The Extra Expenses That Are Often Ignored When Buying a New Camera

Deciding which camera to buy can be challenging. But after doing some research, and taking advice from friends and other photographers, you'll find out which one to buy. The thing that nobody is talking about is the extra expenses that are involved.  

If you are in the market for a new camera, no matter whether you starting with photography or upgrading your current camera, there are often costs involved that are easily forgotten. This way your budget may become insufficient, or you are confronted with additional purchases afterward. Sometimes it’s possible to delay these purchases, but not if they’re necessary if you want to use your new camera.

Especially new photographers may be unpleasantly surprised when it turns out they need to spend a significant amount of extra money. Those who upgrade may be familiar with some of the expenses involved, but there can be an unexpected surprise nevertheless.

For the Beginner Photographer

Starting with photography is exciting. Buying your first camera and unboxing offers a great feeling. But if you spend your whole budget on a camera, the extra expenses may ruin the fun for a while.

1. Memory Cards

To record your first photo, you need a memory card. These come in different types and sizes, and in a whole range of prices. It might be tempting to save a lot of money by choosing a cheap one but be careful: your precious photos will be saved on that card. You want to minimize the risk of losing these photos due to a bad memory card.

On top of that, a cheap card can limit the possibilities of your camera. The recording speed may be too slow, or there is not enough space available to record the photos and videos.

While the commonly used SD card can be relatively cheap, other types of memory cards can be quite expensive. Make sure you take the costs of a memory card into account.

2. Spare Battery and Perhaps a Battery Charger

Although you probably don’t need a spare battery right away, it might be a wise decision to get one. Especially if use the camera for a whole day, or if you go on holiday. Some cameras have a better battery life than others, but every single one will run out of battery life eventually.

Another accessory you might need to buy is a battery charger. Not every camera comes with a separate battery charger. These cameras can be charged directly with a PD connection. But think of it this way, you can’t use the camera if it needs to be charged. If you own a spare battery, without a charger it can't be charged if you're using the camera.

3. A Decent Camera Bag

If you are going to take your camera with you, a camera bag is essential. It keeps your expensive equipment safe and easy to carry. It also allows for good storage at home.

It is important to choose a decent camera bag; A cheap bag probably isn’t the best choice. Remember, it carries your expensive camera, you don't want to take the risk of something happening while carrying it. That doesn’t mean there aren’t any cheap bags that are decent, but you must be certain it will keep your camera safe in every situation.

4. An Extra Lens

Most cameras are equipped with a standard kit lens. But if you want to be more specialized, you probably need another lens — a macro lens for instance, or a telelens. Perhaps you want a prime lens that is better in low light.

Just make sure you really need one. It’s easy to desire another lens, but don’t get one just because someone told you it is necessary. If you really do need one, make sure you have enough budget. Lenses are often expensive, and you might find out the kit lens isn’t the best choice.

5. Photo Editing Software

Unless you just take snapshots, you probably want to dive into the world of photo editing. And perhaps you want to use the raw file format, which requires dedicated editing software.

Although there are some free solutions, these are often not the best choice as the software may be too limited, or not user-friendly. On most occasions, good photo editing software solution will cost you money.

There are a lot of different photo editing packages available, each with its own price. This can be a one-time purchase or a subscription. Whatever your choice will be, take the extra expense into account.

6. A Course in Photography

If you’re not too familiar with photography, you need to learn all about it. This can be done by yourself, with patience and time. On YouTube, you can find a lot of tutorials that will guide you through it. 

But learning this way can be difficult and time-consuming. In that case, it might be wise to invest in a course. This can be online, or with a renowned photographer. Just be careful because there are a lot of workshops that aren’t suited for this purpose.

If You’re Upgrading Your Camera

When have been a photographer for a while, you will come to a point when you want to upgrade your camera. This can be necessary because the camera you have is limiting you, or it offers options that make it easier to achieve the desired photo. Or perhaps the old one just wore out. 

Either way, even when upgrading you can run into extra expenses. If you did your homework, this won’t come as a surprise. Unfortunately, not everyone will do enough research before an upgrade is necessary.

Sometimes, you might find you need a bigger camera bag or more powerful computer to accommodate the new camera, though it's rarely necessary right away. You can set aside some money first before making that upgrade. Just make sure you know it could be needed eventually. But if you need to get new memory cards, or a set of lenses too, the extra expenses can be quite high.

Have you experienced one of these extra expenses yourself? Or are there more things that need to be bought with your first camera, or an upgrade that I didn’t think of? Please let me know in the comments below.