UV Filter
Everytime I purchase a new lens I have purchase a UV filter at the same time. The UV filter helps to protect the glass of the lens from scratches and other types of damage. This paid off when I recently dropped my Canon 300mm lens onto a tiled floor. The filter was smashed and buckled, but the lens remained undamaged.
Tripod
Not everybody needs to have a tripod in their kit, but if you want to experiment with long exposures or take pixel perfect images, a tripod is essential – some photographers insist on using a tripod every time they take a photograph. I rarely use my tripod, but I am happy to know it is there should I need it.
Lenses
It is not essential to have lenses to cover every focal length you can think of, but it does help if you want to create qulaity images or specialise in a particular type of photography such as wildlife or sport. Lenses are expensive
Filters
Filters have started to become less popular with the advent of digital photography and post production software such as Photoshop. However, there may be occassions when it is adivsable to carry one or two filters with you in your camera bag; a polariser and neutral density filter for example.
Spare Battery
I learnt this one the hard way! It as a freezing cold afternoon in January and I was in Paris. I was heading towards The Eifel Tower to take a few photos and guess what – my battery went flat. The cold had drained the power much quicker than usual. I had no choice but to enjoy the view and not take any photos. Batteries for more expensive cameras tend to last longer than batteries for cheaper cameras, but you should always have a spare battery with you.
Camera Bag
Once you start to accumulate a few pieces of kit you will need a bag to carry everything around with you. There are a wide range of camera bags available to suit every taste or situation. I like the backpack/holdall type bags from LowerPro as they suit my lifestyle. I dislike bags which have manufacturers names on as they advertise what I have in my bag and could make me a target for thieves.
Lens Cleaner Brush
This is a great piece of kit – it has a brush at one end and a screen cleaner at the other. It is styled like a pen but is a little bit bigger. A must have for the photographer who gets out and about.
Spare Memory Card
Have you ever been out with your camera and come across something unexpected that has been an excellent photographic oppurtunity? A car show for example, or a hot air balloon festival? I have never been a fan of in camera editing as I go, I like to shoot then download and delete when I get home. Having a spare memory card allows you to click away without the worry of filling up your memory card.