As a photographer, your gears are your life, as to painters to their brushes, and poets to their pens. These gears are the extension of your hand, eyes, and heart.
Today, the market offers diverse gadgets and accessories for your photography NEEDS. Some say these are better and others would say these are the best gears and accessories to help you become a photographer. Take note on the last line "to help you become a photographer." We all know that it will not make you a photographer but that's how marketing goes and many falls for that. No doubt and it is true that better camera bodies and lenses do help you achieve better photographs; better gears overcome many limitations in photography but it does not make you a photographer.
We all know too that photography is an expensive hobby. If you are lucky enough in life and you can afford those gears, why not. But, if you are like me, and if you really love photography, we have to push our selves beyond limits using only the gears we can afford. I remember what Pat Morita said on the movie "Three Ninjas"
Even a piece of paper can slice your flesh like a superb katana. There's wisdom in it.
Buying expensive camera or gears just for your photography hobby and yet you aren't eating properly or suffer more from poverty is not practical. I met a hobbyist from a photography session before owning three DSLR cameras, eight different kind of lenses; now he's planning to buy a known brand of mirrorless camera because everyone is using it. He encouraged and advised others to buy new gears, gadgets, accessories and be in the trend. For him, it's not that bad, he can afford it in a blink of a eye but is it really practical?
For me, I wouldn't do that. Being well-off is not bad and being limited isn't bad at all too. So here are my suggestion for unfortunate photographers like me.
THE-MUST HAVE GEARS FOR UNFORTUNATE PHOTOGRAPHERS
1. Camera + kit lens.
Our kit lens is not that bad though it is pretty much limited but there's more to it that we haven't discovered yet like using it as a macro lens by reversing it or use it as a wide angle lens for your landscape photography. There's more to it. All we have to do is to get the best out of it. If you don't agree with me, take a look at Jingna Zhang's blog (click here).
One suggestion, if you are still looking for or planning to buy a camera with an interchangeable lens, look for a kit lens that can zoom in further than the standard 18-55 mm kit lens. Some longer kit lens: 18-105 mm; 18-135 mm. Just a suggestion so you can have a telephoto lens and a wide lens, perfect for travels too.
2. The Nifty 50
The 50 mm f1.8 or f1.4 lens is a must if you want to shoot portraits using ambient light. It has an amazing depth of field, sharp images, great for low lights. I use f1.8 since its really cheaper than f1.4.
You can find affordable 50 mm lens in the market.
3. Tripod+monopod
If you shoot without flash most of the time like me a tripod or monopod is a must to minimize blurry images andto stabilized your shot.
I use Selens SE T-170 because of it's quality and versatility, a tripod and can be a monopod and it's affordable. (See my review here).
4. Speed Light (External Flash)
Most of the time I shoot with ambient light but it does not mean a flash is not needed. It is still needed so you can vary your source of light from your subject. You may ask why I did not include a remote trigger? Because you can fire your speed light by slaving it with your built-in flash.
I first used Yongnuo 460-II for 2 years then added another Yonguo 560-III for practical purposes.
5. Smartphone
Everyone has smartphone today and these phones have better camera quality now than before. Keep it always with you because it can be your back up camera too.
THE-MUST HAVE ACCESSORIES FOR UNFORTUNATE PHOTOGRAPHERS
1. Camera bag
You really need to invest on a camera bag to protect your gears. There are inexpensive bags in the market that can still protect your gadgets. You just need to exert some effort finding one. I personally use a Tigernu camera bag bought online for a cheap price.
2. Extra Memory Card
If you shoot RAW or JPEG, I believe that an extra memory card is needed. Keep it in your camera bag always. You might not know when to use it.
3. Extra Batteries
I had an experience taking photos of an event, later my battery runs out and it was a hell of a crap, I can't find an outlet to recharge it. Another experience, I was covering a debut party when my good battery drained. I recharged it but I missed many very wonderful moments. So it's better to have an extra or spare battery for back-up.
4. UV & CPL Filters
UV filter is not that necessary to some photographers because it cuts a bit of the quality of the image but for me, it is a must, for protection purposes. I need my lens too.
Even if you are not a landscape photographer, a CPL or Circular Polarizing filter is a must too for the purpose of cutting lights, darkening the skies, managing reflections, or suppress glare from the surface of water.
5. External Hard Drive
External Hard Drive, 1 TB or better is a must for your storage. Don't leave your shots in your memory card, empty it and dump your shots in your External Hard Drive. Another thing, you can carry it with you all the time.
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