....and dont use the massive fish eye in the first place.Set the lens to medium,this is by far the most professional looking shot as TV stations were renowned for staying clear of the gopro1 because this was the only setting there was.Now the 3 is here the BBC have decided to accept it and I dare say that a big part of this decision is that you don't have to shoot everything with that awful fisheye.(Just for the record I am a professional TV Cameraman and have worked for the BBC for 23 years,so I didn't just read that in a blog somewhere)! Whatever the BBC decides,becomes industry standard very quickly worldwide.

How involved would it be to switch the guts (esc's, Naza, GPS, etc) from one Phantom shell to another? I haven't cracked the body open yet, but have seen forum post photos where it was opened up. Is there any particular sequence or precautions to follow, or any hidden attachments I'd need to worry about? Would making this switch necessitate recalibration? And what about the GPS mounted under the top shell? It seems to have a pliable protective disk covering it...it appears to be mounted or glued to the upper shell. I'd appreciated any forum members who have done this to share the process if they can. Sorry for so many questions with probable obvious answers, but this beginner would hate to screw it up! Thanks!

Bo, I think if you shot in 2.7k cine 24fps just sending the Phantom up kind of high and making very slow movements panning to the left or right it would turn out amazing.

Slowly rise up and let it hover, then pan a bit slowly and I have a feeling that mode will look very good! It already looked nice in your first test video but I think movements were kinda fast.

@Bravia3D - YES the movements were fast and a bit erratic, the only representative meaningful part is probably the push in starting at around 30sec.
That said, getting 2.7k video predictably with the Phantom really is pushing your luck. if anyone thing is off it will just not happen. a little bend in a prop, too much wind not getting in your grove flying smoothly etc.

30sbound - as long as you are comfortable with a screw-driver, it should be pretty straight forward, particularly if you are just moving the "guts" the motors are soldered in place, but as long as you don't un-do them, its pretty much just a move job. get everything in same places and go flying.

Head's up on the external compass placement and how to secure it.

If you are flying in GPS mode, and the compass becomes disconnected from its connecting wire for any reason, will the Phantom go into fail safe, or just fly away?

Doesn't failsafe require a functioning compass and GPS mode?

And isn't an active GPS mode necessary for fail safe and return to home?

thanks

Hey guys. I am debating on buying a phantom or building a f450 and was wondering what your honest opinion was? Thank you in advance for any feedback you give.

Originally Posted by Bo Lorentzen

30sbound - as long as you are comfortable with a screw-driver, it should be pretty straight forward, particularly if you are just moving the "guts" the motors are soldered in place, but as long as you don't un-do them, its pretty much just a move job. get everything in same places and go flying.

Thanks Bo... Just don't want to have any surprises.

Originally Posted by daskim

Does the Phantom require XT60?

One thought for AH and this battery. Could you guys consider selling Phantom compatible batteries with XT60 connector without the 45% additional charge for soldering, or at least a lesser charge?

Sure, I wil consider it but in the US the Deans plugs are prevalent and as we sell over 1000 of these each month with Deans (the most requested plug) it is hard to keep stock of the XT60 as well as the multitude of other plug options as they are such a low volume. Our solder fees do contain the plug but I hear you and will do my best to mix some in next month.
Thanks for the suggestion

Originally Posted by Thumb Blisters

Hey guys. I am debating on buying a phantom or building a f450 and was wondering what your honest opinion was? Thank you in advance for any feedback you give.

I chose the Phantom over a F450 just because I didnt want to hassle with building and testing etc. I do own a Gaui 330Xs and a Aerosky H100 from xheli.com, but I enjoy the phantom alot more. I like the overall look of it. I got tired of the science project look, no offense. I will be selling the Gaui and Aerosky soon. My next quad will be a built HT-FPV from witespy though.

Originally Posted by Thumb Blisters

Hey guys. I am debating on buying a phantom or building a f450 and was wondering what your honest opinion was? Thank you in advance for any feedback you give.

That's a big debate.
Everyone's preferences are different.
At the risk of making the answer too cut and dry...

Right Brain Person = Phantom
Left Brain Person = F450

As a Left Brain Person who has a Phantom, I can assure you that it's a true RTF.
Everything you need comes in the box, but that Right Brain.
If you supply it, and you use it, you'll be successful.

Even Right Brain Persons need to read instructions...
And watch Colin's videos...

And don't come back saying you didn't read the instructions because there were none.
Download the instructions from the DJI website.
Colin's videos are there too...

Tjg: great lucid response. Great and amusing. Way to go!

I own both a Phantom and an Arducopter Hex B.

I bought the Phantom because it had the reputation (and now I confirm it! ) of being a true out of the box flyer. I basically wanted something to practice on before I launched my larger Hex.

Now that I've actually flown my Phantom I can say that I am really surprised at how easy it was to set up and how stable it was on my first flight! I'm also surprised at how much more this platform is capable of.

-Mike

My interest in RC is mostly centered around aerobatic airplanes, so I have almost no experience with quads. At work we have a use for some AP but I always thought that it would be too difficult to train my guys to fly any of the platforms available. When I saw the DJI Phantom I thought it might have a chance so I ordered one.

I got it, and in about 1/2 hour I was able to put it together, set it up with with a GoPro3, and a Preditor V2 FPV system. I took it down to the fied to test it. I had no problems flying it, either visually, or FPV through the goggles. I was very impressed with the stability, and ease of flying this quad. The FPV flying is a blast!

Today I took out one of my guys to see if I could train him to fly it. He had never flown any type of RC, so I was interested to see if he could be successful. By the end of the morning session, he was flying the Phantom very well in both visual, and FPV modes. His last few batteries I didn't even bother going up to the flight line with him. It was an amazing thing to watch. He could probably take the Phantom out right now a do what we want it to. Still, I will spend a few more sessions with him before turning him loose with it just for saftey reasons.

DJI has done a great job with the Phantom. I am very impressed.

Just got the phantom and had my first crash. Now when I try to take off a flat surface it falls to the side. Any Ideas on what this might be?