Recently, we took a look at the most popular digital cameras and most popular lenses among the Digital Photography School community.
Both lists got a lot of positive feedback, but a couple of readers asked if we could do a similar list of our most popular photography accessories.
So we decided to put a call out to our Facebook group and our Facebook page. Our members’ recommendations are displayed below, along with a few recommendations from myself and our team here at dPS. (We’d love to hear your own recommendations in the comments below, and for more accessory recommendations, check out our list of gifts for photographers!)
1. Bellroy Venture Camera Sling 10 L
Let me kick things off by sharing my favorite photography accessory purchase of 2022: the Bellroy Venture Camera Sling.
I’ve long been a fan of Bellroy’s wallets and backpacks, and I’ve been pestering them on social media to create a camera bag. When I heard that one might be on the way, I got excited – and what they produced managed to exceed my expectations.
I just love it. The material and zippers are weatherproof, the bag is big enough for a camera body and a couple of lenses (I even can squeeze in a body with a 70-200mm lens!), and it’s comfortable to wear. Plus, the padded dividers can be folded away if you don’t need them, there are a couple of straps to attach a tripod/rain jacket, it’s fashionable (and comes in three colors), it’s discrete, and it’s made of recycled materials yet doesn’t sacrifice on quality.
I like it so much that I use it most days, whether I’m packing a camera or not. And it always gets commented on.
So do yourself a favor and check out the Bellroy Venture Camera Sling!
2. Focpro Tripod Leveling Base (with offset bubble level)
Kevin suggested the Focpro Tripod Leveling Base in our Facebook group, and it’s an accessory that anyone looking to level their camera will find useful.
He writes:
“I couldn’t afford the big names, Benro, Manfrotto, RRS so I got a FOCPRO which is identical to a Leofoto model.”
Check out this tripod leveling base on Amazon.
3. Lowepro Slingshot 202 Camera Bag
Sue over on our Facebook Page recommended the Lowepro Slingshot 202 Camera Bag, which is a favorite of quite a few dPS readers!
Sue wrote:
“Easy access and works well when I kayak, I secure it to the kayak just in front of the cockpit and the side entry onto the bag makes it easy for me to change lenses while on the water.”
It’s a great bag if you want to carry a camera body and 3-4 lenses – thanks for the fantastic pick, Sue!
You can check out the Lowepro Slingshot 202 on Amazon.
4. SanDisk 4 TB Extreme PRO Portable SSD
This is another personal recommendation, and it’s an item that has helped my own photography workflow a lot.
I’ve recently started doing some sports photography, and it’s not uncommon for me to return from a football game with upwards of 3,000 images! Needless to say, I’ve been forced to rethink how to work through them all on my computer, which has a modestly sized hard drive.
Thanks to SanDisk’s 4 TB drive, I can cull, process, and export images quickly without clogging up my system. The 2000 MB/s speed is blazingly fast, and while 4 TB may be overkill for some, I got the drive at a too-good-to-be-true price (at the time of writing, it’s still heavily discounted!). The 1 TB and 2 TB versions are more affordable alternatives.
Note: Sandisk is also still selling the first versions of its Extreme SSD drives, which boast 1050 MB/s read speeds and up to 1000 MB/s write speeds. I’ve used these in the past, and they too are excellent (and come in 500 GB, 1 TB, 2 TB, and 4 TB options).
Get your SanDisk 4 TB Extreme PRO Portable SSD on Amazon!
5. Joby Gorillapod
Carol made a suggestion that we know many of our readers love: the JOBY Gorillapod.
I still remember when Joby released the first version of this innovative accessory. I marveled at a YouTube demonstration in which a photographer used the Gorillapod to mount their DSLR to a tree branch on a mountain biking course and came away with some amazing photos.
Carol explains her reasons for recommending the Gorillapod:
because it’s sturdy and small so I carry it with me more often than a larger tripod.
These days, Joby offers Gorillapods for 1 kg and 3 kg setups – not to mention an amazing variety of other accessories, including microphones, a phone gimbal, and much more.
6. Godox AD200Pro Pocket Flash
Tara recommended the Godox AD200Pro over on our Facebook page, and it came at a good time: I was only just looking at options for a pocketable strobe, and I’m a bit of a fanboy for some of Godox’s latest releases (I use their continuous lights).
Tara writes:
I love the size and the ease of use. It’s actually easier to use than my TT350 mini-flash.
Thanks for the recommendation, Tara!
7. Kingston Canvas React Plus 256 GB SD Card
A few months back, I upgraded my main camera body to a Sony a7 IV, and my a7 III became my second body. I’ve loved the a7 IV’s higher-megapixel sensor and the CFExpress card slot, but I’ve certainly noticed my cards filling up faster (do you see a theme in my recommendations so far?).
As I mentioned above, I’m now shooting a lot of sports, and I often don’t have time to switch out my cards, so I decided to bite the bullet and get a larger-capacity product.
After a bit of research, I found that the Kingston Canvas React SD cards top the charts for speed and buffer on most testing sites. They’re also cheaper than Sony’s Tough cards. “Faster” and “cheaper” are two of my favorite words, so I snapped one up and couldn’t be happier.
The 256 GB card is the largest option, but they also come in 128 GB, 64 GB, and 32 GB versions. They come with an SD card reader, too (and it’s always handy to have a spare!).
8. Manfrotto L Bracket
This recommendation comes from Barry, who writes:
The Manfrotto “L” bracket for my Manfrotto tripod for going from landscape to portrait orientation in seconds. It is invaluable for me in the field. Love it!
This bracket comes with three different plate attachments depending on which one you use. There’s the Q2, the Q5 (pictured), and the RC4.
You can grab the bracket on Amazon!
9. Fotasy Premier Konica AR Lens to Fuji X Lens Adapter
This Fotasy adapter is another recommendation from Tara, who writes:
There is a unique magic to the combination of the Konica glass and X-Trans sensor.
We’ve noticed a lot of our readers in the past year or two buying lens adapters like this one, particularly with a growing number of people moving from DSLRs to mirrorless systems and/or switching brands.
It’s wonderful to see these clever devices allowing our old lenses to get used on our modern cameras.
Amazon now has a whole category page dedicated to lens adapters, so check it out to see if the combination you need is now supported.
10. Peak Design Travel Tripod
When Ben messaged us to recommend the Peak Design Travel Tripod, it wasn’t the first time we’d heard a reader raving about it.
It is by no means the most affordable option, but it folds down small yet can be extended to a good height. Here’s what Ben wrote:
I almost let the price of it put me off but I’m so glad I didn’t. I took this on a recent trip around Europe and it was so handy to have with me. It’s light, small, and still sturdy.
This tripod comes in aluminum, though if you want to upgrade, there’s a carbon fiber one, too!
What is your favorite photography accessory?
We’ve shared 10 of our favorite photography accessories. What would you add to the list?
We’d love to create these lists semi-regularly, so if you’ve got an item you love to use – whether it’s a camera bag, a lens accessory, a storage solution, or something completely different – let us know about it in the comments below, and we might feature it in our next accessory roundup!
