What camera accessories (hardware) should I buy next?

[spiralout462]

I bought a vanguard abeo (pro series ) with a ball head rated for 44lbs. I paid less than $200. There is an enormous difference between a cheap tripod and a quality set of legs! I would skimp on a flash before a tripod.

 

[4073709 2]

What camera accessories (hardware) should I buy next?

Why all of them of course!!!!!

 

[SaugaPhotoGuy]

Thanks everyone. I'll look into a flash first then I think.

I have a relatively steady hand, so I guess I'm probably better off with just my hand vs. a cheap tripod.

 

[Derrel]

I'd think about a light stand, a flash, and about a 40-inch diameter reflecting umbrella, or what is called a convertible umbrella. Convertibles have a black outer backing that can be removed, to convert the umbrella to a shoot-through type.

Portraiture is mostly about taking photos that make people look good, look interesting, and which reveal a bit about the person--or at least convince other people that something has been revealed about the person in the photo.

A tripod can allow you to frame, focus, and then to move your eye away from the camera, so you can talk with the person, and give directions to them, w/o the need to peer through the camera continuously. So, it that way, a tripod is pretty useful as an aid to getting more "connection" with the subject.

 

[Didereaux]

...just a quick note on why so many pros do NOT use tripods. By using handheld you can almost instantaneously change your viewpoint. Even a few inches can make dramatic differences. With a tripod you tend to avoid moving its position and try to get the subject to move....almost never works except maybe with top professional models.

 

[astroNikon]

Biggest struggle is indoor portraits. I feel like the stock flash isn't giving me nice and soft images. When shooting without a flash, I feel like I need a lower aperture... because right now I have to compensate by using a higher ISO or lower shutter speed which isn't giving me the nice crisp images that I want. So I mainly want softer light and crisper images.

You have to learn to "soften" the flash. The is done through difusers and reflectors.
here's a good website taking you from the beginnigs to more complex setups ==> Strobist

Strobist: Lighting 101
Strobist: Lighting 102: Introduction

 

[Derrel]

...just a quick note on why so many pros do NOT use tripods. By using handheld you can almost instantaneously change your viewpoint. Even a few inches can make dramatic differences. With a tripod you tend to avoid moving its position and try to get the subject to move....almost never works except maybe with top professional models.

That is an excellent point. Most tripods are very slow to reposition. I've been using perhaps the best tripod ever designed for people work. It is an "automatic tripod", one that can be raised, or lowered, or adjusted in less than two seconds. Manfrotto 058B. He used one for over 10 years..and after wearing it out due to negligent cleaning--he bought another one of the exact model.

Watch the video Karl Taylor has here:

Start at the 2:25 point. There is no better, faster tripod for people work. The difference between this piece of gear, and say a typical, twist-lock, four-section leg, five pound carbon fiber tripod, is an almost indescribably wide gulf.

 

[beagle100]

I just got a Canon T5i for Christmas. The package came with the stock lens, telephoto lens, extra battery, and carrying case.

These are the two lenses:

EF-S18-55 mm 1:3.5-5.6 IS STM
EF-S55-250/4-5.6 IS STM

If I want to focus on portrait photography, what should be my next upgrade? Tripod? Better flash? Another lens?

If I want to spend less than $200 on upgrades, what should I buy? Or should I just stick with what I have and save up for a more expensive lens sometime in the future?

I agree, lighting (flash) is important for portraits - look at a used Canon 430exII or Yongnuo ETTL flash

 

[SaugaPhotoGuy]

So I've been doing a bit of research... and I would love to get a Canon 430exII, but I can't find a good deal on one right now and they're kind of expensive (especially since our Canadian dollar is so weak right now).

But I found a good deal on a Canon 50mm f/1.8 II for $90 Canadian. So I think I'll get that next. I have a birthday coming up so I'll ask my parents for that one. The f/1.8 should help a lot in lower light situations so I might be able to avoid using my stock flash.

I think that even if I eventually buy a more expensive lens, the 50mm f/1.8 II might still be useful because it's so small and light.

I was also thinking of getting a new camera strap because the one that came with my camera is pretty short.

I know that a flash is necessary for good indoor portraits, but I don't really like using a flash just because I think they're annoying... so even if I did buy a nice flash, I'm not sure I would use it too often. But that "nifty fifty" seems like a useful bit of kit to get and I guess it will take much nicer pictures than my stock lens.

Also, would it be an improvement to get something like a Gary Fong Puffer Pop-Up Flash Diffuser. It's only $13... so would that be an improvement over the stock flash?

 

[hamlet]

I've been trying to get bigger and bigger apertures to get that sharp image, but photography in the end is all about light. Get yourself a trusty flash to put a stop to soft images.

 

[Didereaux]

So I've been doing a bit of research... and I would love to get a Canon 430exII, but I can't find a good deal on one right now and they're kind of expensive (especially since our Canadian dollar is so weak right now).

But I found a good deal on a Canon 50mm f/1.8 II for $90 Canadian. So I think I'll get that next. I have a birthday coming up so I'll ask my parents for that one. The f/1.8 should help a lot in lower light situations so I might be able to avoid using my stock flash.

I think that even if I eventually buy a more expensive lens, the 50mm f/1.8 II might still be useful because it's so small and light.

I was also thinking of getting a new camera strap because the one that came with my camera is pretty short.

I know that a flash is necessary for good indoor portraits, but I don't really like using a flash just because I think they're annoying... so even if I did buy a nice flash, I'm not sure I would use it too often. But that "nifty fifty" seems like a useful bit of kit to get and I guess it will take much nicer pictures than my stock lens.

Also, would it be an improvement to get something like a Gary Fong Puffer Pop-Up Flash Diffuser. It's only $13... so would that be an improvement over the stock flash?

You can fet Canon Ex550 under a $100 almost amywhere you look. Why not spend about that hundred bucks and get a Yongnuo 600...a FULLY compatible Canon EX 600 twin?