Appendix B: Accessories
The D3300 has a few accessories, which may not be actual necessities, but are just nice to have. These gadgets enhance your picture-taking experiences in different ways, from adding light when you’re shooting in dark environments to making it easier to track where you’ve taken pictures. They also allow you to share your images on your favorite social networking sites, and to control your camera from afar using a smart device.
Speedlights
I’ve found that having at least one Speedlight is essential if you want to use the D3300 in all types of shooting scenarios. Not only do Speedlights add light when the scene is dark, but you can also use them to create light where it’s needed, and you can control the light to make the subject appear exactly as you want it to, as opposed to being at the mercy of existing light. Speedlights give you the power and flexibility of professional lighting at an affordable price. They are compact and can be controlled wirelessly from the D3300 with an additional commander unit (either another Speedlight or the dedicated SU-800 Commander).
Nikon Speedlights operate as part of the Nikon Advanced Wireless Lighting (AWL) system and are part of what is known as the Nikon Creative Lighting System (CLS). AWL allows you to control multiple Speedlights and groups of Speedlights wirelessly while using the Nikon proprietary i-TTL (Through-the-Lens) flash metering system. This allows you to achieve professional lighting results with a much smaller budget and gear bag.
The D3300 allows you to control up to two groups of additional Speedlights using an SB-700 Commander, and up to three groups of flashes when using an SU-800, SB-800, SB-900, or SB-910 Commander.
The SB-600, SB-700, SB-800, SB-900, and SB-910 can all be used as remote flashes. You can find SB-600, SB-800, and SB-900 units used (and sometimes new), so don’t hesitate to buy one if you find it at a good price. They are fully functional with all current Nikon dSLRs and will likely continue to work with future models.
The SB-400, SB-600, SB-800, and SB-900 Speedlights are discontinued, but still work perfectly with the D3300.
The current lineup of available Nikon Speedlights includes the SB-910 flagship model, the SB-700, SB-300, and SU-800 Commanders, and the R1 or R1C1 Wireless Close-Up Speedlight System.
Image courtesy of Nikon, Inc.
AB-1 The Nikon SB-700 Speedlight.
The ME-1 Stereo Microphone
If you’re serious about video, an external microphone is an essential accessory. The Nikon ME-1 is a small stereo microphone that fits into the hot shoe of the D3300. This external microphone records sound much more clearly than the internal microphone.
Also, because it is located farther away from the lens, the ME-1 minimizes the chance of recording noise created by the autofocusing mechanism in the lens. The ME-1 comes with a windscreen to reduce wind noise when shooting outdoors, and also features a low-cut filter to reduce other unwanted low-frequency noises.
Image courtesy of Nikon, Inc.
AB-2 The Nikon ME-1 stereo microphone.
The ML-L3 Wireless Remote Control
The Nikon D3300 has two infrared receivers (front and back) that allow you to remotely trigger the camera using the ML-L3 infrared remote. This handy accessory is perfect for shooting long exposures, taking self-portraits, or including yourself in a group portrait. The best part about this accessory is that it is very inexpensive. Whereas the infrared remote for higher-end Nikon cameras is over $200, the ML-L3 usually costs less than $20. There’s no reason not to own one of these handy little gadgets.
Image courtesy of Nikon, Inc.
AB-3 The Nikon ML-L3 Wireless Remote.
The GP-1 GPS Unit
For traveling photographers, the Nikon GP-1 GPS unit automatically geotags images with latitude, longitude, and specific time information acquired from GPS satellites. This is one of my newest gadgets and I have to say that it works pretty well. Having geotags automatically applied to your images is a great feature, especially for nature and wildlife photographs. The GP-1 can be attached via the hot shoe or to the strap with an included adapter.
You can use the free Nikon ViewNX 2 software to correlate the images with a map. Adobe Lightroom 5 also supports geotagging map features. I find that geotagging my images makes searching them a snap in Lightroom 5 because I usually remember where a picture was taken, even if I don’t remember where I saved it on my hard drive.
Triggertrap
While this isn’t a Nikon accessory, it’s one of the coolest things I’ve come across in ages. This is a smartphone app that, when coupled with an inexpensive ($30) dongle, allows you to trigger your camera in a number of ways, allowing you to achieve all kinds of interesting effects that would cost a lot more if you had to buy special devices. You can create time-lapse photography, trigger the shutter by sound or vibration, capture long-exposure HDR, easily record star trails, and much more.
Not only does the Triggertrap control your camera, but with another accessory dongle, you can also use it to trigger Speedlights for high-speed flash effects like catching water drops and splashes! Check it out at http://triggertrap.com.
Image courtesy of Triggertrap
AB-4 Screen shot from the Triggertrap App and accessory dongle.
You can also use this app to control the camera on your phone.
The WU-1a Wireless Mobile Adapter
The latest mobile accessory from Nikon allows you to synchronize the D3300 with smartphones and other devices, such as iPads. You can use the WU-1a to transmit images automatically to your device, so you can share and save them directly to your device as well as to the memory card. This relatively inexpensive wireless adapter also allows you to use your smartphone as a remote release by using the camera’s Live View feed, which is visible on your smart device using a free app.
The only downside to this accessory is that, so far, you cannot adjust exposure settings using the app — any changes to the settings must be made on the camera body. Hopefully, Nikon will add this capability in the near future because it could revolutionize remote shooting in the studio.
AB-5 The D3300 and the WU-1a.
Spider Holster
This is a relatively new company that offers a unique alternative to a camera strap. This ingenious device allows you to attach your camera to a belt so that you can quickly grab your camera, and also so that there is no pressure on your neck or shoulders.
This is easily my favorite new camera accessory and has pretty much replaced my using a strap. Spider Holster makes a few different types of camera holsters, from heavy-duty ones complete with a sturdy belt and the ability to carry two full-size pro cameras and optional accessories, down to a small attachment that hooks onto your own belt for smaller camera systems.
The smaller device is called the Black Widow, and that’s what I use for my smaller cameras such as the D3300 and Nikon Df. You loop your belt through the Black Widow holster and the camera is attached by a locking mechanism to a stud that is threaded into the camera tripod socket (if you use a tripod plate, an adapter is available).
I’ve done some pretty extensive testing with my Black Widow and I’m not worried one bit about clicking my camera in and riding around town on my motorcycle with it, sometimes quickly grabbing the camera and taking candid street shots at stop lights. Check them out at http://spiderholster.com.
AB-6 The Black Widow holster.