Last Updated on January 13, 2019
There’s a huge difference between what you need and what you want. Knowing what separates the two is important in everyday life and the same should apply when purchasing accessories for your DSLR camera.
That said, coming up with a list of must-have DSLR accessories is tough because each photographer is different; you may focus solely on landscape photography or choose to dabble in every other kind of photography. Whichever the case, there are accessories necessary for conducting any type of shoot.
Camera bag
You know what kind of shooter you are. It’s understandable to start off with a small bag good enough for one lens when starting out, but when you start expanding your equipment, you’re going to need a large bag to hold whatever equipment is necessary for a particular shoot you are doing.
It helps to have more than one option but if you’re sticking to a budget, choose a bag that can fit any equipment you might need for a shoot. You should also consider the kind of bag: are you more comfortable with a backpack or do you want one in a mailbag style?
Extra batteries
Constant clicking exhausts battery life, and the last thing you want is to spend a lot of money traveling to one location but end up not getting the shots you envisioned. This is why you need as many extra batteries as you can afford, especially if you cover events; people are paying you to capture a significant moment in their lives so you have to come prepared.
Extra storage cards
There’s only a limited amount of images a card can hold, depending on the image settings you’ve chosen. Plus, shooting RAW always means needing a card with a large enough capacity.
While there are moments, like random snaps, where it’s fine to just use JPEG, events that are once in a lifetime, like seeing the Northern Lights or covering a wedding, might necessitate the use of RAW. Since you will be snapping LOTS of images on such occasions, it helps to have extra storage cards to last the entire duration of the event.
Card reader
Not every location you shoot at will have access to WiFi. Sure, you may bring a portable WiFi device along but the direct transfer of media from camera to storage via WiFi consumes battery juice, something you need to conserve when on the road.
To preserve as much battery life as possible, take a card reader along with you. There are non-bulky options available these days so you just have to take your pick.
Tripod
You might think that a tripod isn’t entirely necessary, but it can do a world of wonders for your photography. Stunning long exposures aren’t possible without a stabilizing force as is capturing the heavens. Studio work also dictates the use of tripods. In short, you will need a tripod at some point in your photography journey, unless you are totally committed to shooting handheld.
You might think that investing in other kinds of gear is much more important, but what are those expensive lenses and filters going to do if you don’t have the basics? It’s always better to build up a collection of things you need, perfect your skills then go on to make the purchases you want.
