I’m going to make 2 post about gear. First, the gear that i currently carry in my back every day. These are things that i have built up over time that i believe give me the best chance to capture most of the photos that i want to get. Second, I’m going to make a post about cameras and show my progression into photography.
I have a bag set up for video and one for climbing and one for any other adventure. Maybe I’ll get into those someday. This is my everyday photography carry:
Canon EOS R
-The main reason I decided to get the EOS R is the amount of cross-type focus points it uses for auto-focus. My 5D mark ii only has one cross point focus point and it’s right in the middle and since most of the time i’m not trying to focus on the middle of the screen i have to constantly point the camera at what i want to focus on, push the shutter down halfway, then reframe my camera to the picture i want to take. Definitely a skill every photographer should get good at. The EOS R has over 5000 focus points… which means i can use the one where i’m trying to focus. Next, the EOS R shoots great video and has a flip out screen. I shoot music videos and some band vlogging and the capabilities of low light and using cLog in 8bit has made editing video way easier. Finally, it’s smaller. My 5D is a beast even though it feels good in my hands it is a lot to carry up cliffs and mountains. The R just helps that a bit. ($1500)
Canon 24-70mm f/2.8 mark ii
-When i got my 5D i didn’t realize i couldn’t use my ef-s lenses that i had been using on my SL1. That wake up call was rough. All the lenses that would replace the ones i had been using cost $700+ compares to the $200-$350 i had been spending. I decided if i was really serious about it to dive in and get a lens that could cover all my bases from landscape to portraits and that i could keep the rest of my life. $1800………..!!!!!!!! after tax and a UV filter. The salesman at Best Buy stopped looking me in the eye because he could tell i might cry. I was so scared to pay that much. I have no regrets. This lens is a work horse. I have thrown it around in backpacks and swam with it. I’ve stood in the rain and snow and desert with it. It’s taken a beating and takes crystal clear pictures every time.
Canon 16-35mm f/2.8 mark ii
-I just got this lens last week. Low aperture wide angle lenses for full frame camera’s are expensive. I’ve been wanting this lens for a while because it offers a lot in the video world along with landscape and vlogging. I had been saving up everything i made from photography in a jar to buy this lens and was almost to the point where i could afford a used one off Ebay. This one popped up on fb with a couple parts missing and dented but worked perfectly fine for $450. Used it to shoot some BTS stuff this week and I’m in love. I ordered the parts i need to bring it back to new and I can’t wait to see what i can do with it.
Samsung T5 SSD
- This is my new travel hard drive. 1 terabyte of SSD power. It’s sooooo small. Almost didn’t believe it was real. I carry 2-3 SD cards with me all the time too but always back them up as soon as i’m done shooting onto a hard drive. I have definitely deleted everything on an SD card and not had a backup and just lost everything. I got this hard drive for $80 on fb. Totally worth it.
YouPro YP-870 Remote Trigger
-I started out doing photography to capture my own adventures when i went out alone. Once i figured out how to trigger my phone or camera it changed everything. I finally got picture of me doing these adventures instead of just landscapes. I do a lot of self-photography, maybe less now although i’m trying to make sure i do something every week, but it’s kinda the only way I can document myself doing the crazy and exciting things i do. I’m either by myself or I’m with friends who aren’t photographers or don’t take the time to take their phone or camera out to get shots. This trigger allows me to set up my camera somewhere and get in front of the camera to document myself. As far as the brand and trigger itself, it’s just a decent RF trigger that had good reviews on Ebay. I think I got it for around $50.
Puluz Camera clip
-I got one of these with a bunch of other cheap clips to clip my camera to my backpack. This was, by far, the best one. I now own 3 of them and will probably order more in the future. It’s aluminum and has a nice click when the camera is inserted and most of all is very reliable. I trust my cameras 100% in in it without having to work about it falling out and thousands of dollars of gear breaking. I ordered them from China and it took a while for them to get here but $12-15 each is totally worth it for an adventurer.
Canon LP-E6N batteries
-My camera last a long time on these batteries. I moab i never turned my camera off and it easy went the whole day. That being said, I’m always prepared. If you’re in a cold environment your batteries will die much much faster. I constantly forget i have last a dead battery in the camera, get on location to a shoot and am super glad i have spare batteries. Also for me it is worth it to buy brand name Canon batteries. I got some off brand batteries with my 5D when i bought it and 2 of the 3 have stopped working. $20 each
Gloves
-I never used gloves in the past for anything other than cutting firewood with the chainsaw, but that’s mostly because all the trees in Kansas have thorns. I have used these gloves so much. Especially when shooting climbing photography and you have to hold onto a sharp rock to get the right angle or you’re jugging up ropes or if you’re just out in the cold and have to keep your fingers on the trigger so you don’t miss the moment. (Picked these up on the side of the road. Best paid of gloves i’ve never bought.)
Giotto’s Rocket-air Blower -medium-
-For the longest time i thought i just had dead pixels on my camera and would have to go edit them out every time. Little did i know that it was just dust on the sensor and this little guy would do the trick. Great little cleaning devise, especially for dirty and dusty environments. Used it a lot after backpacking and trips to Moab or Red Rocks. Got it for $12 on Ebay.
Lenspen and microfiber cloth
-Very similar to the Giottos. Just a quick easy way to lean your lens and dust everything off before you take shots. Nothing worse then getting the perfect shot and the dirt on your lens ruined it. (eBay $12)
Electrical tape
-Gotta be able to fix cables and keep dust or water out of things. A small roll of electrical tape comes in handy a lot. ($2)
AAA Batteries
-The only thing here that needs these batteries in the remote trigger. That being said I end up using these batteries constantly for everything. Someone always need AAA batteries because nobody else carries extras. Be the hero, carry extra batteries. (I need to start Venmoing my friends that use all my batteries)
Nickel
-Did you see it in the picture? I always a a few coins in in my camera bag. There’s always some type of tripod mount or my Puluz clip that needs to be tightened with a coin. Just next time to see a coin on the ground, put in in your bag. (Had to bend over to pick it up)