2023 Travel Photography Gear Must-Haves: What's in My Photographer's Camera Bag

/

This post contains affiliate links, meaning that I earn a commission on each sale at no extra cost to you. The commission received helps to support this website and keep it ad-free. ;)

As a photographer, having the right gear in your camera bag can make all the difference when it comes to capturing great photos and videos. Here's a look at what's in my camera bag and why I choose to carry these specific items:

Travel Camera tripod

 
 

You know what they say about tripods. Invest into one and it will last you a lifetime. This tripod has been with me since 2016 and still does the job. It folds in a very compact form that fits in a backpack. It is very light to carry around and can transform into a monopod if needed. That's true quality and budget friendly

iPad Air 4

I like to edit my photos on the go, and the iPad Air 4 is a great device for this. It has a fast processor and a large, high-resolution display, making it easy to edit and view my photos in detail. The screen is also big enough to edit small details I’d miss if I’d be editing on my phone.

This has become my go-to device to edit my photos and videos.

I always carry large memory cards with me to ensure that I have plenty of storage space for all my photos and videos. The Lexar memory cards so far are fast and reliable since I started photography, which is important when I'm shooting in continuous burst mode or recording video.

Pro tip: Make sure to take a memory card with a fast data transfer of up to 300Mb especially if you are shooting in continuous bursts or recording videos. If the data transfer is too slow, you’ll be missing a moment while your camera remains blank writing the data on the card.

Manfrotto small tripod

A tripod is essential for any photographer, and the Manfrotto small tripod is compact and lightweight, making it easy to carry with me wherever I go. It's great for stabilizing my camera and capturing sharp photos, especially in low-light conditions when I need to use a long exposure.

It also fits easily in my sling bag or even inside my jacket pocket!

Samsung SSD 2TB hard drive

I always carry a hard drive with me to back up my photos and videos. The Samsung SSD hard drive is fast and reliable, and the 2TB capacity provides plenty of storage space. I connect it to my iPad with a dedicated USB C dongle to transfer my photos and edit them on the go.

Why SSD and not the normal one you may ask? for 2 reasons:

  • Because if like me you travel often, you do not want to lose your data on the go. The main advantage of using an SSD card is that they do not have any moving parts, SSDs are also much lighter than traditional hard drives.

  • An SSD drive can read and write data at speeds of up to 500MB/s, while a typical hard drive has a read speed of around 100MB/s and a write speed of around 60MB/s. This helps with launching apps faster and editing my photos and videos at optimum speed.

Sony a6300

This is my main camera since 2017, and I love it for its compact size and excellent image quality of up to 24MP.

It's great for a wide range of subjects, from landscapes to portraits, and the autofocus is fast and accurate.

It has a fast auto-focus speed, up to 4K movie recording, one-touch remote sharing to transfer photos from the camera to my phone or tablet wirelessly and finally dust and moisture-resistant.

Ideal travel camera that I own since 2017.

If there is one lens I’d recommend to anyone shooting on Sony mirrorless cameras, it is this one.

This is a versatile all-around lens that's great for a wide range of subjects. The G Master series is known for its excellent image quality, and this lens is no exception. It is a great one for travel photography and videography with its internal OSS (Optical Steady Shot) and ensures that the lens has optical image stabilisation and your images remain sharp.

Despite a fixed aperture of f.4, it does the job.

Oppo Find X3 Neo

I always carry this smartphone with me as a backup. It has a great camera that's perfect for capturing candid moments and street scenes either by day or by night.
I use it mainly to shoot videos as it can shoot up to 4K 60 FPS, has an integrated AI that helps to stabilise the videos and also works great in low light conditions.
I often share the benefits and specs of this camera on my Instagram. Make sure to follow me to learn more.

iPhone SE 2020

I carry this phone as my main smartphone. Mainly because I am using the iOS eco-system and it makes my life easier to transfer data from one device to another or via iCloud.

