DJI Phantom 2 Vision Quadcopter with Camera

Product Description

The Phantom 2 Vision from DJI is a complete aerial camera system that's ready to fly within minutes. As the Phantom soars you'll be able to record 1080p video and take 14MP still photos using the live viewing and control through your iOS or Android device. Fly up to 25 minutes with the included intelligent LiPo battery and be amazed at the professional-quality aerial footage you can achieve, even with no prior experience. The Phantom 2 Vision also includes all the features you love from the original Phantom such as Intelligent Orientation Control, ready-to-fly design and advanced GPS-guided autonomous functionality unleashed through the free software available.

Top Reviews

Totally AMAZING does not even come close...!!
by FocusPocus (5 out of 5 stars)
November 19, 2013

I ordered this Quadcopter on Nov. 11 and received it...and the case I bought at the same time, on Friday, the 15th...very speedy service on these items. I had read quite a bit about the DJI Phantom Quads, and once my Vision was on the way, I tried to read all of the info I could get my hands on....I need to say that the "Tutorials" on the DJI Web Site were extremely helpful, very positive and supportive about all phases of the operation of this amazing flying machine.

I need to say here, that I had Zero experience flying any sort of model aircraft, no time using any sort of radio control or really, very little contact with anyone in the RC community...so, I was really a total novice...and fairly apprehensive about learning to "drive" one of these expensive toys....without a major hiccup...! So, why did I buy this Quad?? My main interest is in photography and the current issue of Outdoor Photography features an article on using one of these devices for aerial photos. Who has not wished they could "get a camera way up there!"....or "zoom over the steeple of that church"...or "see what this neighborhood looks like from 300 feet up".? When I read the specs of the Vision camera...14meg, stills or video, jpeg and RAW, intervalometer...a long list..I knew I'd get a lot of use out of it. Just the idea of being able to rotate the Quad while shooting multiple still images for panos was enough to make the final decision for me...!

Anyway...Fri. the boxes started to arrive and finally, I got the opportunity to see the Phantom in 'real life'.. I had watched the "unpacking" tutorial from DJI, so there were no surprises with any of this. I pulled out the main battery and the range extender and started them charging. (Main battery took about an hour...the extender was longer than that...3-4 hours..FYI) I took that time to do the few things required...spin on the props, apply the 'racing stripes', attach the range extender and the iDevice holder to the range extender, check the new carry case...and worry some more..!!

Both weekend days were extremely windy...up to 50+ MPH...well in excess of what any sane person would want to use as beginner training for this fairly complex device. Monday was a different story...temps in the 60's, and only gentle breezes..5-8MPH at most. So......the case with the Phantom and the rest of the gear went into the mini-van...and we headed for a local park. It took only a few minutes to turn on the range extender, let it establish the WiFi link, go to "Settings" on my iPhone...(4s...FYI)...open the DJI 'app', see that it had connected successfully....and head to a convenient bench nearby. There I powered up the battery in the Phantom itself, turned on the Controller power, flipped the S1 switch about 9 times to get it into Compass Configuration mode...did the required rotations with the Phantom and got the correct response from it...good to see the green LED's confirming that all was ready. I checked the iPhone app again that I had pre-loaded a week earlier...removed the lens cap..(very important!)...and Bingo...everything looked great... I placed the Phantom about 20 feet away from the bench....pulled the CSC joysticks to the "Motors On" position, watched the motors come to life...(I had done this at home a few days earlier....so I knew what to expect..!), took a deep breath....(a few spectators had gathered by this time...always good to try something totally new in front of a crowd..!!)...and waited for the Moment of Truth....fingers crossed...heart beat full on.....hoping for the best...

