The Buyers guide to...Best accessories for beginner photography

3 Legged Thing’s Alan 2.0 builds on the design features of the original Alan monopod and provides a fully customisable support solution.

At its heart, Alan 2.0, as with Alan, is a solid monopod, lightweight and ready for action, just like any good monopod should be.

While Alan 2.0 is an all-new model, it can also be seen as a refinement of the original. Tweaks to the design and enhanced manufacturing technology update this already excellent model.

What’s more, with the addition of 3LT accessories such as the DOCZ2 tri foot and Airhed Cine head, you can customise this latest model to suit your needs.

The large rubber handle grip, oversize twist leg locks, and the unique tri-plate make Alan 2.0 a solid choice.

Read our 3 Legged Thing Alan 2.0 Review

Vanguard’s VEO 2 Pro is a mid-size aluminium tripod with a reversible central column and a low-angle adaptor. The VEO 2 Pro is a nice budget option that is suitable for many different types of photography and even videography.

It supports a max payload of 4kg despite weighing just 1.7kg, and it stretches to a height of 1,460mm with the central column extended and 1,160mm without. Its minimum height is just 17.5cm and can fold down to a length of just 56cm.

Included in the budget price tag is a two-way pan head. Other nice touches about the VEO 2 Pro are removable non-slip feet, an integrated hook for adding extra weight and three leg angles (20, 45 and 80 degrees).

The VEO 2 Pro is light, sturdy, versatile and reasonably priced. For the travelling photographer, this could seriously be the only tripod you’ll need.

Find great deals on the Vanguard VEO 2 Pro at Amazon UK and Amazon US.

Read our Vanguard VEO 2 PRO 233CPV Tripod Review

The FRHN06CVX20 is the smallest of the Benro Rhino range of tripods, making it a great choice for travel. The carbon fibre 5-section legs feel well made and extend quickly following a twist of the rubber-coated leg locks.

Sold as a kit, the legs come with Benro’s VX20 ball head which has simple dual-action controls with built-in friction control and a separate pan lock. The head is lightweight and comes with an Arca Swiss compatible release plate.

A sprung hook is provided at the bottom of the centre column to hang a weight to give extra downward force and stability. However, this can be removed to enable to column to be inverted for low-level shooting.

Conveniently, the leg with a short foam covering unscrews and can be attached to the centre column to create a monopod.

Essentially a monopod with feet, the Vanguard VEO 2s CM-264TBP offers a slimline, high-quality support option for everyday use. It features carbon fibre leg sections and comes as a complete kit.

It’s all solid enough, with a small ball head at the base that gives a little side-to-side movement that can be locked in and out as required.

On top is the compact pan ball head which makes this monopod ideally suited to the usual wildlife and sports genres, as well as being perfectly adaptable for shooting basic video.

The VEO 2s CM-264TBP is a complete product there’s no modular approach which might not suit all, but then this is a product that sets out to provide high quality, easy to use support at a decent price, and that’s exactly what it does.

Find great deals on the Vanguard VEO 2s CM-264TBP at Amazon UK and Amazon US.

Read our Vanguard Veo 2s CM-264TBP Review

Tenba really knows how to make dedicated camera backpacks, with the company’s DNA range being the perfect fit for the city dweller. The Tenba DNA 16 DSLR style is stylish, functional, and far removed from traditional camera backpacks.

The main camera storage area features an innovative tilt design, ideal for accessing your kit while the bag is perched on a window ledge or wall. Inside there’s space enough for a DSLR or mirrorless with an additional lens and flash.

The upper roll top section features plenty of room for kit or personal belongings and is secured with an innovative magnetic catch that works without fault.

On the back is the laptop slot that offers room for a 16-inch MacBook, although the fit is snug. Despite the Air Flow back design that offers comfort there isn’t much structure so, it’s worth ensuring your laptop is in its protective case.

Comfort-wise it’s best to travel relatively light, the shoulder straps are wide and padded, but the back while padded doesn’t offer a rigid structure and the chest and waist straps are only there for occasional use.

The Tenba DNA 16 DSLR backpack is very well designed and an ideal solution for the urban photographer.

You can find great deals on the Tenba DNA 16 at Amazon UK and Amazon US.

Read our Tenba DNA 16 DSLR Backpack Review

The Vanguard VEO Range T 45M’s style is distinctly military with exterior webbing showing that this backpack means business.

