| Top 10 DSLR Accessories |
| Have you ever met a gadget freak. Sure you have. We all know somebody who loves to buy the latest gadgets. You are probably one yourself. The DSLR camera market has 100's of Must-Have gadgets available. Only very few are truly common sense no-brainer must-have products. 1. Tri-Pod. Not just any tri-pod, but one that is strong enough to not shake from the mirror motion. Avoid the cheap tri-pod with plastic heads. Plastic gets weak and will break. You should also find one with inter-changeable heads. A pro camera shop will sell most tri-pod legs and head separately. Cost is around$200-300 USD. 2. Extra-Battery. Ever been to a big family event like a wedding or child's birthday party taking cool photos, then have the battery go dead during the best shot of the day attempt. Been there, done that. Deep shame. No excuse not to have extra batteries with you. And DO NOT FORGET to charge them. Deeper shame. Name brand batteries can be expensive, but there are 3rd party brands that are still good quality. Cost is $100 USD each for name brand and only $30 each for 3rd party brands. 3. Extra-Memory. I heard from more than one new camera owner how they take photos using the smallest file size settings the camera allows just to save memory space. Those same people later complain about image quality, because they do not understand the camera conversion software can NOT maintain image quality in those small images. Buy extra memory. Buy large memory. Buy more than one. Most DSLR cameras use the faster CF cards, but some use the cheaper SD cards. A 32 GB CF card will cost over $200 USD, but the older slower versions can be much cheaper. 4. Lens UV Filter. The lens can easily get damaged from scratches and the sun. Your camera's image sensors can also be damaged by direct sunlight. Protect your lens with the filter. Name brand filters can cost $100 USD, but other brands are less than half that cost. 5. Camera Bag. I see many beginner photographers who only own one lens carry their camera in a simple bag or backpack with many other items. Most get scratched and damaged after only a few months. Use a dedicated camera bag. If you carry multiple lens and accessories when going out, get a bag with padded compartments. Most camera backpacks also have a place for a notebook PC. Check the strength of straps if you plan to buy cheaper brand bags. Simple bags cost from $20 USD to over $100 USD for the nice backpacks. 6. Cleaning Cloth. The wrong cloth can scratch your lens when trying to clean it. Get the correct cloth. The cost should be $1-2 USD each. 7. Lens Blower. Cleaning cloth sometimes will leave lint on the lens. Blowing from your mouth can make everything much worse. A rubber blower is much safer and can reach hard to access places. The cost is around $5 to 10 USD depending on size. 8. Lens Brush. A brush is more gentle than a piece of cloth, but stronger than a blower for removing dust and lint. The cost is around $5 to 10 USD. 9. External Flash. Ever noticed that the Canon 5D and 1D do not have internal pop-up flash. There is a reason for that. Professionals would never depend on a low quality light source. The range for internal flashes is only 2-3 meters and only one angle. The angle of internal flash will cause a very nasty glare all over your model and let's the world know you are not a real professional. Internal flashes also have a very short life span. Buy an external flash that tilts and swivels so you can bounce the light off walls and ceilings. The 4 battery versions have much more power than internal flashes. The flash settings in most 3rd party brands need to be controlled manually while name brands are controlled by the camera. Name brand flashes can cost $200-400 USD while 3rd party brands are only $100 USD. 10. Lens Hood. The hood is partners with the lens filter. It protects your lens from sun glare and scratches. The lens hood also helps control the vignetting that is common with wide angle lenses. Most DSLR kit lens do not come with a lens hood and you will need to go buy one. Most professional grade lens come with the hood. Use it. Cost is $15 USD if it did not come free with the lens purchase. Extra Items The above list of items should be carried at all times with your camera. Some of the below additional items stay at home. 11. Better Strap. Sometimes you may want to find a different neck strap that is more comfortable against your neck. I like straps that come off easily. Pay attention to the overall quality and strength of the whole strap. Some have cool features, but break easily. The idea is to protect your camera, not only as a cool clothing accessory. Cost is $10 to 20 USD. 12. Card Reader. Sure, the camera comes with a USB cable, but a card reader can be more convenient. Convenient in more ways than one. I have been to social events where the clients needs to upload photos during the event. The card reader will allow you to continue taking photos while using a second memory card. Here is a bigger reason, some versions of the Canon software will automatically download, convert to JPG, and delete the original RAW files. This will only happen when using the USB cable. Cost is $20 to 30 USD. 13. Camera Remote. The main purpose for a remote is hands off shooting to avoid camera shake. Remote controls for cameras can be wired or wireless. The wireless version has limited features and can only be use in front of the camera. The wired version has a few more advanced features for long exposure and can be used from any angle. The camera remotes can also be name brand or 3rd party. Cost can range from $20 to 40 USD with the 3rd party brands being half. 14. Dry Cabinet. I live in the south east and the humidity is 90% most of the year. Even if you live in the desert, you should protect your camera from the elements when not using it. Some small plastic storage type dry box have rechargeable de-humidifiers in them. These are not adjustable and must be recharged once each month. The more professional design is a steel cabinet with a swinging glass door on the front and power cord for A/C outlet. The cabinet has padded sliding shelves that are adjustable up and down. Mine had variable controls with Low, Medium and High marks. Medium keeps my cabinet at 50% humidity. The cost is around $200 USD and up. 15. Gear Insurance. Most home owners and renters insurance will cover your camera and equipment, but it is better to itemize your inventory for your insurance agent. The standard coverage has a limited value range, so if you have the more expensive professional camera with several lenses, you will need to pay extra to have them fully covered under the insurance policy. If photography is your primary business and source of income, you will need a special insurance policy to cover your business, liability and equipment. Cost is a never ending monthly fee. |