Black and White Photography

7 Camera Accessories



An almost endless array of accessories and add-ons are available to photographers.
This chapter describes the camera accessories, such as tripods, filters,
close-up equipment, and others, that are most helpful when you’re taking pictures.
Another important category of accessories, flash and lighting equipment,
is described in chapter 8.
A tripod is an adjustable three-legged stand used primarily to hold a camera
steady. Every photographer should own a tripod. It allows you to make pictures
with a maximum amount of sharpness, especially when photographing
at low shutter speeds—slower than 1/30 or 1/60, the slowest speeds at which
most photographers can steadily handhold a camera. Even at faster shutter
speeds, you can generally steady the camera better with a tripod than without.

Because it holds the camera in position, a tripod also helps retain precise
composition. When you handhold a camera, it’s more likely to move than when
it’s steadied on a tripod—and any movement, no matter how slight, can throw
off the exact framing of your picture.
Most tripods are made of metal, carbon fiber, or graphite, though some are
made of wood. The top of the tripod has a screw that fits into a threaded hole
located in the bottom of the camera body. Once the camera is secure on the
tripod, you are ready to compose and take your picture.
A tripod is especially useful when you are magnifying a subject in close-up
photography, for example, or using a long telephoto or telephoto zoom lens.
When an image is magnified, even the smallest amount of camera movement
may appear exaggerated. You also need a tripod when you use larger, bulkier
cameras, such as many medium-format and almost all large-format cameras.
These types of cameras are either too unwieldy to handhold, or, especially with
large-format cameras, always require the tripod to maintain precise framing
and focus.
You may find working with a tripod takes longer, which makes it undesirable
for spontaneous and candid pictures. Furthermore, it may attract unwanted
attention to the photographer.
Tripods are available in many different sizes and models, all of which have
adjustments for lifting, turning, and tilting the camera. There are two main
parts—the legs and the head, which is the part that attaches to the camera. The
legs and head come as a package on most tripods, but on others they are sold
separately. The most common type of head is the pan/tilt head, which rotates
on an axis for panning, plus allows you to adjust the camera using one lever for
tilting from side to side and a second lever for tilting backward and forward.
The most important consideration when buying a tripod is that it is sturdy
enough to hold the camera steady. A small, inexpensive tripod is adequate to
hold most 35mm cameras, but you will need a heavier model for larger cameras.
Although it provides more stability, a heavier tripod is less convenient to carry
around and set up—and is almost always more expensive.
A tripod is most stable with its legs spread wide apart. First extend the legs
and then the center post, the pole the camera sits on; when setting up, don’t
raise the camera any higher than you need to. It’s best to position one leg facing
the same direction as the lens; this helps prevent the camera from falling
forward and gives you enough space to stand comfortably between the other
two legs as you work.
Once you’re ready to photograph, wait a few seconds after making adjustments
before taking a picture to make sure the tripod is perfectly still. Any
ground vibration, even trucks rumbling by, can cause the tripod and the camera
to shake.



For photographers who need to steady the camera but maintain the ability to
work fast, there are even one-leg devices called monopods. They help steady
the camera when you are using a slow shutter speed. Because they only have
one leg, you still have to hold the camera in your hands for support; but they
are helpful for certain situations, such as to add a little extra stability when a
tripod is not practical or to help balance extremely bulky telephoto lenses, such
as those used by many sports or wildlife photographers.
Whenever possible, use a cable release with a camera on a tripod. A cable
release is a flexible tube or wire that allows you to take pictures with gentle and
even pressure without ever touching the shutter button, an action that might
cause the camera to move slightly. A cable release is particularly useful with
slow shutter speeds, when camera movement is most likely to occur.
There are two types of cable releases in common use: mechanical and electronic.
A mechanical cable release is typically a rubber or cloth-covered tube
with a wire inside that attaches to the camera’s shutter; this type nearly always
attaches by screwing the end into a threaded hole on the shutter release button,
although some models connect on the lens or camera body. Note that cheap
mechanical models can jam easily, so you may even want to carry a backup
cable release. Electronic cable releases attach in different places on the camera
body, depending on the model. They are more expensive than mechanical releases,
but are generally more reliable. However, you will need one that is specifically
designed for your camera.
Camera filters attach directly to the front of your lens and have a variety of
purposes. Many photographers use a filter simply to protect the front of their
lenses from scratching or other damage. You also can use filters to modify
exposure or the quality of the light entering the camera in order to control
contrast, tonality, glare, and reflection, or to produce a special visual effect.
The most commonly used filters are made of glass and are mounted inside a
threaded rim that allows you to screw the filter onto the front of the lens. Less
common are gelatin and optical-quality plastic filters that fit into a special
holder that generally attaches to the front of the lens.
Glass filters are sized in millimeters according to their diameter. This size
must correspond with the diameter of the front of the lens. Common glass filter
sizes include 49mm, 52mm, 55mm, 58mm, 62mm, 67mm, and 72mm. But be
careful not to confuse this measurement with the focal length of the lens. A
55mm filter, for example, may fit onto a 50mm lens—or onto a 35mm, 85mm,
or many other focal-length lenses.
Check the diameter of the front of your lens before purchasing a filter. The
size is often printed on the front of the lens, but you can always find it in your