Photo Equipment You Need Two of...
Many casual picture-takers are perfectly content with having one camera, no accessories to speak of, and capturing snapshots here and there. On the other hand, there are photo enthusiasts who are compelled to have every gadget imaginable. Who is right? There is no correct answer, only what works best for you, your interest level in photography and your budget. As a happy medium, here a few instances where having a second item will expand your picture-taking potential.

Camera:
People who are passionate about photography usually have an SLR (single-lens reflex), either film or digital. An SLR just cannot be beat for versatility and performance. So why have a second camera? Size. As nice as an SLR is, it is big. When you are out on a photographic mission, an SLR that handles quickly and intuitively is great. But for grab shots at parties and when you must travel light, a small pocket-size point & shoot style camera is a better choice. So having one of each type of camera is very sensible, not extravagant.

Camera Battery:
Whether you shoot film or digitally, a backup battery for your camera is a good idea. Cold weather, heavy use of an LCD monitor and other factors can cause rapid battery drain. Having a fully charged second battery with you is just good insurance that you’ll have the power you need to capture all the photos you want.

Camera Support:
Even though more cameras and lenses have some form of image stabilization than ever before, steadying the camera still pays big dividends in the form of sharper pictures. For most photographers, a medium-size tripod is a good investment. But there are times when you need some support and a tripod is too bulky to carry or awkward to set up, and a monopod is a perfect solution. You can take a hike in the woods with it attached to your camera without it being too awkward. When shooting in a crowded gymnasium or your child’s school performance, you can use a monopod without the sprawling legs of a tripod interfering with others. A monopod has it limits, but it will greatly improve sharpness when you’re shooting in the shutter speed range of about 1 second to 1/60th second.

Bags and Cases:
Why have more than one camera bag? Because some times you want to travel light, with just the bare necessities and other times you may need to be ready for anything and everything. For SLR photography, a small bag or a holster-style case that is big enough to accept the longest lens you’re likely to travel solo with is perfect for traveling light. A large bag or hard-side case will hold all the lenses, cords, chargers and other equipment that you may need in a pinch.

Memory Cards:
With memory getting cheaper all the time, it may be simpler to have one big card instead of two smaller ones. However, in case your card is lost, damaged or the files are unreadable for some reason, it is better to loose some of your images on one card than to loose them all. You’ve probably heard horror stories about someone who accidentally reformatted a card and lost images, or who can’t find the tiny little card that has all their European vacation pictures or some other tale of woe. Using a couple of cards, then backing the images up as soon as possible on a computer, portable hard drive or CD/DVD (or combination of several backups) will help insure valuable pictures don’t become “the ones that got away”.

Filters:
Most serious film photographers have made extensive use of filters for years to correct light color, modify the image by softening it for more flattering portraits. Special effects filters and masks have been the equivalent of “Photoshop” for film photographers, allowing images to be dramatically altered, combined into montages and more. Digital camera controls and software tools eliminate the need for some filters, but digital photographers can still benefit by having 2 or 3 filters in their arsenal. A circular polarizing filter helps the digital photographer increase color saturation and control glare and reflections, just like it does for the film photographer. An imaging sensor has much less exposure latitude than color negative film, so a graduated neutral density filter will help hold the detail in bright areas of a photo, without darkening the dark areas. This type of filter is indispensable for landscape photography, to tone down bright skies. Also, a clear protective filter such as a UV filter makes good sense for any lens. It can be left on all the time and it protects the front lens element from smudges, scratches and other damage.

Flash:
Since nearly every camera has a built-in flash, why have a second one? Two reasons; quality of light and quantity of light. The amount of light produced by a built-in flash is very limited. In most cases, it will reach out only about 10 feet. It is also positioned very close to the camera lens, so the lighting quality is both flat and harsh. On the other hand, a separate unit mounted on the hot shoe is far more powerful and can reach 25 to 50 feet, depending on the speed of the lens, aperture selected and the type of environment you’re shooting in. Most detachable flashes have a movable head so the light can be bounced off walls and ceilings to soften the lighting pattern and make it appear more like natural light.

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We Have A Winner!

Congratulations to Dennis M. Barnes for winning the
Porter’s/Tamron September 2007 Monthly Calendar Photo Contest! Dennis’s winning entry in the “Action” category is ready for downloading as a 2007 monthly calendar at www.porters.com.

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