What are must have accessories?

Question

Taking good photos is about more than just the camera.

What accessories are you sure to take with you?

Answer 1

• Extra batteries
• Extra memory cards
• Tripod if appropriate
• Flash and remote triggers if appropriate
• Remote shutter release
• Folded garbage bag, for quick cheap rain/water protection.
• Microfiber towel for quick lens cleaning
• Double check that I have those extra batteries and extra memory cards. Twice.

Answer 2

Good, comfortable footwear - many types of photography involve walking a fair bit, and you don't want your feet getting sore and being a distraction.

Similarly, suitable clothing in general - if there might be a great shot in the next field over, don't let fancy trousers stop you climbing a fence to have a look!

Oh and a friend - to warn in case that one last half-step to get the scene framed perfectly will result in a big splash. ;)

Answer 3

Nikon 7072 Lens Pen Cleaning System - it's about $10.
It's the size of a fat pen, has a retractable brush on one side. The other side has a soft chamois like material to remove fingerprints. Simple, portable, useful.

Answer 4

All good suggestions ... I would like to repeat the 'extra memory cards' thought.

I had a situation where I brought a single high capacity memory card, but the card had some kind of error on it and I was stuck. Luckily my wife had a spare, lower capcity, card with her ... so I could take some pictures (but I couldn't take them in raw+jpg the way I wanted).

Answer 5

• Extra batteries
• Extra memory cards

• gallon sized zip-lock bags

  • used to protect gear during inclement weather AND
  • preventing condensation on camera/lenses when going between air conditioning and humidity

• tripod (but only if I have a specific reason, usually this is left behind)

• small microfiber cloth

Answer 6

Thermos of tea. Because sometimes photography is about patience (and cold places) - it's hard to take good pictures when your hands are shaking.

Some coffee is good too!

Answer 7

Some sort of calibration thingy to include in at least one shot per "scene". There are a number of different makes & models from different makers -- I like the Lastolite collapsible XpoBalance and the XRite ColorChecker Passport -- but anything that will help you set a white balance at shooting time and set white, mid and black points in post will help immensely.

Oh, speaking of Lastolite (as one brand, again, among many good ones), it profiteth not to venture forth shooting people without a reflector. I usually carry a collapsible white/soft gold model with me, even for "just walkin' around".

Answer 8

1. Extra batteries
2. Lens Cleaning cloth
3. Extra memory cards
4. Rain jacket
5. Plastic bag to put your camera in if you need to use the rain jacket.

Answer 9

Depends of what you're shooting. For landscapes many people won't go out without a tripod. On the other hand tripod is quite useless for indoor reportage, in which you can perfectly use an external flash.

Batteries and memory card are handy for most applications, though.

Answer 10

• Polarizers
• Extra memory cards
• Extra batteries
• Lens cleaning cloth
• Tripod, if you expect to need it
• Flash, if indoors

Answer 11

Polarizers are very useful when shooting outdoors, especially because they can double as neutral-density filters.

Answer 12

• Spare lenses
• Spare Battery
• Extra memory
• Something I'm comfortable cleaning a lens with.

Answer 13

• Lens Pen or soft camel hair brush
• Lightweight Tripod
  • Ball-type Tripod Head (for wide angle shots)
  • Gymbal-type Tripod Head (for telephoto shots)
• Variety of ND Filters
• Proper attire
• Proper amount of gear (less may be better)
  • I've made the mistake of taking too much...you eventually feel like your hauling around a bag of bricks

Answer 14

• Battery
• Tripod
• A good lightweight bag
• Rain protector
• Spare memory card
• External Flash
• Cleaning kit