Must-have camera accessories

(Credit: Lensbaby)

Lensbaby lenses and accessories

One of our veteran favourite recommendations are these dSLR and mirrorless camera lenses and swappable optics that allow you to create some special effects or play with depth of field in a way that's more fun and satisfying for photographers than slapping on a post-processing filter.

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Digital Holga lens kit

A new addition to this year's recommended list is Holga's Digital Lens kit, which lets you generate Holga's trademark artefact-ridden photos from your high-quality dSLR, but once again in a way that's more fun for photographers than some of the dumber special effects filters. And if you're more into shooting with your iPhone or Samsung Galaxy S II, there are cases that come equipped with a telephone dial full of funky Holga filters.

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Nice Clip

Yep, it's just a clip with an adhesive strip on back. But if you know someone who's constantly misplacing lens caps or has a battery-charging cable that's forever dropping off the desk to the floor, it's US$9.95 well spent.

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SanDisk Extreme Pro SD and CompactFlash cards

If you're using an old card and have a need for more speed and storage, now's a good time to ramp up. SanDisk's really fast, high-capacity Extreme Pro cards are a good choice for SLRs or other high-resolution cameras. Even if you don't see any performance difference in-camera, the type of speed these cards offer (fast read/write times instead of minimum SD "class" standards, for instance) can make a big difference when uploading the photos to your computer via a card reader. Also, if your camera happens to take microSDHC cards, SanDisk has high-speed cards in that size, too.

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Eye-Fi wireless SDHC cards

Those interested in adding some wireless uploading or geotagging capabilities to their camera, Eye-Fi's line of cards also makes my annual list of accessory recommendations. Its latest card, the Mobile X2, works with an iOS or Android app to send JPEG photos and movie clips directly from your camera to your iPhone, iPad or Android device. While not readily available in Australia, if you want to buy one of these head to Amazon.

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Flipbac Camera Grips

Most pocket cameras do away with any sort of front grip for the sake of design. These little US$10 grips let you quickly — and non-destructively — add one. It's added grips for the new Canon S100 and Nikon V1, too. Flipbac also sells stick-on mirrors (pictured up top) letting you instantly change a camera's fixed LCD into an angle viewfinder.

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Tiltpod

As mini tripods go, the Tiltpod is about the smallest you can get. The US$15 support consists of a tiny base with a non-skid bottom and a screw with a rounded head that you put into a tripod mount. The base has a small indent with a strong magnet in it, and that's where the head of the screw rests, creating a ball and socket.

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Black Rapid SnapR 20

Black Rapid makes several sling straps for SLRs, but if you got something smaller, check out the US$40 SnapR 20. It combines a sling strap, wrist strap and small padded bag in one package. That alone is nice, but what's better is that the pieces can be used together or separately.

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Sun Sniper Compact strap

Sling straps are generally more comfortable than neck straps and keep the camera out of the way when you're not shooting, but allow you to get the camera quickly into position. What sets this €49 one apart from basic sling straps is its padded shoulder rest, integrated shock absorber, and a nylon strap reinforced with a steel anti-theft wire and backed with a US$500 insurance policy (only valid in Europe/US).

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Spider Holster Black Widow

For those who don't like straps of any kind, there's the US$50 Black Widow holster. Just slip the holster onto a belt and attach the pin to the tripod socket on a camera. The pin slides into the holster, locking securely in place on your hip. Press down on a lever to release the camera and you're ready to shoot.

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Wacom tablets

These are a great option for anyone who works with images rather than just uploading them as it is to Facebook.

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Nomad brushes

For use with your iPad or any capacitive touch-pad device, these brushes add a nice dimension to working with photos on a tablet. If you regularly use any of these apps, you'll probably want to grab one.

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Professor Kobre's Lightscoop

A little mirror that makes a huge difference, the Lightscoop allows you to improve the performance of your on-camera flash by bouncing it off of a ceiling or walls.

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Joby Gorillapod

There are plenty of imitators out there, but the quality of the Joby's flexible tripod is still the best we've come across. Plus, it's just fun to play with when it's not being used to stabilise your camera.

Via CNET