In a nutshell
- We never leave the house without a camera bag — whether it’s a weekend trip or a longer journey, it’s the one piece of photography gear that earns its place every single time.
- Lens filters can do things no editing software can replicate — they create stunning effects right at the moment of capture, in-camera.
- You can’t get far without enough storage. Memory cards, external hard drives, and NAS storage are all covered in this guide — so you never lose a shot.
- In this article, we walk you through 22 photography accessories that can genuinely make your everyday shooting life easier and more enjoyable.
The Absolute Must-Haves for Your Photography
Stylish Camera Bag for Your Camera Equipment
A camera bag is definitely one of the classics when it comes to photography accessories.
First, a camera bag gives your gear real protection. On top of that, it offers space for everything else you need — whether you’re shooting locally or traveling abroad.
A camera bag is non-negotiable. And luckily, they no longer have to look dull or boring.
A Tripod for More Intentional Photography
Tripods help you shoot more intentionally and unlock techniques that are simply impossible handheld.
The big one is long exposure — letting you capture silky-smooth water or dramatic cloud movement in a single frame.
In architectural photography, you can pair a tripod with an ND filter to make people disappear from your shots entirely. Our article on lens filters walks you through exactly how that works.
Tripods are also great for selfies or group shots where you don’t want to be left out of the frame.
For tripods, we swear by the Compact Traveler series from Rollei. These are purpose-built travel tripods — lightweight, fold down to a compact size, and still offer a solid working height. They also deliver excellent value for the money.
Buy the Rollei Compact Traveler on Amazon
You're looking for the best tripod for you? Also read:
Camera Straps: The Underrated Camera Accessory
Camera straps have the same problem as most camera bags — they’re often not very attractive. Especially the ones bundled with your camera, which honestly look pretty terrible.
The manufacturer’s own straps can also pose a small security risk. Some have the specific camera model printed right on them — which is basically an advertisement to pickpockets.
Instead, we use Peak Design camera straps as our go-to camera accessory. They come in various widths and colors, are super easy to adjust in length, and work well even for taller people. You can also attach or detach them from your camera in seconds.
For compact cameras, we love the Peak Design Cuff — a small wrist strap that gives you real peace of mind when shooting from a high observation platform.
For heavier mirrorless or DSLR cameras, we use the Slide Lite, which is a more traditional over-the-shoulder style.
Buy wide Peak Design camera straps on Amazon
Buy narrow Peak Design camera straps on Amazon
Buy Peak Design wrist strap on Amazon
Spare Memory Cards for Added Security
Data backup isn’t the most glamorous topic in photography. But once you’ve actually lost photos for good, you realize that backing up your shots is something you simply can’t skip.
It starts with spare memory cards. Cards last a long time, but not forever — so pick up new ones every now and then, retire the old ones, and keep your kit up to date.
Memory cards are no longer expensive. You can get a solid 64 GB SD card for around 20 euros.
Some cameras also support two cards simultaneously, letting you write to both at once for an automatic double backup.
Note: Make it a habit to transfer your photos from your memory cards to your computer or an external hard drive regularly. It’s a simple step that can save you a lot of heartache.
Spare Batteries for Longer Shooting Sessions
When you’re traveling, you don’t always have easy access to an outlet. Luckily, there are options.
The simplest solution is to carry spare batteries. Manufacturers recommend sticking with their own branded batteries, and generally we’d agree — but original batteries can be seriously expensive.
There are reliable third-party alternatives out there too. We’ve had good experiences with Pantona batteries, which are available for a wide range of camera models.
Buy Pantona batteries on Amazon
Cool Gadgets for Even Better Photos
Lens Filters for Interesting Effects
You often don’t need expensive lenses or a brand-new camera to level up your shots. Here are two affordable ways to improve your photography right away.
Lens filters screw directly onto your lens. There are several types — the most common being ND filters, polarizing filters, and graduated filters.
- ND filters work like sunglasses for your camera. They reduce the light hitting your sensor, letting you use longer shutter speeds. When photographing waterfalls, you can turn rushing water into a smooth, silky flow.
- Polarizing filters play with the reflective properties of sunlight. With glass facades or lakes, they let you enhance or eliminate reflections — you can make a lake’s surface shimmer dramatically, or cut through it completely to see the bottom.
- Graduated filters reduce light gradually across the frame, similar to ND filters, but with a smooth transition from dark to clear. This helps balance bright skies against darker foregrounds, saving you a lot of time in post-processing.
In our article on filters, we go into much more detail about which types are available and what each one can do.
Read our article on lens filters
Collapsible Reflector for Better Light
A reflector is an affordable piece of photography gear that can make a real difference in portrait shots. It directs and optimizes the available light for your shoot.
A collapsible reflector has differently coated sides that bounce light either warmer or cooler. Hold the translucent side between the sun and your subject to prevent harsh shadows falling across their face.
