Accessories for Your Camera

[K-Laa]

At the moment, I am reading a book that covers some in-depth photography know-how. A section in the book acknowledges “essential gear” you should always tote around with your camera. Mentioned in the section, tripods, flashes, filters, remote releases and a few other items that indirectly involve operation of the camera, itself.

My question, what’s in your “essential gear” category? Considering the broad margin of photographers here that range from novice to advanced/professional in areas of general to specialized, the inclinations will vary widely, but I’m anxious to see what’s being used by others.

 

[Gary A.]

My essential gear is whatever I need to capture my previsualized image.

If I shoot sports sometimes only one camera with one lens. If I shoot Street, usually two cameras one with a long lens the other with a wide lens and a bag with additional lenses from fisheye to longer lens. When I shoot beachscapes a tripod, handheld meter, filters and remote releases. When I shoot theatre, three cameras, long telephoto, wide angle and a fish on the third.

Nothing is "essential", per say ... Except your imagination and the implementation of your creativity and vision into the photograph. But equipment is very helpful to consistently capture the exceptional image in the easiest fashion. While I have a ton of stuff, often I will increase the difficulty value by using odd equipment, like shooting Street with only a 300mm and a fish or shooting football with only a wide angle, shooting flowers with a 500mm, et cetera. Of late I've been shooting Street with a 50mm and a film camera with no meter.

So add equipment as needed, according to what you shoot and how you shoot ... Not by what others think you need.

More often than not there are work-arounds for 'essential' hardware. There is nothing wrong with a lot of equipment ... As there is nothing wrong with little equipment. For the hobbyist, what is wrong is thinking that you need a lot of expensive equipment to be successful.

I know, this doesn't answer your question, but hopefully, it is food for thought.

 

[tirediron]

By now, I've got enough gear and accessories to meet almost any situation, so "essential" is whatever I need to get "the" image.... "Essential" also varies greatly by genre, but a tripod, speedlight and polarizing filter are among the items that I would consider part of the most basic kit.

 

[table1349]

By now, I've got enough gear and accessories to meet almost any situation, so "essential" is whatever I need to get "the" image.... "Essential" also varies greatly by genre, but a tripod, speedlight and polarizing filter are among the items that I would consider part of the most basic kit.

Oh yeah???????? Do you have one of these?????

That you use in this manner??????

 

[tirediron]

By now, I've got enough gear and accessories to meet almost any situation, so "essential" is whatever I need to get "the" image.... "Essential" also varies greatly by genre, but a tripod, speedlight and polarizing filter are among the items that I would consider part of the most basic kit.

Oh yeah???????? Do you have one of these?????
View attachment 126676

That you use in this manner??????

< *Grabs car-keys and wallet and heads off to Lens and Shutter*.

 

[zombiesniper]

Doing wildlife.........don't get excited John. Taking pics of wildlife my essential gear is just a camera with a good focus system and the largest lens I can hand hold.
Pretty simple but for me it works.

 

[480sparky]

The one thing that, lately, has been lacking in my setup is.............. time.

 

[SnappingShark]

Learning that a light meter is pretty cool and saves a bunch of time "guessing".
If I'm shooting some fashion shots downtown, I'll just take my camera body, 50mm 1.2, spare batteries and memory cards, a flash and some business cards.
For street photography - just a camera body and lens and a single spare memory card in my pocket.
Landscapes - well I don't do that much, but I'd take my whole backpack full of stuff.

So um to summarize, memory cards and battery are my #1/2 picks for essential accessories. Sorry if they seem like boring accessories

 

[fmw]

By now, I've got enough gear and accessories to meet almost any situation, so "essential" is whatever I need to get "the" image.... "Essential" also varies greatly by genre, but a tripod, speedlight and polarizing filter are among the items that I would consider part of the most basic kit.

Yes and I would also add a strap to prevent dropping the camera and a bag or backpack to carry things. Extra batteries and memory cards are also handy.

 

[tirediron]

By now, I've got enough gear and accessories to meet almost any situation, so "essential" is whatever I need to get "the" image.... "Essential" also varies greatly by genre, but a tripod, speedlight and polarizing filter are among the items that I would consider part of the most basic kit.

Yes and I would also add a strap to prevent dropping the camera and a bag or backpack to carry things. Extra batteries and memory cards are also handy.

Good point on the bag; that is kind of important, and so obvious I didn't even think of it... Most cameras come with straps, which while not the best will do the job, and batteries & cards now both have sufficient capacity that I'm not really sure the hobbyist need load up with them.