The Nikon p1000 is an excellent camera that is proving to be just as popular as its predecessor, the Nikon p900 with the p1000 rapidly growing its user base of photographers at an exponential are right now. If the sales of the p900 is anything to go by, we fully expect the popularity of the Nikon p1000 to keep on increasing at a solid rate for many years to come meaning that we are expecting more and more people reaching out with specific questions about the camera.
Although we always see a number of different questions asked from the Nikon p1000 user community, many of them can all be answered in a list of essential Nikon p1000 accessories so we have decided to make this the focus of todays article. We see a whole bunch of different questions being asked about camera accessories so we are hoping that this article will be able to help some of our readers who own the p1000 and are looking for advice on how to improve the image quality that they are able to capture.
We are going to be going over a number of popular camera accessories but due to the unique nature of the Nikon p1000, some of the more traditional variants of these accessories may not be suitable. Thankfully though, due to these super zoom cameras becoming more and more popular amongst photographers, there are large numbers of specialist camera accessories being release onto the market that has been specifically designed for use with them.
Additionally, it is unlikely that you are going to require all of these Nikon p1000 camera accessory suggestions. As we have readers who work in all different photography niches, we have decided to go with a more general list to try and help as many people as possible, as you work your way through the article, you will have to decide if the accessory is suitable for the specific photography niche that you work in.
Invest In Some Protection For Your Forward Lens Element
This first one should be a no brainer for anyone who uses the Nikon p1000 or any other super zoom bridge camera due to the lens being mounted to the camera but we constantly see people not using a lens filter with their camera. If you do accidentally knock the forward lens element or drop your p1000 and break it, this can end up resulting in a very expensive repair bill that can easily be avoided.
A UV lens filter is a cheap camera accessory that essentially acts as a sacrificial lens element to take any punishment that would otherwise potentially result in long term damage to your camera. So many people think that mounting a UV filter to their camera will have a negative effect on the image quality that they are able to capture but this is not the case. The modern UV lens filters on the market these day have no effect on the image quality you are able to capture while still offering the forward lens element on your Nikon p1000 all of the protection and safety you could ever want.
The Nikon p1000 comes with a 77mm lens filter thread as standard and there are a large number of different lens filter brands out there that will offer filters in this thread size. That said though, we highly recommend that our readers consider the Gobe 77mm three peak UV filter for their Nikon p1000. Gobe are one of the newer lens filter brands on the market and they are rapidly gaining popularity amongst both photographers and videographers due to offering excellent quality with a low price tag.
Unlike some of the more established lens filter brands on out there such as Tiffen or Hoya, Gobe have that hungry, start-up attitude and they are constantly innovating to make both the glass and frame in their lens filters better for their users while also keeping their costs as low as possible. Although they are a young brand, they have managed to get endorsements from some pretty big names in the photography and videography space and have proven to be a huge hit amongst the community. Additionally, due to their rapid growth and very loyal user base, there is plenty of indepenent, third-party reviews of the Gobe 77mm UV filter online that you can read for some independent insight into their performance too.
Get Yourself Some Solid Reading Material
This one is always overlooked by our readers and almost instantly dismissed but we can’t recommend The Photographer's Guide to the Nikon Coolpix P1000 enough to our readers. It is an excellent book that is highly detailed and explains all the different little tweaks and tricks that you are able to do within the settings of your P1000 for the best possible performance.
The author of the book is Alexander S. White who published a similar book for the Nikon p900 that essentially ended up becoming the unofficial handbook for many p900 users and this updated version of the book for the p1000 is no different. The book has an excellent reputation amongst Nikon p1000 owners as the user manual that comes included with the camera is lacking to say the least.
Additionally, the Nikon p1000 offers an absolute ton of versatility and we honestly doubt that anyone who owns the p1000 will be using the camera to its full potential as it simply offers so much. This book essentially teaches you a whole bunch of things that you are able to do with your camera that are often overlooked allowing you to learn a few tips and tricks while reading it that may otherwise take you years to workout for yourself.
The book covers everything from wildlife photography to astrophotography to wide angle photography and everything in-between ensuring that it offers something for everyone, no matter the niche that you are working in with your p1000. The book also includes over 300 full-colour images to help better explain the various points as well as show you the various navigation paths for the cameras settings menu to tweak your camera settings to get the best image quality possible.
Get Your Self A Good Lens Support
Due to the super zoom capabilities on the Nikon p1000, if you do plan to use the gimbal at its higher zoom capabilities while mounted to a tripod to get that additional image stabilization, you will likely need a decent lens support. This adds that additional layer of forward support to the heavy lens on the p1000 when it is fully extended to help and make sure that the tripod is correctly supporting the weight of the camera and it can also help to prevent any accidental tilt from the tripod too.
There are a number of lens supports on the market right now and thankfully, there are some solid budget friendly options like this Neewer lens support that can provide you with some great functionality without you having to break the bank. That said though, chances are if you are going to be folding out for an expensive camera body like the Nikon p1000, you will probably want a lens support like the Manfrotto 293.
In our opinion, the Manfrotto 293 is one of, if not the best lens support systems currently available on the market right now and it is very popular with photographers who use super zoom cameras. The Manfrotto 293 has proven to be a big hit with both the Nikon p900 community as well as the Nikon p1000 community as it offers everything you need with the best possible quality for the best possible price. There are plenty of third-party, independent reviewsonline for the Manfrotto 293 that you can read too if you wish with many of them being published by people who use the Nikon p1000.
