Publication date: 14.04.2017
DJI has announced the release of the Phantom 4 Advanced drone, which will replace the Phantom 4 model in the line. The new Phantom 4 Advanced has a more serious camera than the current Phantom 4, and thus the new product will take a place in the line above the Phantom 4, and slightly below than Phantom 4 Pro.
The “regular” Phantom 4 uses a small 1/2.3” CMOS sensor with a resolution of 12 megapixels. The updated Phantom 4 Advanced will be equipped with a 20 megapixel resolution matrix and, just as importantly, a much larger 1” format. The new camera uses a mechanical shutter (rather than an electronic shutter like the Phantom 4) and can shoot 4K video at 60 frames per second, as opposed to the Phantom 4's 30 frames per second.
“More powerful video processing now allows you to shoot 4K video at 60 fps with the H.264 codec, or 4K@30 with the H.265 codec. Both with a bitrate of 100 M/s,” explains DJI. “Superior optics, sensor and processors enable high dynamic range shooting with greater image detail required for post-production.”
Flight time has been increased from 28 to 30 minutes, and card capacity has been increased microSD memory– from 64 to 128 GB.
The five optical sensors of the Phantom 4 Advanced allow you to use many of the functions from the arsenal of the older Phantom 4 Pro model, namely: FlightAutonomy, Draw, ActiveTrack, TapFly, Gesture, Tripod. Dual satellite positioning systems (GPS and GLONASS), ultrasonic rangefinders and a forward obstacle avoidance system allow the Phantom 4 Advanced drone to hover perfectly in one place (including where there is no GPS), as well as fly in difficult environments.
The word “Advanced” in the name of the DJI Phantom 4 Advanced model is essentially already comparative characteristics and means “advanced”, “more advanced”. However, this was not enough for the developers. New model will be produced in two modifications: simply Advanced and Advanced+. I can’t help but remember George Orwell’s classic dystopian novel “1984”, where in the described future English language will become more and more simplified and pragmatic, and comparative degrees will be formed by adding the words “Plus” and “Plus Plus” to adjectives.
The “plus” modification of the Phantom 4 Advanced+ is equipped with a 5.5-inch 1080p display built into the control panel. At the same time, the screen brightness is twice as high as that of smartphones.
With the release of the new DJI Phantom 4 Advanced quadcopter, production of the current Phantom 4 will be discontinued on April 30, 2017. However, the manufacturer promises that support for Phantom 4 owners will continue.
The Phantom 4 Advanced has an improved camera with a larger sensor, capable of recording 4K video at 60 fps, as well as taking 14 photos per second in burst mode. Flying has become even safer with the FlightAutonomy system, which includes 5 optical sensors. With it, the drone is able to detect obstacles in 2 directions and avoid collisions with them. Made from titanium and magnesium alloys, the Phantom 4 Advanced is lighter in weight than the Phantom 4.
The drone camera is equipped with a one-inch matrix with a resolution of 20 megapixels. The specially designed lens consists of eight elements forming seven groups. A mechanical shutter has been added to the camera design. It allows you to shoot fast-moving scenes without the rolling shutter effect, even when the aircraft is moving at high speed. The drone's camera is in no way inferior to standard cameras. With it you can shoot video in 4K at 60 fps and maximum bitrate, equal to 100 Mbit/s, using the H.264 codec. By choosing 30 fps, you can use the H.265 codec. The large matrix combined with first-class data processing technology gives you even more freedom in the editing phase.
Phantom 4 Advanced is equipped with FlightAutonomy. It consists of 5 optical sensors, satellite navigation modules (GPS and GLONASS), ultrasonic rangefinders and a set of spare sensors. All this helps the drone accurately maintain its position in the air even without a satellite signal and fly in confined spaces. Optical sensors detect obstacles 30 meters in front of the drone. The drone can automatically brake 15 meters in front of an object.
