Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Digital Camera Accessories: Select Them Like A Pro

By Sylvia Howard

Capturing a moment is best done with a digital camera in this time and age, but besides the apparatus you also need to know if you need any accessories, and how to choose them. You may be a digital photography fan or just an occasional user, but in both cases you will be able to tell the story of a moment that cannot be brought back.

Accessories are not only for pros, a small but versatile set should be part of the photography equipment of anyone with but a passing interest in the subject matter.

The digital camera accessories available today as tools make the camera a better choice for us to invest in them especially if this becomes a hobby or a profession. Regardless of whether you prefer a compact camera or a more advanced SLR model, the digital camera accessories that you will use along with it will be of paramount importance.

Although the variety of camera accessories is great, some are more exotic and meant mainly for pros. But certain accessories are of great use to everyone. Here are the most common ones:

A camera bag is one of the most ubiquitous camera accessories, and few people will walk out of an electronics shop with their new digital camera without also having purchased a corresponding bag. The bag allows you to carry your equipment around as well as to store any extras that you may need on your photo-taking adventures.

Camera bags are available in several specifications, from the simple hold-all to the specialized compartmented SLR backpack. You can of course carry your camera in any kind of bag, but a padded, purpose-made item is a wise buy.

Of all the digital camera accessories, perhaps the camera tripod of the most useful - it reduces camera shake and therefore the likelihood of a blurred picture, especially in low light conditions, and allows you to take pics from unusual angles. Tripods may seem bulky at first, but bear in mind that a great majority of tripods are either foldable or retractable and should be able to fit in most of the medium size to larger camera bags.

When you buy a tripod, you should definitely make sure that the camera attachment fits your brand, as that's not always the case. Steadier shots and a better result make the camera tripod the most important digital camera accessory for many photographers.

The next most useful kind of digital camera accessories are probably those who prolong your picture-taking. Both extra batteries and storage cards fall into these categories. Batteries allow you to take pictures for longer without recharging the camera and are fundamental in faraway locales, while extra storage cards are great for sports photography, when you will need to take a whole lot of pictures. - 16738

About the Author: