"An external power bank. For some steampunk events and science fiction conventions, I disguise my camera in other things, and I've been using external power because it often takes me 1/2 hour to remove the camera from the disguise to change the batteries." OM System OM-1 | Olympus Zuiko Digital 14-54mm F2.8-3.5 II @ 27mm | F3.2 | 1/60 sec | ISO 2000 Image: Michael Meissner

Accessorize, accessorize, accessorize! For the latest Question of the week, we were curious about what accessories are must-haves in your camera kit or bag. You replied with everything from external power banks and filters to more exotic items like a collapsible kabuki brush and loop earplugs. Some of you even provided an entire list of things that would arguably be a great fit for a "bug-out bag".

Check out the top accessory suggestions below, then let us know in the comments which ones will make your GAS expand.

Your must-have camera accessories

A collapsible Kabuki brush for dusting off equipment.

Hike Pics: I have several collapsible kabuki brushes that I keep in my car, bags and around the studio. When I head out, a brush goes with me.

madecov: Ziplock bag with Q-tips. Sometimes you just need them to clean something off.

Fabian Joya: A great pair of shoes.

Jacques Cornell: Oh boy, here goes... A few items have earned permanent spots in my grab & go basic event kit:

1. First, an 80W USB charging block with a built-in retractable USB-C cable and USB-C and USB-A ports.
2. Downstream of this, a Tilta 4-battery or Limeta CR2Go (discontinued?) 2-battery charger. The Limeta has its own built-in battery, so it can recharge camera batteries without plugging into AC and can also serve as a general-purpose power bank.
3. A pair of retracting USB charging cables rated for 100W, with convertible USB-A/-C tips on one end and convertible USB-C/Lightning tips on the other.

Click Jacques's name above to view several additional inclusions!

"My barebones lightweight event kit." iPhone 17 Pro Max Image: Jacques Cornell

cbf_si: In the last six months, I have mostly been shooting with adapted lenses, so my bag contains various adapters for Sony/Minolta A-mount and Canon EF-mount. I also have various macro extension tubes and reverse rings for macro photography in the bag.

Since I started taking up film photography again, various filters for B&W photography are also in the bag. Luckily, I kept my Cokin filters for the P system, which I can use with any lens using adapters.

Michiel953: Different accoutrements. A chamois, a laptop, a notebook, and a pen (sometimes two; private and business), tissues, paracetamol (just in case ;-) ), and some small things I can't remember. A Wuchuan canvas messenger bag with a Billingham insert and lots of useful pockets! It serves me well, carrying a D850 with one prime (24, 35, 58, or 85, depending on mood and plan, if any).

Vello WB-DU Universal White Balance Handheld Disc. It's worth its weight in gold for setting Custom WB in theatrical settings.

Michael Meissner: I am not a fan of OEM neck straps. I rotate between various straps depending on mood, etc. Because I shoot with multiple cameras, each camera has a different strap so I can quickly identify which camera is which. Mostly, I prefer the 1.5" straps. For lighter-weight setups, I might go to the Peak Designs Leash straps, but I'm not as much of a fan of the wider Peak Designs Slide Lite or Slide straps. All neck straps and hand straps use the Peak Designs anchor system, so I can quickly switch them or take them off. I have hand straps, but I rarely use them.

If you thought Jacques list was extensive, be sure to click on Michael's name above for his complete list!

MGradyC: Vello WB-DU Universal White Balance Handheld Disc. It's worth its weight in gold for setting Custom WB in theatrical settings and under the lighting in high school and small college stadiums and gyms.

"Right-angle viewfinder, excellent for getting right down even to the ground level." Pentax KP | smc Pentax-FA 31mm F1.8AL | F14 | 1/160 sec | ISO 250 Image: KPM2

DrHook59: I've taken to using my home-made monopod a lot recently, not just for macro (à la Mark Berkery), but also for landscapes and low-light situations... and yes, I mention it because it fits in my camera bag or a pocket and only weighs just over 300gms. It's nothing clever, but it's easy to put together and may help anyone who suffers from encroaching old age, a lack of grip, or any of the many ailments that may cause tremors; and it helps in dark places a little 😁. It's also probably the cheapest monopod out there.

Mac McCreery: Small Vanguard Vesta Aspire 25 bag holding a Pentax K3ii and DA 15, 20-40 and 70 Limited lenses. Lenspen, spare batteries, grip, remote release, a pen, and polariser. Oh, and a plastic shopping bag (it's multi-purpose). I can sit or kneel on it, wrap it around the camera bag or use it to protect the camera and lens.

A lens Flipper Versatile. Allows me to quickly access a second lens and safely swap between them without risking one lens falling.

John Crowe: Whichever camera I take, and I don't carry a backup, has its own individual case. Individual camera cases vary depending on format. These can range from a PacSafe V2 camera holster (for one of my two Sony Nex/@ systems) to Pelican Micro cases for each small-sensor (such as 'tough') camera, to cite two examples.

From here, it gets more complex, but it works.

Part of the Jeep Wrangler roll bar system is a transverse bar that goes across the vehicle just behind the bucket seats (there is no rear seat, having been replaced by a carpeted dog platform). Hanging from this transverse bar, and adjustable for location across the roll bar, are three magnetic fly-fishing net releases (which would allow a net to be pulled and then have it in hand).

edge_cl: Single most important accessory: lens Flipper Versatile. Allows me to quickly access a second lens and safely swap between them without risking one lens falling.

