Photo accessories

Remote trigger:

First of all, it makes sense to invest in a remote trigger. These little helpers are very practical for taking photos without shaking, as the hands do not touch the tripod or the positioned camera. One conceivable application is group photos on holiday: forget about self-timers that go off like time bombs and join the group relaxed in front of the lens - click!

Tripod

Another important tool when taking photos is a tripod - essential for enthusiasts and professional photographers. Tripods range from large to small, so there are several things to consider when choosing:

• The packing size: The size of the tripod when folded. The more important space is to you, the smaller the pack size should be.
• The unfolded size: There are different uses for tripods, so yours should suit your application. The most common form, the tripod, can usually be folded into a monopod and used as a selfie stick, for example.
• The load capacity: Most large tripods carry weights up to 10kg, smaller ones carry weights of around 5kg. Make sure that your tripod can support your camera and lens - otherwise you will not only need a new tripod, but also a new camera in case of emergency.
• The weight: As a rule, tripods are made of aluminium or light carbon, which ensures a low overall weight. Particularly weatherproof tripods, those used in shallow water, are made of metal and weigh a lot accordingly. If you need something like this, you have to expect an increase in the weight of your equipment.

External flash

A external flash can be of immense advantage. Professional photographers always have an external flash in their luggage in case they need to shoot in low light conditions, for example at dusk or at parties and concerts. Hollywood paparazzo never leave home without it. If you want to explore photography, an external flash is a worthwhile investment to experiment with different lighting effects. When buying, pay attention to what your intended use is: do you tend to shoot up close or far away? Different models are suitable for different scenarios.

Folding reflector

A folding reflector is another photo accessory you should purchase. With this item, you can easily brighten up dark parts of a subject. You can use the folding reflector together with the natural light of the surroundings as well as a flash.

These folding reflectors can be purchased with different coloured surfaces as well as in various sizes. In most cases, the surface is also reflective.

A particularly practical feature of the folding reflector is that it is very handy and portable because it can be easily folded up.

For more professional purposes, a folding reflector is part of the inventory of the ambitious photographer. Reflectors are used in photography to brighten up subjects under difficult lighting conditions. There are many possible applications: folding reflectors are often used with flash light, but at least as often with natural daylight.

Reflectors have a light and a dark side. Black and white or gold and silver-coloured models are the most common. The light side reflects light, while the dark side absorbs light. In the silver-gold version, both sides produce a slight colouring of the subject when used. Reflectors can also be used to create a variety of light reflections and image effects. The disadvantage: reflectors can be folded and stowed away, but they still take up space. So if you can do without one for your purpose, save the space for other equipment.

A second memory card

When you are out and about, it can be particularly practical to have a second memory card with you. Because all of a sudden you take more photos and the first memory card is already full. It can also happen that a memory card is damaged. A second memory card for safety can always be an advantage.

A second memory card is almost indispensable, especially for longer trips. When photographing in RAW format, the individual photo files are much larger than ordinary formats. In contrast to jpg format, photos in RAW format are stored unedited and uncompressed, which makes later editing of the images more flexible.

Image management and editing

Those who often and gladly take photos and always save their works will be able to look back on a large photo collection after a short time. In this way, it can quickly become very confusing. A remedy for this is photo management programmes. These are available both as freeware and as paid software and allow you to sort your photos and thus have them more easily at hand. Professionals and professional photographers have so-called image editing software in their arsenal for advanced purposes. Adobe has the production standard for paid software to itself and is definitely worth a look. Among the best-known products are "Photoshop" or "Lightroom".

Spare battery and charger

Indispensable for long photo and film sessions is one (or even more) spare battery. A charger should come as standard in your camera's original packaging, but a fully charged battery has recognisable limits. So if you're going to be out late: don't forget extra battery(ies) and charger! If you are stationary and there is a power socket nearby, then a power supply can also be helpful.