Drone review: DJI Phantom 3 vs 3DR Solo

Considering purchasing a new quadcopter drone? Leaning towards a Phantom 3 but have heard some good things about the 3DR Solo? Check out the above drone review video and following info to help with that decision.

The rigs used in the above video are:
3DR Solo w/GoPro HERO3+ Black, no Gimbal
DJI Phantom 3 Professional with 4K camera, 3-Axis Gimbal

From around the 6 min point in the video planet5D writer Hugh Brownstone does a great job “summing up” the various benefits of each drone platform.

DJI Phantom 3

Available in three versions: Standard, Advanced, and Professional. We have listed some of the key features and specs for the entry level Standard version

– Automatic Flight Assistant : On command or signal loss instant return to origin
– Auto-Hover: automatic hovering in place while waiting for commands
– Safe Flight Limits: stays within heights and distances you set
– Live GPS: Live GPS data to map on mobile device
– Flying time up to 25 minutes on single charge
– Built in camera shoots: 2.7k HD video and 12MP images
– 3-axis gimbal for stable image/video shooting
– remote controller: 5.8GHz transmission frequency with up to 0.62m (1km) range
– built-in WiFi: connect mobile device to Phantom’s WiFi network to see live HD video feed and adjust camera settings (via DJI GO app)

From the DJI online store, the Phantom 3 Standard is listed at USD $699 while the Professional runs USD $1,259 (Jan 1, 2016)
With the Professional you get the 4K video resolution vs the 2.7K for the Standard, much farther transmission distance, as well as other upgrades. The DJI site provides a good spec comparison chart for the three available models.

3DR Solo

Some of the 3DR Solo features as provided by the 3DR website are:
– Smart Shots feature, which is powered by dual 1GHz Linux computers, allows for automatic control of both copter and camera positioning in flight
– Optimized for GoPro. Live HD video from drone to mobile, with recording up to 4K video (depending on the GoPro model attached)
– Auto takoff and land button on the controller
– Return and land at home button on the controller
– Pause button brings drone to midair halt-and-hover position
– Up to 20 minute flight time

Other features are on the 3DR company website.

From the 3DR online shop, as of Jan 1, 2016 the Solo with 3-axis gimbal was running $1,399.95 and the additional GoPro HERO4 Black at $499.99.

Another quadcopter review you may be interested in: Phantom 2 vs the Parrot Bebop

See how the DJI Phantom 3 compares to the Phantom 4.