I advanced the left joy stick slowly.....I heard and saw the motors speed up....a bit more stick...and then...smoothly...almost as if I actually knew what I was doing....the Phantom rose into the air...about 6-7 feet at that point...WOW!!....did I say WOW?...!! It worked...just as advertised...so easy, not a single bobble...nothing but the comforting sound of the motors and the sight of the Phantom just hovering in the air....stable...the red and green LEDs under the arms flashing...a picture on my iPhone from the on-board camera....and a host of approving....and amazed comments from the peanut gallery..! The phrase, "That is SO cool!" was heard more than once...! Flushed with my new success, I advanced the left joy stick again...and the Phantom responded by rising another 8-10 feet into the air...it really had such and 'other-worldly' look to it...just floating in the air...steady...only the prop noise giving any hint that it was there... Since the camera was pointed away from us, I moved the left stick to the side and watched the Phantom rotate and at the same time I could see the display on my iPhone show the view from 15 feet up....turning...90 degrees, more....then...our small bunch of observers came into view...more use of the "Cool" word...!

Since things were going so well, I started moving the right hand joy stick...the Phantom mirrored each command...forward...then back...to the left...then back to the right... Quite frankly, I was totally amazed by how easy this had all gone...My confidence level had gone from merely hoping I could get this off the ground and not embarrass myself...to feeling pretty totally in control of this device and the attached camera....which was confirming each and every action of the Phantom itself..Wheeeeeee...!! Since I knew the main battery was good for about 25+ minutes, I flew the Phantom Vision up higher...rotated it....went a few hundred yards away, turned back...lower...this is getting addictive...! When I got it closer, I handed the Controller to my wife...and she had no trouble with the basic controls either...I'd like think that it was my skilled take-off that was the basis for her ability to maneuver the craft...but I know better..!! The next 20 minutes were spent in flying around the general area...flexing my aviation muscles, so to speak....I always kept it in view...although having the visual confirmation on the iPhone screen will allow operation that would be out of sight of the operator...another time maybe...! Pushing the left joy stick forward...caused the Phantom to begin to climb...at about a hundred feet up, it became a tiny dot in the sky....another hundred and it was nearly invisible...the lights of the LED's could not be seen then due to the sunny skies...but...we knew it was there...! It was a strange, but satisfying, feeling to be in control of this "eye in the sky"....close to euphoria...!!

Now I HAVE been around many aircraft....both full size...and models, enough to know that the number of landings should exactly equal the number of take-offs....so this would be my final challenge...although I really had no fear about this going wrong after the 20+ minutes of experience (Old Hand..!)...I had in the air. Bringing the Quad back to the take-off point, I settled it to a point about 5 feet above the grass, pulled back on the left hand joy stick...the Phantom moved down....touched the ground....a second later, I could hear the motors spin down...(I had kept the left joy stick in the full rear...or Power Off..position)...and...accepted the accolades of the crowd....OK...the 4 or 5 people who were there..!!

Final view of all of this?? Incredible to see this machine hover at any place you want...just remove your fingers from the sticks and it STOPS...the few times I was unsure of the orientation of the Panther, I did just that...figured out what I wanted to do next...and then continued. This is unlike an airplane...which continues flying while the pilot searches for his (MY..!!)...next move.. EASY TO FLY?? Yes....very...a super solid, comfortable, controlling experience. I can't wait to put this to photographic uses...having a mobile camera platform that can basically be placed within about a quarter of a mile and up to 400 feet in the air...(more if out of range of an airport...)...and the ability to switch from stills to video...to aim the camera up or down...0 degrees to 60 degrees of motion, able even to format the micro SD card in flight..!! Rotating this Phantom as I trigger the camera for some panos should be amazing....stay tuned...!!

If interested in following this tale...I have just started a Group on Flickr...[...]
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This review will assuage all fear. PLEASE READ
by Amy Mistrot (5 out of 5 stars)
January 10, 2015

