Accessorize, accessorize, accessorize! For the latest Question of the week, we were curious about what accessories are must-haves in your camera kit or bag. You replied with everything from external power banks and filters to more exotic items like a collapsible kabuki brush and loop earplugs. Some of you even provided an entire list of things that would arguably be a great fit for a “bug-out bag”.
Check out the top accessory suggestions below, then let us know in the comments which ones will make your GAS expand.
Your must-have camera accessories
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A collapsible Kabuki brush for dusting off equipment. |
Hike Pics: I have several collapsible kabuki brushes that I keep in my car, bags and around the studio. When I head out, a brush goes with me.
madecov: Ziplock bag with Q-tips. Sometimes you just need them to clean something off.
Fabian Joya: A great pair of shoes.
Jacques Cornell: Oh boy, here goes… A few items have earned permanent spots in my grab & go basic event kit:
- First, an 80W USB charging block with a built-in retractable USB-C cable and USB-C and USB-A ports.
- Downstream of this, a Tilta 4-battery or Limeta CR2Go (discontinued?) 2-battery charger. The Limeta has its own built-in battery, so it can recharge camera batteries without plugging into AC and can also serve as a general-purpose power bank.
- A pair of retracting USB charging cables rated for 100W, with convertible USB-A/-C tips on one end and convertible USB-C/Lightning tips on the other.
Click Jacques’s name above to view several additional inclusions!
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“My barebones lightweight event kit.” iPhone 17 Pro Max |
cbf_si: In the last six months, I have mostly been shooting with adapted lenses, so my bag contains various adapters for Sony/Minolta A-mount and Canon EF-mount. I also have various macro extension tubes and reverse rings for macro photography in the bag.
Since I started taking up film photography again, various filters for B&W photography are also in the bag. Luckily, I kept my Cokin filters for the P system, which I can use with any lens using adapters.
Michiel953: Different accoutrements. A chamois, a laptop, a notebook, and a pen (sometimes two; private and business), tissues, paracetamol (just in case 😉 ), and some small things I can’t remember. A Wuchuan canvas messenger bag with a Billingham insert and lots of useful pockets! It serves me well, carrying a D850 with one prime (24, 35, 58, or 85, depending on mood and plan, if any).
Vello WB-DU Universal White Balance Handheld Disc. It’s worth its weight in gold for setting Custom WB in theatrical settings.
Michael Meissner: I am not a fan of OEM neck straps. I rotate between various straps depending on mood, etc. Because I shoot with multiple cameras, each camera has a different strap so I can quickly identify which camera is which. Mostly, I prefer the 1.5″ straps. For lighter-weight setups, I might go to the Peak Designs Leash straps, but I’m not as much of a fan of the wider Peak Designs Slide Lite or Slide straps. All neck straps and hand straps use the Peak Designs anchor system, so I can quickly switch them or take them off. I have hand straps, but I rarely use them.
If you thought Jacques list was extensive, be sure to click on Michael’s name above for his complete list!
MGradyC: Vello WB-DU Universal White Balance Handheld Disc. It’s worth its weight in gold for setting Custom WB in theatrical settings and under the lighting in high school and small college stadiums and gyms.
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“Right-angle viewfinder, excellent for getting right down even to the ground level.” Pentax KP | smc Pentax-FA 31mm F1.8AL | F14 | 1/160 sec | ISO 250 |
DrHook59: I’ve taken to using my home-made monopod a lot recently, not just for macro (à la Mark Berkery), but also for landscapes and low-light situations… and yes, I mention it because it fits in my camera bag or a pocket and only weighs just over 300gms. It’s nothing clever, but it’s easy to put together and may help anyone who suffers from encroaching old age, a lack of grip, or any of the many ailments that may cause tremors; and it helps in dark places a little 😁. It’s also probably the cheapest monopod out there.
Mac McCreery: Small Vanguard Vesta Aspire 25 bag holding a Pentax K3ii and DA 15, 20-40 and 70 Limited lenses. Lenspen, spare batteries, grip, remote release, a pen, and polariser. Oh, and a plastic shopping bag (it’s multi-purpose). I can sit or kneel on it, wrap it around the camera bag or use it to protect the camera and lens.
A lens Flipper Versatile. Allows me to quickly access a second lens and safely swap between them without risking one lens falling.
John Crowe: Whichever camera I take, and I don’t carry a backup, has its own individual case. Individual camera cases vary depending on format. These can range from a PacSafe V2 camera holster (for one of my two Sony Nex/@ systems) to Pelican Micro cases for each small-sensor (such as ‘tough’) camera, to cite two examples.
From here, it gets more complex, but it works.
Part of the Jeep Wrangler roll bar system is a transverse bar that goes across the vehicle just behind the bucket seats (there is no rear seat, having been replaced by a carpeted dog platform). Hanging from this transverse bar, and adjustable for location across the roll bar, are three magnetic fly-fishing net releases (which would allow a net to be pulled and then have it in hand).
edge_cl: Single most important accessory: lens Flipper Versatile. Allows me to quickly access a second lens and safely swap between them without risking one lens falling.
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“RGBACL light panels for very high CRI quality.” Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max |
Alberto Tanikawa: I do a lot of still-life photography, such as knives and bourbon bottles, as well as macro and focus-stacking, so I always need to have my lights, along with mini tripods and magic arms.
RetCapt: For tightening/loosening tripod plates, I have a large-diameter washer tethered to each tripod, which is easily detachable. This gives more leverage on the slots since there is more surface area for the fingers to grasp. These washers come from the hardware store. I find that when I am trying to ‘engineer’ something new (fairly common), the hardware store is a great resource. That and mountaineering shops for carabiners, etc.
No matter what else I carry in my bag, a right-angle viewfinder is always with me (and almost always attached to the camera).
cyuill2007: My “must-have” accessories these days are lens hoods and extra batteries. Lens hoods minimize unwanted flare and help protect front lens elements. During a session where I end up doing a lot of shooting, I find that my newer mirrorless bodies with features like image pre-capture drain batteries much faster than my DSLRs used to. These days, I make sure I have a fully-charged extra battery whenever I am out shooting.
KPM2: No matter what else I carry in my bag, a right-angle viewfinder is always with me (and almost always attached to the camera). With this tool, it is easy to get right down even to ground level – and in doing so, you capture perspectives that are simply nice.
There are many other great accessory recommendations shared in the forums. You’ll have no shortage of nostalgic photography-related content to watch.
Keep ready for the next Question of the week to participate in this series. New questions are posted here on the homepage and in the forums every other week. We can’t wait to read and share your stories!