I previously wrote about the reasons I chose the camera I use for geophotography. I'm working on another post about the lenses and accessories I use as well, but for now I'll discuss my wish-list of items that I would like to add to my arsenal. Some of these are small ticket items, and some are quite large; we'll start small and go big.
White Balance Cards:
Cameras don't know what "white" is, they have to guess based on the light entering the lens. If this isn't right, a photo can look slightly too blue or slightly too yellow. Carefully designed cards are used to get this right.
Lens Hoods:
Stray light can ruin an otherwise great shot. A lens hood is designed to keep flares out of your photos. These are the hoods that fit my lenses:
Extra batteries:
The battery in the Canon T6i isn't bad, but it isn't especially amazing either. Since I'm sometimes out in the field as a geologist for multiple, long days, some extra batteries would come in quite handy.
However, these batteries are really expensive! Lower priced alternatives do exist. I've not tried any of them yet (hence why they are on the wish list) but you can get 2 of them for less than half of the price of the Canon. The reviews look good, too, so I'd start here.
One of those bendy tripod things:
Sometimes a tripod is just necessary, but carrying one in the field is a pain. They are heavy and bulky. Enter the GorillaPod! This tripod is built with short legs that are flexible, allowing it to be placed just about anywhere - on a rock, on a fence, on a tree. The bendable legs allow you to attach it to most anything, and with the swivel ball-head, you can position the camera in any number of angles (presumably level!).
Backpack connector:
Peak Design makes this really nice accessory that allows you to clip your camera (or many other tools I suppose) right to a belt or backpack strap with a quick-release button. This looks really useful, because camera straps around your neck swing and flop around, and its never easy to continually take your backpack off and on again.
Variable Neutral Density Filter
A neutral density filter cuts out light, allowing longer exposure times. The ones I've used have had a set amount of light reduction, meaning they cut out a certain amount of light all the time, no matter what. A variable filter means you can adjust the amount of light that it cuts out, generally from 2 all the way up to 8 stops of light. That allows for more creative control over the image.
Microphone:
As I've gotten more into video over the past few months, I've come to want to improve the audio capabilities of my gear. A decent shot-gun mic would probably do the trick. Since this is an area I've only recently looked into, I'm still getting familiar with the various options on the market. The prices of these vary considerably, from tens to hundreds of dollars. Here are a few that I've assembled, from least to most expensive.
Rode VideoMicro - this one is probably the best for the money! Rode VMPR VideoMic GO Lightweight SHURE VP83 LensHopper
A Drone:
It's been said that photography is all about perspective. Ansel Adams is quoted as saying it is knowing "where to put your feet". A camera that can fly?!? That changes everything! Consumer drones have come on the market in the past few years and have really changed photography and videography. The perspectives gained by a drones-eye view are really amazing! Geology also has a long history of using technology to view the Earth from above, so drone photos and videos I'm sure will only grow in the future. That said, drones can be pretty pricey items! There are a few small ones, "selfie drones" that are lower cost, but of course their capabilities are much more limited. The DJI Spark hit the market earlier this year and made quite the splash, being really quite small and by all reports, really fun to fly. It records 1080p video at 30 fps, which isn't super high end video for UHD resolution or super-high frame rates for slow-motion, but is certainly good quality. Of all the things on this list, this is the one that I'm most interested in, but its a bit out of my price range at the moment.
Upgraded glass for the kit lens:
The kit lens that came with my T6i is the EF-S 18-55 mm f/3.5-5.6. It's a decent starter lens, with decent wide-angle to portrait zoom. It's the "standard" lens I use unless I have some other specific need. An upgrade that covers the same zoom range, has improved sharpness, and a wider aperture, would be a really nice improvement. However, this glass is costly, about as much as the camera itself! Definitely a high priced item.