A Guide to Digital Camera Accessories

The digital camera has well and truly cemented itself as the must have gadget which everyone has to own. This is because of the simple convenience of being able to snap hundreds of high quality pictures without using up film or having to pay for the developing if you want to check out what you`ve taken. Digital cameras can be bought for less than £50 or more than £500 so every area of the market is catered for. However, once you`ve chosen the camera that suits your needs there may be a few more things that you`ll want to make your foray into the world of digital photography a more enjoyable and convenient experience. There are a few must have digital camera accessories that will no doubt have some people chomping at the bit to get their hands on, so let`s look at what they are and why they`re so desirable.

* Camera Bag - Most digital cameras will come with some kind of bag or pouch, but if you`re serious about photography you`ll need more than the bog standard model. From as little as £20 you can get a decent sized bag with plenty of pockets for your other accessories.

* Cleaning Kits - If you`ve invested a lot of money in your digital camera then you`ll want to keep it in peak working condition. As a result something like the Camlink camera cleaning kit, which is suitable for SLRs as well as more basic digital cameras, is the ideal thing to buy. It can be found online for just £2.99 and comes with all the essential cleaning items including lens cleaning fluid and a blower brush.

* Memory Card Readers - Most digital cameras will use a memory card to store the photos you take, but there are many different formats and you`ll have to mess about with USB cables and clunky software to get the pictures from your camera. The easy alternative is to buy a memory card reader like the Camlink AllInOne, which provides support for SD, XD and Sony`s Memory Stick formats and will plug straight in to a USB port on your laptop or PC. You can expect to pay as little as £3.50 for a memory card reader, and it will make transferring photos to your computer a much simpler task.

* Camera Tripods - Getting the best shots, especially at family events and parties, is easiest if you`ve got a tripod, and you can expect to pay anywhere from £10 upwards. For those who like to get out and about the Joby Gorillapod, which costs just £13.99 but can be attached to virtually anywhere with its flexible but strong legs, is a great choice.

Choosing Accessories

Choosing your accessories can be almost as time consuming as choosing what digital cameras are right for you, but it should come down to your budget and the kind of things you`re going to be using your camera for. If you`re a regular traveller then a sturdy bag is a good idea, and if you`ve got loads of different memory cards from over the years then you`ll need a memory card reader.