I am mildly obsessed with our DJI drone – our second one, which is the DJI Mavic Pro. I love it because it is small, very very portable (fits into any of my travel black totes) and its quality really really is remarkable. DJI also just launched the brand new Spark which may be perfect for those who want something even simpler.
You may have seen that I have recently been on a drone flying holiday in Spain – and I will stress one thing: if you are considering buying a drone, take flying lessons. The drone isn’t a toy (in my opinion), it certainly takes some skill to fly it and use it safely (and also be 100% compliant with all applicable legislation). If you are in the UK, my ‘flight school’ is the Phantom Flight School and they have excellent drone piloting teachers at various locations across the country. If you are elsewhere, look for other options but think.. would you get in a car without many many lessons?
Accidents happen and not just on the first day – mine happened after over 30 hours of flying and having insurance is also key.
But let’s get started with the actual drone talk.
DJI Mavic Pro
The DJI Mavic Pro is my personal recommendation for a high spec and quality drone. It’s basic configuration starts from £1099 and personally, I have bought the Fly More Combo, which includes pretty much everything you will ever need – spare batteries (the drone comes with one and you can only fly 27 minutes), multiple chargers, all adapters, a shoulder bag and spare propellers. Please note that the price varies per country and if you go to the DJI website using any of the links, it will direct you to your country and pricing. Note that warranties will be void if you for example buy it in the USA and live in the UK. It is not worth the trouble…
The Fly More Combo costs £1,359 and you get around £100 worth of free equipment – and personally we found every single bit to be useful.
Extra Accessories
You can go crazy on the accessories, but I would suggest buying just a few must haves and then add to the collection as you really feel the need for them.
The Sleeve
This was something I bought after a few weeks and it was a great addition. It gives the aircraft a bit more protection when it its ‘bag’, but also if I need to put it in my handbag for a ‘quick flight’ without all the gear, it is excellent. Costs only £6 and is available from DJI.
Remote controller monitor hood
Ironically, the sun will be your worst flying enemy as it will make looking at the screen much harder. My first suggestion is to dial up the brightness of your screen, but it won’t be enough.
This hood from DJI works very well with the iPhone 6s and 7+ (which is the ones we use), but it won’t be large enough if you prefer to use an iPad Mini. Costs £20 and is available from DJI.
Micro SD cards
In order to save all your photos and videos, you will need a micro SD card. I have tried a few and my favourite brand is San Disk. You can buy these in various sizes – I buy them in 32 and 64GB and I would recommend a few of those as you should have a brand new one for each flight (in case *something* happens, you don’t want to lose previous footage.
The 64GB cost £29.99 and the 32GB cost £15.82. If you are in the USA, click here.
SD Card organiser
This also came about after a few weeks as I had the cards everywhere and no idea what was in each of them. So of course, Amazon to the rescue – and this bargain at under £2. I didn’t want a massive one and this one looks pretty smart. If you are in the USA, this is the closest version I found.
Landing Pad
Confession time: we never had a landing pad until 2 weeks ago. And it is because we are somewhat challenged – but again having a lesson when we bought our Mavic reminded us of the need and it makes perfect sense. What your drone to land on the grass and get the camera filthy? And sand on the gimbal isn’t ideal either. This one is the best I have found – I will confess that it took me a good 4 days to understand how to fold it back, but once you get the movement right, you won’t forget it. It folds down to quite a small size and it is very sturdy. Costs £29 from Amazon. If you are in the USA, click here.
And there you have it. What else do you need to get for your drone? Filters, yes – but I am still learning about mine so absolutely will not recommend any. But we are very happy with our DJI kit (and one thing: buy DJI official products as much as possible, so you have some peace of mind).
And what can you do with the Mavic? Well, watch this video!
xo
Mrs. O
Disclosure: Please note that some of the links above are affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you decide to make a purchase after clicking through the link. Please understand that I have experienced all of these companies, and I recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions I make if you decide to buy something through my links. Please do not spend any money on these products unless you feel you need them or that they will help you achieve your goals.
I have purchased all items on this list at my own expense.
