Last week we run the DJI Phantom 3 accessory survey. And the reaction from the community was great!
We got 95 awesome responses from enthusiastic drone pilots (you can still fill-out the survey so we can update this article with your results!).
In this article, we’ll share with you the results and the list of most popular, most wanted and most dreamed accessories for your current or future Phantom 3 Advanced or Professional quadcopter.
If you’re looking for the Phantom 4 you can find our Phantom 4 review here.
This article is divided into several parts:
- The respondents: who they are
- The accessories: most & less wanted
- Other accessories: what we didn’t expect
The respondents: who they are
The first questions were to understand who responded to our survey calls.
Do you own a DJI Phantom 3?
| Yes, the Advanced | 21 | 22.1% |
| Yes, the Professional | 56 | 58.9% |
| I’m about to buy | 13 | 13.7% |
| No | 5 | 5.3% |
Almost 60% of the respondents already own a Phantom 3 Professional. It’s interesting to see how the Professional model is owned by almost trice the people that own the Phantom 3 Advanced ( 22% of the respondents).
It seems that the 260$ difference between the models is well-justified by the better camera and faster charging time (check the differences here).
The remaining 18% is either about to buy or doesn’t own a P3, which doesn’t mean that they don’t have previous Phantom models or other similar quadcopters.
Have you already bought accessories for your Phantom 3?
| Yes! | 54 | 56.8% |
| I’m choosing now | 19 | 20% |
| No | 22 | 23.2% |
More than half respondents already bought one or more accessories for their Phantom. This number, together with the other 20% of people choosing now which accessory to buy, indicates how big is the interest for accessories among Phantom pilots!
Which accessories have you bought?
| Batteries | 46 | 65.7% |
| Propellers | 18 | 25.7% |
| Prop Guards | 18 | 25.7% |
| Travel Case / Backpack | 44 | 62.9% |
| FPV System | 0% | |
| Led / light kit | 0% | |
| Car Charger | 1 | 1.4% |
| Extra charger | 2 | 2.9% |
| Sun shade (for monitor) | 18 | 25.7% |
| Other | 14 | 20% |
Wow! While it’s not surprising to see batteries so high in the list, I’m shocked to notice that more than 65% of respondents already bought them. It seems that it’s THE accessory to order together with the quadcopter itself.
And what about the travel cases? A good 62% of the people bought one!
Which accessories are you considering buying?
| Batteries | 58 | 61.1% |
| Propellers | 30 | 31.6% |
| Prop Guards | 15 | 15.8% |
| Travel Case / Backpack | 45 | 47.4% |
| FPV System | 7 | 7.4% |
| Led / light kit | 5 | 5.3% |
| Car Charger | 24 | 25.3% |
| Extra charger | 19 | 20% |
| Sun shade (for monitor) | 28 | 29.5% |
| Other | 7 | 7.4% |
It’s clear that batteries and travel cases/backpacks are the leading accessories for P3 owners. Propellers and sun shades are following with a 30% each.
Car charger was bought by a surprising 25% of respondents, or at least surprising for me at first. But it makes total sense when you’re driving to get to a safe place to fly and you don’t have a crazy amount of extra batteries.
If you could choose only ONE accessory, which one would you buy?
| Batteries | 62 | 65.3% |
| Propellers | 2 | 2.1% |
| Prop Guards | 4 | 4.2% |
| Travel Case / Backpack | 19 | 20% |
| FPV System | 3 | 3.2% |
| Led / light kit | 0% | |
| Car Charger | 1 | 1.1% |
| Extra Charger | 1 | 1.1% |
| Sun shade (for monitor) | 1 | 1.1% |
| Other | 2 | 2.1% |
How likely will you buy each accessory for your Phantom 3?
Batteries
| Not at all | 2 | 2.1% |
| Maybe | 7 | 7.4% |
| Most likely | 6 | 6.3% |
| Absolutely | 80 | 84.2% |
No surprise here. You don’t take your drone out in a sunny day for 23 minutes. Everyone wants more fun and flying time, and so you’ll have to order more DJI batteries.
Recommended battery:
Propellers
| Not at all | 6 | 6.3% |
| Maybe | 24 | 25.3% |
| Most likely | 22 | 23.2% |
| Absolutely | 43 | 45.3% |
Propellers is what they want. Propellers is what they break.
Recommended propellers:
Genuine DJI Phantom 3 Series & New Phantom 2 Series Self-tightening Propeller 9
“Original props – great” – a not too chatty respondent.
Prop Guards
| Not at all | 31 | 32.6% |
| Maybe | 31 | 32.6% |
| Most likely | 13 | 13.7% |
| Absolutely | 20 | 21.1% |
Here the opinions are well spread across the options. It’s (not surprisingly) a love-hate relationship: some want the prop guards to protect their quadcopter, themselves and the people around them – while others see them as an annoyance that is affecting the flying characteristics of the Phantom 3 (especially when the wind is blowing).
Recommended prop guards:
Bestem BT-PHANTOM-GD PhantomGuard Snap-On Prop Guard for DJI Phantom, (Set of 4)
“Bestem quick connect prop guards – yes, very happy. Easy to take on and off and protect the props. They’re also color coded (red&black) so it’s easy to see the orientation on the Phantom from a distance.” – an happy owner.
