This $5 gadget has everything from the Sunny 16 rule to screwdrivers and sawblades – it's a must for your camera bag
(Image credit: James Artaius)
Over the years we've accumulated all manner of gimmicks and gadgets that sit unused and unloved in drawers, but this one is genuinely useful: the Kikkerland Camera Multi-Tool.
The size of a credit card, this handy gadget boasts 13 different tools – which may well save your bacon when you're on location shooting outdoors, or even when working in the studio, making it one of the best camera accessories:
Obviously tools like wrenches and screwdrivers can be invaluable when you need to maintain or make adjustments to your kit, and having a bottle opener at the ready is always going to come in handy (photography is thirsty work, after all).
(Image credit: Kikkerland)
We also could have done with a saw blade on more than one occasion when we've had duct tape on a shoot, but had nothing to actually cut it with when we needed to tape something down.
Of course, the most useful thing to photographers – especially those who shoot film – is going to be the handy reference graphic illustrating the Sunny 16 rule. This is a tried and tested piece of photographic knowledge that enables you to meter for daylight to get an accurate exposure without using your camera's meter (or, indeed, without using a handheld light meter).
In short, on a clear sunny day you can set your aperture at f/16 and your shutter speed will be a reciprocal of your ISO (so if you're shooting at ISO100, your shutter will need to be 1/100 sec). The graphic helps you make calculations for other weather conditions and apertures as well.
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The Kikkerland Camera Multi-Tool is available now for $5 / £5 from Kikkerland and select camera gear retailers.
James has 22 years experience as a journalist, serving as editor of Digital Camera World for 6 of them. He started working in the photography industry in 2014, product testing and shooting ad campaigns for Olympus, as well as clients like Aston Martin Racing, Elinchrom and L'Oréal. An Olympus / OM System, Canon and Hasselblad shooter, he has a wealth of knowledge on cameras of all makes – and he loves instant cameras, too.
