Looking to get the Phantom 3, not sure if I should go with advanced or professional. The Pro model has the 4k camera, but to be able to see 4k you need a computer and/or TC that can handle that and I don't think too many people have that capability yet. So who'd have the best prices on these, preferably in Canada? I don't want to start paying for customs fees. In the worst case I'll order from US and drive to Niagara Falls(US) to pick it up.
For most people the Advanced is more than enough! You can pocket the difference and save it up for the Phantom 4 you will buy in a year or two!
While it's true most people cannot yet see a true 4K video on their PCs or televisions, it won't be long until they proliferate sufficiently. Look how short a period of time it took for digital to become HD and 720 quickly become 1080. Storage is cheap. Shoot in 4K, process it into 1080 (you'll actually have more options than you would if you shot straight 1080). Later on, when 4K becomes commonplace, you'll already have a bunch of 'em saved. The Pro version has the more capable camera (better? who knows?) and a larger battery charger - you can charge the batteries faster. Personally speaking, if you're not a camera/photography buff, and don't mind waiting a bit longer to charge a battery, the Advanced is a lot for the money. If you're like me, you're probably a guy who just wants to fly and take better home movies of what I can see. If I could back up and do it all over again, I'd probably buy the Advanced instead of the Pro.
The way I like to put it is that if you need 4K you already know it! I am not a pro but have been doing video and imaging for 20+ years. I don't use 4K even thought I have the Pro model. I use 1080 60fps and will continue to do so for years. There are some valid reasons to get 4K - but not for the casual user. Most computers cannot display it nor edit it properly (if your screen can't display it, editing it is tough). A recent check of my web site statistics shows that virtually no one accessing it has a 4K screen. For some relativity - if you are somewhat satisfied with DVD quality: "The highest resolution that the DVD format can support is 720 x 480 pixels per frame, which is at best only 37.5% of the resolution of 720HD." Even Blu-ray is just HD (1080).
I'm not a professional either and I've also been editing video and photo for a long time. My computer is pretty much run of the mill and I can process 4K into 1080P. Yes, I can't view it in 4K but I *can* view it - and so can most other people. Yes, they can't see it in true 4K (only a very few but that won't last long - look how quickly 1080 HD took off. Look at the video I linked above - that information *is* from a professional and he explains why 4K makes viewing it on 1080 look better.
