Top 5 photography gadgets

Expecting lenses, cameras, funny little flash reflectors. Not to be found here. These are the little ‘utensils’ that I always have with me, that I use day in day out and allow me to concentrate on the photography, not being distracted by the technology or the camera. The things that let me concentrate on the art of my work and what I want my photograph. The things that let me get on with my business and being a professional photographer.

I had to think long and hard about this list. In my book, the mark of something really useful, is that you use it and forget it!

The thistle was 30cm from my lens, the cliff 300m. Using my Palm Pilot allowed quick calculation of the hyperfocal focussing distance. And the versatile Manfrotto tripod allowed reasonably accurate camera positioning on a steep narrow path.

Starting off in the number 5 slot, a buff. What is it apart from a 1pence piece of material that you pay ￡12 for?

Well, it’s a hat, a neck warmer, a sun hat. It can also be a bandana, a hair scrunchy, a sling, a headband and so on. I’ve got a couple and always have one in my pocket. I didn’t buy one for years because I thought they looked useless, but I’m off a different mind now. Not a substitute for a proper woolly hat, but great when you forget to pack the proper hat or if it is just a little chilly. (Whilst you are in the outdoor shop buying this, it’s getting cold again now so buy yourself a nice cosy pair of Powerstretch gloves. Like the buff, they aren’t the answer when it is really cold, but they make a big difference when it is chilly.)

I talked about my number 4 item in my article on composition, composition cards. Made from offcuts of mount card, they allow me to compose a scene without wasting time getting the camera out. Simple, cheap and effective. Make some and try them today.

Binoculars at number 3. OK, I don’t use these as often as I should, but they are always in my camera bag and when I do remember they are there, I find them really useful. Investigate a distant scene to avoid walking there, pick out a path in the distance, watching birds or even just kicking back and watching the world go by. Like the brand addict that I am, I bought some Nikon ones. A friend had some Leica ones. The Nikon ones are good, but yes, the Leica ones are a lot better, like looking through a f/2.8 lens as opposed to a f/5.6 kit lens. Pick something light and waterproof and keep the lenses clean.

My tripod, oh my tripod, how I love using this piece of gear. I picked a lightweight Manfrotto 440 carbon fibre tripod as it was lighter and stiffer than the aluminium model. Initially I used a Manfrotto 440Mg head, but I switched to a 468Mg hydrostat ball head which is a lot more controllable. After starting to use a longer lens I had to remove the centre column and attach the head directly to the tripod to stiffen the whole assembly up and prevent camera shake. Even with a cable release and mirror lock up, the shutter in a D2X causes a reasonable amount of vibration.

Anyway, back to the story. Why is a tripod in number 2 position?

Basically, it allows me to get the shot that I want. It’s lightweight and small so is easy to carry to remote locations. Once the camera is on the tripod, not only are my pictures more likely to be sharp, but they are likely to be better composed as I can spend more time with the camera in the same position to fully study the scene in front of me and through the viewfinder. And the top reason, why is this particular tripod good? The legs can be opened out nearly flat. If I want a low viewpoint or need to get out the wind or I’m working on a slope and need the legs at different angles, then the legs can be set where I want them to get the shot that I want, not the one that is dictated by my equipment. Yes I know Gitzo (and other brands) do this, I’m sure I would love one of their tripods too I’ve got a few other tripods too, including a monster Manfrotto 028B Triman which goes up to nearly 2.5metres high and necessitates me carrying a stepladder to see through the viewfinder. Useful for landscape work? You bet. I just need to be feeling fit to carry it. But, the carbon fibre model is a long serving faithful friend and deserves the number two slot.

And the winning gadget is, a Palm m505. “This is my #1 life gadget and I’m pleased as anything that it is also my #1 photography gadget” said Mike.

It is also a long serving friend, I’ve been using a Palm for about 10 years since the Palm III.

It’s a diary, it’s a phone book, it’s a notebook, it’s a to do list. All the things that a businessperson needs. All the things that a scatterbrained disorganised individual like me needs to look like they are organised. And for the photographer?

DOFMaster. Easy calculation of depth of field and hyperfocal distance for any film or digital camera.

Tidetool. Tidal information, both times and tidal range which can be displayed as a table or as a graph. Also shows sunrise/sunset times which handily is superimposed on the graph. I have a UK database installed. The software and the underlying Xtide code have a bug that means either your tide times or your sunrise/sunset time is about an hour out during BST. I set it up so that the tide times are slightly out as an hour wrong with the tide is generally here nor there, but missing sunrise by an hour is annoying! Drop me a line if you want to know more.

Cesium. If you have trouble getting up in the morning or knowing what the time is in Japan then this clock and alarm software is for you. Handy.

So there it is, my top 5 photography gadgets. I like my Nikon D2X, but hey, it’s just a camera! The above gadgets are my friends in the land, the tools that I use and never think about or acknowledge. Here’s to you guys.

Got a different list? Let me know.

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