Phantom Professional

Drones and quadcopters manufacturer DJI has unveiled Phantom 3, the latest addition to its fleet of camera-equipped unmanned aerial vehicles.

Available in two variants, the Phantom 3 Professional and Phantom 3 Advanced, the new drone platform is said to incorporate DJI-developed professional control features, while providing provides greater control and creative options to operate.

DJI CEO Frank Wang said: "In developing the next-generation Phantom, DJI remained committed to providing a top tier flight experience in one easy-to-use platform.

"We pride ourselves in creating a flying camera that fits in a backpack and can be ready to take professional quality videos from the sky in less than a minute."

The Phantom 3 will use DJI’s visual positioning system to operate without the need for GPS, and can easily takeoff and land at the push of a button.

"Users will be able to send a YouTube link to their friends and colleagues to show them the aerial perspectives of where they are right now."

DJI’s Lightbridge feature facilitates complete control on the drone up to 2km away, and provides a live HD video stream from the camera, the company said.

The Phantom 3 Professional and Phantom 3 Advanced are designed to record 4K video at up to 30 frames per second (fps) and 1,080px resolution video at 60fps, respectively. Both the versions are capable of shooting 12 megapixel photos.

To keep the videos clear during various flight conditions, the cameras are stabilised using three-axis gimbals.

Camera settings, including ISO, shutter speed and exposure compensation, can be altered using the DJI Pilot app as well as remote controllers.

DJI San Francisco general manager Eric Cheng said: "Pilots, whether they are journalists, extreme athletes, or global travellers, will not just be able to share aerial videos of where they were, but will also be able to send a YouTube link to their friends and colleagues to show them the aerial perspectives of where they are right now."

Image: The Phantom 3 Professional is capable of shooting 4K video at up to 30fps. Photo: courtesy of DJI.