Invest In A Tripod That Is Worthy Of The Nikon P1000
One of the most common mistakes that we see both photographers and videographers make with their gear time and time again is that they will use a sub-par tripod for their expensive camera rigs. This seems to be true amongst all camera body types but it doesn’t have to be the case as you can get a solid, budget-friendly tripod like the Zomei z699c for cheap meaning that you can get some decent image stabilisation for your p1000 without having to break the bank these days.
That said though, if we were recommending a tripod specifically for the p1000, we would have to say spend the additional funds and get the Manfrotto MT055CXPRO3. Our regular readers will be aware that we think that the MT055CXPRO3 is probably the best tripod ever made relative to its price point in the market and we often recommend it as our default tripod for anyone using an intermediate to professional level camera setup.
The MT055CXPRO3 is available in an aluminium variant as well as a carbon fiber variant but if you are using the Nikon p1000 as your camera body of choice then we would highly recommend that you go with the carbon fiber variant of the MT055CXPRO3. Yes, it is a little more expensive but carbon fiber tripods can last you decades if you take care of them correctly where as the aluminium ally variants will likely last you five years at most.
If you have invested in a Nikon p1000, there is a good chance that you are going to be involved in photography or videography for more than five years meaning the slightly higher initial cost of the carbon fiber version of the Manfrotto MT055CXPRO3 for your Nikon p1000 will pay for itself after the initial five year period. This saves you having to pickup an aluminium alloy tripod every three to five years helping you potentially save a considerable amount of money over the coming years.
Consider Getting Yourself A Pan/Video Head
This one is definitely going to depend on the photography or videography niche that you will be working in but investing in a good pan or video head for your tripod can be worth its weight in gold if you are going to be working at the upper zoom limits of the Nikon p1000. Even just the slightest movement of the camera when working at this super zoom ranges can have a drastic effect on subjects that are far away.
Although a regular ball head can be fine for some niches, being able to use the pan handle to smoothly adjust the aim of your camera and control the movement better can result in much better images. Not only does this allow you to better adjust your aim when focusing in on subjects that are far away but it also improves your tracking capabilities when the subject is on the move too allowing you to track its movements while keeping it in the frame smoothly.
We would recommend that our readers check out the Manfrotto 502 as it is a great little fluid head system that has an excellent reputation amongst the community and is the go to option for many photographers and videographers. That said though, there are a large number of decent tripod heads available these days at this price point in the market and although they may not have the reputation of the 502, they can offer similar performance and functionality to the user so you can shop around a little for the best deal if you wish.
Time To Go Remote
One question that we have noticed asked time and time again form photographers who use super zoom cameras like the Nikon p1000 is based around preventing that little jitter of the camera when you physically press its trigger button to get it to capture the image. Many people over look this effect as it can be easily missed unless you are working at the higher zoom ranges but even the slightest movement on your camera can end up jerking the lens and being a problem.
Thankfully though, as we have spoken about before, the solution really is simple, invest in either a wired camera trigger or a wireless remote control so you can trigger your Nikon p1000 without actually having to physically touch your camera body or tripod. This is such a simple solution that so many people seem to miss and a decent wireless remote control can usually be purchased for less than $10 making it a cheap camera accessory for your Nikon p1000 that can potentially offer a huge benefit when it comes to improving your image quality during use.
Extend Your Maximum Battery Life
The bane of many photographers and videographers lives is battery life and although the Nikon p1000 does offer some solid battery life in all fairness to it, if you are planning to do those longer photography or videography sessions then it is definitely a good idea to invest in some spare batteries for your camera. Although you can pick up some of the official Nikon ENEL20 batteries, they can be expensive but thankfully, there are some cheaper, third-party alternative ENEL20 batteries on the market that you can use too.
Although the Nikon batteries are more expensive, they do usually hold their charge better for years to come where as the third-party options tend to be cheaper but will start to dissipate their charge quicker. Depending on your situation, you will have to try and workout the option best for you but plenty of people go with the third-party alternative batteries as a quick, easy, and cheap way to extend the battery life of their Nikon p1000.
Get Some Added Protection When On The Move
Depending on where you purchased your Nikon p1000, you may actually have had a suitable camera bag thrown in for free. That said though, many retailers will not include a camera bag with your purchase but this can be an important camera accessory for your Nikon p1000 as it lets you carry it with you easily while also adding some padding and protection against bumps and knocks too.
Due to the unique shape and form factor of the Nikon p1000, many camera bags on the market will simply not fit it so a specific bag designed for the p1000 is often the only option. Thankfully, more and more of these specially designed bags are being released onto the market right now so there is more of a selection available for you unlike a few years back where there was minimal selection on the market.
Keep Your Nikon P1000 Clean
No matter how hard you try, dust and other imperfections can still be a total pain for photographers and videographers when it comes to keeping their camera sensor clear. Thankfully though, there are a large number of cheap, yet very effective camera cleaning kits on the market that you can use to quickly and easily clean your camera to help keep it free from dust. Although some people will put their cameras in for professional servicing once a year that will usually include a deep clean, adding a cleaning kit to your Nikon p1000 camera accessories can let you do the basics at home while required and can workout to be much cheaper.
Conclusion
That brings our article going over the various Nikon p1000 accessories that we feel that our readers should be considering adding to their kit. As we touched on earlier in the article, this are going to depend on the actual niche that you are planning to work in with your camera as well as what you are actually be going to doing too. That said though, there is definitely something for everyone in our list and as we also mentioned above, we feel that all Nikon p1000 users should be at least adding a decent UV filter to their camera accessories to help protect their forward lens element from any potential harm during use.
