Essential accessories you need for digital photography
November 26th, 2007

    Every hobby has its accessories. I sometimes joke that my dive buddy only became interested in scuba diving after she discovered that scuba gear was a whole new way to spend money. While there’s no doubt some truth to that, it’s also true that there are some things you really need to buy to accompany any activity, and digital photography is no exception. Here’s a short shopping list of things you might consider buying as you get more into shooting digitally:

    • A camera - It goes without saying that you need a camera, but don’t rush into the
      purchase. You can even use a 35mm camera to begin with, and scan the images into
      the PC for editing and printing. If you’ve read the previous sections of this chapter
      and decided what features are important to you, you can shop like a pro.
    • An adequate PC - Crunching data to process digital images takes a bit more horsepower than you might be used to when working with Word or Excel. I suggest using a Pentium III–class PC with no less than 128MB of RAM. If you want to work with really big images—like 6-megapixel pictures—then consider 256MB of RAM. You might be surprised to learn that more memory is generally more useful than a faster processor.
    • Batteries - Digital cameras are power hogs. I highly recommend buying two sets of
      NiMH rechargeable batteries, since they’ll pay for themselves before you can say alkaline.” If your camera didn’t come with an AC adapter, I suggest that you buy one from the camera vendor’s accessories store so you can power the camera when you’re transferring images to the PC or displaying images on a TV.
    • Memory - Buy the biggest memory card you can afford. The measly 8MB memory
      card that came with your camera won’t last a day when you’re on vacation, so having a
      128MB or 256MB card is almost essential. A spare card, if it’s in the budget, can keep
      you going when you fill up your main card far away from your PC.
    • Image editing software - Your camera probably came with some rudimentary image editor, but it may not be up to the task. Try a few out, and buy the image editor that you like the best. I typically use Paint Shop Pro (from www.jasc.com), for instance.
    • Printer  - Get a good color inkjet printer and premium photo paper. Don’t skimp on this step—when the time comes to print your pictures, why bother having a good camera, this book, and taking the time to improve your photo skills if you’re going to print pictures on a budget printer with lousy paper?
    • Tripod - If you want to extend your photography into the world of close-ups or long-range telephoto images, a tripod is a necessity. It needn’t be large or heavy, because most digital cameras are significantly lighter than their 35mm counterparts.
    • Lenses and filters - The time may come when you want to take pictures—like extreme close-ups, wide-angle shots, or extreme telephotos—that are beyond the range of the lens that came with your camera. Likewise, you might want to reduce glare or add other special effects to your images. If that’s the case, you want lenses and filters for your camera. You may not need them right now, but consider them an advanced purchase for later on.
    • Camera bag - Choose a bag that lets you arrange your camera and accessories in a way that they’re protected from theft and damage, but easy to use when the time comes to shoot a picture. Look for bags that don’t really look like they’re holding camera gear that might make them less of a target for thieves

    Apart from all these, what I believe is an essential is a good creative brain to aim at those awesome frames!


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