The Phantom 4 Advanced remote control is equipped with an advanced Lightbridge signal transmission system, broadcasting high-quality video over a distance of up to 7 km*. Built-in 5.5" display and Full resolution HD (1080p) has a brightness of 1000 cd/m2 - twice as bright as most tablets. Even in direct sunlight, you can see what you're shooting clearly. The Phantom 4 Advanced remote operates for five hours and is universal device to control the drone. The built-in DJI GO app allows you to stream live and upload footage to social media, blogs, etc.
*When complying with FCC standard, in an open area without interference.
Draw is a new flight mode that uses point-by-point flight technology. Simply draw a line on the screen and the Phantom 4 Advanced will fly along the specified trajectory, remaining at a certain altitude. The pilot can focus on controlling the camera, while the drone takes care of the flight. Draw mode has two submodes.
Forward: The aircraft is moving with constant speed along the laid route, the camera looks forward.
Free: The aircraft moves along the paved path only if it receives a command from the pilot. In this mode, the camera can be turned in any direction.
ActiveTrack
Phantom 4 Advanced automatically detects and follows moving objects. Capturing moving subjects has always been a challenge. However, it is easy to deal with thanks to the advanced object recognition system of Phantom 4 Advanced. This mechanism recognizes more types of objects: people, cars, animals and adapts to following the target depending on its type.
Pilots can choose from the following modes:
Trace mode. The drone follows, flies in front of, or around a moving object.
Profile mode. The drone flies to the side of the object.
Spotlight mode. The drone can fly along any trajectory, the object will always be in the frame.
Fly in any direction with one touch of the screen. Tap an area on the screen and the drone will fly in the selected direction, avoiding collisions along the way*. To exit the mode, tap the screen again. The new augmented reality element will show the drone's flight path as a dotted line. It is difficult to control altitude, heading, flight speed and camera at the same time. TapFly Free allows the pilot to set the direction of flight, as well as turn the drone and tilt the camera without losing its trajectory. The TapFly set has three modes:
TapFly Forward – select your flight direction with one touch of the screen.
TapFly Backward – select a point to fly from. For example, click on the area in the lower right corner of the screen and the drone will fly its nose back to the upper left point.
TapFly Free – the pilot can freely control the camera while flying in a given direction.
*Collision avoidance function does not work in TapFly Free mode.
Return to Home
With the updated Return to Home mode, Phantom 4 Advanced will automatically select the best return path based on environmental conditions. The drone remembers its route during flight and, in case of loss of connection with the control panel, will return to the owner the same way.
The Phantom 4 Advanced chooses a return route based on the obstacles it detects. The Phantom 4 Advanced records your take-off point and, when returning, uses the recording to land at your starting point. The drone also scans the surface to determine if it is suitable for landing. If the drone detects uneven terrain or water underneath, it will notify the pilot and hover above the surface, awaiting further instructions.
Gesture Mode
Want to take a selfie with a drone? You can put the remote control aside; in Gesture Mode you only need one gesture. Phantom 4 Advanced uses computer vision technology to receive commands using gestures. Face the drone, raise your hands and the drone will point the camera at you. Once you are ready, extend your arms in front of you. The photo will be taken in three seconds.
Flight modes
Phantom 4 Advanced offers three flight modes to suit all conditions: P, A and S. Do you want smooth movements or high speed? Smart navigation or ease of control? Choose a mode depending on your preference. In Position Mode, functions such as TapFly, ActiveTrack, obstacle detection and positioning are available. In Sport Mode, the drone becomes agile and fast, reaching speeds of up to 72 km/h. IN manual mode(Atti Mode) communication with satellites is disabled, Phantom 4 Advanced maintains its altitude balance. It's ideal for pilots who want to capture particularly smooth video. In Tripod Mode, the drone's speed is limited to 7 km/h, which is suitable for indoor flight and creating the perfect composition. Flight safety is ensured by a system of infrared sensors and optical sensors operating in all of the listed modes.
