Best camera accessories: the best inexpensive accessories to level up your photography | 2026

The best camera accessories can make an enormous difference to your photography. Whether through protecting your gear, keeping your batteries charged or enabling whole new styles of shooting, good accessories are many photographers’ secret weapons. Which ones are right for you is going to depend on your personal workflow and what you like to shoot – essential accessories for a landscape photographer won’t be the same as for a wildlife photographer, for instance. 

We’ve put together this guide, a carefully curated overview of the camera accessories our photographic experts rely on, based on years of experience shooting in the field. We’ve made a few specific beginner suggestions for each type, and have also linked to our in-depth guides for specific accessories to make it easier for you to dive in deeper.

So, let’s take a look at best camera accessories to buy and discover the tools that can improve your photography.

Camera Bags and Cases: Protect Your Gear

The dangers a camera faces are seemingly endless; during winter months damp, cold and condensation can all pose a significant health risk, while in the summer dust, pollen and heat can be equally damaging. And that’s before you take into account the risks involved in actually using the camera out and about, where it can be dropped, banged into, scratched, knocked and generally abused.

A decent camera bag not only offers vital protection from everyday knocks and bumps, but also provides a far more convenient method of transporting your camera gear than simply stuffing it into your pockets. 

There are a huge variety of bags available, from those which house just your camera and a lens for protection with minimum bulk, to those which will take your camera, all your lenses, a tripod, a change of clothes, your lunch and the kitchen sink. 

• Shoulder bags & backpacks: Versatile and portable.

• Hard cases & rolling case: Perfect for travel and airport use.

• Waist belts & sling bags: Great for quick access and mobility.

Choosing the right bag depends on your gear, shooting style, and travel needs. If you need some help, check out the guides below:

See more: Best camera bag for photographers, Best camera bag for filmmakers

If you’re looking for a general camera bag recommendation, we’d say go with a backpack – most photographers tend to prefer them as they provide a superior balance of space, ergonomics and portability. The Lowepro ProTactic BP 450 AW III is an excellent choice: it’s affordable, but built to professional standards, with a modular design that can be reworked to suit the specific size and shape of your kit.

Tripods and Monopods: Stability for Every Shot

Many photographers manage quite nicely without a tripod and if your photography is mainly of fast-moving subjects that require a fast shutter-speed anyway, then a tripod may not be essential.

That said, plenty of wildlife and sports photographers use them to help keep their huge lenses steady, and if landscape photography is your thing, then a decent tripod can be as important as the camera and lens that sit on it. Why you would want a tripod:

• Tripod legs keep your camera still

• Tripod heads (ball, pan, or 3-way) allow precise positioning

• Separate heads let you customise your setup to your photography style

See more: Best travel tripod for photographers

For a starter tripod recommendation, we’d pick the Manfrotto Element MII Aluminium Tripod Kit. Constructed from aluminium, it’s a lightweight, portable and affordable tripod that can support payloads of up to 8kg – more than enough for the vast majority of camera-and-lens combinations. It comes with a small ball head that locks securely in place for steady shots, and has rubberised feet for a secure grip on the ground.

Filters: Control Light, Colour, and Effects

In today’s age of digital manipulation, it may seem that many creative filters have become redundant. However, there are still some effects which are better applied with filters at the time of shooting rather than in Photoshop. 

• Circular polarising filters: Reduce reflections and enhance skies and colours

• Graduated neutral density (GND) filters: Balance bright skies with darker foregrounds

• Neutral density (ND) filters: Allow wide apertures or long exposures in bright conditions, perfect for creating smooth water effects

Square or rectangular filter systems (Lee, Cokin) will give you more flexibility for precise positioning and creative control.

Read more: Best camera lens filters

Different filters have a multitude of different purposes, and which are useful to you will depend on your setup and what you like to shoot. However, if there’s one type of filter we would recommend to basically everyone, it’s a polariser. Being able to cut through haze and incidental light for sharper, punchier images is enormously useful across practically all photographic disciplines, and an inexpensive polariser is an easy way to do it. The Hoya polariser below is available in a range of different thread sizes – click ‘select variant’ on the product page to find the corresponding filter size for your lens.

Batteries: Power Up

Yes, your camera will come with a battery, and yes, it will be rechargeable. As such you may feel that purchasing an additional battery is unnecessary. However, a spare battery is essential to avoid running out of power mid-shoot, especially during long sessions or in cold weather. Batteries can also fail unexpectedly, making a backup invaluable.

And there are battery grips, which are really important. They offer extra power by holding multiple batteries, give you additional controls for portrait/vertical shooting, and are usually compatible with AA batteries for emergencies!

Something that’s also increasingly worth having with you thanks to advancements in modern cameras is a portable charger or power bank – the same kind that you’d use for your phone. More and more modern cameras are capable of hot-charging via USB-C, rather than the battery needing to be removed and charged separately, and so a portable charger can be an invaluable means of ensuring your shoot isn’t cut short. The Ansmann Powerbank PB320PD (20,000 mAh) is an ideal choice.

