What are your favorite photography accessories?
- This topic has 9 replies, 6 voices, and was last updated Sep 3, 2013 at 4:37 pm by
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I'm curious to to learn about some of the "must have" gear that you guys use.
I'd say mine are the Gitzo traveler and the RRS Ultralight ballhead. So light and compact and adaptable that it goes with me just about everywhere. Worth the price IMMO.
Next up would have to be the Pelican case. It also goes just about everywhere.
This should be a fun thread. Stuff that is always in my bag:
● Pocket Wizard Plus X Triggers.
● Minimum of 1 Nikon Speedlight, SB800 probably still my favorite.
● Singh Ray LB Warming Polarizer.
● I take at least 1 modifier everywhere. Lastolite Ezybox is the default.
● Pelican
● Tripods come with me less and less, but my RRS BH-55 is invaluable for macro and studio work.
● BlackRapid strap with RRS B2-FAB-F quick release clamp
● RRS base plates are permanent fixtures on all my camera bodies.
● Huge fan of Sanyo Eneloop batteries and their long-lasting charge. I always have a dozen for strobes/grips.
● A clean microfiber towel. Love these. I use the Zwipes brand and buy them on Amazon.For fishing stuff I love my little Gitzo GT1540T tripod and RRS micro ballhead.
The RRS stuff is very well made and the tripod very light and compact.
I also always carry a few B&W polarisers in all the sizes for the lenses.www.dsaphoto.com
A picture is thousand words that takes less than a second while a thousand words is a picture that takes a month.
Under must have.
~Filters, none more important than your choice of Circ Pols.
~Always have at least one speed light. I’d like to carry four, but size and weight of bag. So if it’s just me out for a day, I usually stick to one, if assignment I pack the kitchen sink.Under handy to have
~Set of Kenko tubes. Find Im using these more and more, especially with the 70-200mm
~Heavy duty Gorilla pod. Its a beast, I’ve put 16pounds on it and it held.I use it as a pod in a pinch, but most often as a remote speed light stand, or remote camera stand attached to whatever is available.
~Think Tank bags. Im a spend where you have to, save where you can kind. So while Id love to replace all my bags, with more Think Tank products, instead I have just handful
~Will echo Brett with respect to Eneloop Batteries
~Manfrotto magic arm. Like the Gorilla pod, it’s just way to handy and versatile as a remote light stand or remote camera platformUnder cool to have with, don’t use a lot but when I do Im glad I have
~My Oly EPL 3 and my Go pro.Mike, I pretty much have a CP glued to all my lenses all the time, (even have a Circ Pol for my Go Pro) with the exception being Wildlife (will mount one occasionally), so yeah, if I decide to employ an ND, chances are its stacked with 1 or more other filters.
Here I used a warming CP, a 2 stop Grad ND and two speed lights
Here, a grad ND and a Gold CP in order to make the glare on the windshield gold
I don’t always use NDs as most of that can be replicated in post, however when I do use them, it’s a safe bet they are being stacked with a CP of one stripe or another
JB, that shot of the hunter is a great mix of ambient and flash and a very clean exposure – nice one !
www.dsaphoto.com
A picture is thousand words that takes less than a second while a thousand words is a picture that takes a month.
Thanks David. Man I wish you lived in Canada, id be picking your brains and pestering you to take me out as an assistant 🙂 I don’t know if the same is occurring elsewhere in the world (have to believe it is) but here anyways there’s a big shift occurring with respect to what ADs and the bigger/better stock agencies want to see. My guess is, it’s a natural reaction to the saturation of the photography market. My AD for example doesn’t want to see “grip and grins”, he is even expressly telling writers not to shoot so many. I will be co presenting a “seminar” of sorts with him at a workshop, in essence trying to boost the signal to noise ratio for the writers.
In the past year, I am getting more hunting related “business”. In part again, because fishing photography is “easy”..Meaning carry a camera, takes pictures, its easier for writers to supply their own material. Not so easy when hunting.
Oddly, that has forced me to rethink my accessories, try to get creative with lighting, manufacture a practical and workable “on location” one man studio. It’s funny, some of my early inspiration came from images I remember you posting from outdoor shoots. So far, its been a lot of trial and error.
Its also forcing me to think of ways of be “different” and get “different” kinds of images, hence for me anyways a heavy bias towards remote speed lighting and remote cameras.
I always liked the “what’s in your camera bag” threads.
Other than the standard flash, regular tripod, and filters. I generally don’t leave home without the following items in my pelican 1450 or Lowepro DryZone Rover.
Giottos Rocket Air Blaster
Great for blowing off a lens element or on the off chance you need to hit a sensor.Nikon Moist Lens Cleaner Cloths
I came across these when i was looking for something to take some mud off a filter when i took a spill a few years ago and had some in my pack. They are good for giving a quick lick to a smudged lens to cleaning sunglasses.Adorama Bubble Level
I don’t use this nearly as often as I should, but it comes in handy alot. It sits right in the hotshoe and is there, so you often can’t not look at it.Joby Gorillapod SLR – Zoom with BH-1 Ballhead
I probably use this tripod more than i do my regular tripod, it is handier and has no problems holding my D200 or D7100 and a wide angle lens (such as the 11-16 or an 18-70).Pelican 0915 Memory Card Case
On the off-chance that my bag leaks, i want my cards to be somewhat protected. This is probably overkill, judging by how many times i have had a card or two go through the wash.Op/Tech Utility Strap-Sling
Being a big guy, i have always wanted to use a camera strap as a sling…..but the sling revolution still really doesn’t fit us husky guys. Enter Op/Tech and its “accessorizeable” line of camera slings. I now have a camera strap that goes from strap to sling and also has connection points to go into my straps on my lowepro dryzone rover for hands free carrying at times.Nikon Micro Fiber Lens Cleaning Cloth
These little things are handy as well, with the clips and the fact that they tuck away into its own pocket. I put them on several zippers of some of my bags in an effort to always have a clean cloth and avoid a shirt tail wipe.Quarter, or Other Coin
The handiest thing indeed when you need to change a quickmount.Gerber Multi-Tool
About as handy to have as any multi-tool. This reminds me, i need to sharpen it.5 Gallon Zip-Lock Bag
I have this tucked into my lowepro (although I probably need to fold one up and keep it under the pads in my pelican too) and it offers a great rain shield in a pinch.I have kind of been away from the forum for a bit. But thanks to some email prodding from Zach, I hope to post up again from time to time. I have picked up way too much help from everyone on hear not to participate.
–Matt Tucker
www.ozarkchronicles.com
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