Accessories you have to buy for your compact photo camera

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Monday, April 16. 2007

Few days (or hours) after you have bought you brand new photo camera, you realize that you will have to buy some accessories. Some of them are mandatory, others are just good to have.

This article will tell you what accessories you might need, so you could prepare your budget.

1) batteries - even if you have one set of batteries, it is always good to have another. My advice is to have 2 sets of rechargeable batteries and one alkaline, just in case. If your camera uses custom battery, then, buy another. You will be surprised how many times you will see that 'the more, the better'. Buy battery charger, too. Charge only batteries which say they are chargeable!
2) photo case - even if you have some of the smallest models on the market, it is always good idea to have special photo bag for your jewel. It will hold your batteries, keep your camera from cold, or wet weather. Most cases designed for photo cameras have soft parts designed to absorb lighter shocks. Even falling from 1 meter (3,28 feet) on hard floor can be very dramatic experience. Buy case and use it!
3) memory card - some cameras have integrated memory, others come with some memory card included. But, more memory equals more photos. For everyday shooting and shorter tours 2 cards of 1 GB each should be more than enough. Why 2x1GB instead one card of 2GB? Well, cards do broke, just like everything else. Even if you have one of those superfast, life-warranty cards - they can get lost, too. So, this is why I suggest to have 2 cards.
4) hand strap - if your camera has one - use it, if it doesn't, buy one. This tiny thing can save your camera's life.
5) tripod - advantage of little cameras is that they can be placed on top of many things and stay there. You can place it on the wall, parked car or directly on the ground. But, the problem is that there are not always things to put your camera on, and even if there are, it is hard to position camera the way you want it. Small cameras don't require big and heavy tripod, so you can buy one of lighter (and cheaper) models. They come in different sizes, choose the one that suits you.
6) filters - UV or CPL filters are very useful, and people usually first think of them when mentioning filters. If you are considering to buy filters for your compact camera - this should mean that you are advanced amateur. Consider also ND filters, as well as some effect filters, like cross screen. Note that some cameras need special adapters in order to use filters (however I have a friend who used to hold his CPL in his hand in front of the lens - it worked for him, but it is difficult and tiring).
7) extenders - todays compact cameras have great zoom capabilities. Some have 12x zooms, and I feel that if you read this article next time this year, 12x will not look so impressive. Having 6x zoom or similar is more than enough for usual point&shoot photography. The problem which is common to most compact cameras is that their wide angle is not very wide. In order to achieve wider angle photos, some users buy and use wide-angle adapters. For opposite reasons, others use long-angle adapters. Using those usually degrades quality of images and can add distortion to geometry and other problems. I don't recommend doing this. Instead, concentrate on using the most of your current zoom capabilities. Most of greatest photographers of all times actually used fixed lenses - they did not have zooms at all. Use your imagination and look for different angle, or walk away from (or to the) the object.

Posted by photography-reviews.com in starters at 06:50
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Monday, April 16. 2007

Accessories you have to buy for your compact photo camera

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