The best part? You can pick one up for around 40 euros — seriously affordable for how much it improves your shots.
Buy a collapsible reflector on Amazon
Remote Shutter Release: Small Tool, Big Impact
Your camera is on a tripod, the exposure is dialed in, everything looks perfect — yet your photos still come out slightly blurry?
The culprit is often the act of pressing the shutter button itself, which creates tiny vibrations.
The fix is a remote shutter release. It’s an essential piece of photography gear for landscape photography, and it’s also super handy for group shots or selfies.
Many modern cameras offer a companion app for your phone that turns it into a wireless remote. If your camera doesn’t support that yet, dedicated remote releases are available for very little money.
Note: Always check that the remote shutter release is compatible with your specific camera model.
Buy remote shutter releases on Amazon
Protection & Care: Keep Your Equipment Like New
Cleaning Kit for Camera and Lens
Blower
A blower is a small but essential photography tool that lets you remove dust and loose dirt from your camera or lenses without scratching the glass or the body.
We reach for ours whenever we’re swapping lenses. A quick puff toward the sensor and lens prevents those annoying dust spots that show up in your images. Removing them in post-processing isn’t hard, but it’s a real time drain.
Lenspen
When dirt stubbornly clings on even after the blower, the Lenspen is your next line of defense. It’s roughly the size of a thick ballpoint pen.
One end has a small retractable brush, and the other has a velvet or microfiber tip. This lets you gently remove fingerprints from the lens element without causing any damage.
Blowers and Lenspens often come bundled with cleaning cloths in convenient cleaning kits.
Screen Protector for Your Camera
You’re probably already familiar with screen protector films from your smartphone. The good news: they’re available for camera displays too.
They’re actually much easier to apply than phone protectors, since most camera displays are a manageable size with no cutouts or curved edges to navigate.
We sometimes toss our Sony Alpha 7 III into a tote bag — and when a set of keys ends up in there too, scratches are basically inevitable. With the film on, we worry about it a lot less.
Buy a screen protector for the Sony Alpha 7 III on Amazon
Wrap for Camera & Lens
Even better than a screen protector film is a camera wrap — essentially a thick microfiber cloth with Velcro on the corners.
You wrap your camera in it to cushion it against minor bumps and knocks.
It’s very affordable and super handy when you don’t have a proper camera bag with built-in padding on hand.
Buy a 30cm x 30cm camera wrap on Amazon
Buy a 40cm x 40cm camera wrap on Amazon
Buy a 50cm x 50cm camera wrap on Amazon
Note: Sometimes even the best bag and the thickest wrap won’t fully protect your camera from damage. Check out our article on camera insurance — that way you’re always covered.
Camera Accessories for Winter: Photography Gloves
Gloves as photography gear? Absolutely! When it’s cold, the air is clearer and landscapes look incredible. Add some snow and winter shooting is pure bliss.
Cold fingers shouldn’t hold you back — even without snow, nights cool down fast when you want to photograph stars or the Northern Lights.
The Heat Company specializes in the needs of photographers. Their thin gloves still let you feel and operate your camera’s buttons and dials with ease. The fingertips are also specially coated so touchscreens still respond.
For really cold conditions, there are thicker models where the thumb and index finger fold back to expose your fingertips when you need precise control.
Buy Heat Company gloves on Amazon
Organizational Tools for a Tidy Kit
Memory Card Case
Once you have several memory cards, they’ll quickly end up scattered everywhere. To prevent that, there are small cases designed to store your memory cards so they’re always within easy reach.
Honestly, this is one of those camera accessories we’d never want to be without — otherwise we’d constantly be losing cards.
There are loads of styles to choose from. Some hold not just memory cards but spare batteries too.
Buy a memory card case on Amazon
Drawer Organizer
We’re at tip 14 and the photography accessories in our drawer are slowly piling up — chargers, cables, spare batteries, memory cards, and more.
To keep things under control, we’ve dedicated an entire drawer solely to our camera gear. When you’re not shooting, it’s best to store your camera in an enclosed space so it doesn’t collect dust.
To keep cameras and lenses from sliding around, we use drawer organizers. They’re technically designed for office supplies, but they work perfectly for photography gear too.
Ours are made of felt, which adds extra scratch protection for lenses and camera bodies.
Cable Organizer to Tame the Tangle
We never travel without one anymore! If you’re on the go a lot, you probably know the struggle — everything needs cables and chargers, and your camera is no exception.
Cable organizers keep everything within easy reach and stop your carry-on from turning into a tangled mess.
Buy a cable organizer on Amazon
Gadgets for Storing and Editing Your Photos
External Hard Drive for Long-Term Archiving
External hard drives offer far more storage space than memory cards, making them ideal for long-term archiving of your photos.
