I remember feeling just like a kid who found out they were going to Disney World when I saw the image of a DSLR camera inside the wrapping paper. Thankfully it wasn’t a joke (because sometimes that happens)! It was real!
For the first little while, I was scared to even hold the darn camera for fear of dropping it!
Good news is, the more you practice, the more natural it becomes. Soon you’re juggling lenses with your husband and snapping them on in record time!
The one thing I do remember though is wondering, where do I begin? Other than a memory card, I had no clue what else I needed to help me get started.
That’s what I want to share with you today – my top 7 favourite accessories for beginners that helped me when I was just starting out!
In the beginning, I was a hot-mess! From dropping lens caps in the water, to forgetting to charge my batteries, to having my dog sneeze on my lens, something would inevitably happen! So, as these things would occur, I slowly grew the items in my photography bag, sometimes missing out on the photo along the way because I hadn’t acquired the right piece of gear yet.
Hopefully this list can help you avoid some painful scenarios and you don’t end up missing out on that photo because you’ve got a great set of tools to start with in your camera bag.
Alright, let’s get into the goods that helped me boost my skills, be better prepared, and fall in love with photography along the way!
7 MUST HAVE CAMERA ACCESSORIES FOR BEGINNERS
#1 – LENS CAP STRAP
It only took me one lost lens cap before I added a few of these puppies to my photography kit.
Sometimes that perfect shot only lasts for a mere few seconds and then it’s gone! My lost lens cap is the result of fumbling it around, trying to stick it in my pocket and ‘ploop’ it fell in the rushing water instead. All I could do was wave it goodbye with a sad lower lip expression stuck on my face. Plus in all the excitement, I missed my opportunity to capture my first grizzly bear photo! 0 for 2 that day!
Now, with a lens cap strap, I can just pop off the lens cap and get my finger ready to go on the shutter button! Much more efficient!
#2 – LENS CLEANING KIT
These pens are great for getting rid of any junk or debris on the lens, even puppy sneezes!
What I love about this system is that the dirt and grime is not transferred from one area of the camera to the next. They’ve designed one pen specifically for lenses, one for filters and one for viewfinders. All bases covered!
When using the lens cleaning kit, I like to combine them with the rocket blower (don’t worry, it’s on the list below!) This way, any dust particles from the brush on the pen are blown away afterwards by the blower and voilà! A beautifully clean lens with no streaks or fibers!
Much less work than removing spots one-at-a-painful-time in post production later. Yes, very unfortunately I’m guilty of spending 40 minutes on one photo doing this.
#3 – GOOD QUALITY MEMORY CARD
I wanted something that was reliable with a fast write and read speed. This way, when I’m out taking photos on high speed continuous mode, my camera card can keep up! Then, when I get back to my desk, I don’t have to wait for what seemed to be an eternity in the past for my photos to transfer to my laptop.
I’ve always had great experience with Lexar, so I chose to go ahead with a couple of Lexar’s Class 10 (highest speed) 32 GB SD Card and never looked back!
Something to consider when choosing a memory card size, is how many photos do you want to be carrying around on one card? For me, I knew 1000 photos (in raw format) would be more than generous for our adventures. Plus, I didn’t want too many photos piling up on one card. We all know how much fun that is to go through later! A 32 GB fits this description nicely.
#4 – ROCKET BLOWER
This magical tool is what I was referring to earlier. Plus, it looks really cool when it’s sitting on my desk.
Combining this puppy with the Lenspen finishes off the job perfectly. All you have to do is give it a couple of squeezes and it simply blows air onto your lens to get rid of those stubborn fibers. It does a way better job than blowing on your lens with your own air, trust me, I tried…
Just a little tip, if you hold your lens upside-down and then use the rocket blower to blow air upwards to it and then throw the lens cap on right away, you’ll be fiber free for sure my friend!
#5 – UV FILTER
I’m so glad I took the kind gentleman’s advice and purchased a UV Filter in my early photography days. He explained to me that most photographers have a UV Filter to protect their lenses from many things while out in the elements including dust, dirt, water droplets, and in my case accidental bumps and scratches.
Don’t worry, I cringe ever time I read that part too!
Luckily though, instead of ruining my $1000 lens, I just scratched the UV Filter that was protecting my lens so the mini-heart attack was avoided!
These little babies have proved themselves indispensable for me and I now own one filter for each different size lens I have.
Just a little tip, prior to purchasing one for yourself, have a look at the diameter of your lens. Check out the photo below showing you how to find the diameter of your lens to ensure you get the right size UV Filter for the job.