7 km control range
Updated DJI Lightbridge broadcast technology transmits HD video streams up to 7 km*. Before each flight, Phantom 4 Advanced selects the frequency with the least amount of interference. Pilots can now choose between 2.4 and 5.8 GHz frequencies. Lightbridge sends flight telemetry data to the DJI GO 4 app screen and can be used to quickly download photos and videos to a connected mobile device
Lightbridge is designed using advanced signal transmission technologies. She easily adapts to environment. This system Sends high quality images with low signal latency. Traditional analogue video and Wi-Fi systems are susceptible to a large number interference and can transmit video in mediocre quality only over short distances.
* When complying with FCC standard, in an open area without interference.
Duplication of devices
The reliability of the Phantom 4 Advanced quadcopter is ensured by redundant inertial navigation system(INS) and two built-in compasses. Compasses and INS are important sensors. The drone constantly compares the information coming from them. This means that any incorrect data will be blocked and will not affect the flight.
Smart batteries
The Phantom 4 Advanced has a maximum runtime of 30 minutes, which extends runtime and increases your chances of capturing the perfect shot. The DJI GO 4 app shows your remaining battery power and lets you know when it's time to change your battery. The batteries are equipped with a power distribution center that protects them from overcharging and depletion. If stored for a long period of time, the batteries will automatically discharge.
DJI GO 4
For piloting and filming, a remote control is usually used. However, in more complex shooting conditions, real-time preview, flight data and advanced settings are required. This most often requires a mobile device. The DJI GO 4 app is designed specifically for aerial photography, can be installed on your tablet or smartphone, and is installed by default on the dedicated DJI CrystalSky display.
The app offers a wide range of smart flight modes. With it, you can also change many camera settings manually and receive notifications about changes made. For greater convenience, the application shows important flight telemetry data from camera video.
Plus, with DJI GO 4, you can edit your footage and share your work. Routes and data for each flight are automatically saved in account DJI GO 4 and you can always view them.
| Company manufacturer | SZ DJI Technology Co. |
| Manufacturer country | China |
| Purpose | Amateur aerial photos and videos |
| Number of pilots, people. | 1 |
| Flight data | |
| Maximum speed, m/s | 20 (in manual mode, no wind, S mode) |
| Cruising speed, m/s | 15 |
| Rate of climb, m/sec | 5 |
| Flight range (basic configuration), km | up to 7 km |
| Flight duration, min. | about 30 |
| Operating altitude (above take-off point), m | 120 |
| Max. height, m | 6000 |
| Power point | |
| Number of engines | 4 |
| engine's type | Brushless, electric |
| Battery name | Intelligent Flight Battery |
| Type | Removable, high voltage lithium polymer 4S |
| Capacity, mAh | 5870 |
| Energy, Wh | 89,2 |
| Weight, g | 468 |
| Remote Control | |
| Signal transmission range, km | up to 7 |
| Video connectors | USB, mini-HDMI (removable module) |
| Nutrition | Built-in battery |
| USB power supply | iOS: 1 A at 5.2 V (max); Android: 1.5 A at 5.2 V (max) |
| Connecting a co-pilot | No |
| Attachments | |
| Stabilizer | |
| Fastening | Not removable |
| Stabilization | 3-axis (tilt, rotate, bend) |
| Camera | |
| Number of effective pixels, MP | 20 |
| Physical matrix size | 1” (12.8 mm x 9.6 mm) |
| Matrix cleaning function | No |
| Matrix type | CMOS |
| Viewfinder type | smartphone or tablet screen |
| Flash support | No |
| Shutter speed range, s | 8-1/8000 |
| Lens | Not removable |
| Movie mode | С4K, UHD (4 K), FHD, 2.7K |
| Photo mode | Time-lapse. Continuous shooting RAW: 3/5/7/10/14 frames. Automatic exposure compensation (AEB): 0.7EV in 3/5-stop increments. Interval: 2/3/5/7/10/15/30/60 s |
| Memory card type | Micro SD. Max. volume 128 GB |
| Dimensions and weight | |
| Diagonal size, mm | 350 |
| Vehicle weight (including propellers and battery), g | 1388 |
| Total take-off weight with battery, g | 1388 |
| Climatic operating conditions | |
| Device, °C | 0…+40 |
| Battery, °C | +5...+40 |
| Battery charging, °C | +5...+40 |
| Control panel, °C | 0…+40 |
| Chamber, °C | 0…+40 |
| Basic requirements for mobile devices | |
