Photography can be an expensive hobby, but it doesn’t have
to be! Yes, you’ll need some
gear in order to snap photos that match your vision, but there are ways to
reduce how much it’ll cost you.
The most important thing is this: you don’t have to buy all
of that stuff right away. If you’re just starting out in
photography, there are a few key bits of essential gear that you should
have—and nothing more than that. Once you’ve built up your photography skills,
then you can invest in more equipment.
But what are essential gear items for photography?
Here’s what you should buy to get started on the right foot:
Here’s what you should buy to get started on the right foot:
- Tripod: Tripod is one of the versatile and necessary camera accessories. Whether you’re shooting landscape, portrait, night, street, or even wedding photography, you’re going to need a tripod at some point or another.
Tripods are extremely useful in low light settings as
the stability of a tripod allows you to take longer-exposure shots without any
camera shake. This stability is also crucial for things like night sky
photographs.
- Remote Shutter Release: A remote shutter release is useful because it lets you “take a
shot” without physically touching the camera body, which eliminates the
potential for camera shake and accidental blurring. It’s most often used in
conjunction with a tripod.
There are two kinds
of remote shutter releases—wired and wireless—but it doesn’t really matter
which one you get. More advanced remotes have extra features like half-press
support, built-in timers, and LCD screens.
This Newer
Shutter Release Remote Control provides a lot of bang for the buck, but
note that you’ll have to buy a remote that’s compatible with your particular
brand of camera (Canon, Nikon, Pentax, Sony, etc).
- Prime Lens: As
you progress in your photography skills, you’ll end up amassing plenty of
different lens types that let you take all kinds of shots. But at the
start, you’ll be better off starting with a single prime lens.
Why a prime lens?
Because the inability to zoom can teach you a lot about proper composition techniques. With a fixed camera lens, you have to think through your shots more, which stretches your skills and helps you improve faster.
Because the inability to zoom can teach you a lot about proper composition techniques. With a fixed camera lens, you have to think through your shots more, which stretches your skills and helps you improve faster.
For Canon and Nikon,
the 50mm f/1.8 prime lens is the cheapest of all lenses, making it
great for starters. However, if your camera has a crop sensor (which most
entry-level DSLRs and mirrorless cameras do) and if you can afford spending
more, we recommend a 35mm prime lens because it’s generally more
flexible.
- External Flash: Every photographer needs flash at some point, even if you don’t intend to shoot in the dark—but don’t use the built-in flash on your camera body. It’s simply no good. Instead, spend a little bit on an external flash unit.
- AA Batteries + Battery Charger: Once you start using external flash units,
you’ll be going through batteries like crazy—and that’s why you should invest
in rechargeable batteries as soon as you know that you’re going to be serious
about photography.
Photography Skills Are More Important Than Gear
Better gear won’t
make you a better photographer. Don’t buy these things because you’re tired of
sucking and you think these will help. The only solution to that is to learn,
study, and practice taking photos. But gear can make photography more fun, and
there’s definitely value in that.
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