Affordable photography accessories that are genuinely useful, from lens-cleaning tools and SD card cases to rain covers, power banks and LED lights.
Photography gear has an annoying habit of getting expensive very quickly.
Start looking at a new camera body or a decent lens and suddenly you are talking hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars. The funny thing is that some of the bits of gear I find myself using the most aren't expensive at all.
Over the years I've accumulated plenty of photography gadgets. Some sounded brilliant at the time, got used once and then disappeared into a drawer somewhere. Others cost very little and have stayed permanently in the camera bag because they solve simple problems.
This isn't a list of things that are going to magically improve your photography. A $20 accessory isn't going to make your photos better if you aren't getting out there and shooting.
These are just inexpensive bits and pieces that make life easier when you are actually out using the camera.
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1. A Rocket Air Blower
Probably one of the least exciting things in my camera bag, but also one of the most useful.
Dust is just part of owning cameras, particularly if you change lenses regularly. Throw in shooting outdoors, motorsport, dirt tracks or the general dust and humidity we get around northern Australia and keeping everything clean becomes an ongoing job.
A basic rubber rocket-style blower lets you remove loose dust from lenses, filters and around the camera without physically rubbing the surface.
I prefer the simple manual ones. They weigh almost nothing, don't require batteries and there isn't really much to go wrong with them.
You don't need an expensive electronic blower for normal camera-bag duties either. A decent hand blower generally costs somewhere around the price of lunch and will probably last for years.
What I'd look for: A reasonably large rubber bulb, soft tip and enough air movement to actually shift dust. There are plenty of inexpensive rocket-style camera blowers that do the job without getting complicated.
2. Microfibre Lens Cloths
I keep more than one of these around because somehow the one lens cloth you own will always disappear exactly when you need it.
They're useful for cleaning lenses, filters, phone screens, monitors and sunglasses, and they take up virtually no space.
I tend to avoid using whatever piece of clothing happens to be available. A shirt might look clean, but it can carry grit or dirt, and dragging that across a filter or lens isn't a particularly clever way to save five dollars.
You can buy packs of microfibre lens cloths very cheaply, which also means you can keep one in the camera bag, another in the car and another somewhere around the house.
What I'd look for: Individually packed or decent-quality optical microfibre cloths rather than very coarse general cleaning cloths. A small pack of proper microfibre lens cleaning cloths is cheap enough that I usually keep a few in different camera bags.
3. A Lens Cleaning Pen
The blower gets rid of loose material and the microfibre cloth handles most fingerprints, but I also like having a lens cleaning pen in the bag.
These usually have a retractable brush at one end and a cleaning pad at the other.
They're particularly handy when you're away from home because everything is contained in one small tool rather than carrying a whole cleaning kit.
Like most cleaning gear, there's no need to go crazy with the price. Just don't buy the absolute cheapest mystery product you can find and then immediately attack an expensive lens with it.
A recognised camera-accessory brand is generally only a few dollars more.
What I'd look for: A retractable soft brush and a proper lens-cleaning pad from a known camera-accessory manufacturer. A LensPen is a simple, compact option that’s easy to keep in the bag for fingerprints and light cleaning while you’re out shooting.
4. A Proper SD Card Case
This is one of those purchases that seems unnecessary right up until you have several loose SD cards floating around the bottom of a camera bag.
Memory cards are tiny, relatively expensive and contain the one thing from a shoot that can't easily be replaced: your photos.
For that reason I've always preferred keeping them in a proper card case.
There are plenty of small hard cases available that hold a mixture of SD and microSD cards, and some have rubber seals to provide a bit of extra protection from moisture and dirt.
I don't need one built like a military ammunition case. I just want something compact that keeps the cards together and stops them becoming loose debris in the bag.
A useful trick is also to have a simple system for identifying used cards. Put completed cards back into the case facing the opposite direction, for example. That makes it much harder to accidentally format something you haven't copied yet.
What I'd look for: A hard shell, a secure latch and enough slots for the number of cards you actually carry. A small waterproof SD and microSD card case is cheap, compact and a much better option than having loose cards floating around in the bottom of the bag.
5. Reusable Velcro Cable Ties
These aren't technically photography equipment, which is probably why they're so useful.
Modern camera kits seem to produce cables at an alarming rate.
USB-C cables, charging leads, microphone cables, monitor cables, triggers and power-bank leads all eventually turn themselves into one giant knot if you let them.
A little pack of reusable hook-and-loop cable ties solves most of that problem for a few dollars.
They are also useful on location for temporarily securing cables to tripod legs, keeping excess cable out of the way or holding several small items together.
Unlike ordinary plastic cable ties, you can use them again and again.
What I'd look for: Small reusable hook-and-loop straps rather than heavy-duty ties. A pack of reusable Velcro cable ties is cheap, takes up almost no room and makes it much easier to keep charging leads, USB cables and other small camera accessories under control.
6. A USB-C SD Card Reader
A small card reader has become one of those things I don't really think about until I forget to pack it.
A lot of newer laptops have decided that built-in card readers are apparently optional, and being able to transfer files directly to a phone or tablet can also be extremely useful when travelling.
A simple USB-C card reader fixes both problems.
They're now cheap enough that I prefer carrying a small reader rather than depending on whatever ports happen to be available at the other end of the trip.
