Hello all! I'm an aspiring photographer, trying to better my talents. I have a Nikon D3100 camera and am trying to determine what other accessories will be helpful. I enjoy taking photos of landscape and architecture, and I'm trying to get more experience taking photos of people as well.
One item I am most curious about is an external flash. I've seen a dedicated flash, along with other types, and didn't know what the differences were. Also, what is the real value in having an external flash? Upon looking online, I see that external flashes are not cheap, so I want to make a good decision when I make a purchase like that.
Another item that I've been curious about are lens filters and a lens hood. These both seem fairly inexpensive, but again, was wondering about their functional use.
Any advice you can give me on these items and other accessories you think will be helpful is greatly appreciated!
I love my external flash that rotates and swivels . . . it makes all the difference for indoor shots and allows me to bounce light from the various angles. Also love my telephoto and prime lenses! I'd love a dedicated macro lens, but, for now, make do with some macro filters - a much cheaper alternative!
I just bought the SB700 flash and I love it! Big difference...much softer light and more lighting control! It comes with two filters and a lens hood. Kinda pricey, but I really am enjoying it!
I use a SB600. If your considering any serious indoor or portrait photography it's a great purchase. This website ( http://www.digital-photography-school.com) offers a lot of information and is geared towards the amatuer and advanced as well.
External flashes, also called strobes, can be very expensive. However, if you really want to learn how to use off-camera flash look into buying a Nikon SB-80DX. These strobes are just as functional, bright, and dependable as the 700 and 800, but costs hundreds of dollars less. You can pick up an 80DX for about $150 on eBay, which is where I bought all mine. In fact, I own three, and I still use them for all my portraits and events.
The best thing about the 80DX over most all other external flashes is that it can be fired remotely by simply using your built-in flash on your camera. No need for remotes or cables. It comes in very handy and is about 80% reliable.
As for lens filters, there have been a couple of threads about this topic already, but basically it comes down to this: all you ever really need is a UV filter for each lens for protection, a Circular Polarizer, and a Graduated ND. Lens hoods are good for blocking out unwanted light reflections and providing deeper blacks in your photos.
@jcrowley40 thanks for sharing this website - it is also giving me a lot more insight into the functionality of my camera...SLR's have so many options!
Others: Thanks for the insight so far - I'm realizing that an external flash is quite an investment, and one I'm not sure I can afford right now! Although I'll keep taking as much information as I can get!
One of the best sites to learn strobes/flashes is the Strobist Blog. Great tutorials and challenges/assignments. See the Lighting 101 entry on the front page.
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The best thing about the 80DX over most all other external flashes is that it can be fired remotely by simply using your built-in flash on your camera. No need for remotes or cables. It comes in very handy and is about 80% reliable.
As for lens filters, there have been a couple of threads about this topic already, but basically it comes down to this: all you ever really need is a UV filter for each lens for protection, a Circular Polarizer, and a Graduated ND. Lens hoods are good for blocking out unwanted light reflections and providing deeper blacks in your photos.