9 Unsung Hero Items of Photo Gear

9 Unsung Hero Items of Photo Gear
ÔÎÒÎ: digitalrev.com

Speak to any professional photographer and they’ll tell you there’s certain items of kit that are more valuable than others. Items of kit that may not seem important, but prove their worth every time you head out into the field to capture photos or video.

So, let’s take a look at these nine items of gear that are the unsung heroes of the photography world…

Image by Jakob Owens/Unsplash

1 - Monopod:

The humble monopod is often overlooked in favour of the sturdier tripod, but what the monopod lacks in stability, it makes up for in versatility. Monopods are much lighter solutions to keeping your camera steady, yet can hold an insane payload, more than enough for a pro DSLR body paired with a heavy, fast-aperture telephoto lens. Apart from helping you keep a camera steady, they can be used for a number of additional purposes. I regularly use my monopod to prop up a reflector when shooting portraits, or attach a flashgun to it so I can fire light straight down on a subject. I’ve even paired a mic with the monopod to as a substitute boom when capturing audio during filming.

2 - Radio triggers:

Radio triggers are more affordable than ever, but their usefulness extends to simply helping you fire off-camera flash. One trick I use is to reverse the trigger process and use the kits to fire my camera instead of the flash. This is perfect for wildlife photography as it enables me to place the camera in locations, where if I were present, would simply scare off any subjects. But using triggers for this technique isn’t limited to wildlife. When shooting portraits, I can frame up the shot with the camera on a tripod and then trigger the shutter as I angle a reflector to cast the best light on my subjects.

Fire the shutter remotely with a radio trigger.

3 - Filter wrench:

We’ve all done it. In the excitement of attaching your circular polariser to your lens, you go a bit overboard and find it’s now impossible to remove manually. Using regular tools could lead to you damaging the optic beyond repair, but the solution is a clever accessory that costs less than a decent bottle of wine. A filter wrench is a dedicated accessory, made for the exact purpose of removing filters that have been over-tightened. They take up hardly any space in your kit bag and are worth keeping in there ‘just in case’.

4 - LED light:

Video LED lights are another incredibly useful accessory that have dropped in price during recent years. Yes, they’re great for illuminating subjects when capturing footage, but can be used for even more. Add a diffuser and you’re able to light an area so you can see properly when setting up your camera or adding filters when light levels are low. What’s more, along with acting as a substitute torch, video LED lights can be used creatively to help you light paint during a long exposure.

Illuminate subjects with an LED panel. Image by Lucas Favre/Unsplash

5 - Power bank:

Getting power while you’re out on location can be a problem and every camera battery will eventually run flat. Being able to recharge on the move means you can stay out for longer and shoot for extended periods of time. What’s more, the power bank will be able to charge your phone if the battery is flat and you need to summon help in an emergency. A further use for the powerbank is to connect it to your action camera, which tend to have smaller internal batteries that don’t last very long. By connecting up a larger power bank, and combing a high-capacity memory card, you’ll be able to film hours and hours of timelapse footage to create some truly spectacular sequences.

Power banks charge kit while you're on the move.

6 - External mics:

When photographers start to test the waters of videography, they tend to worry about 4K quality, colour profiles and fast frame rates. What’s often overlooked is audio - which can make of break a sequence of footage. Quite simply, no internal mic is up to the job, so keeping an external mic in your kitbag for when you want to record some footage is a great idea. A simple shotgun mic, like the Rode VideoMic Go, is lightweight, takes up hardly any space in your bag and doesn’t need batteries as it’s powered by your camera.

An external video mic will deliver enhanced audio.

7 - Lens hood:

The humble lens hood is often too-quickly discarded into kit bags, never to be used again. However, a lens hood can prove to be the photographer’s friend and, along with being able to save a picture in tricky lighting condition, can also be used for creative effect. In low directional light, the lens hood can shield the lens from rays that cause flare or halos. Even better though, petal-style hoods can be used as emergency filter holders. Simple reverse the hood and use something like an elastic band or hair bobble to secure you square filter over the front of the lens.

Always keep the lens hood on your optic. Image by Clem Onojeg/Unsplash

8 - Duct tape:

The ultimate multi-use accessory, Duct tape (also called adhesive tape) often serves as a ‘last resort’ or ‘fix all’ element of kit. From repairing tripod legs, to adding extra security to a flashgun you’ve mounted on a bracket, this strong sticky tape is perfect for keeping in your bag. Plus, it has other uses too - as many travel photographers like to use strips of black tape to shield brand names and model badges in an effort to avoid drawing attention to their expensive gear. Alternatively, you can write on the tape and use it as a makeshift label to keep kit in order.

The ultimate 'fix all' accessory. Image by Eddie Kopp/Unsplash

9 - Multi-tool:

Ever got the screwplate of your tripod stuck on the bottom of your camera, or had a tripod leg suddenly become really loose right in the middle of a shoot? A multi-tool has all the implements needed to take things apart or put them back together again.

Tighten and loosen with a multi-tool.

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2018-3-9 03:00

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