10 Best DJI Mavic 3 Accessories For Better Video, Photo & Flights
The new DJI Mavic 3 is an absolute BEAST of a drone, rivaling the Inspire 2 and expanding upon the previous Mavic Air 2S (and Mavic 2 Pro). The Mavic 3 comes in 3 different packages, the regular Mavic 3, Mavic 3 Fly More Combo and Mavic 3 Cine. The Fly More Combo and Cine offer the most accessories but are also significantly more expensive than just the regular drone.
Even if you've purchased the Fly More Combo, there are still more Mavic 3 accessories out there to choose from! Check out our best accessories to pair with your new Mavic 3!
1. DJI Care
The first 'accessory' you should consider for this drone is definitely DJI care. DJI care allows you to send your drone back to DJI for a new one in case you crash your drone. You'll have to pay about $159 deductible to use it, but the plan itself is a one-time payment. The second time you use it is $199. They even offer flyaway coverage (for $749!).
It's available in 1 year, or 2-year durations.
This might seem like a lot, but considering the overall price tag of $2199, $2999, or $4999 - it's a very good piece of mind to have in case the worst-case scenario happens with your Mavic 3.
2. Fly More Combo
The next accessory is one that happens when you're buying the drone, and that is to buy the Mavic 3 fly more combo. If you buy the Mavic 3 fly more kit for $800 more, you'll the standard package as well as:
2 more batteries
3 more props
Charging Hub
Carrying Case
ND4, 8, 16, and 32 filters
Most of these items, maybe minus the carrying case, are accessories that you're most likely to buy anyway, so if you're a serious drone pilot (which buying the Mavic 3, you'd have to be!) the fly more kit will be a great addition to your kit.
3. Batteries, Charging Hub & Car Charger
While the Mavic 3 has a 40+ minute flight time, professionals will need multiple batteries. In some situations, more than the fly more kit even includes. Having multiple batteries, and multiple charging hubs, and a way to charge those batteries on the go. The car charger can help you in a pinch but will require you to be near your vehicle obviously. This isn't as big of a deal for hobbyists, but for professionals in the field, multiple pre-charged batteries can save you time and money.
4. ND Filters
For obvious reasons, ND filters are pretty high up on the list of accessories for the Mavic 3. ND filters allow us to slow down our shutter speed to shoot natural-looking motion footage with motion blur, especially if we're shooting with a wide-open aperture. The Fly More kit comes with the ND 4, 8, 16, and 32 filters, but only the Cine version includes the next set of ND64, 128, 256, and 512 filters. If you went for the Cine version, you're covered here but if you went with the standard or fly more package, picking this next set of filters will be a lifesaver for shooting in bright environments.
5. Storage, Cards & Hard Drives
For all cameras these days, storage is going to be an issue when shooting high frame rates and large resolutions. But the Cine version of the Mavic 3 takes this to the next level. The Cine version can shoot in ProRes 422 HQ which offers superior quality but is MASSIVE in file size. Your computer should have no problems editing this uncompressed footage, but your hard drives will need to be up to the challenge of storing all that footage.
Getting a new hard drive is always a good idea when buying a new camera, but it's especially true for the Mavic 3 Cine pilots that love shooting 422 HQ video..
Best Hard Drives for Mavic 3:
Best Mavic 3 MicroSD Cards:
6. Controller
My go-to DJI controller has been the DJI Smart Controller for years now, but the Mavic 3 is unfortunately not compatible with the DJI Smart Controller at the time of writing this article. They released a new controller, the DJI RC Pro for a cool $1,199. It's a gorgeous controller, that transmits clear 1080p 60 with the new OcuSync but I wish the DJI Smart Controller was compatible with the Mavic 3. Maybe this will be fixed in a future firmware update, but as of right now, the DJI Smart Controller is NOT compatible with the Mavic 3 or Mavic 3 Cine.
If you want to use an advanced controller with the Mavic 3, you'll have to use the DJI RC Pro.
7. Wide Angle Lens
DJI has released an official wide-angle lens for the Mavic 3, converting the lens to a 15.5mm or 108-degree field of view camera. I like using wide-angle lenses in a pinch if I need to fly in tight spaces or can't physically fly farther away from my subject to capture the scene. I don't use them on every flight, but when I need them they are lifesavers.
8. Fast card reader, USBC Card Reader, Fast Transfer Cable
Since the Mavic 3 has very high frame rates, resolutions and codecs you're going to want to make sure your file transfers don't take forever. Having at least a USBC card reader/transfer cable will allow you to quickly get editing after your flights. I'm especially talking about the Mavic 3 Cine ProRes 422 HQ!! DJI includes a 10Gbps Lightspeed cable with the Mavic 3 Cine, but make sure to use it with the onboard 1TB of storage!
9. Camera Bag
If you're getting the fly more kit, or Cine package you'll get a camera bag with your drone. It's a really nice bag, but I have a battle-tested Lowepro 450AW that I have been using for years to protect all of my camera (and drone) gear.
The included bag is viable, but if you're purchasing the drone on it's own - make sure to pick up a sturdy bag that will protect your gear for years to come.
10. Drone Strobe Lights
Given the great low-light performance of this drone, you'll likely be flying at dusk or night. Flying with a drone strobe light is mandatory in the united states if you'll be flying at night and it also helps you (and other aircraft) find your drone in the sky.
I have a video about flying with an affordable drone strobe light here, and the beauty of buying a strobe is that you can use it on multiple drones.
One More Honorable Mention Accessory!
11. Drone Landing Pad
This drone is a very expensive piece of equipment, having a way to protect your Mavic 3 from the dirty, dusty, uneven ground is really helpful and important to protect your drone long term. I've been using a PGYTech landing pad for years (when I'm not catch landing or launching) and it's been a great asset to have when taking off from the uneven ground.
There are larger, weighted landing pads but I haven't had any issue with this cheaper landing pad blowing away. It has enough weight to it where it won't fly away in the wind, and it if does you probably shouldn't be flying in winds that strong.