I do not normally write reviews, but I was driven to do so for this product. I, like most of you, have read the one star reviews and heard the horror stories about fly-aways. However, I bought the Vision, despite these warnings, due to some of my own research. With this review, I will summarize my research and share my own experience with the Phantom. I know this is a long review, but please read the whole thing. It will help you immensely if and when you buy your Phantom.
There are several reasons that the Phantom might flyaway. All of them are preventable with good maintenance and good preparation. The first thing to do when you get your Phantom is to update the firmware. It is a relatively simple procedure. You must download the Phantom Assistant software from dji's website, connect the phantom to your computer via the micro USB cable included with the quadcopter, go to the upgrade page, and complete the updates that are available. It is all described in the following video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ar42lamwLw
One of the other things you can do is to calibrate the IMU. IMU stands for inertial measurement Unit. It is a singular unit that includes a 3-axis gyroscope and accelerometer. It is responsible for measuring the movement of your Phantom and compensating for it. If it is not calibrated, it can cause the Phantom to fly wildly off course. There is another simple procedure for calibrating the IMU. First, you must again connect your Phantom to the assistant software. Go to the tools tab, and click on advanced. Make sure the phantom is on a flat, level surface for the duration of the calibration, which can last up to 10 minutes. Again, here is a video showing the whole process.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvSYqxl1sKk

Notes: This video depicts a Phantom 2; the process is the same for the Vision.
The last thing you can do is to make sure that the compass is calibrated. It is the simplest procedure. It will be described in the quick start guide, user manual, and Phantom app. It may not be required every flight, but it is a good idea and will help with flight stability. If you follow these steps, I promise you will have no problems with you Phantom.
Let me tell you a little about my experience with the Phantom. I originally bought the Parrot Bebop but returned it after reading about and seeing proof of widespread flyaways. I decided to buy the Phantom but started to become hesitant when I started reading the one star reviews. However, after doing the research that I summarized above, I decided to go for it. I could not be happier!!!! I started off with conservative flight, but I soon started to be more ambitious, flying farther away and even out of visual range. The Wi-Fi has incredible range and the camera records great video! I could not be happier with this machine. It is everything it is advertised to be. If you follow the steps I have laid out above, you will have no problems.
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Love mine with exception to custome support
by Mr. Dale A. Stagg (3 out of 5 stars)
January 26, 2014

I love this thing. I have original Phantom and was very nice, but could not see where flying and could not see what was being filmed using GoPro but was still nice. This one you can fly using included camera and takes decent photos and videos with much more stable than original version with GoPro. I still wanted better, so ordered a gimbal to reduce all shake but that is another story. DJI recently came out with a new camera firmware for RAW photos, but it make my camera a brick and no longer worked for photos, videos or seeing where you are flying with phone app. It destroyed my camera and DJI has no current fix for it and is very unresponsive. I ended up returning my purchase and got a replacement and refuse to try a firmware update again until things are fixed. Most haven't had this issue, but there are still a lot of folks having the same issue and they are all having to return the Phantom or camera depending on where they are purchased, but all are replacing the camera. Beware of firmware problem on camera. Firmware updating on the Phantom isn't an issue, just the camera.

All in all, this thing flies great and is a lot of fun. It is stable and easy to learn, but everyone crashes at some point, but they hold up very well. Only reason I don't give it a 5 is because of customer support on a huge issue as the camera. They are still promoting the update to the camera still also even though it is a definite problem by many others. Chances are you will have no problem, but I did as well as many others with no fix for the problem, so beware of updating and you may lose the camera which is what makes the Phantom Vision so much better than the original Phantom. If you want to get this Phantom, delay the camera update and you will be fine and will love this thing. The update gives you RAW photos which I wanted, but not at the expense of bricking my camera, so wait until things settle down to insure you don't make my mistake. Still, I say pull the trigger and get one of these!

