If you can, go to a store where you can handle cameras in your price range. Check out two or three models. Pick them up and hold them in your hand. Assess how they feel and whether they seem comfortable, too light, or too heavy. See if you can easily take the lens off and put it back on. Does one lens feel better or worse than another? Open the battery compartment. Take a look at where the memory card is stored. Press buttons. Go through the menus to see how they are set up and see if you find anything you dislike about them. Do they make sense to you or will you find them a constant source of irritation? Look through the viewfinder to see how the view is. Test out live view. Take a few photos, if possible, and look at them on the monitor.

       Conducting a hands-on test is the single greatest way to find out whether you like a camera or not – even if you’ve used cameras from that manufacturer before.

      If you can’t get to a store to handle cameras, the next best thing is to go online and look at the cameras in your price range, read reviews, look at manuals, and watch videos. See what other people think, and get second and third opinions. You may be able to rent the camera you are interested in and give it a practical road test. That’s money well spent.

      Based on what you learned from the prior step, weed out cameras that aren’t what you want. Review features and specifications to compare models and break ties.

       Specifications are relative. Technologies and performance characteristics change over time.

      Finally, decide on which camera to buy. It’s been my experience that getting the least expensive camera that you like and saving money for accessories and lens purchases is a solid approach. If there is a clear winner and it costs more than others, however, don’t hesitate to buy it. You can always pick up more lenses later.

       This decision doesn't commit you for life (keep your receipt, though, in case you change your mind). Learn from this purchase and it will help you with the next one.

      ❯❯ Lenses: Of course lenses are the number one dSLR accessory. They come in all sizes and price points. Aside from the camera body, lenses are the most important component of digital SLR photography. They help determine the type and quality of shots you can take with your camera. Book 1, Chapter 3 has more information about lenses, as does Book 2.

      ❯❯ Filters and filter accessories: Filters enable you to deal with challenging lighting conditions and create artistic effects. They screw on the front of your lens and affect the light coming into your camera (as opposed to being a software effect). Read about them in Book 3, Chapter 5.

      ❯❯ Focus-alignment tools: These tools enable you to check whether your lenses are focusing properly or not.

      ❯❯ Built-in flash accessories: These accessories modify the built-in flash. Some block the light, which is useful if you want to use your built-in flash as a wireless trigger but don't want its light contributing to the scene. Others soften and diffuse it.

      ❯❯ External flashes and accessories: External flash units can be costly, but they add quite a bit of flexibility to your photography. Light stands, umbrellas, flash brackets, and other accessories assist you. See Book 4, Chapter 3 for more information about using an external flash and accessories.

❯❯ External microphone: If you shoot video and your camera supports an external microphone, attach it to the accessory shoe and plug the cable into the camera, as shown in Figure 1-23. It’s possible to record professional-quality stereo audio with very little effort this way.

      ❯❯ Backgrounds: Paper or fabric backgrounds are important if you want to shoot portraits in a studio setting.

      ❯❯ Straps: Secure your camera around your neck or to your wrist with a cool strap.

      ❯❯ Tripods and other supports: Use a support to stabilize the camera when you can. Tripods, monopods, and other unique supports like the Gorrilapod (by Joby) are all very useful.

      ❯❯ GPS gear: If your camera doesn't have built-in GPS (Global Positioning System) and you want to add location information to your photos, you can add GPS with an external unit. It can imprint your photos with the latitude and longitude where you took the photos. The information is stored the same way the camera model and exposure settings are stored. You can also geotag your images with information collected from your smartphone.

      ❯❯ White balance cards: If the camera has a hard time getting the correct white balance (in general, photos should not have an overly blue or yellow color cast to them), pick up a white balance card. Mostly gray, they serve as a reference that enables you to calculate the correct color temperature of the scene. WhiBal is a good one. You can also use a white board or piece of paper as an economical alternative.

      ❯❯ Cases: You can go crazy with cases: large ones, small ones, tiny ones, and everything in between. Standard cases have a handle and a shoulder strap. Sling bags go over your shoulder and are easy to walk around with; you can get into them quickly. Backpack cases are best for hiking.

      ❯❯ Protective covers: You can buy silicon armor to keep your camera a bit safer than normal. See Book 1, Chapter 2.

      ❯❯ Underwater gear: When you’re shooting underwater, having the correct gear for you and your camera is an absolute necessity.

      ❯❯ Vests and other clothing: Buying specialized photography clothing gives you additional pockets to stuff lenses and other accessories instead of constantly having to dig through your camera bag. Plus you’ll look stylish and cool.

      ❯❯ LCD accessories: LCD hoods are a great idea if you shoot movies. They keep light from shining on the monitor on the back of your camera, which makes it easier to see what's on the screen. LCD loupes, on the other hand, turn your monitor into something like a viewfinder. These are awesome and can be used when shooting movies or still photos in live view. You can also buy screen protectors that shield your LCD from scratches, just like on your smartphone.

      ❯❯ Eyecups: You can buy larger eyecups for the viewfinder. They make viewing more comfortable, especially if you wear glasses.

      ❯❯ Viewfinder diopters: If you can't adjust the viewfinder enough to correct for your vision, you may need to buy a viewfinder diopter that has a larger adjustment built in. See Book 1, Chapter 2 for more information.

      ❯❯ Power adapters: If you are shooting inside and don't want your camera constantly running out of power, buy a compatible power adapter and never change another battery.

❯❯ Remotes: Remotes are wonderful accessories for tripod-mounted cameras because you don’t have to push the shutter button to take the photo. This reduces photographer-induced camera shake. You can also lock them to take Bulb exposures. Figure