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PCMag UK

DJI Phantom 3 Professional Review

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The DJI Phantom 3 Professional drone delivers a more refined flying experience and superior video quality to its predecessor, and earns Editors' Choice honors in the process.

Front

DJI's latest consumer drone is the Phantom 3 Professional ($1,259), which flies through the air via an easy-to-use remote control and records stabilized 4K footage.

Rear

The 4K video camera sits beneath the drone, stabilized by a 3-axis gimbal.

Profile

Red and green lights give you a visual indicator of the drone's position when it's in the air.

Remote

The new remote control is better designed than the ones you'd find bundled with previous Phantom models.

Remote (Profile)

The remote control has an integrated clip that can hold both smartphones and large tablets in landscape orientation.

Remote (Ports)

A direct cable connection is required to connect your smartphone or tablet to the remote.

Remote (Controls)

The flight mode toggle, a dedicated Record button, and a control wheel to adjust camera tilt are included on the remote.

Remote (Controls)

The remote also has a dedicated button to capture still images, a second control wheel to adjust exposure, and a playback control button.

Remote (Charge Port)

No need to worry about AAs; the remote has an internal rechargeable battery that charges via the same adapter as the flight battery.

4K Camera

The 4K camera has a 20mm (equivalent) prime lens with an f/2.8 aperture.

Battery

The included flight battery is good for about 20 minutes of flying time.

MicroSD Memory

Video is recorded to microSD memory; you can use cards up to 64GB in size.

USB Port

The Phantom includes a micro USB port so you can install firmware updates, and transfer video to a computer when you don't have a card reader handy.