February 1st, 2014 Edited Review: since I had bricked my camera by their bad firmware that I have learned many others also got same issue and some with no resolve to issue, I wrote to their support team and now after three weeks, I still only get an email this past week saying they are looking at the known issue. No support after three weeks with a camera that does not work? Really? this is the heart of the Phantom Vision. Great thing Amazon replaced my entire purchase but DJI does not know that.....yet. Seems there is also a law suit that stops them from further sales using many suppliers due to kicking the North American crew out of the organization including the CEO that held 48% of the North Americas company. They did open a new North American office in California, but so far, their support of their product is terrible. I still love the machine, however, if there ever is another problem with it, it too will be a brick unless something changes. Dropping my review down to a three, even though I still love the Phantom. Lots of innovation was built in, they just need to step up support for the people keeping them in business instead of working towards new sales only.
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Ordered a replacement and even sent that one back
by GEEK (2 out of 5 stars)
March 10, 2014

Think the product is great however here is my experience

After updating firmware - calibrating the compass and setting out in a park with 6 satellites locked on to the device and most importantly waiting for the green flashing lights to activate for the come back home feature to be active - my first flight was cool for 30 seconds until the quad shot straight up into the air lost it on my phone at 212 feet then the screen showed coming back home-which it did as it crashed to the ground through a tree propellers still spinning and smack into the ground - now good news this device can take a pounding rotors snapped camera went bouncing for 100 feet gimbal broke. But I put it back together and it functions great.

So second flight out for about 15 mins different park it went rogue on me again this time I found it in the desert.

Now I'm irrupted put it back together checked everything the s1 switch the firmware everything - got 10 mins into flight and off it shot again - my unit is clearly defective - so i have ordered a replacement and will update this review then

If it works this will be a very nice piece of equipment.

So second one arrived even felt confident that the same issues couldn't happen again so ordered the lens adapter blade guards a cpl lens and a uv lens - was all set to have a blast and start doing some real video when - compass issues started - no way to calibrate compass - wiggled the s1 switch so many times i thought it would snap spent hours figuring it out reading forums - whatever finally 2 days later it works and doesn't try and fly off - but now i can't get a gps lock now I'm more than pissed - manage to get a couple of flights out of it but in 4 locations with strong gps no lock. So I drive out to a clients to show off my toy hoping it would work- and as I take off awesome gps lock but wait now what the same thing as the first whoosh off it goes lost gps lock and flies away - finally comes home. Drove to another location no gps lock 15 mins later 9 gps satellites show up - off I fly dizzy with excitement but wait why is it drifting why is it rotating holy crap where is it going will it hit that pole whoosh hop it shoots to 66 feet then flies back.

So I packed it up in its box left the battery on as if to say to the unit now try and fly off in the box in a ups truck!

I have committed to a professional unit with a company in town. This is a great trainer and toy if you can get it to work - I will stay away from anything dji that isn't professional grade. If you buy this you must upgrade the gimbal to a 3 axis and the video will be fine - watch for gps losing lock and compass issues.

Thank god for amazon dii haven't responded in 2 weeks!
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An Excellent Purchase that has Exceeded my Expectations
by Kurt Schwoppe (5 out of 5 stars)
November 30, 2014

This is an amazing device that has performed remarkably well. My son and I have made about 14 flights over 5 days with only 2 minor issues, both of which were operator error. My primary advice for any new owner is to TAKE YOUR TIME and carefully read and watch the different videos on how to operate. It is remarkably easy to fly, but there is a lot going on, so just using the Quick Start Guide is NOT enough. If you take your time and carefully learn all the controls, you can become an expert flier and quadcopter videographer real quick.

After 14 flights, here is what I think is important:
#1 - The Compass Calibration step is very important as is having really good GPS lock. The ability to control your Phantom depends on both of these. Do not fly into tight confines that may block the GPS signals to the quadcopter (this was one of our operator errors when we flew too close to the house) and obviously I do not recommend flying without GPS lock.
#2 - Make sure you understand the series of light codes the Quadcopter gives when it is ready (or not ready) to fly. Use a checklist or cheat sheet understand the various light codes and to make sure all your switches are in the right position. There are a total of 6 switches to remember not including the various camera controls in the App.
#3 - For your first few flights, I strongly encourage you to go to a very wide open space (duh). Once you master the basics, CAREFULLY push the Phantom to its range limits (both up and out), just so you can see how far you can go. Upon EVERY takeoff, we always just fly up about 6 feet and let go of the controls. The Phatom should easily hover in one spot even in a breeze. Once you are convinced all systems are working and stable - go fly!
#4 - Recharge and replace all batteries OFTEN. Replacing the batteries in the RC unit is much less expensive than crashing or losing your Phantom.

