Half A dozen Stupid things people will do after buying their first DSLR

It is astonishing to see that newbies buying their first DSLR (including me), even after spending so much time on their research, have hit on a sequence of spending behaviours that is not exactly helping them in the long run. Here is a rundown of half a dozen of such things they we regret on later.

1. Extra battery
The battery pack that comes with the camera is an excellent unit that lasts for a reasonable amount of shots. I have used my fully charged battery on Nikon D90 for approximately 600 shots on a span of a week. Although it would make sense to buy extra battery if you are into professional business, as a newbie you will seldom find yourself actually needing any unless you trek for weeks on end in the jungles.

2. Extra card
A 2GB card can hold approximately 250 RAW pics. (Calculation based on Nikon D90) That would generally be sufficient for a couple of day’s casual shoot. Rather than buy extra card, buy a card with higher capacity like 8GB or so, so that you don’t have to juggle cards regularly.

3. Lens Filter
“Don’t you want to protect your lens with a filter, sir?” The innocent salesman will ask you.
Although there are no scientific proof as to the effectiveness of using a lens filter as a protective shield in front your lens, common sense decrees that it would do more harm if it is not of a higher quality glass. Because you run the risk of scratching the lens from the filter’s broken pieces. I have been using my 18-250mm for the last 6 months without a filter and everything is okay till now.

4. Cheap tripod
There is an excellent article bythom which details how people will be spending their money on tripods. And I think it is quite true. I invested in a cheap tripod thinking I will upgrade once I know the quirks of using it. But every time I use it to capture a delicate moment, I end up cursing it because of its poor build. Lesson I learned? Invest in a good support system because you will never know when a once-a-life-time opportunity presents itself and your tripod mucks it up.

5. Extra lens
Although Kit lens that comes with the body is good piece of glass, it is almost impossible to hold back and not buy more lens than you need. For a newbie, I believe it will take some time to identify his style and interest. So it is better to hold on to your kit lens or a single zoom lens until there is more clarity. I own a zoon lens (Tamron 18-250mm) and now I am contemplating the buy of a 50mm because I am very much interested in profiling people.

6. After spending a fortune on gear, we leave the camera in the safety of our home!
Everyone does this! Your DLSR is not a delicate instrument that is to be left safely at home, but rather accompany you everywhere. I have already regretted leaving my camera at home a million times because that would be the time I will be presented with something quite extra-ordinary.