Digital cameras are one of the most popular items for consumers to purchase and have become increasingly affordable and easy to use. Many accessories are available for digital cameras but how do you know which ones you really need and which ones a salesperson is just trying to sell you in order to increase profits? Before making a purchase of digital camera accessories, educate yourself on what they do and which ones you may need most.

One of the most common accessories that most people buy to go with their digital cameras is an extra or larger memory card. Many cameras come packaged with a memory card but it is often only a 32 MB card which will not hold many images. This means having to transfer the photos to your computer or a CD very frequently and may be very inconvenient and time consuming if you wish to shoot a lot of photos at one time. You may want to invest in at least a 512 MB card. Of course the larger the card capacity, the more photos it will store but the more it will cost.

Another very common accessory often purchased is an extra battery. Again, this is almost a must have if you plan to shoot a lot of photos, shoot for an extended time period or shoot at a location that has no power outlet for an adapter.

While an extra memory card and an extra battery are the most needed and common accessories to buy for your digital camera, other accessories to consider are extra lenses, a flash unit, a tripod, and a carrying case. Whether you need these items will largely depend on what type of photography you plan on doing and what type of camera you have. If you only plan to be a hobbyist shooting family, friends, and pets on an occasional basis, you probably do not need extra lenses or an attached flash unit, but if you have a desire to shoot photos to sell or pursue photography on a more professional basic, these are all accessories you will need. Also, if you have already purchased a point and shoot versus a SLR camera, extra lenses and flashes may not be an option for your camera.

Tripods and hard sided carrying cases are often good options even for hobbyist. Tripods allow you to keep the camera steady in situations where it is hard to hand hold the camera and keep the subject focused. It also will enable you to jump into those family reunion photos by placing the camera on the tripod and using the timer or a remote control (another accessory you may wish to purchase if you want to get into the photo often). A hard sided carrying case is a good accessory if you are rough on your camera or travel a lot as it offers more protection for your camera than a fabric or canvas bag.