The Vision camera on the Phantom 2 provides excellent quality video and still pictures. I play them back on my 65" screen and the detail is amazing. With only single axis control, the videos do have some unwanted motion, but it's usually the result of a sudden flight maneuver or gust of wind - when hovering the video is very stable with no perceivable jitter. Perhaps the video is not Hollywood quality, but for my purposes, I think it's outstanding.
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3 things; Restricted flight height near airports. Not legal for commerce. Freaking awesome!
by Zeal (5 out of 5 stars)
December 3, 2014

This drone is pretty awesome, it's very stable and easy to learn.

Further research I discovered you can remove the 400ft limit and you can also enable manual mode (have not dared yet, you can make flips and fly very fast).

I mentioned speed, currently out of the box I got it to fly 35mph with the wind :D

There is a GPS zoning limit, meaning it will go only a certain altitude near airports and if you are super close it will not take off. In the event you fly into this zone your drone will land automatically, wherever it's at.

Also, if you (like me) are buying this with business in mind, I discovered after purchasing that commercial UAV use is currently prohibited by the FAA, so if you are buying this to make money, don't.

TIPS:

After you buy it, be sure to download the program into your computer and customize it :)

Buy the propeller protectors or you will go through all your spare props in a week (I did).

When crashing, it will not save video (really sucks).

Last thing I almost forgot to mention, the smartphone app really sucks. It looses connection, lags, doesn't let you take video/pictures at times, etc...
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LOVE this THING! Can't say enough...
by JoHarley (5 out of 5 stars)
April 18, 2014

CONs
- DJI released the Phantom 2 Vision Plus just after I purchased the non-Plus unit, I mean within a week or so! There was NO notice it was coming out anywhere. The Vision Plus has a way better camera/gimbal setup than the straight Vision. I wrote to them asking why they didn't tell folks the Vision Plus was coming, I would have much rather had the Plus. They told me that it was a "marketing strategy" and they "hoped I understand". All I understand is I could have had a better unit if I'd waited one more week...
-Personal opinion: You learn, the hard way, about things concerning the copter. For example when the DJI app tells you the battery is at 30% or less power, it's time to bring it home, NO MATER WHAT! Else you may think, "I've still got a bit of power, let's fly a little more". Then end up crashing it someplace undesirable. I've crashed mine really HARD two times now. One because of low battery and one because of a non-calibrated compass. I'm really surprised the thing flies at all now. Read, Read, Read the manual! Watch all the training YouTube videos you can!
- The gimbal for their camera is a bit lame, as far as gimbals go. It's a single axis gimbal, not a dual axis one. You can upgrade the gimbal to a third party gimbal for several hundred dollars.
- The DJI app works very well for controlling the copter remotely. Of course the biggest problem is being able to see your smart phones screen. I have found that draping a light weight black cloth over my head and the RC works well, buy you lose the FPV (First Person View) of the copter.

PROs
- Flies wonderfully! I began trying to fly a SUPER CHEAP quadcopter, boy what a waste of money that was. You spend ALL your time simply trying to keep those cheap copters flying level and I found you end up flying it in "panic mode" all the time. You never get to enjoy the flight. Not so with the DJI Phantom 2 Vision. With the GPS & Compass system onboard once you lift off, it'll sit right where you left it, even in the wind! So relax, don't get into the old "panic mode", you don't need to.
- Takes the greatest HD videos from places you've never seen before. Living by the ocean gives me plenty of things to look see for the first time.
- Propeller guards - would recommend these for folks just starting out flying. New pilots tend to freak out and fly in panic mode at first, so these guards will save numerous sets of blades for you. As you get more comfortable flying you can take them off for filming. I use them while flying in really tight areas, i.e. trees, buildings.
- There are so many good training videos out there. Watch them! All of them! Read the manual! Understand what needs to be done pre-flight cause there is some important items you should know about before flying too high or far away...

