USB port that you can plug into your computer. On the computer download and launch the Phantom 2 Assistant Software and that will automatically update everything needed.

Besides updating the drone itself, make sure the controller has also got the latest firmware. Just like the Phantom 2, the controller has a micro USB port that needs to be plugged into the computer just as you did with the drone.

It is also recommended to calibrate the GPS. You can read more about the configuring here: http://djiphantomreview.com/.

DJI Phantom 2 reviewFlying

DJI Phantom 2 is really fast and insanely easy to control. What makes it even easier to fly is the stability. The controller is excellent quality and allows precise and comfortable control over the drone.

The thing I did notice was that at times Phantom 2 can lose the GPS signal quire easily when flying under a bridge or something covering the drone. The smartphone app however notifies us immediately if that happens thankfully.

The battery is quite good as well. A single charge provided a 25-minute flight time. There are also ways to increase the flight time by adding smart batteries.

Another interesting thing about DJI Phantom 2 is that it can also fly in extreme cold and snow! For example at -20 C the drone flew without any problems while my iPhone was starting to shut off!

Conclusion

DJI Phantom 2 isn’t a cheap drone ($449) but if you are serious, it is definitely worth the money. There is a reason it is one of the most popular and talked about drones. It definitely lives up to the expectations.

What sets it apart from the competitors is how versatile and simple it is. Just open the box and fly in snow or go to the beach and shoot amazing videos of surfers.

The only annoying thing this drone brings is attention from other people! When I flew this in crowded places it got constant attention from people. Some would just stop and look at it all amazed.

DJI Phantom 2 is a drone I’d recommend if you are 100% serious about aerial photography.

Warning: Never use the DJI Phantom 2 Quadcopter with your GoPro camera when both devices have their Wi-Fi systems turned on. The DJI Phantom’s Wi-Fi and the GoPro camera’s Wi-Fi run on the same frequency, so if you use them together when both Wi-Fi systems are engaged, the DJI Phantom’s transmitter will lose the ability to communicate with the DJI Phantom Quadcopter. Whenever this happens, you will not be able to tell the Phantom where to fly. This may result in loss of property or damage to your equipment.

Pros

  • High quality build, impressive flight time and powerful
  • Strong Wi-Fi booster for long distance flying
  • Extremely easy to fly and manage, GPS to know where your drone is at all times

Cons

  • Rather expensive price tag compared to the competitors.
  • No FPV
DJI Phantom 2 Review
8.8 Total Score
Excellent!

Design
9
Build Quality
9.5
Features
7.5
Flight Time
9
User Rating: Be the first one!

5 Comments
  1. Reply Kevin January 23, 2015 at 8:54 am

    I have read that the wifi signal from the Gopro camera to my iphone5, being on the 2.4Ghz band can interfere with the drone controls?

    • Reply Drone GoPro January 23, 2015 at 10:45 am

      You are correct. Since DJI Phantom 2 and GoPro both use 2.4GHz wifi frequency then it may start to interfere with the drones GPS, which will interfere with the control. You can still use the camera and record with it but without the cameras wifi turned on (No FPV).

  2. Reply Dali January 27, 2015 at 11:29 pm

    Hi. Thanks for fresh review. I want to ask what if someone near this drone with goprocam will have an another gopro camera with wifi on? Will it disconnect from my controler?
    How it looks the controling of turning and tilting with the instaled gopro? Do I need extra controler?

    • Reply Drone GoPro January 28, 2015 at 8:53 am

      Yes, the GoPro wifi can still interfere with the transmitter. A way to avoid this is instead getting the new Phantom 1 v2.0 on Helipal which has a 5.2GHz transmitter. This means that your drone is completely safe and you can also use the GoPro wifi.

      No you don’t need a separate controller to tilt the gimbal. Phantom 2 controller has a switch(picture) at the back

  3. Reply Richard February 15, 2015 at 10:13 pm

    I just lost my DJI Phantom 2 with Fat Shark FPV and GoPro due I believe to a faulty battery. I was about 2 minutes into a flight when the Phantom started to slowly sink. Despite trying to get it to return to where I started flying and gain altitude, it stopped responding to commands and I watched it slowly descend until it vanished in the ocean. I had about 2 grand into it. This is the 2nd crash for me due to an electrical/battery anomaly. Be forewarned.

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