P4P good for a beginner?

[potxman007]

Hi all, im new in this forum and in the drone world, I never had a drone before but now im planning to buy a P4P to take aerial photos,videos... and offer my services to anyone that needs a drone for that.
So is it worth it or should i buy a cheaper one?
Does the people have interest in those services? (weddings maybe or maybe taking photos of a roof)
Is the P4P good for a starter?
thx

 

[Fly Dawg]

First, before you jump in too deep, be aware that you will need a Part 107 Commercial License for any type of work in that regard. Otherwise, if you are not familiar with drones, I would start at a lower end. There are many to choose from.

 

[potxman007]

First, before you jump in too deep, be aware that you will need a Part 107 Commercial License for any type of work in that regard. Otherwise, if you are not familiar with drones, I would start at a lower end. There are many to choose from.

that part 107 is only for USA , i live in spain,there is a similar law tho
what drone you think is the best to start ?

 

[Fly Dawg]

Just to get the "Feel" of flying, try something in the Syma Series....X5C, X8C etc...That will get you familiar with controls etc. They do not however have GPS or FPV, but they fly great.

 

[Fly Dawg]

https://www.amazon.com/X5C-1-Quadco...=UTF8&qid=1510515906&sr=1-5&keywords=syma+x5c

 

[John Locke]

If you have never flown an RC craft before, I would recommend you consider a lower cost P3SE and learn to fly as a first step. Simply learning reverse navigation can take some people months to master so it's second nature to navigate when the drone is facing you, as opposed to facing away from you. Many newbies crash in the first month because of this, and it would be better to crash a $500 craft versus a $1500 craft. A used P3P or P3A would be a good option also to learn with, since it's got Lightbridge support and just works better providing a longer range, you won't outgrow it so fast as P3SE.

Before you do any commercial work you have a lot to learn to master cinematic moves with the drone, and edit video into an impressive product with value. Hone your skills for slow, smooth, cinematic flying, which is essential to offer your client a good deliverable. If your videos look bad, your referrals will be poor. Learn to fly first, learn how to use the Go app and camera settings, then create a demo reel, ask this forum to critique your demos, and when the videos look great, then consider your business options. When you find out what's required in Spain for commercial drone work, let us know the cost and process to acquire your permits/documents/certifications needed to be legal.

Are you already an accomplished photographer, or videographer? Do you know how to edit 4K video? Can you grade and edit photos? Are you setup with an adequate computer for this kind of work? Lots of things to consider for commercial work.

 

[nwairphotos]

I can't answer you question about getting business because I don't know your market and your skills, and I'm still trying to figure out some of those things for myself, in spite of having been an aerial photographer for many years via fixed wing aircraft and helicopters.

Regarding the P4P, however, if you can afford it, just buy it and fly it, cautiously at first. You don't need to learn to fly a lesser drone first. The only drone I've ever flown is my P4P. I know there are situations where real "piloting" might be necessary, but the way I see it, it mostly flies by itself. You position it somewhere and it stays there.

 

[John Locke]

if you can afford it, just buy it and fly it, cautiously at first.

Good luck with that plan, and your $1500 drone, as a beginner. I guess this plan is OK if $1500 doesn't mean that much to you, and when you crash it you can just go out and buy another one with no bad feelings. You might get by OK if you're an avid "gamer" and have reasonable hand eye coordination, and fully grasp reverse navigation. It's essential you don't become overconfident in the early stage, which is easy to do with DJI, as that's when you get into trouble.

 

[jwcfbd]

Good luck with that plan, and your $1500 drone, as a beginner. I guess this plan is OK if $1500 doesn't mean that much to you, and you can just go out and buy another one with no bad feelings. You might get by OK if you're an avid "gamer" and have reasonable hand eye coordination, and fully grasp reverse navigation.

I bought a P4P for my first drone and yes reverse navigation will get you in trouble but if you have any RC experience you already know that. I have some flying experience with a duel rotor helicopter which I quess helps but this thing is so easy to fly. FInd an open area, take it slow and have fun. Make small stick movements and get use to the way it handles. Once you get a feel for it change modes and learn that. I need to listen to this atvice myself. Take it up about 10-20 feet and select Atti mode. That turns off all the stability and leaves you in total control. It's going to wonder left, right, forward, backwards, up and down. Keep your finger on the switch and get ready to switch it back. Things can get hairy in a second but if you ever loose GPS you need to be ready for it. I backed mine in to the bushes yesterday becaise I wasn't ready for it. Luckly there was no damage. Don't forget you can always buy the repair plan.

 

[HighTechPauper]

Almost a year ago I got a p4p as my first drone, within about 4 months I had learned enough on that GPS enabled drone and decided to get into race drones too. In just a few extra months I was flying good enough to stay in the air with the acro quads and could get it to go kinda where I was trying to point it. I'm having a ball learning to fly and still fly the p4p for aerial photo stuff, so jump on in and enjoy, whatever you choose to start with!

Have a look, you may find it fun.

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[nwairphotos]

Good luck with that plan, and your $1500 drone, as a beginner. I guess this plan is OK if $1500 doesn't mean that much to you, and you can just go out and buy another one with no bad feelings. You might get by OK if you're an avid "gamer" and have reasonable hand eye coordination, and fully grasp reverse navigation.

Whatever. I don't see it that way, though of course I'm not implying he should be reckless.

I have had my P4P for 8 months and am pretty good at flying it. I started out very slowly and carefully. I learned on my P4P and on nothing else. I did buy a very cheap done that I never bothered to fly because I realized after reading some comments here that it's a very different experience. No, I'm not a gamer and grasping "reverse navigation" came naturally by carefully flying and experimenting in a safe open area.

