Spruce up your DSLR

If you thought buying a DSLR was hard enough, you should know that there a whole bunch of accessories for it. Any photographer, amateur or professional, can't be content with just a DSLR. There have to be a number of accessories to go with the camera body that will make the experience (nearly) complete. For an amateur photographer or an enthusiast, there are a few essentials to start off with. Assuming that you have already purchased a camera bag, here are a few things that come under the ‘must-buy’ category. So here are 5 essential accessories that you simply must have for your camera.

Memory Cards

While your DSLR may or may not have come bundled with a memory card, they are really cheap these days. You can pick up a decent 16GB SDHC card for as little as Rs. 1,250.

SDHC cards are extremely affordable, so find the largest capacity possible

Memory cards' prices have dropped and considering that DSLRs shoot both RAW, JPEG and even high-definition videos, it’s a good idea to have at least a 16GB memory card in your camera. Most entry-level and mid-range DSLRs today support SDHC and SDXC cards, so there’s no confusion over pricing either.

Tripod

This is one of the most important accessories if you’re a professional or enthusiast photographer. This is probably, the most essential purchase after the memory card. Many enthusiasts undermine the importance of a tripod, when in all actuality, using a tripod can be the biggest differentiation between a prize-winning shot and a blurry mess.

Tripods offers stability for long exposure shots

No tabletop or any other flat surface will ever replace the kind of maneuverability and flexibility of a tripod. Of course, tripods are a must for low light shots, but you'd be surprised with the kind of improvement you'll get on your image quality, simply by using a tripod for your regular shots too.

Tripods can start as low as Rs. 800 and go on to Rs. 4,000 for decent ones and even higher for professional ones. The best thing to do is to pick one that suits your budget and requirement. 

If you’re looking for something that offers the flexibility of a tripod but something that’s more compact and practical to use, look out for something called a monopod. It’s a single foot stand that requires you to hold it steady but it offers much better support than holding the camera with just your hands. The portability means you can take it with you on a picnic or a hike and not worry about it being bulky or difficult to setup.