Accessories aren't accessories if they enable you to take better pictures.
There are a few things that are necessary and should be considered built
into the cost budget for your new camera. A tripod should be on top of the
list. It will slow you down and force you to think about what the camera
is doing thus allowing you to take better pictures. The Xtend-a-View LCD
viewfinder always accompanies my camera when it leaves the case. I use it
for every picture and it serves multiple purposes. It blocks the LCD from
extraneous light outdoors. It lets you rest the camera against your eye
when composing and shooting a picture so that the camera will balance more
like a SLR. It has a built in 2x magnifier that helps in composing your
image. A card reader so you don't have to connect your camera to the
computer is also up there on my list. You can't imagine how many people
post to the forums about transferring their images. Some spend days
working at it trying to get their computer to recognize the camera, when a
$30 card reader can solve their problem within minutes. Additionally, if
your camera's batteries run down during transfer, you stand a chance of
loosing your images. Extra batteries, memory and a case to hold them
complete the basic necessity kit.
One of the inherent problems that prosumer digital cameras have is that
people hold them away from their face to see the image on the LCD when
taking the picture. This poor design is industry wide. Your hands cannot
hold the camera steady without help. The camera should be rested against
your face or preferably, on a tripod. That’s why I always recommend the
Xtend-a-View LCD viewfinder and a tripod.
Accessories could be cool things like fisheye or wide-angle lens or
telescope adapters. But they're not necessary to take great pictures. They
are for creating different pictures. But don’t forget to concentrate on
the essentials of good photography.
