Digital SLR Accessories: 5 Accessories to Carry in Your Gadget Bag

Whether you are a brand new Digital SLR (single lens reflex) user or someone who has graduated from the point-and-shoot school of digital photography or a seasoned veteran there are certain items the should be in your gadget bag.

Taking good still shots, even when you are using a camera like the Canon Rebel EOS XSi with its great anti-shake capability, requires a good tripod. You can find them in all price ranges with all sorts of bells and whistles but the Quantary QSX-DigiPro 8500 is a reasonably priced choice at $59.99. This tripod has all of the features you need such as a 12-inch split center column, three-way pan head, quick release and three-section locking legs. Its working range is 13.8 inches to 61.5. Available at consumer-oriented camera stores such as Ritz Camera, you should obtain one as it will meet your needs for years.

Most Digital SLRs (DSLR) sold today are available either in a kit form that includes the body, lens, lenshood and memory for anywhere from $300 to $7,000. Unless you are a VERY serious pro, you'd probably prefer one of the $500 to $900 kits like the Canon Rebel EOS XSi, which came with an 18 to 55 mm zoom and 4GB of SD memory which provides about 680 photos before a reformat is needed. A good addition to this basic lens is the Tamron 28-300 mm F3.5-6.3 XR zoom. This is a great closeup and midrange telephoto that is compatible with today's DSLR anti-shake and autofocus systems. It is available for about $400.

Two small, yet key, items that should fit in your gadget bag are the proper lens filter for your lenses and a good, spare Kingston 4GB SD Memory Card because you would be surprised how quickly you will fill up one memory card during a shoot. As for the Quantary filters, a good UV filter or skylight filter are both neutral and won't affect the color saturation of your photos, but they will keep them clean and protect the lens surface from flying objects and dust.

Finally, we'd add a good external flash to our gadget bag. The Canon Speedlite 580 EX II flash -- available for about $500 -- was recently released and is 20 percent faster than its predecessor, yet it is also quiet. It features full 180-degree swivel in both directions and is compatible with most DSLRs on the market today with the ablity to communicate white balance automatically to those DSLRs, as well as using the camera's settings to set the flash duration and saturation. The reason this is a necessity is because the small flash on today's DSLR just can't cut many situations where you need fuller flash saturation such as weddings or recitals and the like.