It has a great camera that's perfect for capturing candid moments and street scenes too. The videos are very well-stabilised too.

I also enjoy the small form factor of this phone compared to the giant ones that come out these days.

Hohem iSteady X gimbal

I like to capture smooth video footage, and the Hohem iSteady X gimbal is a great tool for this. It's easy to use and provides excellent stabilization, making it perfect for vlogging or capturing action shots. I mainly use it to shoot time-lapses and hyperlapses.

Phone holder

I always carry a phone holder with me so that I can mount my smartphone on my tripod or gimbal for stable shots.

Phone remote control

I use a phone remote control to control my camera for capturing self-portraits or group photos. It is small and compatible with iOS and Android devices.

SD card holder

I like to keep my memory cards organized and protected, and an SD card holder or case is a great way to do this.
It keeps my cards safe and makes it easy to find the one I need. I never format my SD cards during a trip. If a card is full, I would back it up on my hard drive and take another formatted one.
I’d wait until I get back home and finish my edit to format the cards.

2 camera batteries and Charger

I always carry a couple of extra camera batteries with me, as you never know when you might need them. Having a spare battery ensures that I can keep shooting even if my main battery runs out of power.

I carry chargers for all my gear, including my camera, smartphone, and other devices. This ensures that I can keep everything powered up and ready to go.

I usually charge all my devices in the evening to be ready the next morning to go out and shoot.

USB-C dongle and card reader

I like to be able to transfer my photos and videos from my camera to my laptop or other devices, and a USB-C dongle and card reader make this easy when I am travelling.

I prefer to travel light, and a sling bag is a great way to do this. It's compact and convenient and allows me to carry my gear without feeling weighed down. It’s minimalist and big enough to carry my main camera with 2 lenses and accessories safely.

Rode wireless microphone

I like to capture high-quality audio when I'm shooting video, and a wireless microphone is a great way to do this. It does not take much space, It's compact and easy to use and allows me to capture clear, clean audio without being tethered to my camera. I mainly use this to shoot my online courses and tutorial videos.

It is a bit pricey but if you want some good sound quality, I recommend it.

Overall, I choose to carry minimal gear with me when I'm on the go because it allows me to travel light and be more flexible. I use to carry a bag full of camera gear in the past. Needless to say, it was heavy and it was slowing me down to capture moments of my travels.

Nowadays I choose convenience. I prefer to have just the essentials with me so that I can focus on capturing great photos and videos without being weighed down by unnecessary gear.

Some additional gear I’m planning to add to my travel photography gear would be:

Sony a7c

You got the power of a full-frame camera in a mirrorless camera body. It also has a 5 axis stabilisation, ideal for videos when you are on the go and do not carry a gimbal with you. And a flip screen, ideal when vlogging or creating video tutorials.

Being a solo creator and having to shoot videos by yourself without a flip screen is a hassle! So this would save me lots of time.

DJI mavic mini 3

I used to own the DJI spark before I crashed it! (RIP) and I really enjoyed taking photos from the air. It really gives you a different perspective on location you can see everyday.

Plus this one weighs less than 250g which means that you do not need to pass a drone license to fly it. And it is also compact and lightweight which is ideal for traveling.

Insta 360 X 3

It is amazing what it is possible of creating using 350 cameras nowadays. But the big pet peeve I used to have with those was their softwares! They were not user friendly at all and I hate spending hours editing videos. I like my workflow to be as fast as possible.

Thankfully this version of the insta 360 X 3 makes it easier. It will record the video in 360 and then within the app you can stitch the video angles as you wish by just moving your phone around.

I see myself using it to capture daily life scenes with my kids and also shooting POV videos when I am out shooting.

What about you? What’s currently in your bag and what are you planning on getting this year? Let me know in the comment section below.

If you enjoyed reading this article, make sure to like it, it actually makes a difference. And if you’d like to receive more photography updates, you can subscribe to my email list below and join thousands of photography enthusiasts like you.

PIN ME