These days, there are mainly two types:
HDD Hard Drives:
- These drives have been around for a long time and are correspondingly mature and reliable.
- You get a lot of storage for relatively little money. A 1 terabyte — roughly 1,000 gigabytes — HDD can be had for under 50 euros.
- The downside is that HDD drives are relatively slow when it comes to transferring photos.
SSD Hard Drives:
- SSDs are a newer technology and significantly faster than HDDs — you can move several gigabytes of data in just a few seconds.
- They’re also more resistant to impacts, which makes them great for travel.
- The catch is price — SSD drives are comparatively expensive. A 1,000 gigabyte SSD starts at around 100 euros. In our opinion, it’s absolutely worth it though!
Buy an HDD hard drive on Amazon
Automated Backups with NAS Storage
Simply put, NAS storage is like an external hard drive with a much broader set of features.
NAS stands for Network Attached Storage. You connect the drive to your Wi-Fi router, which effectively gives you your own private cloud — accessible from anywhere.
There are also apps that automatically transfer photos from your laptop to the NAS. Once it’s set up, you never have to think about backing up your data again.
Basic models start at around 330 euros, and in return you can stop worrying about data storage once and for all.
Top Photo Tool: Photo Editing Software
Photo editing is something most of us already do on our phones without thinking about it — even applying a filter counts. But there’s so much more you can do with the right software.
Editing is genuinely fun, which is why good software is clearly part of our photography accessories list. With just a few clicks, you can give your photos a completely different look. A few more and you can create fantastical composites and collages. Anything is possible.
We personally use the Adobe Photography plan, which includes both Photoshop and Lightroom for around 12 euros per month. The software is industry-standard and widely used, meaning there are countless tutorials and resources available online.
Both apps are also constantly updated with new features that make editing easier — including AI-powered tools for image enhancement.
In our article on photo software, we cover additional programs and break down the pros and cons of different options.
Get the Adobe Photography plan
Read our tips for the best photo editing software here
You can also enhance your photos on your phone with just a few swipes. For quick edits on the go, we love Snapseed. The free, ad-free app is available for Android and iOS.
Monitor for Photo Editing
If you only have a small laptop, an additional monitor is a worthwhile addition to your photography setup. A larger screen lets you view your photos in much greater detail and edit them more precisely.
Our Top 3 Buying Tips for a Photo Editing Monitor
- Best value for money: ASUS ProArt PA279CRV
- Budget-friendly entry-level option: BenQ PD2705Q
- For color perfectionists: ViewSonic VP3256-4K
What to look for when buying a photo editing monitor?
- Resolution: The higher the resolution, the more detail you can see. For photography, a WQHD monitor is a solid starting point, but 4K is even better — you’ll be able to see every strand of hair or tiny background detail.
- Size: For us, the sweet spot for a photography monitor is somewhere between 24 and 32 inches.
- Color gamut coverage: It’s especially important that a monitor can display all the colors your camera captures. Adobe RGB, sRGB, and DCI-P3 are the key color spaces to know. The minimum is sRGB — that should definitely be covered. Adobe RGB and DCI-P3 represent even wider color ranges. The percentage next to a color space tells you how well the monitor covers it. Higher is better.
- Brightness and contrast: Look for high brightness (over 300 cd/m² is ideal) so images look clear even in bright rooms. A high contrast ratio (1000:1 or more) ensures deep blacks and bright whites.
- Panel type: Monitors use different panel types — IPS, TN, and VA being the most common. These affect image quality, color accuracy, viewing angles, and response time. For photography, look for “IPS” in the specs. It’s the best choice for photo editing.
Learning Photography: How to Make It Really Easy
Our Photography Course: For Beginners and Advanced Shooters
In photography, knowing the settings and controls of your camera makes an enormous difference.
There’s a lot to learn, and understanding it all is often what separates a good shot from a great one.
Beyond the technical side, getting composition right takes your photos to a whole new level.
You’ll learn all of this and much more in our photography course — a mix of videos, written content, practice assignments, and cheat sheets designed to teach you photography step by step.
For us, it’s clearly a must-have for anyone serious about improving their photography.
Our Photography Book: Learn & Get Inspired
A photography book is always handy when you want to look up a specific technique or topic, or simply deepen your understanding of photography in general.
In our photography book, you’ll find everything you need — technique, camera settings, composition, and much more — explained in a clear and practical way.
The technical side matters, but photography books are also a fantastic source of inspiration.
Check out our photography book
Notepad for Your Photo Ideas
We’re often out and about when we spot the most beautiful places — usually while passing through without time to stop. When we can’t pull over for a shot, we write down the location so we can come back.
Sometimes it’s just an idea for a photo project or a new article about photography. We’ve forgotten too many good ideas over the years, so there’s always a small notebook within reach.
Not exactly essential photography gear, but definitely a nice-to-have.
