You must have at least one lens. That's so obvious that it hardly warrants mention but I do so because you have a choice of what that lens will be. You may have a lens which came with your SLR camera or you may have bought the lens separate from the camera. If you are using a compact point and shoot camera or any other camera which is equipped with a non-replaceable lens, this information will not apply to your camera. Single Lens Reflex cameras do have replaceable lenses and here is where you have the choice of what lens to use as well as how many lenses to use.

The following are lenses and other cameras and accessories used here at Dan Dooley Photography

Extension Tubes Increase Macro Magnification Though dedicated macro lenses allow you to focus very close to your subject and obtain very close looks at your subject, sometimes you want to look a little closer. In other words, you just shot a fine picture of a bug but now you'd like to zoom in for a fine look at the bug's eyes. I use the Kenko extension tubes when I want to really get close to the subject.

We bought the Canon G12 camera recently for my wife to use. She's not in favor of having to mess with a lot of complex camera controls, but at the same time we wanted a camera with a lot more capability than the little simply pocket cameras can offer. Additionally, we wanted something which has an available water proof housing which would allow the camera to be used for water sports activities such as snorkeling, kayaking, white water rafting and more. Canon offers a perfect housing for the G12 camera which allows full access to all of the camera controls.
Canon G12 10 MP Digital Camera with 5x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.8 Inch Vari-Angle LCD

Canon WP-DC34 Underwater Housing for Canon PowerShot G11/G12 Digital Camera

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Every photographer who uses a tripod has an opinion on which is the best one to use. For some, there is only one brand and to use anything else puts the user into the rank beginner class. I do not subscribe to that philosophy at all. Which one works best for you depends on your specific needs as well as your budget. For that reason I am not going to claim that what I use is the best. It is a very good one and has worked solidly and reliably for me. I have had absolutely no mechanical problems with it at all.

The model of SLIK is the PRO 500DX. That model has been superseded by the 580DX. The 580DX uses the same legs but has a new and heavier duty pan head. The strong but light weight construction of the legs is the same.

The inclusion of the new pan head would be of no relevance to me anyhow. I don't use the included pan head. I use a ball head. Next I list that device.

SLIK PRO 580 DX Tripod Legs with SH-806E Heavy Duty 3-Way Pan Head & Case

I like the ball head method of camera/lens to tripod mount owing to the greater flexibility of angle adjustment possible over a standard pan head. Aligning the lens on a subject is much quicker and more precise with a ball head. Just think of the action as more approximating the range of movement of the human wrist vs. the elbow.

I chose the Vanguard out of a number of other good options. I liked the sturdiness, the adjustability and other features. The Vanguard SBH-250 Magnesium Ball Head with Sliding Quick Shoe is strong enough to support the weight of my Canon 100-400mm telephoto lens (which is long and heavy) but at the same time is light in weight and since it replaced the original attached pan head on my SLIK PRO 500 DX tripod the Vanguard SBH-250 ball head did not add any weight to the tripod. An additional advantage to the Vanguard brand is that they supply TWO attachement shoes with each head giving me the option of keeping one shoe on the camera body and the other shoe on the long lens. I leave the shoes attached all the time. When the long lens is on the camera, the tripod is on the shoe on the long lens. When any other lens is on the camera body, the tripod is attached to the camera body.

As useful as a tripod is, there are times when it is just too much. I finally came to that conclusion after a number of mountain trail hikes with the folded tripod strapped to my backpack. It was there and it was handy but it also tended to catch every branch and rock outcropping I came in close contact with. Likewise, in crowded venues such as the zoo or other public places were the extended legs of a tripod often get in the way, something simplier is called for. A monopod fits when a tripod does not.

Because I was already happy with the Vanguard ball head on tripod, and wanting to stay with a more compatible "system" I selected the Vanguard TRACKER-AP364 Aluminum Alloy Professional Monopod Not only did it receive good reviews, it allowed me to use a Vanguard ball head which though a small and lighter model than that on my tripod, was shoe compatible. That meant that when switching between the tripod and the monopod, the shoes which were already mounted on the camera body or long lens fit with no need to swap shoes. The Vanguard ball head on the monopod is the Vanguard SBH-100 Small Magnesium Alloy Ballhead with Two Onboard Bubble Levels Just like the SBH-250, the SBH-100 comes with two camera/lens attachement shoes.