DJI - Phantom 4 Pro V2.0

For what it’s worth: I have a pair of Phantom 4 Pro v2’s (one is new, the other is like new) for sale 😁

Get you a used P4Pv2. You should be able to find one on marketplace or offerup for well under $1000. It wasn't too long ago that they were the gold standard for mapping and they also have full SDK support.

A phantom 4 rtk is still top of the line for survey grade mapping. Next step up would be a Mavic 3E but, like you said, its a bit confusing with DJI right now. I still occasionally use a phantom 4 pro at my survey firm alongside pix4d for processing data.

For all intents and purposes, the Phantom 4 was replaced by the Mavic 3E. It's no longer supported but you can still buy batteries and replacement propellers so that you can use the drone for as long as you'd like. I fly frequently within one of the most obnoxious areas in the country, the Washington DC FRZ. Nothing within the inner limits, but I have had dozens of FAA waivers to fly within the 15 mile radius. I've also flown adjacent to a number of military bases, all fairly recently with a Phantom 4 Pro v2. You should have no issues with a phantom 4 RTK outside of the government going nuclear and bricking all DJI drones, which I doubt they would do to currently compliant drones. Your drone is a workhorse and could easily provide you with years of good data and would last you well until after we know what is going to happen long-term with DJI. If they manage to get past this current madness, I'd keep your eye out for a Mavic 4 announcement eventually (I'd love a 3E but they're hard as hell to get these days for obvious reasons). Just make sure that any drone you get for mapping has a mechanical shutter. This goes for pretty much any company. As for US made drones... sadly there really aren't too many good options right now. They're expensive as hell and untested with plenty of quirks and no pedigre. What kind of work do you do in Alaska? Is it fairly wide open swaths of land? Or more urban? I've been eyeing the WingtraOne recently as its made in Switzerland, has a vertical take off, and has the stupid fast speed of a fixed wing drone. But it's also significantly more expensive than a DJI.

I am and always be a great fan of DJI P4 Pro v.2. The camera specs are outstanding. I have 2 and do land surveying. Insurance claims. Scenic videos etc. I have my Advanced Drone License ( Canada). Look at camera specs and compare.. You will be amazed.

Yes, I agree 100 %. But my thinking is why change what is not broken. BTW the camera also has mechanical shutters. It is also virtually indestructible:).. I have had high speed crash in trees and just needed to change props.

Camera specs  * **Sensor**: 1-inch CMOS with 20 million pixels * **Lens**: 84° FOV, f/2.8-f/11 auto focus * **Shutter**: Mechanical shutter with speeds of 8-1/2000 s * **Video recording**: 4K at 60 fps, 2.7K at 60 fps, FHD at 30 fps * **Photo modes**: Single shot, burst shooting, auto exposure bracketing * **Photo formats**: JPEG, DNG (RAW), JPEG + DNG * **Video formats**: MP4/MOV (AVC/H.264; HEVC/H.265)

I used to do all my photogrammetry work with first a DJI phantom 4 pro, then I modified it with an onboard emlid gnss for on the fly rtk positioning. Then, I bought the DJI phantom 4 rtk. Then I had to buy American drones. The phantom 4 pro still remains the best inexpensive drone for that. The camera has a mechanical shutter as well. It worked well for me. I still have one P4P v2 unopened that is RID compliant and used as a possible backup. Now it is collecting dust.

I used to do all my photogrammetry work with first a DJI phantom 4 pro, then I modified it with an onboard emlid gnss for on the fly rtk positioning. Then, I bought the DJI phantom 4 rtk. Then I had to buy American drones. The phantom 4 pro still remains the best inexpensive drone for that. The camera has a mechanical shutter as well. It worked well for me. I still have one P4P v2 unopened that is RID compliant and used as a possible backup. Now it is collecting dust.

I have one in the sealed box. This was a backup when I used to fly them for mapping. As someone else mentioned it has a mechanical shutter and it is RID compliant. I must use drones on the Blue list 2.0. It is a great versatile drone that can carry light payloads. I used to fly rtk with mine with the light hack and a multispectral camera. I could launch and retrieve from virtually anywhere even from a kayak for very tough spots to map.

It has a rolling shutter too so is not great for photogrammetry. Great for photos and videos.

If you want accurate maps, you need the Mavic 3 enterprise with it's mechanical shutter. For basic mapping for fun, you can go as low as a Mini 3 pro, but the rolling shutter will reduce accuracy and resolution. I work with the Mavic 3 Enterprise with RTK at work, and does incredibly accurate and detailed maps, but really no better than my old personal Phantom 4 Pro I have at home. With RTK and GCP's you can get accuracy within a cm or two. I'm trying trying to get our non-profit to get a Matrice 350 RTK with all the goodies to increase functionality as the Mavic 3E is great for maps, but not much else.

I have. Phantom 4 Pro. Is that worth getting a new battery for and getting that bird in the air?

For mine, it meant that it started acting a little weird during a flight and then it dropped out of the sky. The connectors inside looked loose but if that caused the crash it was caused bumpy the crash I won’t know. I bought a Mini 4 Pro from Costco after that. Their were things I liked better about the P4 Pro, including the manual shutter, but the software on the M4P takes much better low light pictures and the rolling shutter issue doesn’t seem to be much of a problem. But I make maps and large pictures for fun not a business.

Get you an older model, there's no shame in that. I got me a phantom 4 pro to educate a municipality on the benefits of drones and GIS. Just make sure you do the maintenance on it and the batteries. It's more budget "friendly" than an newer drone capable of your needs. Just remember you are also going to need the software to process the imagery. Good luck on your endeavors.

P4 still good for mapping because of the mechanical shutter. I wouldn’t use it for anything other than that though.