"RGBACL light panels for very high CRI quality." Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max Image: Alberto Tanikawa

Alberto Tanikawa: I do a lot of still-life photography, such as knives and bourbon bottles, as well as macro and focus-stacking, so I always need to have my lights, along with mini tripods and magic arms.

RetCapt: For tightening/loosening tripod plates, I have a large-diameter washer tethered to each tripod, which is easily detachable. This gives more leverage on the slots since there is more surface area for the fingers to grasp. These washers come from the hardware store. I find that when I am trying to 'engineer' something new (fairly common), the hardware store is a great resource. That and mountaineering shops for carabiners, etc.

No matter what else I carry in my bag, a right-angle viewfinder is always with me (and almost always attached to the camera).

cyuill2007: My “must-have” accessories these days are lens hoods and extra batteries. Lens hoods minimize unwanted flare and help protect front lens elements. During a session where I end up doing a lot of shooting, I find that my newer mirrorless bodies with features like image pre-capture drain batteries much faster than my DSLRs used to. These days, I make sure I have a fully-charged extra battery whenever I am out shooting.

KPM2: No matter what else I carry in my bag, a right-angle viewfinder is always with me (and almost always attached to the camera). With this tool, it is easy to get right down even to ground level – and in doing so, you capture perspectives that are simply nice.

There are many other great accessory recommendations shared in the forums. You'll have no shortage of nostalgic photography-related content to watch.

Keep ready for the next Question of the week to participate in this series. New questions are posted here on the homepage and in the forums every other week. We can't wait to read and share your stories!

Share your must-have accessories!

Photos: Mitchell Clark

While Panasonic's new L10 compact bears the name of a new series, its lens, sensor, and set of features make it a clear continuation of the work the company did with the LX100 II line. But these similarities also invite comparison on one of the areas where the two cameras are substantially different: size.

As I've been testing the L10, I intellectually knew it was larger than the LX100 II; a glance at the spec sheet will tell you that. The newer camera is 127 x 74 x 67mm (5.0 x 2.9 x 2.6") and 508g (17.9oz), while the older one is smaller in every dimension: 115 x 66 x 64mm (4.5 x 2.6 x 2.5") and 392g (13.8oz). But knowing those numbers didn't really prepare me for just how much more compact the LX100 II would feel once I got my hands on it.

To be clear, I don't think it'd be fair to call either camera a "pocket camera." One thing that hasn't changed is the size of the lens, which protrudes far enough off the body that even the largest of pants pockets would struggle to contain it. However, I'd say the LX100 II is just small enough that it could comfortably fit in a jacket pocket without being too much of a burden (or on a, I've been told, very in crossbody strap in warmer seasons). But while I've been able to (uncomfortably) fit the L10 in the massive drop pocket of my Patagonia R1, it's definitely approaching the size where I'd want to put it in a bag, rather than in my coat.

While the cameras use the same size sensor and same class of lens (Panasonic says it's updated it in some way, but wasn't specific), there is still a benefit to the L10's larger size. It now uses the much larger 16Wh BLK22 battery, the same one that powers the company's full-frame mirrorless cameras, like the S1RII. The LX100 II, meanwhile, uses a 7.4Wh model. The difference in longevity should be quite noticeable; the LX100 II is rated to get around 270 shots per charge using the EVF, and 340 using the LCD. The L10, meanwhile, is rated for 410 EVF shots, and 420 ones using the display.

There are other upgrades with the L10, though it's unclear what, if any, of them have to do with its size. Those are features like autofocus recognition for a variety of subjects, crop zoom, open-gate video recording, and more. It also has a fully articulating display, rather than a fixed one, and has an upgraded EVF, fixing what was one of the major complaints with the LX100 II.

There's always the possibility that the L10 isn't bigger because it has to be, but simply because Panasonic chose to make it so. It's almost exactly the same size as Fujifilm's X100 VI a camera that has proven to be slightly popular, so it's possible the company is targeting a similar target audience (which it knows for sure is willing to buy a camera that large). It may be that it started with a different concept for the L10 than it did with the LX100, partially evidenced by the fact that this camera wasn't called the LX100 III.

The size isn't the only change to the camera's build quality. When Panasonic announced the L10, it touted its "signature saffiano leather-textured finish" and "high-quality metal exterior with magnesium alloy front case." Holding the L10, it feels slightly more solid than the LX100 II, and not just because the thicker grip fills out my hand more.

The LX100 II's rubber thumb rest versus the L10's hard plastic one may be one of the biggest differentiators when it comes to feel.

The rest is a bit more of a mixed bag, though. The top plate dials and buttons feel decidedly cheaper and more plastic-y to me. The rear plate buttons aren't especially pleasing to me either, though I appreciate that they're more prominent and easier to press. I also prefer the leatherette wrap on LX100 II to the L10's; it feels grippier and softer to the touch, while the L10's essentially just feels like textured plastic.

When I took the LX100 II out of the box my coworker had shipped it in, I'd been using the L10 for a few days, and I was immediately struck by how much nicer the LX felt. I wasn't the only one with that impression. I handed my wife the LX100 II and then the L10 without any context. Upon receiving the later she immediately said "this one feels cheap." Of course, these are two subjective opinions – I'm sure some people will prefer the L10 – but we both preferred the feel of the older model.

It's not an unalloyed win for the LX100 II, though. I find the L10's aperture ring feels and sounds quite a bit nicer, though I appreciate the noticeable detent when going into and out of 'A' mode on both.

We'll be comparing these two cameras in more detail later, after we finish our initial review of the L10. But given that we have both available, and that the L10's size has become one of its more widely-discussed aspects, we felt it was worth taking the time to show what that difference looks like side-to-side.