Travel Case / Backpack
| Not at all | 5 | 5.3% |
| Maybe | 12 | 12.6% |
| Most likely | 20 | 21.1% |
| Absolutely | 58 | 61.1% |
I wonder what would have happened if DJI included (as many people thought it was) an hard-case in the Phantom 3 packaging…
It’s clear that for a quadcopter like the Phantom 3, people do want a travel solution.
Recommended travel solution:
Think Tank Photo Airport Helipak Backpack – Fits All DJI Phantom Series Drones
“Best backpack for the Phantom 3. I tried lots of them but the quality of Think Tank and the space available put this second to none” – an happy customer.
FPV System
| Not at all | 45 | 47.4% |
| Maybe | 37 | 38.9% |
| Most likely | 7 | 7.4% |
| Absolutely | 6 | 6.3% |
To my surprise, respondents didn’t show much interest in FPV systems. Probably this explains why it’s still unclear which FPV system supports the P3. Since mid-July 2015, the long-awaited HDMI Output Module is available and 720P real-time videos can be sent to FPV goggles. Fatshark goggles are now available as well.
Recommended FPV system:
Fat Shark FATSHARK Predator V2 FPV RTF Headset System Video Goggle
When talking about FPV goggles, FatShark is the absolute winner…
Led / light kit
| Not at all | 54 | 56.8% |
| Maybe | 34 | 35.8% |
| Most likely | 6 | 6.3% |
| Absolutely | 1 | 1.1% |
I wasn’t sure about adding this in the list… but you never know what can be the next hot accessory for Phantom owners. Surely won’t be light kits, but a good 40% is thinking about it.
Recommended light kit:
Car charger
| Not at all | 29 | 30.5% |
| Maybe | 32 | 33.7% |
| Most likely | 21 | 22.1% |
| Absolutely | 13 | 13.7% |
Interesting that while 25% of respondents are considering buying a car charger, half of them finds it an absolute necessity. It’s clearly coming after more important accessories (read batteries and travel solutions!) but the car charger is still a nice thing to have for the majority of pilots out there.
Extra charger
| Not at all | 27 | 28.4% |
| Maybe | 40 | 42.1% |
| Most likely | 18 | 18.9% |
| Absolutely | 10 | 10.5% |
More people are absolutely buying a car charger than an extra charger and quite some people are not even considering an extra charger at all
Where does this leave us? With a lot of maybes…
Recommended extra charger:
Sun shade (for monitor)
| Not at all | 11 | 11.6% |
| Maybe | 28 | 29.5% |
| Most likely | 23 | 24.2% |
| Absolutely | 33 | 34.7% |
This got me by surprise, most likely because I live in a place that doesn’t enjoy much sun during the year.
But the vast majority of Phantom 3 owners will get a sun shade, that’s clear.
Recommended sun shade:
“The sun shade I got is way to heavy. Looking at getting a lite weight one from HoodiVision.” – an almost customer.
GPS localizer
| Not at all | 34 | 35.8% |
| Maybe | 36 | 37.9% |
| Most likely | 18 | 18.9% |
| Absolutely | 7 | 7.4% |
I put this because every other week we receive an email from some manufacturer promoting their GPS track device. And I should start taking those emails more serious, because there’s definitely demand for this accessory.
Recommended GPS tracker:
Trackimo trk12m Universal Personal GPS Tracker
“This is a good GPS tracker that works as described.” – a customer.
Other accessories
The survey answers show that Phantom 3 users want few more accessories.
ND Filters
Few respondent mentioned filters to improve the camera recording operations.
PolarPro DJI Phantom 3 Filter 3-Pack
“We need filters!” – a respondent shout.
Camera Lens Cover
It’s a shame that a quadcopter such as the Phantom 3 doesn’t come with something to cover and protect the camera lens. But we got you covered with this nice cap.
DJI Phantom 3 Advanced or Professional Camera Lens Cap Cover with Remove Before Flight Tag
“LENS CAP!!! (Even though they say it has one, the glass will get scratched)” – he spoke the truth.
Camera Guard
This is a smart solution for an old problem: damaging the camera because of a collision during the flight.
Carbon Fiber Camera Guard for DJI Phantom 3
“Bits carbon fiber camera guard – I’m happy with it, it’s light, doesn’t interfere with any of the sensors and adds needed protection for the camera.” – a respondent.
Propeller Balancing Rod
A bit on the sophisticate side, this tool allows to keep the vibrations low and increase the motor life and efficiency.
Speedy Prop Balancer w/ Balancing Rod for DJI Phantoms 1 & 2
“Prop balancer rod. Perfect” – few words well spoken.
Camp chair with canopy
Spending long hours flying your Phantom in a sunny day? Why not having a comfortable chair that will even keep you in the shade!
Brylanehome Camp Chair With Canopy
“a great optional to have when spending afternoons in the sun!” – a user.
And now, your turn. First subscribe to our newsletter (in the right-hand column) and then, let’s talk about Phantom 3 accessories a little more down in the comments.
