Gabriella Viola- Gabriella Viola
What's In My Camera Bag: Photography Gear List
Updated: Sep 15, 2021
In this post, I'll be listing the gear I currently use to capture and create my images.
Some things I consider when buying gear:
Price. I'm not looking to break the bank, which is why I often go with third-party lenses like Tamron.
Weight and size. I prefer gear that is relatively light and comfortable enough to walk around with, hike with, and travel with.
Ease of use.
Above all else, quality.
It's worth mentioning that you don't need tons of expensive equipment to take beautiful photos. Although the right equipment can help take your work to the next level, it's not the gear that makes the photographer.
So with that being said, here's what's in my camera bag!
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CAMERA BODY
Nikon D780
In 2018, I upgraded from the Nikon D5300 DX to the Nikon D780 FX DSLR. I have to say, I absolutely love it. It's a full-frame camera, that has two memory card slots, built-in wifi, and does well in low-light situations. It's also relatively lightweight compared to other full-frame cameras, and of course, it takes beautiful photos.
LENSES
Tamron 24-70mm f2.8
Wide Angle Zoom Lens
The Tamron 24-70mm f/2.8 is my all-around go-to lens. It's a third-party lens and about half the price of Nikon and Canon's 24-70mm lenses. However, it doesn't skimp on quality. I love this lens because it's versatile, ultrasharp, image-stabilized, has nice bokeh, and does great in low light.
Tamron 70-200mm f2.8
Telephoto Zoom Lens
While I don’t use the Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 regularly, mostly because it's so heavy and not ideal to hike with, I like having a zoom lens of this caliber in my kit. It's ultrasharp, image-stabilized, and great in low light. This is the lens I use to photograph the moon because it's so sharp. It also has beautiful creamy bokeh, making it a great portrait lens. As mentioned, the only downside is its size and weight.
Tamron 28-300mm f3.5
Versatile Zoom Lens
This is my main daytime hiking lens. It's very light and small and has a focal range of 28-300mm making it super versatile. I love not having to pack more than one lens while using it. Its downside is that it's not the best in low-light situations (it's not the worst either), but this is not a lens I'd use for sunset/sunrise or dusk photos.
Nikon 50mm f1.8
Prime Lens
The nifty 50mm f/1.8 is currently the only prime lens in my camera bag. I don't use it that often but it's great to have for when I need it. It's the best-priced lens on this list and gives you a lot of bang for your buck. It's very small and light, excellent in low-light, and has lovely bokeh, making it a stellar portrait lens. It also works on both FX and DX cameras.
DRONE:
DJI Mavic Air
I love this drone. It's lightweight, easy to travel with, fits in the palm of my hand, and the image quality is great. The Mavic Air is also a great drone for beginners; it's not too intimidating or overwhelming in terms of the learning curve.
Update: The Mavic Air has been replaced with the Mavic Air 2.
ACCESSORIES:
Breakthrough Photography Filters and Step Up Rings
A neutral density filter is essential for achieving that silky-smooth effect in your photos. I currently own a 6 stop and a 10 stop ND filter, both made by Breakthrough Photography. The 10 stop is great for photographing long exposures mid-day when there is a lot of sunlight. However, the 6 stop ND filter is the one I use most often. It's what I use when shooting long exposures of waterfalls and sunsets.
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