Camera Lenses, Camera Hardware, and Accessories

 Cameras are cool - but how much do you know about camera hardware and accessories? If the answer is "not a lot", read on! 

Camera hardware is usually designed for DSLR cameras, not point and shoot cameras. You can, of course, still pick up some cool accessories like camera bags, tripods and media cards to enhance your digital photography. Most camera hardware options contradict the benefits of a compact camera anyway, namely: convenience, ease of use and portability.

For those of you who have SLR cameras (or hope to get one soon!), here are a few hardware options you might be interested in: 

External Flash

Your SLR camera already comes with a built in flash.  This is fine for snapshots and candid photos but really only works well when the subject is within 15 feet. The built in flash also almost always gives people red eye.

An external flash allows you to move the flash away from the lens and use a different angle to light your shot. Even moving it 6-12 inches away from the lens can eliminate red eye.

External flashes also allow you to use a technique professionals use alot: bouncing the flash. Tip the flash up so the light hits the ceiling in an indoor shot. The light will bounce off the ceiling and fall onto the subjects. This gives the photo a more natural lighting effect.

Lastly, if you buy an external flash, purchase a sync cord, which lets you move the flash several feet away from the camera. A sync cord automatically triggers the flash when you take a photo, regardless of where the flash is in relation to the camera.

Lenses

Different lenses are one of the reasons pros use SLRs. Most SLRs come with a zoom lens you can attach and remove, but there are plenty of other options out there. A wide angle lens expands the horizons in your shot and makes photos appear more like how our eyes see things. This is a great lens for nature landscapes or for shooting in a room. 

A portrait lens  shortens the background and gives faces the correct proportions that often appear slightly incorrect with other lenses. As the name suggests, this lens is good for portraits and close up shots. 

Long lenses - that you often see sports photographers using -  help you get closer to your subject. Those with a fast aperture can help isolate the subject by throwing the background out of focus as well.

Tripods

Tripods are an important tool for any photographer. Most pro photographers never hold a camera in their hands during a photo shoot - simply because their hands are not as stable and trustworthy as a tripod. Tripods come in a variety of sizes, styles, and weight allowances. Search Ted's for the right tripod to match the rest of your equipment. The best news? Tripods don't discriminate; both SLRs and point and shoots can sit on a tripod!