I love this thing! I can't wait to fly it at all the places I've thought of thus far. I've got a LONG list of places to fly and take videos. Start thinking and writing down places now before you even get the copter... Enjoy your flights!
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Great Drone for a beginner or hobbyist.
by Michael G.,Top Contributor: Camping (4 out of 5 stars)
February 26, 2017

This drone is great for a beginner trying to learn to operate a drone. The battery life is a little bit of an issue and I have noticed that the battery life does decrease with every month to two months. It's a bit of an issue because you don't want this thing to fall out of the sky even though it is one of the cheaper drones on the market. It works as designed and is definitely fun but keep in mind it's more for hobbyists. If you want a professional photography or videography drone then try to build your own or look somewhere else. Don't get me wrong, the videos and pictures are awesome but this model didn't have a 3 axis gimbal to stabilize the video. Once again, if you are new to drones then this is definitely the product for you to learn to fly and take pictures and/or videos but don't expect to be the next Michael Bay with this drone.
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Wonderful flyer....with a glitch!
by John14733 (4 out of 5 stars)
July 22, 2015

I would've given the Phantom 2 Vision five stars but when I was testing all the systems (on my kitchen table), I wanted to make sure everything was perfect for the first fLight. Originally I used an iPod gen 4 for the WiFi device. So after the app was downloaded and the system was turned on in the correct sequence I could see the top of my table and move the camera!..Success!.....then appeared the message "WiFi connection broken".I could no longer control the camera, then I noticed the green WiFi led on the range extender was blinking.. the picture of my table was back on and I could move the camera...then I couldn't...I started from scratch, the range extender was fully charged, everything was done according to DJI. After a couple more times with the iPod I switched to a Galaxy s4 phone, recommended by DJI. I experienced the same thing and came to the conclusion that my home WiFi was interfering and went to a park and found a secluded section and tried again. The Phantom was the strongest signal there. I wanted to take it through it's first fLight test. At first the WiFi was working and was going to be OK but after I got the Phantom started and lifted it off the ground about seven feet I noticed the WiFi was not working. I continued with the test and was not disappointed! I have flown helicopters for several years and the simplicity of the Phantom was unbelievable! I took it through the trials then the test I dreaded....the emergency Home test. I took it up to about two hundred feet and a football field down range.....then turned off the power to the controller...in about five seconds that seemed like minutes it was moving toward me, I happened to look at the phone and it said " Comming Home" in big letters. It came down very slowly and landed as if on egg shells and shut itself down! If only the darned WiFi worked! What an amazing craft! I took it back home and read every blog and watched every video on YouTube that had anything to do with the range extender and how to make changes to the phone...nothing worked, everything pointed to a bad range extender. I had only had it five days so I called Amazon and they were so gracious and understanding, I only wanted the range extender replaced if they could....they couldn't so I received my second Phantom today! Will update this when I know anything. Thank You Amazon!
7/23... This is an update to the above review, the DJI Phantom is now five stars! After receiving my second Phantom 2 Vision doing everything I did with the first one, making sure I was doing everything right and using the galaxy s4 for the mobile device I was able to take about a 12 min video with no drop out! It was quite windy but the Phantom handled it beautifully! It probably could've been longer but I was so excited I couldn't wait to get it home and review it. It was beautiful, I just have to make some changes on the video setting. I even done a short video in my back yard just to see if my home WiFi would interfere...not a problem...no glitch! Thank you Amazon.
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Buyer Beware, if it does not work correctly, you are stuck with it.
by R. L. B. (1 out of 5 stars)
December 21, 2014

This is a great product, with very poor, un-expectable service after the sale. The WiFi range extender never worked so I contacted DJI America, after a 20 minutes on hold I talked to someone who gave me a case number, 74311. Through emails they tried several items on the normal checklist, without resolving the issue and then closed the case without any warning. Then to top that they would not allow feedback on their service.

I had read about their terrible service after the sale, and now I am a believer. Stay away from this product until they figure it out! There are other products with a better reputation.

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