| System requirements | iOS 9.0 and above Android 4.4.0 and above |
| Compatible mobile devices: | |
| iOS devices: | iPhone 5s, iPhone SE, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPad Air, iPad Air WiFi+Cellular, iPad mini 2, iPad mini 2 Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Air 2, iPad Air 2 Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad mini 3, iPad mini 3 Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad mini 4 and iPad mini 4 Wi-Fi + Cellular. This application optimized for iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus. |
| Devices on Android based: | Samsung tabs 705c, Samsung S6, Samsung S5, Samsung NOTE4, Samsung NOTE3, Google Nexus 6p, Nexus 9, Google Nexus 7 II, Ascend Mate7, Huawei P8 Max, Huawei Mate 8, LG V20, Nubia Z7 mini, Sony Xperia Z3, MI 3, MI PAD, Smartisan T1. *Support for other Android devices is under development and is available in test mode. |
Photos from open sources
Fans of spectacular shots often wonder which drone to choose to take high-quality photos? Independent experts advise different drones, but their opinions on choosing the Phantom 4 Advanced often coincide. What is so good about this device? In the material proposed below, we will try to reveal all its advantages, which make the device interesting for everyone who appreciates high-quality photography.
The device has a one-inch touchscreen, whose resolution is 20 megapixels. The drone can safely be called durable, since the manufacturer made sure that the flight duration of the Phantom 4 Advanced was 30 minutes. It is also noteworthy that the device can reach speeds of up to as much as 72 (!) kilometers per hour, calmly moving away from the control panel by 7 km. Thanks to the presence of a mechanical shutter, the drone's jerks are muffled even if it flies around a certain area at high speeds. The result is amazing, blur-free photos. It should also be noted that the lens aperture can open from 2.8 to 11 mm.
The sensor system allows the drone to avoid obstacles in its path. You can control the drone either through a smartphone or using a remote control. If you decide to control using a smartphone, the owner of the copter will need to download a special application from DJI.
Conveniently, the screws are put on the engines in a matter of seconds. Thanks to special red signal lights, the owner of the device will be able to detect a low charge level in time. If the device has flown far from the owner, ten seconds after the warning with red signal lights, the drone will fly back.
Users who cannot see their leisure time without high-quality photographs can shoot in both manual and auto modes. Another important plus is that the 20-megapixel camera can shoot in three completely different formats: JPEG, DNG and RAW.
ISO sensitivity ranges from 100 to 3200 when taking photos in auto mode, and from 100 to 12800 in manual mode.
It is also noteworthy that the 1-inch 20 megapixel matrix is four times larger than the matrix of earlier drone models. The camera also allows you to shoot in low light conditions. At the same time, the contrast and detail of the image are distinguished by their high quality.
The list of unique capabilities of the Phantom 4 Advanced quadcopter can be supplemented by a unique gesture mode, which will force the drone, with just the user’s hand raised up, to tune into selfie mode and take stunning pictures of the face.
The developers of the Phantom 4 Advanced copter also took care of the safest possible return of the copter, they note at http://goprocam.com.ua/dji-phantom-4-advanced. The device will compare the return path with the route it initially flew. If there are obstacles in the way, the drone will choose an alternative path to return to the point from which it started.
The Phantom 4 Advanced impresses with the variety of its intelligent modes:
Trace mode will allow you to follow a selected object (person, animal, car) or fly in front of it.
Profile mode allows you to follow your subject and take interesting photos from different angles.
Spotlight mode will allow you to keep the camera pointed at the subject while the aircraft and the subject are as close to each other as possible.
Two Draw modes will allow you to take pictures in different conditions. In standard mode, the copter will follow a given route with a set speed limit. In free mode, the drone will fly along a programmed path, while the camera can rotate in different directions to capture interesting shots.
