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It’s a lot easier to put out your best work when you have the best photography equipment at your disposal.
We’re not going to go ahead and say that having better camera equipment is a substitute for skill, but it will give you the edge when it comes to producing crisp stills to add to your professional portfolio.
If you want to make it as an amateur photographer, or take the plunge and go full-time as a freelance photographer, this guide of photography accessories will be well worth the read.
You might also benefit from working with a photography tutor. With Superprof, you can find the right tutor to take your photography skills to the next level, and you don’t even have to leave the house to take classes.
In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know concerning the photo accessories and gear that will help you step up your game and become the best photographer you can be.
It might just be that you’re a single lens away from winning a competition prize, or that you lack the proper equipment for macro photography which is hindering your progress.
Whatever the case, stick with us and you’ll find out just what equipment you might be missing as a professional photographer.
What are the best cameras in the market?
First things first, by showing you the very best cameras in the market today, we’re not suggesting for a moment that you need to reach deep into your pockets to splash out on the cream of the crop.
In fact, we don’t recommend that you do.
Unless of course, you have enough money and a deep enough interest in the profession to justify such a significant purchase.
The following cameras are considered to be some of the best at what they do, so they can almost certainly take your photography up a notch or two.
If you do decide to invest, make sure you’re doing so because you know you’ll put in the hard work to make it worthwhile. If you buy one of these cameras thinking it will make you a better photographer, you’re making a mistake.
No camera can improve your skills, they just make it easier to get better shots if you know what you’re doing.
Fujifilm X-T4
Commonly touted to be the best camera for a wide range of uses, the Fujifilm X-T4 offers excellent value for money and fantastic image quality.
This is an APS-C camera that proves that you can have everything you need for photography in one convenient package. It’s a camera that’s suitable for beginner, intermediate, and advanced photographers alike.
One of the best features of this camera is the in-body image stabilization (IBIS) which works extremely well and allows for quick burst shots. It also has a 26MP image sensor which is leaps and bounds ahead of its closest competition, and complemented by a highly intuitive, fully articulating touchscreen.
Nikon D3500
If you’re looking for a highly competent entry-level DSLR that can compete with the best, the Nikon D3500 is an excellent choice.
This heavy-hitter has an affordable price tag which should make it an easy purchase to justify if you have aspirations of making it as a pro photographer.
It feels great in the hands with a fully ergonomic design and offers fantastic images with a 24MP image sensor. It also has a handy autofocus system that can help you mitigate any hand shaking and keep your images stable.
Canon EOS R6
It would be remiss of us to discuss the best cameras on the market today without mentioning a camera from Canon.
A giant in the industry, Canon has an outstanding reputation for putting out some of the very best handheld cameras the world has seen.
Its EOS series is one of the best lines of cameras out there, and it’s the R6 in particular that we’d like to highlight as one of the best entries in the series.
What’s so special about this camera?
Well, if you can afford to cough up the asking price, you’ll have your hands on a top-of-the-range full-frame camera with best-in-class autofocus and fantastic IBIS.
Believe it or not, it’s actually one of the more affordable full-frame cameras too, so it’s a great value for money proposition as far as professional cameras go.
The camera excels at taking crisp stills, but it also offers 4k video shooting in 60p in case you want to capture some cinematic footage on your travels too.
Recommended Equipment for Macro Photography
Macro photography has really taken off in recent years, and the surge in popularity can perhaps be attributed to the number of people who got creative during COVID-19 lockdowns, photographing small subjects in the garden and elsewhere.
That’s what macro photography is all about, making small subjects appear much larger.
Essentially, to take a macro photograph, you must ensure that the subject of your photo fills the entire frame or sensor of your camera.
So for example, while an ant would typically appear as a dot in your average camera frame, with macro photography you would want its segmented body to take up the whole screen.
It’s a fascinating field of photography, so if you’re curious about giving it a go, here’s some of the equipment you might want to invest in:
Macro Lens
You aren’t going to get very far with macro photography if you don’t have the right kind of lens.
A macro lens is a lens that is tailor-made for the purpose of making small subjects appear in focus.
You can get various types of macro lenses, from telephoto to wide-angle, so you’ll have to make a judgment call based on what exactly you want from your photos.
Close-up Filter
A close-up filter is another useful feature for macro photography, as it’s a sort of magnifying lens which you attach to your macro lens.
This will help you to zoom in on your micro-sized subject without losing any focus.
Extension Tube
An extension tube is a piece of equipment that you can mount in between the lens of your camera and the body. What this will do is minimize the distance of focus while maintaining sharp image quality.
It’s an all-but-essential accessory for macro photography, so it should be one of the first purchases you make after you invest in a macro lens.
Beginners Guide to Buying Lenses
Lenses can be more important in determining image quality than cameras, in some cases.
While you might be unhappy that your current camera isn’t getting the results you want, have you ever considered that it could be a lens-related issue?
The lens you use is incredibly important for the end result, so it’s well worth looking into what exactly you need for the type of photos you’re interested in taking.
We get it, though, buying a new lens as a beginner is a daunting task.
Where do you even begin?
There are dozens of video tutorials out there comparing one specific lens with another, and cameras listed on online retailers present you with multiple lens options at checkout, which all contribute to a sense of confusion on the buyer’s part.
With that in mind, here are some key factors to consider when buying a lens as a beginner, which should make the decision a little easier:
Type of Photography
Before you rush into a decision regarding lenses, you need to know what type of photos you’re going to be taking.
A lens that works well for macro photography won’t work well for street or nature photography, for example.
Do you prefer taking pictures of buildings or landscapes?
Are you more interested in people as subjects for your photos or animals?
Would you enjoy taking photos of fast-moving subjects or static subjects?
The answers to these questions can help you identify what lens is best for you.
Focal Length
The focal length of a lens, which is measured in millimetres, tells you how much you’ll be able to fit in the frame.
For example, a lens with a wide focal length will be able to squeeze in a sweeping landscape.
Aperture
The aperture, which is measured in f stops, tells you what the depth of field will be like for your photos.
So for example, if you want to take photos that have a mysterious blurry background, then you’ll want a wider aperture for your lens.
Understanding White Balance in Photography
White balance can make all the difference in photography, so if you don’t already know what it is, it’s worth understanding.
Essentially, white balance refers to the colours you see in your photos.
For example, the yellow that emanates from your living room light and makes subjects appear yellow, or the blue light from an outdoor light source.
What white balance does is level out the colour temperature of your photos, so that you end up with a natural-looking subject instead of one which adopts an unusual hue.
The process of white balance is simple: you just adjust the colours produced by your digital camera in post-processing software until you end up with a photo that looks as close to natural as possible.
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