If you are a budding photographer and have bought your first DSLR camera, this article is for you. I am sure you’ve been surfing over the internet, searching for guides with recommendations. What add-on equipment should you look for, is the question that you might be having in mind?
Don’t worry. I am here to make your life simpler. Well, here are some of the most essential accessories that every beginner should have when they step foot into the world of photography.
Why are these add-ons necessary?
With all the accessories that a new camera owner is faced with, it’s easy to get confused. Will I need a bag? Should I invest in a tripod? A remote control too? Or how about an SD card? What’s that for and why would I want one? So asking “Why are these accessories necessary?” is a pivotal question to ask yourself.
Well, all of these are hand picked by myself, and you won’t regret buying any of them. Some of them are to protect your gear, some of them will make you more comfortable while capturing and others will make sure you are getting your desired results.
So let’s talk about all of them in detail in the upcoming paragraphs.
1. Tripod
Tripod is one of the most important pieces of camera equipment that every photographer should have. No matter if you’re a newbie or a professional, you must have a good tripod every time in your kit as you don’t know when will you need it. Investing in a good tripod is really really important because you have an expensive camera and you obviously don’t want to risk its life by getting a cheaper and low-quality tripod.
A tripod basically comes in 2 types of materials-
- Carbon Fiber
- Aluminum
The ones made up of carbon fiber are really lightweight and you can carry them everywhere without worrying about the weight. But, they are expensive!
On the other hand, Aluminum ones are a bit heavy, but they are comparatively cheaper.
If you are a travel photographer, you should clearly get a carbon fiber one coz they are lightweight. And if you are just a beginner deciding your genre, you can get either one according to your budget. But again, a tripod is the most important add-on equipment one should have.
Some of the popular brands include Manfrotto, Vanguard, Sirui, MeFoto, Peak Design, and many more. I personally use Vanguard (Alta Pro 2+ 263 AB 100). It is very very sturdy and I can completely rely on it anytime. It has all the necessary features that a good tripod should have. It cost me about 14,000 INR (around $190-$200).
These are some of my recommendations-
If you wish, you can also go for a small portable tripod that can easily fit in your camera bag. My go-to preference is Joby GP3, the best you can get in under INR 5,000.
2. Extra batteries
Extra batteries for your camera are always a better option and a great add-on. No matter what genre of photography you’re in, spending a couple of bucks on getting an extra battery is no harm. This can really increase your workflow to a great extent. Relying on a single battery which comes with your camera can be a risky option sometimes. You don’t know when it will drain out.
Shooting for long period of times, especially during events can drain your battery really fast than you expect. So, batteries are an absolute must buy. 2-3 batteries put you at a lot ease than relying on a single one.
3. Extra memory cards
It is easy to get caught up in the hype surrounding new tech, but it is important not to completely rely on this rapid technological advancement. You don’t know when your card will ditch you and will get corrupted. So, always keep at least 3-4 extra memory cards with you. They’ve always proved to be one of the most essential add-on equipment so far.
Different genres of photography require different sizes of memory cards. If you’re a portrait photographer, shooting 1-2 people a day, 16GB is more than enough. But if you’re shooting events, sometimes 64GB is also less. So it totally depends upon you. My go-to memory card is SanDisk Extreme Pro Series.
4. Rocket blower
Whenever you find dust resting on your camera equipment, you can use a rocket blower to blow away all the dust particles, whether it’s your camera body or your lens, you can use this tiny piece of equipment for almost everything. In fact, I use this thing to clean my PC as well😆.
But when it comes to cleaning the sensor, you better be careful or I suggest you give it to a service center instead. Other than the sensor, you can use it anywhere. The best thing about this thing is that it’s so cheap and affordable. You should definitely have one of them in your kit!
5. Creative Filters
Filters prove to be a great add-on equipment to your camera bag. These may include ND filters, Polarizers, UV filters, clear night filters, and more. They come to use in various photography genres. If you are a landscape photographer, it might be possible that you have all of them. You can refer to this video down below to see in detail what are they used for.
Conclusion
If you are set on having the best, then there’s no doubt you’ll have to spend some money to get to that top level. But, be smart and start with the essential ones first and slowly upgrade. Once you decide to specialize in a specific genre of photography, such as studio or landscape, you can begin to research your equipment options for that particular genre.
Still, have queries? No issues:). I’m here to help you out. Just shoot your doubts and questions by filling out the form here.