Having studied the characteristics of the quad and the parameters of its camera, we can say the following: the Phantom 4 Advanced drone is a progressive development that will allow the user to concentrate as much as possible on shooting and get extremely high-quality and clear photographs during a walk or an exciting journey.
The evolutionary leap of the 4th Phantom series gave us the Phantom 4 Advanced best camera DJI today has an incredible 1-inch 20 MP matrix, two types of shutters, two video codecs used (H.265 and H.264), amazingly high-quality lenses. All together guarantees inspiring shooting with brilliant images.
The FlightAutonomy positioning system is now also available on the advanced Phantom 4 Advanced - a complex of sensors allows you to fearlessly fly at speeds of up to 50 km/h without fear of damaging the drone, and accurately navigate even in the absence of a satellite signal and in difficult terrain. The maximum speed of the drone can reach 72 km/h!
Phantom's artificial intelligence is capable of capturing fantastic footage with just a few swipes of your fingers - use Draw, ActiveTrack, TapFly, Gesture, Homecoming modes and many of their modifications to enjoy easy but amazing aerial photography.
The advanced video processing system gives you the opportunity to feel like a real director - you can shoot in DCI 4K/60 fps with a bit rate of 100 Mbps, giving you fantastic slow-motion footage in highest quality. In addition, the Phantom 4 Advanced camera supports the H.265 video codec (with maximum resolution 4096x2160/30 frames per second), which at a given bitrate performs double image processing compared to H.264, which as a result significantly improves video quality. But that's not all! Shooting in high dynamic range D-log mode allows for further color correction of the footage.
It's no secret that the resolution and contrast of the lenses used are crucial for any shooting, without decent characteristics it is impossible to take truly clear, bright, high-quality photos and videos. There's no doubt that the Phantom 4 Adv won't disappoint, with its camera featuring optimized F2.8 wide-angle lenses with a 24mm equivalent focal length. All elements are assembled in a compact format and guarantee the user an extremely detailed frame with minimal distortion and dispersion. To be absolutely sure, DJI has published product testing results so we can verify that new camera has all the declared characteristics.
Controlling the Phantom is as easy as shelling pears because, among other things, it orients itself in space with perfect accuracy and “sees” obstacles. DJI engineers are constantly working to improve these the most important characteristics, and today we can use the FlightAutonomy system, which includes 5 visual sensors, dual satellite navigation(GPS and GLONASS), ultrasonic sensors and redundant sensors. Thanks to a complex of modules, the quadcopter hovers at the desired point with amazing accuracy, even without access to GPS and in a very difficult environment. The drone perfectly “sees” the space 30 m ahead of itself and is able to automatically stop at speeds of up to 50 km/h when it detects an obstacle. The copter can accelerate to 72 km/h, but in this case the obstacle avoidance system is disabled.
Reliable communication between the pilot and the quadcopter is ensured by the Lightbridge HD data transmission system built into the drone, which covers a distance of up to 7 km! Now you can shoot truly incredible footage that until recently was only a filmmaker's dream. Remote controller remote control works on one charge up to 5 hours and best traditions DJI has a shape that is absolutely comfortable for the hands, a convenient location of functional buttons and a laconic, stylish design.
Phantom 4 Advanced offers its owners the following modes, each of which also has different variations:
DJI engineers test their product hundreds of times before it goes to market, however, such complex equipment can still fail, so it is very important to anticipate such critical situations. For safety reasons, the Phantom 4 Advanced quadcopter is equipped with a dual set of critical modules, namely IMU and compasses. Two pairs of elements continuously receive, process and compare the received data with each other, and if any discrepancies occur, incorrect data is simply ignored by the drone, keeping the flight absolutely stable and safe.
It is impossible to ignore such an essential part of a quadcopter as the battery. Phantom 4 Advanced can now fly continuously for as long as 30 minutes! This gives the user more chances to shoot complex shots and capture the right moment. As before, the drone’s batteries have their own intelligence, which continuously transmits data to the user about the current state, and in case of failures or simply discharge, it certainly tells the pilot what exactly happened (for example, overheating), or shows the remaining time until complete discharge.
