Buying a digital camera is great fun, particularly if you've never had one before, because you can take loads of great photos without the expense of having to print them all of before you can see which ones worked well. But if you want to get the best out of your digital camera and extend its life, then you need to spend a little extra on some digital camera accessories, some of which might include:
Battery charger/AC adapter Memory card Rechargeable batteries Camera case Camera bag External flash Filters Lens cleaning kit TripodOne of the most sensible digital camera accessories you can buy is a soft camera case. These are usually only $10 to $20, but can be worth their weight in gold if you drop your camera or are careless with it. A soft camera case won't protect your digital camera from everything, but it can protect your camera from damage in many instances. If you expect to be traveling a lot, it might be better to buy yourself a strong camera bag for extra protection.
A lens cleaning kit is another very important accessory. Buy a good quality kit, preferably from a reputable camera dealer. Never clean the lens or any other optical part of your camera with a shirt, water, breath or fingers. A good kit should only cost a few dollars, and include a soft cloth, a small blower brush, some lens cleaning solution and some lens cleaning tissues.
Rechargeable batteries. Including a spare set, are a definite necessity. It's amazing how often the batteries in your camera will go flat at the worst possible moment. So having a spare set already charged is a great idea. If you take a lot of photos you'll find you go through a lot of batteries, so although rechargeable batteries are more expensive up front, they'll pay for themselves very quickly. It also means you don't have to try and find a shop selling batteries when you’re in the middle of nowhere. You'll also need a battery charger or an AC adapter. Personally I think the charger is more useful, because you can be charging up one set of batteries while still taking photos with another. With an AC Adapter you'll have to wait for the battery to recharge.
Most digital cameras come with a memory card that is either 16 or 32 MB. Most people find this isn't enough, so it's probably a good idea to buy yourself a larger memory card. That way you can take more pictures at a time, and will have to make less trips to the computer to transfer the ones you've taken. You can also use a number of smaller memory cards if that works better for you.
A tripod isn't an essential digital camera accessory, but it can certainly be a handy one. A tripod is particularly useful if you're taking photos at a shutter sped below 1/60 second, so that you can reduce the effect of camera shake. Some cameras have an LCD monitor that has a blinking light that flashes when the shutter speed is low enough to cause camera shake. You also need a tripod if you plan to do lots of macro photography and are too close.
Digital cameras have their own flash unit, but these have a limited range. However if you've bought a high-end digital camera, then it may include a horseshoe so that you can include an external flash. This can be useful if you like to experiment with different lighting effects, or simply if you find the camera's own limited range too frustrating.
Don't spend another dollar on a digital camera accessories without first visiting Digital-Photo-Tips.info where you will find valuable information on the advantages of digital photography, tips on how a digital camera works and a digital camera buying guide that could save you money on your next digital camera.
Written By: Tim Gorman
