You probably just spent a few hundred dollars on a new camera and are wonder why your photos look so bland and your video looks and sound like they were filmed on an early 2000s flip phone. It’s because getting that camera was just the first step, so I decided why not compile a short list of the 5 best budget camera accessories that will help you level up your set up without breaking the bank.
1. Rode VideoMicro
Microphones are in my opinion the most important accessory, and that is why I recommend the Rode VideoMicro. This microphone costs about 60 dollars, and it’s extremely compact and reliable, as well as being phantom powered.
2. Yongnuo 50mm f/1.8 Lens
Lenses provide the most visual difference when it comes to the image your camera creates, but I know that lenses can get extremely expensive. Knowing with brand provides the best bang for your buck is hard. That is why I recommend the Yongnuo 50mm f/1.8 lens, it cost less then 100 dollars, which is insane for the quality it can produce.
3. Joby GorillaPod 3K
Next up is a way to stand your camera up and for this I would recommend a Joby GorrilaPod. It’s a very versatile product, you can place it on counter tops, hang it on tree branches, and even use it as a way to stabilize your handheld footage.
4. Aputure AL-M9 Pocket Light
This is a must buy product, you can do so much with this little fella. You can directly mount it to your camera for better lighting at night, you can place it in the background on your videos or photos to provide a fill light to the scene. Just like the GorillaPod it’s extremely versatile and is a must have in your arsenal for both photo and video.
5. Tiffen 82mm Circular Polarizing Filter
The last product I want to recommend is a Circular Polarizer for your lenses, this will basically makes a blue sky bluer, enhance clouds, and eliminate reflections. There are a ton of different filter brands out there but I personally trust Tiffen, I have been using there products for years and it never let me down.
Hope this helped you all out with improving your set up without going broke. I know that Photography can be a very scary hobby to get into, and I wish I had easily accessible videos and articles about all this stuff when I was first starting out.