If you are a person who loves adventures and going to wild places, then a drone will be the perfect toy and creative tool for you. Lately, I’d been continuously searching for a drone at the price of not more than $500 and which will feature the needed hardware capabilities, for fair recording quality. Well, not just have I decided that this will be my final option, but I was mesmerized that a drone for this price has a built-in 4K camera and battery life of 25mins, better than good, along with quick charging time from 0 to a 100% for 40mins.
“Perfect for beginners or experienced drone operators, the Phantom 3 SE features the reliability, intuitive controls, excellent image quality, and powerful flight performance that make DJI’s Phantom series so iconic. With its 4K camera, 4 km control range, vision positioning system, and 25-minute flight time, users can experience the thrill of flying with incredible ease.”-The Chinese DJI Technology Co., Ltd.
The name of this device is pretty known to the fans of drowns and this actually is the third sequel to the Phantom series. The DJI Phantom 3 SE model is a pretty good traditional-phantom series looking drone and is packing great software, hardware and camera for a crazy price tag.
Design
The design of this drone is beautiful, lightweight and aerodynamic, which allows you take a different view of every place you decide to take a flight around. It has the exact and familiar to the Phantom series looks, with the camera attached in the centre, in the centre so that it could serve as a natural weight while flying and also be protected by the sides on the left and right.
The sides serve as holders while landing, as well as additional protection of the 4K camera. The propellers are positioned in each corner forming a square if traced.They are powerful and assure quickness, responsiveness and smooth flying. It is easily controlled by a good looking and full with options remote control, that hasn’t suffered any big changes since its ancestors.
With two axis buttons on the left and right, you navigate it whether it should go up/down or rotate. On the front, there is an antenna that’s capable of 500-700meters coverage and a holder for your smartphone. A scroll button on the upper right corner is placed for sifting through the camera options, with a handle so that you can carry it around easily. Two switch-like buttons are placed just above the axis buttons, as the right one is for switching between flight/GPS modes and the left one is giving a command to the drone to return to the base where you are located, without you doing a thing. It’s a smart and good looking drone that is astonishing for this low price!
Performance, battery life, and camera
The performance of this cheap version drone is incredible, highly welcomed by photographers and adventurers. This Phantom’s newly enhanced Wi-Fi video transmission system allows you to fly farther while maintaining a crystal-clear live camera view. The Phantom 3 SE offers reliable control and image transmission from up to 4 km away, which means that all you have to do is to focus on getting the best shots possible with the 4K camera.The Phantom 3 SE flies at up to 35 mph (57 kph), delivering the excitement of fast flight even in strong winds. One of the best things that I love about this drone is that it hovers steadily. The calibration process takes 2 minutes and then it will precisely hover in place and wait for your next command. This gives you ample time to plan, adjust your camera, and capture shots that match your creative vision.
The camera’s 3-axis gimbal effectively reduces shake and rolling shutter effect, making its footage smooth and stable. The gimbal’s motors counteract unwanted camera movement in real-time, keeping the camera level and steady to shoot cinematic footage. The Phantom 3 SE records detailed and vibrant 4K 30 fps video. It also shoots 12 MP JPEG or DNG stills, providing flexibility during post-processing. If you want to transfer the files you’ve captured you can do this with a USB directly to your phone or computer.
The battery life is pretty fair, offering 25-30 minutes of flight time, depending on what your movements are. You can always trace the battery life on the special app for this product. It has an index that shows it’s exact position and an option to “Go home” when the battery level is too low. It navigates itself with a GPS and could hardly be lost.
Special thanks to Drones Etc. YouTube channel for the great review. You can check out the DJI website for additional information and shipping/pricing details.