#6 – SMALL SKETCHBOOK
I remember feeling so overwhelmed when I was starting out with photography. I didn’t know what settings to use (never mind the headache of remembering what settings to change them back to afterwards), but keeping a sketchbook with me really helped me gain confidence as well as helped me memorize those settings over time.
It’s particularly handy to sketch out my astrophotography shoots ahead of time. I’ll usually include notes on sunset times, directions to face, which settings to use, plus a little sketch for good measure showing the composition I’m looking to get.
If I had to learn photography all over again, I would do it the same way. I would keep good notes in my little sketchbook and always take it with me on my adventures.
#7 – WIRELESS REMOTE
Last but not least, a wireless remote! The one thing I realized soon after beginning my photography journey is that some of my photos were blurry. So, I went out and purchased this handy tool. I absolutely love it because it eliminates camera shake all together and now my photos are tack sharp! It’s a great addition to my gear kit because it’s so small and light that it just stays in my camera bag all the time.
Plus, now when I’m travelling, I can take advanced selfies with this remote. This way, it looks like I was part of the adventure too!
There we have it! My top 7 camera accessories for beginners. These tools really helped me gain confidence as a newbie in photography. As a bonus, I feel they’ve also made me more efficient at photographing my adventures. Less time wasted means more time to play and actually be in the moment right?
BONUS TIME!
As a bonus for making to the end, I also wanted to share a few other helpful items with you. I always carry these 3 things with me in my photography bag. I admit, some of them are a bit odd but they work great in the right situations!
- Shower Cap – Yes, you read that right, a shower cap! This comes in extremely handy when I’ve got my camera on my tripod and then it decides to rain. Sometimes it’s worth waiting out the storm. The mood in the clouds is just absolutely worthy of that little Italian Chef kiss!
- Microfiber Cloth – Not for the lens, this one is for the camera body and tripod. Sometimes things can get a little messy, am I right? I always have this on hand in case I need to wipe off some sand before putting my gear away.
- Headlamp – Especially handy when out shooting sunsets and you have to hike back to your car. Just make sure to charge the batteries before heading out!
DOSE OF HAPPY!
As promised, here’s the photo of the orcas passing by! Tada:
They’re a little way back in the distance, but what I love about this photo is the memory that goes along with it.
You see, my family and I were kidding about some jumping fish just moments before. The jumping fish were no bigger than the size of your hand. We were jokingly calling them whales because my family hadn’t seen any yet.
Then all of a sudden, these two orcas pop up! I really had to work hard to convince everyone to look because of the jumping fish joke. But then the smiles went across everyone’s faces followed by a few chuckles.
This is why I love photography. That memory is captured frozen in time and every time I see this photo, it will bring a little chuckle and a smile to my face too!
If you’re looking for additional DSLR Photography Tips, make sure to sign up for our FREE 8 Essential DSLR Photography Tips for Beginners.
These are the tips that gave me creative control over my photos. Now, I actually understand how to use my DSLR to get the feeling I want and capture the moment each and every time!
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Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a wonderful rest of your day!
Sam Lafleche
Wow! What a great tip summary. And your writing style is so clear, simple and inviting, it makes me want to be your friend. I’m going to buy every item you noted! Amazon, here I come! Thanks for the advice!
Claire
This means so much, thank you Sam! Haha, well they certainly helped me out, hoping they can do the same for you! Have a wonderful rest of your day!
I just lost a lens cap a few days ago. I will definitely be getting a strap!!
Sorry to hear you lost one too Kayla! It’s almost like it happens in slow motion, but there’s nothing you can do… or at least mine was like that. Good luck with your photography adventures and thanks so much for stopping by!
We have Amazon wish lists in my family. I will be a newbie photographer soon, with the most amazing subject there is. My first grandchild is due Oct. 7th, 2019. I want to document her sweetness as long as I can. So I will be adding these items to my amazon wish list. I’ve always loved to take pictures. I’m going to splurge on a DSLR. So I’m soaking up all I can learn, so my pictures will be wonderful. Thanks for sharing your list.
My pleasure! Congratulations on the new addition to the family and I’m sure you’ll capture beautiful memories of your granddaughter with your photography!
Hi Claire do you have an affiliate acct w/Amazon? I would love to shop through links so you get a little something back for sharing your info.
Hey there! Yes I do and I can’t tell you how much it means to me that you’ve thought of that. I truly appreciate your support and wish you all the best!
C