Cheap and Useful Photography Accessories: How To Avoid Spending A Fortune On Photography Accessories

Photography for the amateur and professional can be a very expensive hobby. The camera itself is an expensive piece of equipment and DSLR Lenses can cost even a lot more then the body of the camera. On top of this, you also have the additional costs of the accessories. It could also be a very expensive investment; however, there is good news! Photography does not have to be expensive as there are accessories that you can purchase for exceedingly less than the average amount at twenty five dollars.

Below I have listed fifteen different photography accessories that will cost you no more than $25, cheaper than a meal for two at your favourite restaurant. I don’t think of these accessories that I am about to tell you about as budget items, I think of them more as valuable tools that can do a lot for your hobby, and of course save you a lot of money which will give you the chance to invest in a better camera and lenses.

18% Grey Card

This is a very useful accessory and costs around $10. The 18% grey card was made to reflect 18% of the light that falls on it, which in return gives you a precise outcome when taking pictures. 18% gray cards can be set up with a customized white balance ensuring much more steady colors within your photographs. Gray cards are generally made from polystyrene or coated cardboard and come with protective covers. If you are looking for accurate photos with more consistent color, then this accessory is perfect for you.

Grey card

Lens pen

The lens pen is a fairly new accessory to lens cleaning technology. With a lens pen, you no longer need to use lens fluid or papers and can make use of the pen instead. One end of the lens pen is what’s called a microfiber disk which is packed with cleaning fluid while a retractable brush is on the other end. The retractable brush is used to brush off any form of dust from the lens and the microfiber disk is used to clean off any smudge marks, fingerprints and dirt. A simple twist of the pen only half-way with the cap on it cleans the microfiber disk very well for later use. These lens pens are also very inexpensive, around about the $10 mark and I can promise you that you will be glad that you purchased one as they are very useful.

Lens pen

Cloth With Rice And Beans

This may sound like a silly thing to have, however, it is very useful for resting/propping your camera on it and saves you having to carry your camera tripod around with you. If you want to reduce equipment weight, I recommend keeping the bag empty and when you arrive at your destination where you will be taking photos, purchase a few bags of rice and beans from the nearest store. It is inexpensive and very useful.

Remote Shutter Release

Making clean and crisp photos and hassle free self-portraits will cost you no more than about twenty dollars. A remote shutter release lets you take great photos without even having to put a finger on the camera, which can be very helpful when taking self-portraits and family photos. The other great thing is that there is no motion blur from a shaky camera. The remote shutter release is a cable that extends to up to quite a few feet, however, if you prefer you can also get a wireless remote shutter release. Have a look online on marketplaces such as Amazon and you can buy wireless remote shutter releases for quite cheap.

Remote Shutter

Let’s go with the LED

This camera accessory is a multi-tasking miracle. With a LED flash light you can practice with light painting and drawing in the dead of night. The other great thing about this accessory is that you can even use it when you’re out in the dark to know exactly where you’re going. When taking pictures in the dark with the LED flash light, the photo quality can be just as good as it would be if you were taking the pictures in the sunlight. This accessory basically mimics the sunlight and enhances your photography experience.

LED flashlight

Flash On-Camera with a Diffuser

If you’re a person that requires an on-camera flash-function when taking pictures, it’s a good idea to soften the bright flash with what’s known as a flash diffuser. Flash diffusers come in a variety of different styles but all of them have white see-through materials needed to diffuse the light. If you are considering on buying one of these accessories but you to test it out first then you can use a simple homemade one to examine the quality. To do this, stick some waxed paper in the region of the pop up flash before taking your photo. This will work more or less the same as the real thing; however, it is very unprofessional looking. It is okay to use this at home but when you are taking photos for the likes of a wedding, it certainly is not recommended.

Try out an Emergency Reflective Blanket AKA Circular Reflector

The both of these handy little accessories will reflect lights onto the shadows to brighten it up. The emergency blankets are very cheap and the really great thing is the reflective Mylar is completely waterproof so if you’re out and about taking photos and it starts to rain, just throw one of these sheets over your equipment. They have many uses that you can take advantage of. The circular reflectors don't have as many uses at the emergency blankets, but they can be securely placed with the use of only one hand, that’s very simplistic. Generally, circular reflectors cost around $25. If you can, I recommend having all of these accessories as they can be very useful.

Emergency Reflective Blanket

Compacts for your Backpacking Hand Towel are most useful

If you are shooting some photos outdoors then this accessory is very imperative. Having the lightweight backpacking towel will absorb any variations of liquid from the lens and camera body to prevent any problems from arising. It's also a good idea to attend your equipment with a nice scrubbing when you are finished with your photography session to prevent the likes of dust and dirt from building up. Keeping the dirt off of the camera can help prevent the dirt from infiltrating the camera when you decide to change lenses. These absorbent towels are a great investment and costs around $10.

So there you have it, some of my favourite accessories at great prices and if you have a photographer in your life, then they can make excellent and affordable gifts too. For the likes of family photos and holiday photos, lighting accessories such as diffusers and reflectors can be very handy. If you, a friend or the love of your life has just purchased a DSLR, a remote shutter release, 18% grey card and filter wrench are perfect accessories for taking accurate photos. If you head over to your local camera store, you should find these items quite cheap and I can assure you that you will be very happy with them as the hold many benefits as I have explained.