DJI’s $800 Phantom 3 Standard Drone Packs Better Camera And Is Easier To Control For Newbs

If you’re into aerial drones, DJI is hopes to address your in-flight photography needs with the introduction of a new entry-level model in the Phantom 3 series. Whereas the Phantom 3 Professional and Advanced cost $1,259 and $999 respectively, the new Phantom 3 Standard is a bit easier on the wallet at $799.

That price of admission will get you a gimbal-mounted camera capable of shooting 2.7K HD video at 30 FPS along with 12MP still shots (in JPEG or RAW format). As you might expect, video captured from the camera can be streamed back to your smartphone in 720p (the range for this feature is just 0.62 miles, or roughly half that of its Advanced and Professional counterparts) while you film your subjects, and recording video is a simple tap away. Flight time has also been extended to a respectable 25 minutes with the rechargeable battery pack.

The included Phantom 2 Vision+ remote features a built-in Wi-Fi range extender along with a wheel to adjust the title of the built-in camera. The remote also of course feature a built-in mount for your smartphone.

DJI has also included a number of “Smart” features that are aimed at helping beginners get the most out of their expensive drone. Automatic Flight Assistant allows the Phantom 3 Standard to act like an obedient dog, automatically hovering in place waiting for your next command. It will then respond appropriately to your control inputs and again pause and hover to await your next command. And should you lose sight of your drone or lose signal contact, it will come flying right back to its takeoff point (which is recorded via the built-in GPS sensor).

A new Point of Interest mode allow the drone’s camera to point at a single object as it flies around a pre-configured route (you can set parameters like speed, height, and radius). A Follow Me mode is also included, which turns out Phantom 3 Standard into your own personal stalker.

The Phantom 3 Standard is available for purchase today at the aforementioned price tag of $799. And please, stay out of the way of wild fires once you receive your fancy new drone and it’s also probably not a good idea to strap a handgun to it either.