Some models will read both standard SD and microSD cards, which is particularly handy if you shoot with both conventional cameras and GoPros or other action cameras.
Just make sure you buy one that supports the type and speed of card you're actually using.
What I'd look for: USB-C, both SD and microSD slots, and USB 3 speeds from a manufacturer with a decent track record. A compact USB-C SD and microSD card reader is inexpensive, takes up almost no space and is handy to keep permanently in the camera bag.
[Amazon affiliate link: USB-C SD and microSD card reader]
7. A Small Power Bank
Cameras have much better battery life than they used to, but almost everything else in a modern kit seems to need USB power.
Phones, action cameras, LED lights, microphones and various other accessories can normally be topped up from a USB power bank.
I wouldn't carry one of the enormous bricks designed to power half a campsite. For photography I generally prefer something small enough that I'm actually willing to carry it.
Around the 10,000mAh mark is a useful compromise for most people.
It is enough to rescue a dying phone or recharge smaller accessories without adding too much weight to the bag.
If your camera supports USB charging or USB Power Delivery, it can potentially help there too, although you need to check what your particular camera supports.
What I'd look for: Around 10,000mAh, USB-C input and output, and enough power for the devices you actually carry. A compact 10,000mAh USB-C power bank is a good balance between useful capacity and something light enough to leave in the camera bag.
8. A Cheap Camera Rain Cover
There are very elaborate weather-protection systems available for cameras.
For the sort of emergency protection I want sitting permanently in the bag, however, simple generally wins.
A lightweight camera rain cover can cost very little, fold almost flat and might save the day when the weather suddenly changes.
I've spent plenty of time shooting in Darwin, where rain can go from being somewhere on the horizon to directly on top of you fairly quickly.
Even if your camera is advertised as weather sealed, I'd rather put another layer between several thousand dollars' worth of electronics and tropical rain.
The inexpensive sleeve-style covers aren't glamorous, but that's not really the point.
You hopefully won't use one very often. When you do need it, you'll be glad it's there.
What I'd look for: Something lightweight, compact and large enough that you can still comfortably operate the camera while it's fitted. A simple sleeve-style camera rain cover is cheap, folds almost flat and is easy to leave in the bottom of the camera bag until the weather turns bad
9. A Small LED Video Light
This one has become surprisingly useful.
Small rechargeable LED lights have become cheap, bright and compact enough that throwing one into the camera bag doesn't require much thought.
Obviously a tiny LED isn't going to replace a proper studio light.
What it can do is add a little fill to a close subject, help with a quick product shot, provide some light for video or simply make it easier to see what you're doing in a dark location.
I've always liked equipment that can solve several different problems, and a small LED panel fits that category nicely.
If it has a standard cold-shoe mount or 1/4-inch thread, it can also be attached to all sorts of other equipment.
What I'd look for: USB-C charging, adjustable brightness and preferably adjustable colour temperature, with a cold-shoe mount or 1/4-inch thread. A small rechargeable LED video light is cheap, compact and surprisingly useful for adding a bit of fill light without carrying a full lighting kit.
10. A Mini Clamp and Magic Arm
This is probably the most "camera gear" item on the list, but also one of my favourites.
A small clamp combined with an adjustable arm lets you attach lightweight equipment to places where a tripod or stand isn't practical.
I've used various clamps and articulated arms over the years for action cameras and production work, and the basic principle hasn't really changed.
Clamp one end onto something solid and mount your light, GoPro, monitor or other lightweight accessory on the other.
They're particularly useful when you're trying to travel with minimal gear.
Instead of carrying another stand, you can sometimes make use of a railing, table, tripod leg or other existing structure.
There are some extremely cheap versions around, but this is one item where I'd avoid the absolute bottom end.
If I'm going to hang equipment from something, I want the clamp and joints to stay where I put them.
SmallRig and similar established camera-accessory manufacturers make reasonably priced versions without getting into full-size Manfrotto money.
Important: Don't trust a little clamp with a heavy camera body somewhere that a failure could damage the camera or injure somebody. They're brilliant for lightweight accessories, but physics still applies.
What I'd look for: A metal clamp with decent rubber jaws and an arm that locks firmly without needing excessive force. A compact mini clamp and magic arm is a handy way to mount a small light, GoPro or other lightweight accessory without carrying another stand.
You Don't Need All of This
This probably deserves saying because photography equipment articles have a habit of turning into shopping lists.
You don't need ten new accessories before you take another photo. If you're just starting out, buy things when you encounter the problem they solve.
- Getting dust everywhere? Buy a blower.
- Losing memory cards? Get a card case.
- Shooting outside and worried about rain? Put a cheap rain cover in the bag.
- Getting tangled in cables every time you open the camera bag? Spend a few dollars on Velcro ties.
That's generally a much better way of building a useful camera kit than scrolling through photography accessories looking for problems you didn't know you had.
Most of these things are cheap precisely because they're simple. And simple equipment that solves an actual problem tends to stay useful for a very long time.
I'd much rather carry a $15 accessory that gets used every second shoot than a $300 gadget that looked impressive in a YouTube review and hasn't left the cupboard in six months.
At the end of the day, the camera bag is there to help you get the shot.
Pack light, pack useful and go shoot something.
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