Accessories

All of the accessories shown here are ones that I currently own or have used for my photography.  I will review them and give my thoughts on each item.   Each item will have a direct link to the manufacturer so you can explore further if your are interested.  If you have used any of these items, I welcome your comments.

StreetWalker Pro Backpack

This backpack made by Think Tank Photo and is ideal for the amateur photographers needs.  Made of durable material and hand stitched, this bag is very lightweight and designed to fit as a carry on in the overhead compartment of most planes when traveling.  I have found this bag to have plenty of storage space not only internally for my DSLR and lenses, but externally for accessories.  This bag has a slim vertical design, strong adjustable shoulder straps, good padding for the back when carrying, a seam sealed rain cover if you shoot in bad conditions and reinforced YKK zippers that lock tight.  I can carry up to 5 lenses, including a 70-200 f/2.8 with no problems.  The part I like best about this bag it that it also carries my tripod or monopod, and as with most Think Tank products it has a lifetime warranty.  Priced @ $159.00 as of this post, it is a great deal.  (Photo courtesy of Think Tank)

Impact Light Stand

This light stand is very versatile.  It has a threaded top for screwing on a speed light stand or any other threaded object you might need to hold.  It is expandable to 13 feet straight up, but also has the ability as pictured here to tilt and pivot.  Additionally there are two adjustable clamps that slide allowing for you to hold flags if needed or anything else you can imagine.  Personally, I use this to hold my speed light and I have used it hold a tri grip diffuser for portraits.  This is lightweight and collapses very easily.  It comes with its own carrying case for transport and is great on location shoots.  This sells for around $79.95 at B&H Photo.  (Photo courtesy of B &H)

Lastolite Tri-Grip Diffuser

The lastolite tri-grip diffuser is a great little light shaping tool.  I diffuses light from a speed light or it can diffuse harsh sunlight outdoors when on location giving a soft light ideal for portraits.  It can be used as a windshield when doing macro photography and it works great in the studio.  This can be put on a light stand or hand held by and assistant.  The one that I own is a 33 inch model and will diffuse light by one stop.  This is very lightweight, portable and will fold up into a circle to be packed easily in its carrying case.  Excellent addition to any photographers light shaping toolbox.  This retails for around $ 50.00 at Adorama.  (Photo courtesy of Lastolite)

Nikon MB-D80 Battery Pack

The MD-B80 battery pack from Nikon is an excellent accessory to buy.  This battery grip is specific to the Nikon D80 and the D90.  It threads into the bottom of the camera and once attached, it give you the feel of the more expensive FX cameras.  It adds a little weight to the camera, but it gives a really good grip for steadying the camera.  One reason I liked this grip is because it gives you a vertical shutter release button to shoot with.  This really works great for portraits.   It holds 2 lithium-ion rechargeable batteries effectively doubling your shooting time.  It comes with a AA battery holder for using AA alkaline batteries as a power backup.  In addition to the vertical AF button, another cool feature is that when shooting in vertical orientation, it has the main command dial and sub-command dials.   Nice addition so you don’t have to use the ones on the camera at all to change shutter speed or aperture.  All in all, this is good accessory to have if you have a Nikon camera and shoot a lot.  This sells for 142.00 @ B & H Photo.

The Upstrap

The Upstrap is made in the USA and is really the best camera strap that I have used on my camera.  I was skeptical of the claims that it stays in place and won’t slip of your shoulder, but the claims are true.  I have not had the camera slip or shift and it will stay put with the rubber pad.  Another feature that I like, and this is more my preference than anything, is that it does not have a logo on it.  This does not call attention like the ones that usually come with the camera from the manufacturer.  It is really strong with kevlar embedded in it and it will hold my camera behind me even with 70-200mm lens on the body.  You can find out more about the accessory at upstrap.com (Photo courtesy of Upstrap.com)

Lens Guards

While looking for a durable, lightweight solution to protect the front of my lens elements, I discovered the lens guard made by Deluxe Gear USA.  I really like the design of this product.  I has an inner liner of neoprene and the rubberized outer cap to help insure any impact and shock will not harm the front element.  I have found these to be lightweight and they snugly fit the lens if sized properly.  They are water proof and very durable.  They have a tether if you would like to fasten it to your lens or tripod when not in use.  Being lightweight, they add very little weight to a carry-on, backpack or when in your pocket.  I really recommend this product if you are serious about protecting our lens.