How to Pick Camera Accessories

You've gone through all the work of choosing a camera that fits your needs perfectly, with all the right features. Now it's time to pick the accessories to go with that camera to make your film or digital photography easier, more efficient and overall better.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Choose a variation of lenses with focal lengths from 21mm to 400mm or more to capture wide angle shots as well as close-ups. You can buy an all in one telephoto lens, but the wider the range the larger and more expensive the lens, so buy what you really need for the shot.

2. Look at extra flashes and lighting, especially for dark rooms or challenging spaces. Control your lighting with external flashes, timers and hand-held shutter/flash buttons.

3. Make sure you never miss the best shots and always have backup memory sticks or extra film on hand. Also, keep plenty of batteries on hand.

4. Add filters and a sun shade to your lens to further control the look of your photos. By varying the filters you can overcome challenging lighting and soften images. A sun shade allows you to take photos with no lens glare when shooting outdoors or in a bright space.

5. Buy a tripod to keep your photos steady and to make use of the photo timer. Find one that you can easily move higher or lower, is lightweight and that you can easily transport.

6. Find a camera case for all your accessories. You can find a large bag to hold everything or a smaller bag to hold just the things you'll need for that particular shoot. Make sure your camera, lenses, batteries and other accessories fit snugly, but with enough room to hold everything without it being so tight that things knock into each other and start to break. Choose black or personalize the bag with your signature color or logo.