As photographer and videographers our equipment is how we capture the beauty of the places we travel to. We love being able to freeze a moment in time to cherish forever. It is so valuable to us. With that being said, the experience is what traveling is all about and for us we can’t properly enjoy ourselves if we are lugging around a ton of equipment. We take a backpack and have figured out what our equipment essentials are.
- DSLR Camera Backpack – This backpack has been a lifesaver. It has adjustable compartments so you can fit everything in just right and make sure all your lenses and equipment are fully protected. It is super durable and has a pocket on the outside for easy access to our tripod.
- Lightweight Tripod – A reliable, easy to travel with tripod is essential for us. We shoot 90% of our photos on a tripod (the rest on our handy drone which we will talk about later on in the list). This tripod is very easy to use and has been great to use in those tight or uneven spaces with the freedom of the legs.
- Sony A7III – This is our new baby! We just bought this camera after extensive research and felt like it was the perfect dive in to mirrorless cameras. We absolutely love it so far. The auto-focus for couples photos is a LIFE SAVER. We highly recommend this camera.
- Tamron 28-75mm – This is the lens we ended up choosing for our new sony a7III. We love the versatility of being able to go from 28mm to 70mm in a twist of the wrist. We are loving it!
- Canon 5d Mark IV – We are not partial to Canon only it is just what Loren was first introduced to when she started photography so we have just stuck with that brand. This camera has been amazing for us, but it’s understandable if you can shell out the big bucks for it. Which brings us to our next camera.
- Canon G7X Mark II – This tiny little camera is powerful. It has been an excellent vlogging camera with the flip up screen, great autofocus and amazing resolution.
- Canon 35mm 1.4 – This is our newest lens and we are absolutely in love with it. This lens is a little bigger than we like and draws some attention while on the trip, but we love the wide angle ability and the smooth bokeh. We previous had a cheap 35mm (it was like $80 brand new) which we now keep as a back up. We highly recommend getting a wide angle lens for traveling. You never know what tight spots you will encounter. It is our go-to lens for pretty much every shot.
- Canon 50 mm 1.4 – This lens is a staple for pretty much every photographer. We love this lens for primary shots. It is a great lens!
- DJI Mavic Air – We are novice droners (is that the right term?) and we are still learning how to use the drone, but have gotten some amazing shots that would have not been possible without this handy little tool. We also invested in some silent propellers because we absolutely dread being those people who have disrupted other peoples travel experiences. Also don’t forget your drone landing pad – its great for landing on uneven surfaces or on sand!
- Long Range Wireless Remote Shutter – This is an absolute must have if you are a solo traveler or want to get couples photos without having to ask strangers around us. We learned the hard way that we need a wireless remote that would reach pretty far. Loren got her steps in Tahiti constantly setting the ten second self timer and running her heart out to get in the shot and look natural.
- Extra batteries – You never want to end up missing a beautiful shot because your batteries are dead. We always have multiple batteries of everything. Drone batteries, camera batteries, and don’t forget about your wireless remote batteries too! I would rather be ridiculously over prepared than end up missing the perfect shot.