Over the years, I have been asked by several people online and offline regarding the type of gear that I use and what I would recommend to anyone looking to buy a camera for their own use.Â
However, it is always difficult for me to answer these questions as I have used a wide variety of gear over the years, furthermore, when it comes to recommend others on what type of camera they should use, it really depends on the budget, purpose or use i.e. Travel, Sports, Events etc. and also their experience.
So, without further ado, I will try to break down the gear which I have used for specifically Travel Photography over the last 3 to 4 years and also some recommendations for anyone looking to purchase a camera or lens etc. Also, please not that by no means do I claim to be a pundit of Photography or Gear, these are just my personal opinion!
List of Gear I typically carry on a 1 to 2 weeks trip:
Primary Bodies:Â
Nikon D800 or Nikon D610 (Sometimes both)
Initially I was using Nikon D610 for most of my travel as its a bit lighter than the Nikon D800 which makes it easier to carry. Also, I didn't want to fill up memory cards with large 36 Megapixel Image files from the D800, however recently I have been using the D800 more simply because the image quality is just much better due to the massive amount of mega pixels which really does preserve a lot more detail and colour which can be brought out in post production.Â
I have also found that the Nikon D610 sensor gets dirty much more often than the Nikon D800. This is also partly due to the shutter mechanism spilling some oily stuff into the sensor very often, this does happen to most other DSLRs over time but in the D610âs case it happens more often, which means one would need to clean the sensor more frequently with this body.
One more issue with the D610 is that there seems to be higher amount of CA (Chromatic Aberration) from this particular sensor than any other body I have ever used. Therefore, I prefer to use the D800 over the D610.
Recommendations:
Is a Full Frame sensor camera a must? In my opinion, No. However, I just prefer to use Full Frame bodies as my primary camera because I have already invested in their Lenses, Fast Autofocus, and most important for me is their Durability. For Travel Photography, I would recommend to get a camera which is Lightweight, Dust and Splash Proof, Weather sealed and is able to take a few bumps as well as withstand humidity and high/low temperatures. Basically a camera body that is tough!
Secondary Camera:Â
Leica D-Lux (Typ 109)
I love this camera! It has a smaller sensor than a Full Frame DSLR but the Micro 4/3 sensor inside this camera is big enough for great quality images. It is also lightweight and has a decent zoom lens with fast aperture and autofocus. I do recommend to check this little beast out! It has most features required for a great daily use camera and if one would like to save some money, then there is the Panasonic version (Panasonic LX100) of this camera which is much cheaper with the exact same features and image quality.Â
If anything I dislike about this camera is that it is not as tough as it should be at its price point. Dust and moisture seems to easily find its way into the body and some dust can be visible inside the lens after a while. But otherwise, it is a great little tool!
Action Cam:Â
Go Pro Hero 5 with Feiyutech G5 Gimbal
Yes I do use a Go Pro as well! However, mostly I use it for some quick videos here and there on the road while Iâm travelling. I did use this on water a few times without the gimbal for some underwater snaps. The photos came out alright, however I find that it is much darker underwater than it is on land and therefore there is visible noise on the images from the Go Pro and I would recommend a larger sensor camera with a waterproof casing if one would really like to get into underwater photography.Â
Lenses:Â
Nikon 16-35mm F4G ED VRÂ
Nikon 24-70mm F2.8EDÂ
Nikon 50mm F1.4G
Nikon 70-200mm F2.8 ED VR ii
The white marks all over the focus and zoom rings of the Nikon 16-35 F4 ED VR and the 50 F1.4 on the image above shows how much I have used this lens over the years, making it my most frequently used lens.Â
These Lenses have been a mainstay on my travels for many years now. I love the 16-35 F4G ED VR and it has been my most used lens so far. I love that this lens has VR and therefore I am able to shoot at almost 1/5th of a second shutter speeds handheld, which allows me to create some motion blur without having to use a tripod. This lens is wide enough for Landscapes and Architecture and also the zoom upto 35mm is good for street photography and even portraits! I do also have the much heavier and more expensive Nikkor 14-24mm F2.8 ED which is a brilliant piece of glass but however it is much heavier and no VR, therefore I do not use it for travel photography as the extra 2mm wider view of angle does not justify the back pain which would be cause from carrying this tank around.
The 24-70 F2.8ED is just a very good lens which does mostly everything with its zoom range and it is also one of the sharpest lenses that I have ever tried and offers the best image contrast out of any lens I have tested so far and I use it very regularly on all types of photography.
The 50 1.4G is an affordable large aperture 50mm focal length lens. I usually use this for low light situations such as walking around late in the evening or for portraits sometimes. This lens is lightweight and easy to carry around mounted on any DSLR body (Full Frame or Crop Sensor). The only thing to be wary of here is that given its price point, the image quality gets softer at F1.4-F1.8 and gets better over F1.8.Â
The Nikon 70-200mm F2.8 ED VR ii is my second favourite lens probably. This lens can be used for so many different types of photography from Portraits to Landscape and even Wildlife and Sports Photography. The large aperture, fast autofocus and VR function means it can also be used in low light situations.