The bag’s design keeps it reassuringly slim, making our medium-sized sample ideal for compact systems cameras and DSLRs alike, alongside a few lenses and accessories of course.

The bag looks on the small side of medium, but that’s just a visual illusion as there’s plenty of space inside for your kit.

Its material quality is the real winner here, the webbing is tough, and matched by a quality choice of fabrics and finish.

This bag is a phenomenal all-rounder, ideal for everyday use and one to be left by the door ready for action. You can find great deals on the Vanguard VEO RANGE T 45M at Amazon UK and Amazon US.

Read our Vanguard VEO RANGE T 45M Review

The Pro Light FastTrack is a bit of an oddity on our list of best camera straps, but something so unique we felt compelled to include it.

The Manfrotto Pro Light FastTrack sling bag is, first and foremost, a camera sling bag but it’s the first on the market to feature an integrated camera strap. How it works is, photographers remove their camera from the sling’s main compartment, then pull the sling strap and the camera rises to their hands.

The Pro Light FastTrack sling’s strap features lockable buckles that attach to the strap rings on the sides of your camera. These buckles then clip to the integrated strap on the Pro Light FastTrack sling to prevent the camera from slipping, as well as tangling up with the shoulder strap.

Where the Pro Light FastTrack shines is for travel and city breaks, allowing you to always have your camera at the ready without having to compromise on quality or safety.

Read our Manfrotto Pro Light FastTrack sling camera bag review

For light travelling or urban adventures, the Tenba Skyline certainly has appeal. And with its £59 price tag, you really can’t go wrong.

Storage is plentiful for this type of bag, and It’s good looking and feels well put together. The exterior of the bag features water repellent fabrics which in my opinion look fantastic. On the top you will find a carry handle and a long and thin zipped compartment. To the front, there is another zipped compartment, perfect for bigger items – ipad, wallet or filters etc.

Overall, the build quality is fantastic. The Skyline 13 is durable and really well put together. It’s a great camera bag for a beginner that will certainly do the job.

Find great deals on the Tenba Skyline 13 shoulder bag at Amazon UK and Amazon US.

If you like the sound of the MindShift Gear UltraLight Dual 36L but you’re looking for something a little smaller, take a look at the MindShift Gear UltraLight Dual 25L which is identical apart from the size. We were able to use it to carry a Sony A7 III with a 70-200mm f/2.8 lens mounted along with a 24-70mm f/2.8. Alternatively, it can house a large DSLR like the Canon 5D Mark IV or Nikon D850 with a 24-70mm f/2.8 mounted and a second smaller lens.

It’s a 25L backpack with a removable insert that can be worn as a shoulder bag or belt pack. This insert is padded and fits at the bottom of the backpack. It’s accessed via a zip in the left side of the pack and has dividers that can be arranged to accommodate your camera gear.

The MindShift Gear UltraLight Dual 25L is available in the UK from Wex Photo Video, Park Cameras and Amazon UK. In the USA, you can buy it from BH Photo Video, Adorama and Amazon.com

Aimed at street, travel and everyday photographers, the Peak Design Everyday Totepack is a sleek bag with a slew of interesting features. Let’s start at the top.

The Everyday Totepack takes a roll-top design and it’s top access features magnets in the clasp to keep it flush. There are also dual side access points, which you can open via zippers that run from the base to about three-quarters up the bag’s length.

These zips are also anti-theft in design. The toggle feeds through a loop and hooks around a metal stud. This prevents pickpockets from quickly opening the Totepack and taking your gear without your knowledge.

Inside the Everyday Totepack is a padded laptop sleeve that can accommodate notebooks up to 15 inches. There’s also a tablet sleeve.

The main compartment offers two of Peak Design’s FlexFold dividers, which you can bend in different direction or fold in half to accommodate the shape of your kit. These FlexFold dividers can mount horizontally or vertically according to your needs.

There’s no shoulder strap like you’ll find on the Everyday Tote, but the Everyday Totepack has padded backpack straps, which you can tuck inside the bag and hide for when you want to carry the bag as a tote.

Other features include padded carry handles and two Cord Hook external carry straps.

It’s also worth noting that though the Everyday Totepack is 20L in capacity, it’s roll-top design allows it to expand to 25L.

The Everyday Totepack has a waterproof exterior, as well as a waterproof bottom liner, and its zippers are sewn with an anti-abrasion thread.