Maybe I'm naturally careful with it because for me it's a business tool and not a toy.

 

[Crabman]

My tuppence based on what I did:
If you've never flown a drone, which is the situation I was in, go and buy a silly little cheap quad, say 40-50 bucks. Size doesn't matter too much IMO though I'd say it's an advantage if it can be flown indoors. You won't have to worry about weather and you can fly when you want. Get a couple of spare batteries as they only tend to last 5 minutes or so. Stick on the prop guards and take it slow to begin with, and get used to the controls. As you get better, if the quad is small enough, you can start setting courses around the living room, fly under tables and chairs, land in tight spaces, get good at reverse maneuvering. Resist the temptation to engage "headless mode". You'll be surprised how soon you'll get to grips with this, compared to "old fashioned" RC aircraft these quads are pretty easy to fly!
Once you feel confident and can fly the little quad without trimming the wife's orchids (which will be soon) go ahead and splash out on the drone of your dreams, and marvel at how nearly ridiculously easy it feels to fly.
The P4P has a "beginner mode" which I naturally engaged prior to my first flight. That lasted two minutes! Landed and stuck it in P-mode right away!

 

[Ade5]

Yes, just get the P4P.. It was my first drone..

 

[Alicatt]

In my case I got a cheap Syma X8C as a first drone and one that allows me to fly within my own property according to the rules here, it does have FPV to either an iPhone/iPad or Android device via WiFi, it is short ranged tho no more than a few hundred feet at best.

The P4P is on a whole different level with it's GPS and better sensors, never mind the camera is leagues better. Even in ATTI mode the P4P flies more stable than the SYMA but I'm glad I had all the bumps and scrapes with the Syma rather than the P4P, I still fly the Syma as it is a bigger challenge to get right than the P4P plus it does flips and wing overs

 

[Speedmeister]

Whatever drone you choose as your first drone will crash in your process of learning to fly. Find a flight simulator and learn to fly there. Master the forward flight in VLOS. Boring stuff but it will significantly reduces your chances of a crash due to pilot error.

 

[nwairphotos]

Whatever drone you choose as your first drone will crash in your process of learning to fly. Find a flight simulator and learn to fly there. Master the forward flight in VLOS. Boring stuff but it will significantly reduces your chances of a crash due to pilot error.

I disagree. I did not crash my P4P in the process of learning to fly and I flew no other drone before that. I put it in beginner mode and used it cautiously and slowly increased my flying skills. There are many others here who have shared similar experiences. Flying a toy drone, from what I have heard, since I have never flown one, is an entirely different experience

 

[Crabman]

DJI Go4 has a built in flight simulator which is kind of useful bit beginner mode is also good.
The advantage of a toy drone is exactly that they're a wholly different kettle of fish in terms of maneuvering. Compared to a Phantom they're like wasps on steroids, but they can take a lot of punishment and their nippy nature sets you up nicely for the transition to a Phantom. It'll feel like a gentle giant in comparison. I certainly don't regret my little 25 quid Syma!

 

[tevek]

Almost a year ago I got a p4p as my first drone, within about 4 months I had learned enough on that GPS enabled drone and decided to get into race drones too. In just a few extra months I was flying good enough to stay in the air with the acro quads and could get it to go kinda where I was trying to point it. I'm having a ball learning to fly and still fly the p4p for aerial photo stuff, so jump on in and enjoy, whatever you choose to start with!

Have a look, you may find it fun.

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I've been tempted for a while to get into the small racing drones and if the price is right, probably will. Cheapest that I can find over here that looks to be of reasonable quality, has a decent camera and has the ability to crash without exploding is upwards of $400.....

 

[Chrislaf]

DJI Go4 has a built in flight simulator which is kind of useful bit beginner mode is also good.
The advantage of a toy drone is exactly that they're a wholly different kettle of fish in terms of maneuvering. Compared to a Phantom they're like wasps on steroids, but they can take a lot of punishment and their nippy nature sets you up nicely for the transition to a Phantom. It'll feel like a gentle giant in comparison. I certainly don't regret my little 25 quid Syma!

I agree! My first drone was a Syma X8G which is about the same physical size as a phantom. Most of my crashes with it were because I lost orientation. It still works and I was out flying it today.

I am very glad I practiced on a cheap toy grade drone before I moved up to my Phantom 3 Standard. Although, I can afford and would love to have a P4P for image quality, I feel there is still lots for me to learn before I make that leap. Taking photos and videos with a flying camera is quite different than with one you hold in your hands. In Canada, a P4P is over $2000 with taxes. That’s a huge chunk of cash to be learning on!

Flying a Phantom is easier than most toy drones but knowing how to control all those $$$$ when it goes into Atti mode for whatever reason, I think is important. FWIW I would never consider buying the top of the line consumer drone to learn on unless I had a money tree in my back yard.

 

[HighTechPauper]

I've been tempted for a while to get into the small racing drones and if the price is right, probably will. Cheapest that I can find over here that looks to be of reasonable quality, has a decent camera and has the ability to crash without exploding is upwards of $400.....

Starting out from scratch can be expensive. There are the 1 time costs of getting an RC, and some kind of goggles, great stuff available for less than $100 each and an ARF for $100-$115 and then add batteries. Yeah, about $400 gets you in the air, but when you come down, and you will, the nickel-ing and dime-ing starts to repair it so you can fly again... But. It. Is. Awesome.