Recommendations:
For anyone just getting into buying lenses for their DSLR, I would recommend to start off with typical kit lenses such has 18-55mm 3.5-5.6 (Crop Sensor) or 24-70mm F4 (Full Frame). I would also recommend the 18-200mm (Crop sensor) or 28-135 (Full Frame) types of lenses as they offer even larger zoom range which can be useful for portraits and flower photography as well.Â
Prime lenses such as 35mm F1.8 & 50mm F1.8 are also great way to start shooting in low light situations and street photography and I would highly recommend this for beginners.Â
There are also Third Part Lens makers for most DSLR Manufacturers (Nikon, Canon, Sony, Pentax etc.) like Sigma, Tamron, Tokina, Samyang etc. These third party manufacturers makes lenses of same focal lengths such as Nikon/Canon etc. and mostly costs less as well. I have tried most of the popular third party lens manufacturers products over the years and my favourite are Sigma. Sigma makes some very good quality lenses and at times even better lenses than Nikon, Canon & Sony, specially with their Art series of lenses, therefore I highly recommend to give them a try.Â
Flash/Speedlight:
Nissin Di700
Nikon SB910
Why carry a flash on a trip? Simply because the ability to mould & modify light allows us to create interesting images no matter whether it is Landscape, Portrait or Wildlife Photography. I prefer to carry the Nissin Di700 mostly on my trips as it is lighter than the other flashes I have and also it is easier to use as the controls at the back are very user friendly and allows me to set the light settings very quickly when Iâm shooting outdoors with subjects who are not professional models and I do not want to spend more time setting up my lighting, as I would rather spend more time making the subjects feel better and more natural in their environments.
Sometimes I do carry the Nikon SB910 on such trips and mainly use it on camera and it is a fantastic speed light with much more advanced usability and settings, however it also costs much more than the Nissan Di700, which means if it is lost or damaged then the replacement cost would be much more as well. Therefore, I prefer to use a cheaper and simple speed light for travel photography.Â
Wireless Flash Trigger:
Godox X1T-N TTL Wireless Flash Trigger
Yes, I carry one trigger with me just in case I need to fire the flash off-camera. This is very useful for Landscape photography and Action Portraits.Â
This image above in Indonesia was created using a Flash fired wirelessly with a wireless flash trigger.
Tripod:
Manfrotto Befree Travel Tripod
This is very lightweight and I have used this for years. However, there is a new carbon fibre version which is even lighter and I would highly recommend to carry a lightweight but stable tripod for long exposure photography.Â
Remote Shutter Controller:
Phottix TC-501
A remote trigger is very useful for long exposure photography. They are inexpensive items and wireless versions are also available. However, most new camera have built in Wifi which allows them to be trigger using smartphone apps as well.Â
Filters:
Cokin ND Grad Filters
Camdiox CPRO Nano Circular Polariser
B+W Circular ND Filter 8 Stops
I do carry some filters but to be honest, I refrain from using them as much as I can. This is because I personally believe that adding filters and extra glass degrades the image quality and also adds more flare to the images. However, i do use a few filters sometimes as listed above.Â
Bags/Rolling Case:
Lowepro Flipslide 300
Tamrac 5592 SpeedRoller
I only use the Tamrac when I need to carry excessive gears on trip such as on safari where I need to carry larger lenses which are not listed above, or on trips where I have shooting certain events which requires more lenses, bodies and equipment such has lighting and battery packs. I do also have a Pelican case however, I love the Tamrac for travel as the wheels are larger on this case, allowing it t be rolled over rough and uneven surfaces.
For my backpack, I use the Lowepro Flipside 300 and this is my most favourite camera bag of all time. I have use several other backpacks over the years but this one is just perfect for me. It is able to take 3 medium sized lenses and one small lens as well as a DSLR body. There is also extra space on top of accessories, passport, etc, or another flash/small camera body. This thing is tough as I have carried it around the world and it is still going strong. It is also very affordable still and even after many years of first release, it still appears online on several lists of top camera bags around. This also has a plastic protection on top for impact and also stops any direct rainwater or liquid from reaching your gear. Therefore, I would highly recommend this bag!s
Others:
Peak Design - Capture clip (Very Useful for Mounting camera to your belt or backpack strap)
Bunch of 32GB SD & CF Memory Cards
Extra Camera Batteries
Lens Cleaning Cloth/Brush etc.Â
Small Waterproof 9 Bulb LED Torch Light
Why 32 GB memory cards? I have always preferred smaller cards like 32GB rather than 64/128GB and such because if I shot images on a 128GB card and ended up losing a card on the road or even if the card managed to get damaged or corrupted, I would lose more images than if I had used a smaller memory card such as 32GB. Therefore, it is simply because I like to keep my images safe!
Why a torch light? Well, they are super useful! They are very handy while shooting in dark places, specially shooting landscapes in isolated places, and then you still need them when you get back to your tent/accommodation if you are staying in remote locations. Furthermore, They are also useful in order to provide lighting to the foreground to create more interesting images, specially landscapes!
This image above, shot in Kenya was created with the help of my torch light to illuminate the foreground, and also some help from a light inside a shed behind me.Â
So thats it for my first Gear Blog! Hope this information is helpful to someone and please do share if you find this useful to yourself or anyone else.