If you are an owner of DJI Mavic Air or planning to get one, then this list of accessories for the Mavic air is just for you.
The reason I am writing this guide? I went online to research what other people were buying and came across some common problems that most people had while trying to buy the right accessory which lead me to write this list of recommendations on must need best drone accessories Mavic air 2.
There are more than enough stuff listed below, but their purpose is specific only – like someone might not care about filters at all, while another guy wants ND filters but doesn’t care about carrying bags (which is also very useful).
There are 6 types of accessories, filters, case, extender pole, charging hub/station, gimbal protector and lego stand.
Contents
Best Case For Mavic Air
First thing is to buy a proper case for your Mavic Air – there are so many cases out there that look the same or close enough but they aren’t! You can google around or check online comparison sites like this one – all filters , where you can compare prices of different manufacturers/stores buying direct vs third party sellers (I prefer not to buy direct myself).
[amazon bestseller=”mavic air 2 case”]
The case should fit into your bag if you want to go hiking or use public transport. Mavic Air sits in it’s sleeve inside the case very nicely.
The case should offer some protection against rain as well as to provide some cushion if you bump into something (which is very easy to do).
Right now I use this one (all filters) and am satisfied; we will see how much wear it has after a year or so.
You can also buy carrying straps once you receive your case – it makes much more sense to carry Mavic Air in the case using the strap than trying to carry it by hand-holding top parts together (silicone gets dirty very easily, while inside of the case stays clean even during hikes).
How To Screw Filters?
Filters are either screw-on or clip-on. Screw-on require patience if you don’t have proper screwdriver. Clip-on filters are very easy to use and can be attached to Mavic Air’s gimbal (on the front) in less than a minute with no tools required –
I prefer screw-ons myself because I don’t like filters on my lenses for aesthetic reasons, but my brother prefers clip-ons. Nowadays you even get polariser included which is amazing if you want to shoot waterfalls or anything that has a sunlit surface (like a road).
Just make sure not to drop your Mavic Air when attaching/removing the filter; it will scratch the lens and there is nothing that DJI can do about it except replace the whole gimbal assembly unit which would cost more than 30$.
Once you take off the filter without turning off Mavic air, the gimbal will be temporarily locked and you will need to calibrate it again for your Mavic Air to work properly.
IMO Gimbal
The one accessory that is a must-have IMO is gimbal protector – this piece of silicone rubber fits over the whole gimbal assembly unit and protects it from scratches or any damage.
It doesn’t affect image quality in any way. Mine came free with my Mavic Air package from DJI but cost around 10 bucks these days.
Some people even claim their gimbals stopped working after putting on/removing them; I didn’t experience anything like that, but if you do – removing shouldn’t take longer than 5 minutes.
What Are ND Filters For Drones?
ND filters are necessary if you want to shoot smooth video outside, because Mavic Air’s camera doesn’t have an option to drop shutter speed below 1/50th of a second (which is still too high for sunny days).
[amazon bestseller=”nd filter for mavic air 2=”6″]
If your shutter speed goes any higher than that – it will be overexposed in automatic mode. So you need ND filter(s) in the front.
I bought two at first but realized one was enough since I have a polariser built in my camera lens already so I don’t need it on the gimbal.
I would recommend buying good quality screw-on filters like these ones because they won’t scratch camera lens and protect it much better than clip-on filters.
You can also go fully manual if you are experienced enough or don’t want to buy anything else – ND filter(s) are sufficient, but this requires too much tinkering with camera settings which is still not enough in most cases (even 1 second shutter speed is too much for outside sunny days, trust me).
You need to know what you are doing or at least visit UAVfutures or any other drone tutorial site and watch videos about proper exposure metering techniques.
This way you will be able to shoot 4K video without overexposure even on sunny days so it’s worth checking out regardless of whatever aerial platform you use.
Landing Gear
This next accessory isn’t necessary if you fly Mavic Air indoors (you probably don’t) or take off/land it on grass; however, if takeoff/land outside then you will need to get this piece of landing gear for Mavic Air.
[amazon box=”B08JPGM8DB”]
It’s a bit pricey – 30 bucks, but it is worth the money in my opinion because I want my drones to look professional and sleek; if they have missing or bent legs then they don’t look like that.
The same with propellers (which is why you should always try to protect them at all times).
ND Filter(s)
And last but not least, you should definitely get ND filter(s) if you fly Mavic Air outside on sunny days.
You can shoot 4K video without overexposure or drop shutter speed below 1/50th of a second (which can also cause image shaking) if you know what you are doing.
I got these ND filters from Amazon for 38 bucks, but those are insanely overpriced as you can get the same quality for 5-8 bucks at eBay instead.
You might also want to check Bestfilters or Freewell – they have good options too and their prices are a bit lower than Amazon’s ones.
I would personally recommend going no more expensive than 40 dollars on any one of those filters because anything above 50 will mostly be a rip-off.