Accessories You Can't Live Without

[AZ JazzyJ]

With the holidays fast approaching, many will be looking to get a new cameras or photography. What are some accessories you feel are mandatory and you could not live without and why? These can be anything photography related and do not necessarily have to attach to a camera. So now's your chance to offer a few suggestions or recommendations to your fellow photo bugs so they can add these to their Christmas lists.

Jeff

 

[We-Luv-Disney]

I would say my must haves are my travel size tripod and my lens pen, I love my lens pen and actually have 3 of them, one in the car, one at the house and one in my camera bag. Its great for cleaning smudges off my lens. As for the travel tripod I love my Bogen 714SHB compact tripod, it fits in my camera bag and is very lightweight.

 

[Anewman]

Are PCs considered Accessories?

 

[brack]

For me I could not live without my battery pack. Both my Canon's (EOS1 film & Digital Rebel) have the battery pack that attaches to the bottom of the camera. It not only gives me much more power use but it also adds some bulk to the camera. To me it makes it more stable.

 

[Geoff_M]

Mine are a bit out of the mainstream... my PocketWizard remotes. They are awesome radio controlled slave units that allow me to take great off-camera flash photos like this one:

I'd also include a good lens cleaning cloth, a large rubber bulb blower for dusting off my camera sensors.

 

[Magix]

Another vote for the Lens Pen! I LOVE that thing! I always have one in a pocket of my photo vest when shooting. They're great for quick and easy lens clean-ups. I also love the UP-Strap, which is a shoulder strap that won't slide down your arm while you're walking. I need to buy a new one, because I've rubbed all the little rubber grabby-things off the one I've got now. Lasted a couple racing seasons, though, which is no small task.

 

[Charade]

I have a little portable storage device to download pics from my Compact Flash cards. It also doubles as a portable hard drive. Beats dragging a laptop along on vacation.

 

[ducklite]

A very roomy, waterproof camera bag.

Tuesday night I got to the venue. I took off my jacket and stuffed it into my bag. I put my bag under a step on the pit side of the barricade. I was waiting for the show to start. A drink goes flying over the barricade. (It was an accident, someone banged someone's elbow type of thing) Drink hits stairs and dumps all over the top of my bag. I simply pick up bag, let drink roll off, and move bag under the next stair. The girl that dropped it was really freaked--thinks she's ruined a bunch of expensive camera gear. I laughed and told her it was cool, that was exactly why I've got a waterproof bag.

Another thing I always carry is a couple of clear plastic bags. If you end up having to shoot in the rain, you can wrap you camera in the bag with the end of the lens poking out. Not ideal, but you do what you've got to do.

Anne

 

[Razor Roman]

USB Memory Reader - faster to download the pictures to your PC than using the camera, plus doens't drain your cameras batteries!

 

[MICKEY88]

I have a little portable storage device to download pics from my Compact Flash cards. It also doubles as a portable hard drive. Beats dragging a laptop along on vacation.

could you share more details,,,make, size of drive..etc...

 

[Charade]

could you share more details,,,make, size of drive..etc...

Sure!

Here's what I bought. This was (at the time), the best price.

http://www.jaldigital.com.au/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=27_100&products_id=343

Service was excellent and shipping (although it was $35) was fast (3 days from Australia to PA!!)

I got the one without the drive because I already had a 20g spare drive. It's a basic unit. No preview screen, didn't want it plus it's twice the price!

 

[AZ JazzyJ]

Mine are a bit out of the mainstream... my PocketWizard remotes. They are awesome radio controlled slave units that allow me to take great off-camera flash photos

Very nice shot, I would love to hear more about the PocketWizard and how you set up for indoor sporting events.

Jeff

 

[Geoff_M]

Jeff,

I have a PocketWizard MultiMax that I mount on my camera and two PocketWizard Plus Receivers on the flashes. I use a simple two flash set-up (a SB-24 plus a SB-28). I mount each flash on a simple lighting stand along with the PW. I place each light stand roughly lined up with the end-line of the court up in the upper level of the gym, one on each side, and aim the flash heads at the free-throw line.

Besides an more natural look, the PW's allow me to:
- Avoid problems of having to fire a flash into the faces of the players and risk the wrath of a coach or official.
- Avoid the "deer in the headlight" look.
- No more player "red eye".
- Eliminate the awful reflections off of the gym floor that often appear on the opposite end wall.

I also use them when I shoot weddings and conferences in hotel conference rooms. They work great: www.PocketWizard.com

 

[bear74]

I would say my must haves are my travel size tripod and my lens pen, I love my lens pen and actually have 3 of them, one in the car, one at the house and one in my camera bag. Its great for cleaning smudges off my lens. As for the travel tripod I love my Bogen 714SHB compact tripod, it fits in my camera bag and is very lightweight.

what exactly is a lens pen? Where can you buy one?
TIA

 

[bear74]

I have a little portable storage device to download pics from my Compact Flash cards. It also doubles as a portable hard drive. Beats dragging a laptop along on vacation.

Where can you buy this and aprox how much.
TIA

Sorry should have finished reading before I posted. was it not available anywhere in the US?

 

[We-Luv-Disney]

what exactly is a lens pen? Where can you buy one?
TIA

It's a lens cleaning tool, that looks like a pen. I got mine at circuit city, but walmart sells on under there a different name. I think mine costed $8.00.

 

[PaulD]

Where can you buy this and aprox how much.
TIA

Sorry should have finished reading before I posted. was it not available anywhere in the US?

There are actually many different brands of these devices now (Archos, Delkin, Jobo, Nixview, Epson). In fact, many double as MP3 and video players. They generally have at least 20GB of storage up to about 80GB. Some let you review photos on a color screen, others don't. They cost from about $180 to $600+ depending on features. The things you want to look for are a small size, an easy way to transfer images from your card (make sure it has the right interface for your card type), and then other "neat" things that you're willing to pay a premium for (like video, color screen, etc).

I have an Archos Gmini 120 that I'm pretty happy with. I'm not sure if you'll be able to find this one anymore but I think they still sell the Gmini 220 which is even smaller. Be careful with this company, though, since their products have trouble reading some card brands (I can't read Simpletech CF cards but my Sandisks work fine).

Here's a 60GB device that I found on Costco.com for $200: Wolverine 60gb

Take a look on www.adorama.com for a look at the different devices available. They have a fairly large selection. A lot of people like the Epson P2000. It looks nice but it's like $500... Yikes!

There's also portable CD burners that will copy directly from a card without a computer. For example: Delkin BurnAway