Camera Accessories

For the most part those of us who frequent SummitPost and SummitPostGEAR are hikers and climbers first, photographers second. We’re mostly interested in taking pictures, then, maybe including them on the pages we post. Some of us post better pictures than others, some worse. That’s to be expected.

Over time one thing has become apparent. Most of us either have moved (or are moving) to digital cameras – obviously a shorter process between picture-taking and publishing than when shooting with film. But the move to digital does not mean we don’t need accessories. We may need a slightly different mix, but we need them nonetheless.

Accessories are the add-ons which make our camera more useful and in some cases, make it possible for them to operate at all. They include but are not limited too:

	Tripods	Good ones give a camera a rock-steady base from which to shoot.
	Monopods	An alternative to tripods when using fast lenses or shooting in good light.
	Tripod Heads	Allow for the easy movement of a camera on a tripod or monopod.
	Camera Bags	Storage and/or carry-all for camera equipment.
	Backpacks	Designed specifically for carrying camera equipment while hiking.
	Filters	Allow the manipulation of light before it enters the camera.
	Lenses	Focus light (scenery, etc) into the camera.
	Film	Make a record of the light entering the camera. Different types of film will have different qualities that affect the ultimate image captured.
	Memory Chips	Record the light entering the camera. Often equated to film for digital cameras, but will not directly impact the qualities of the captured image.
	Flashes	Add artificial light to subjects.
	Remote Releases	Eliminate camera shake when shooting.
	Books and Tutorials	Learning tools for taking pictures.
	Picture Editing Software	Allow the manipulation of images on a computer.
	Scanners	Digitize images on negative or positive film, or prints.
	Printers	Record image on paper for easy viewing.

Images