Why DJI Phantom? Well because it’s currently the most bought drone out there and keeping it stock may not be the best idea. Also because of this popularity the quadcopter has quite a bit of accessories that can be bought. Are they a must? Definitely not but they can make your life a lot easier.
Blade Guards
Probably the most important accessory for everyone. Flying near and through trees can damage the blades and the guards help avoid it. It’s nothing but a little round plastic safeguard that can be attached to the motors. You can buy them straight from DJI and cost $15. If you have a DJI Phantom 2 then they won’t work sadly. For that DJI has the Phantom 2 guards which are $29. They are bigger than the other model.
Carbon Fiber Blades
Blades been ruined? Don’t worry you can buy a new set of them. The stock propellers are good but you can consider replacing them with carbon finer. The main reason for this is that they are lighter than the original. Also having carbon fiber propellers means they don’t bend which should offer smoother flying. Carbon fiber for Phantom can be found for 4 for $10 which isn’t a lot at all. The DJI Phantom 2 are more expensive and they are around $25 for 4. You can find them on ebay, for example here: Carbon Fiber Propellers. Make sure you read user submitted reviews because there are quite a bit of shady propellers that won’t work.
Case
This is far from a must. It’s more of an accessory to make your life easier. Having a case is definitely a good thing if you travel a lot with the drone. You can expect the case to cost around $200. It should fit the drone, its accessories and even a GoPro. The inside is usually made out of special foam to protect your equipment from vibrations and drops. GOProfessional is one many companies that has experience at this and you should definitely check them out.
Credit: GoProCases.com
Extra Battery
This is probably the most obvious thing to have. We have all experienced how the drone stops working right when you actually need it. Shooting videos can take time and that’s why it’s a good thing to have some spare charged batteries in your pocket. The Phantom 1 battery costs around $30 and it will give you around 10 minutes of extra flight time. The Phantom 2 has a different battery and that will cost you around $160. DJI does however promise a 25-28 minute flight time with it.
Mounts
You can read quite a lot about the mounts for DJI Phantom 2 here: Best GoPro Mounts. With the DJI Phantom 1 you’ll probably be using adhesive mounts and for that you can add the Anti Vibration Anti-Jello Vibration Isolator. This will remove the vibrations from the drone and by that improve the video quality. They cost $10 and made by DJI. The newest DJI Phantom 2 mounts all have some anti-vibration function already included so there isn’t one needed for that.
As you can see adding accessories can increase the price of your drone. Some more and some less and this is something that should be thought about. This should be taken as a serious investment.