Until the Wandrd Sling Strap arrived, the Peak Design Slide Lite was my go-to strap from the moment it first came out in 2017. I love its smart appearance, its soft but strong webbing, and the ease with which it can be extended or shortened so I can wear it across my body or over my shoulder.

My favourite feature, however, is its attachment method. Peak Design supplies it with two pairs of Anchor Links for attaching it to a couple of cameras. These Links loop through and over themselves in the camera strap lugs and then snap securely into the strap.

This means that when you want to take the strap off, you just need to press on the pad of the Anchor Loop to release it and then slide it out of the strap clip. It takes a second at most – it’s even faster to attached and detach than the Wandrd straps.

The downside is that you want Anchor Loops on every camera. You can transfer the Links between cameras, but it’s a bit like trying to undo a tight shoelace. It’s doesn’t take long, but you need decent nails.

Read our Peak Design Slide Lite Review

Like the Wandrd Wrist Strap, the Wandrd Sling Strap has a thin but strong Hypalon loop that passes through the camera’s strap lug and then secures in a metal slip. It’s very quick and easy to attach to lots of cameras, and when you want to mount the camera on a tripod, you can remove it in seconds so it won’t flap in the breeze.

This adjustable strap is long enough to be worn across your body or it can be shortened for wearing around your neck or over a shoulder.

The adjustment mechanism is very easy to use but the strap doesn’t extend in length as you carry the camera. It’s part of what makes this my current favourite strap.

Wandrd has hit the sweet spot for the width of a camera strap with its Sling Strap. It’s wide enough to be comfortable when carrying all but the biggest, heaviest cameras but not so wide that it gets in the way or makes you feel hot.

Also, one side has a series of silicone bands to give some extra grip when you’re carrying the camera on your shoulder.

Read our Wandrd Sling Strap Review

When you don’t want a shoulder or neck strap and need something a little more discreet, the BlackRapid Breathe is an excellent choice. Lightweight, but solid, the BlackRapid Breathe is 100% Nylon like a car seat belt and secures to your wrist, yet offering a 20.5cm adjustable length.

Like the other BlackRapid straps in this list, the BlackRapid Wrist Strap attaches via a camera’s tripod bush. It screws in securely and the swivelling carabiner prevents it from unscrewing or getting tangled around your hand or wrist.

A wrist strap has a simple job, and the Breathe does it well. Street photographers will love it, but so will wildlife and sports photographers who want minimal clutter and simply want to quickly bring their camera up to their eye.

The Lexar® Professional 2000x SDHC/SDXC UHS-II Cards SD is at the top end of the SD card format and is rated as UHS-II, Class 10, U3 and V90. This essentially means that it can, at present, cope with pretty much any camera data you throw at it.

In this respect, the Lexar® Professional 2000x SDHC/SDXC UHS-II card shows there’s plenty of life left in the UHS-II SD format and SD is far from obsolete. The card features transfer speeds that are more than capable of keeping up with the latest image and video capture demands. The card also offers a relatively affordable choice per GB compared with the newer CFExpress and CFast options.

In use, the card performs well with no warnings from either the Sony A7 III or Blackmagic Designs Pocket Cinema 6K Pro. Back in the studio, download times were equally impressive.

If you need a top performance SD card for your 40MP+ stills or 4K+ video capture, then the Lexar® Professional 2000x SDHC/SDXC UHS-II Card won’t let you down.

Find the best deals on Lexar® Professional 2000x SDHC/SDXC UHS-II at Amazon UK and Amazon US.

The SanDisk Extreme Pro SDXC UHS-II has the SD-type card form factor which means it fits in the memory card slot of a wide range of cameras. It’s a UHS-II card, which makes it compatible with the latest cameras with SD cards slots, but it can also be used in cameras with UHS-I card slots.

According to the manufacturer, the SanDisk Extreme Pro SDXC UHS-II has a maximum write speed of 260MB/s and a maximum read speed of up to 300MB/s. That makes it suitable for use when recording 4K video as well as shooting long sequences of stills at high frame rates.

There are more affordable cards than the SanDisk Extreme Pro SDXC UHS-II, but it works flawlessly and isn’t fussy about which camera or card slot you pop it in. It’s as robust and as reliable as they come.

Find the best deals on the SanDisk Extreme Pro SDXC UHS-II at Amazon UK and Amazon US.

Read our SanDisk Extreme Pro 256GB MicroSD Card Review