Lens Hoods

Question: why do you need a lens hood? If your answer is “to shade the lens from incidental light that can cause flare and distortions in a photograph” then you are right. 

But they also offer a significant amount of protection for the front element of your lens from more physical threats. A lens hood will shade your lens from dust and moisture in the air and, perhaps most importantly, will act as a bumper for your lens against impact.

You’ll need to get the right lens hood for your brand of camera and for your specific lens. Check with your manufacturer – there should be a specific model of hood listed for your lens.

Cleaning Kit: Keep Your Gear Ready

Fact: if you use your camera, it will get dirty. The more you use it, the dirtier it is likely to get. Even if you don’t take your camera up mountains, across fields or through woods, dust, moisture and greasy marks from your hands and face can build up on your camera’s lens, LCD screen and eyepiece. As such, a basic cleaning kit consisting of a soft brush, a lint free cloth and an air blower is a sensible and relatively cheap purchase for any new camera owner.

Sensor Cleaning

You may also be aware that your camera’s sensor can pick up dust and marks over time. While there are cleaning kits designed specifically for this, not everybody is comfortable with cleaning their own sensor and would prefer to get it done by a professional. In addition, some manufacturers do not recommend that you clean the sensor yourself. 

However, cleaning the external surfaces of your camera and lens is not only easy, but is something that every camera owner should regularly do. A smear on the front element of your lens can spoil an otherwise excellent photograph, and passing your camera to someone to show off a great shot on your camera’s LCD screen is embarrassing when the first thing they do is wipe a greasy nose smear off the glass!

Lens cloths do a great job, but lens pens offer even more cleaning power, featuring both a super-soft brush and a velvety pad for removing greasy smudges such as fingerprints.

One of the cheapest and best accessories you can get hold of for general cleaning is a rocket blower. These cool little accessories blow filtered air out of a small nozzle, giving enough pressure to remove dust, sand and other residue from lenses and cameras. The Giottos AA1900 Rocket Air Blower is a popular, inexpensive option.

Remote Control: No More Shakey Shots

Camera shake is one of those unfortunate camera effects that can spoil an otherwise perfect picture. Worse still, you don’t always notice it fully until a picture is displayed at a larger size on the computer screen.

A remote release is the perfect solution for ensuring your fumbling hands don’t interfere with longer exposures. Whilst a camera’s self-timer can also be used, a release allows more exact control over the moment the shutter is triggered – perfect for fast-paced action, including fireworks.

You need to get a remote control that works with your specific make and model of camera. Many manufacturers produce their own – the Hahnel Captur Remote is a good choice, with versions available for Canon (below) as well as Nikon, Sony, Fujifilm and Olympus/Panasonic.

Memory Card Storage: Keep Them Safe

If there is anything more important than your cameras and lenses, it has to be your data! Our images are our lives as photographers, and looking after them from shoot to studio is vital. An easy way to make sure none of those SD, CF, XQD or Micro SDs go missing is get a card wallet. 

These come in a range of sizes, protecting anywhere from four to twenty storage cards. Some provide waterproof and crushproof construction for another level of security for your precious images. Given that they are very affordable, it’s not worth going without and risking losing cards in pockets and other small compartments! The Tenba Tools Reload Universal Card Wallet Black is a simple, practical choice for photographers on the move. 

Extra Accessories

Some lesser-known but incredibly handy items include:

• Head torch: Hands-free lighting for night photography or light painting.

• Hand warmers: Stay comfortable during long shoots in cold conditions.

• Carabiners: Attach gear to your bag or stabilise tripods in windy conditions.

• Shower caps: Cheap rain cover for cameras in wet weather.

• Folding step/stool: Get elevated perspectives or a compact seat for long sessions.

• Notebook & pen/pencil: Record shot details, inspiration, or contact info.

• Gaffer tape & cable ties: DIY solutions for stabilising and securing gear.

• Fifty pence coin: Quick tool for tightening tripod plates in the field.
  
  These small accessories often solve big problems and are easy to carry in your camera bag.

FAQs

What are essential camera accessories for beginners?

For beginners, some essential accessories you should look for are a camera bag to protect and transport your gear, a sturdy tripod for stable shots, extra batteries to ensure you don't run out of power, memory cards with ample storage space, and a lens cleaning kit to maintain the clarity of your lenses. 

Why do photographers use filters on their lenses?

Photographers use filters on their lenses to achieve specific effects and protect their equipment. UV filters protect the lens from dust, scratches, and moisture. Polarising filters reduce glare and reflections, enhancing colour saturation and contrast. Neutral density (ND) filters allow for longer exposure times in bright conditions, creating motion blur effects or achieving a shallow depth of field.

What should I consider when buying a tripod?

When buying a tripod, you need to think about stability, weight, height, and ease of use. Stability is crucial for sharp images, especially in long exposures. Lightweight tripods are ideal for travel but ensure they are sturdy enough to support your camera. The height should be adjustable to suit your shooting needs, and the tripod should be easy to set up and adjust. You’ll also want to look for tripods with a good locking mechanism and a flexible head for various angles and positions.