As a photographer I get the “what camera do you use” question a lot. So in this post I am going to tell you all about my photography gear for travel!
Last time I published a “travel photography gear” post was almost 10 years ago (ouch), it’s now deleted and here is the updated version.
Please let me know in the comments if you still have questions and I will be more than happy to answer all of them.
1. Camera Body
In 2019 I finally upgraded to full frame so I am now a proud owner of a Nikon D750.
I have to say I paid it a lot more than the price available now on Amazon (see link above) so if you are still thinking about buying it, look no further!
Nikon D750 is not a brand new model in the DSLR world, but it’s a classic that never disappoints. Dynamic range is my favourite feature, it works very well at high ISO and transitioning from Nikon D7000 (my previous camera body) was super smooth. I am very happy with the purchase. I actually was considering switching to mirrorless but nah. I am a fan of sturdy Nikon reflex cameras!
I only bought the camera body because I already had lenses but of course it is possible to buy several kits with lenses included. I wouldn’t recommend that though, as usually kit lenses aren’t great.
2. Lenses
When I upgraded my camera body I also bought some new camera lenses – 2 for now – but I still want to buy a third one.
Here are all of them, together with images taken with each:
Wide Angle Lens
SAMYANG AE 14 mm f/2.8 ED IF UMC Aspherical
I bought the Samyang 14mm f/2,8 for Nikon for two reasons:
– It’s a great lens quality wise.
– The price is unbeatable: it ranges between 300 and 400 Euros! The only “downside” is that there is no autofocus. With the Nikon version, however, you will see when you have your subject in focus through the viewfinder, when the black dot appears. If you are a Nikon user you know what I mean.
If you have a higher budget you can go for the auto focus version instead, which costs around 600 Euros (not a bad price at all).
Corvin Castle, Romania, shot with Samyang 14mm f/2,8
Zoom Lens
Nikkor AF-S 24-70 mm, F/2.8E ED VR
The next lens I bought was the mighty Nikkor AF-S 24-70 mm, F/2.8E ED VR – an expensive lens, true, but you will see how your photography will improve with this super sharp, super fast lens. It’s an extremely popular lens for travel photography, and for a reason!
With this lens you can shoot basically anything, from landscapes to portraits, and have great results even in difficult light conditions. Of course keep in mind that a good camera body and a good lens are the perfect combination – just one of the two won’t make the trick! It’s important to have the best possible photography gear, according to one’s budget.
Telephoto Lens
Nikkor AF-S 28-300 mm F/3.5-5.6G ED VR
As a telephoto lens I still use an old Nikkor AF-S 28-300 mm F/3.5-5.6G ED VR which is not the brightest lens in the world but it definitely gets the work done! I would like to upgrade this lens (more about it later). I’ve had it since 2011 and I’ve travelled the world with this lens, so it has been part of my travel photography gear for a long time!
It’s quite affordable at the moment (around 800 Euros) so it’s a good time to buy it. However I will tell you in the next paragraph which one I want to buy next to replace this and upgrade.
Again, being an F/3,5-5,6 lens, this is not super bright, and it doesn’t work well in low light conditions. At the same time, with the right light conditions, it gave me very good results. Plus, 300 mm are good enough to shoot safaris, sports and wildlife.
Bird Photography with Nikkor AF-S 28-300 mm F/3.5-5.6G ED VR
3. Lenses Wishlist
As I mentioned before there is a lens I really want to buy as soon as I can:
Sigma 5,0-6,3/150-600 DG OS HSM Contemporary
I have been thinking about buying a Nikon 70-200mm f/2,8 for a long time but I always felt like it was too “short”. Last March while I was in Namibia suddenly we spotted 2 rhinos staring at us. They were not very far but obviously we couldn’t go too close to them. I did what I could with my 300mm but that was barely enough, and too dark anyway.
So I started to look for something “longer” and I finally found the perfect solution. Sigma 5,0-6,3/150-600 DG OS HSM Contemporary it is!
Does any of you own this incredible lens? If so please feel free to share your photos, I’d love to see them. Of course you’ll be seeing my shots soon, hopefully.
4. Accessories
As a photographer and a geek, I often find myself buying new gadgets. I have to say I am really happy with my travel photography gear accessories, and I’ve been using the same tripod for years now because it works just great and it’s still in perfect conditions. So let me suggest you the following:
Tripod
My beloved tripod, who survived the dry heat of Namibia, the strong winds of Iceland, the ice in the Swedish Lapland, is a Manfrotto 190CX3 which is not in stock anymore. I am not planning to change it anytime soon, but if I had to buy a tripod right now I would probably go for the Manfrotto MT190X3.
It looks very similar to mine.
Tripod Head
On my tripod I have always happily used the Manfrotto 496RC2 ball head with quick release.
I am sure there are newer models out there now, but if I had to change my tripod head I would go for a ball head again, which is the best for photography: faster to use and more versatile. I’d probably go for this one: Manfrotto MHXPRO-BHQ2 Xpro.
USB Dual Battery charger
Newmoma USB Dual Battery Charger
This has been a true game changer and a life saver!
I often find myself on trips where electricity isn’t available for days, and having lots of photography gear equals many batteries to charge daily. This very easy solution makes it so much easier to charge batteries: Newmoma USB Dual Battery Charger has a USB cable so you can plug it in the car or in your power bank. Also, it charges 2 batteries at the same time. How cool is that?
I always carry 3 original Nikon batteries for D750 with me and make sure I always have at least 1 fully charged battery. One of the many reasons why I love Nikon reflex cameras is that their batteries last so long I can sometimes shoot for 2 full days. So 3 batteries allow me to cover very long times before I have electricity, still a battery charger that can be used almost everywhere is always a good idea!
Intervallometer
This is one of my last purchases. I’ve bought it specifically for night photography, so that I can set a number of photos, an interval and a timer, and shoot without touching the camera.
A very cheap investment for your travel photography gear that will make your life easier, and your photography more creative.
Startrail made with Andoer Youpro intervalometer and Samyang 14mm f/2,8 lens
SD Cards Organiser
After years of having SD cards everywhere, except when I needed them, I finally spent these 7 Euros for a small but very important accessory: my SD card organiser. That’s when you finally realise you are a pro! ;-)
It comes in different colours so you can pick your favourite. Go ahead and grab one here: SD Card Organiser.
5. Filters
I am in the process of picking new ND filters for my new photography gear. I used to have Lee filters for my DX camera, however now with the SAMYANG AE 14 mm f/2.8 ED IF UMC Aspherical lens I can’t use them anymore, so I am looking at other options.
The ones I think I’m going to buy are the NiSi Filters: NiSi has created a specific filter holder for my wide angle lens, and I can’t wait to test this new kit.
Stay tuned for the review I will write as soon as I have my new ND filters.
Me and My Camera
What is your travel photography gear and what is on your wishlist? Feel free to share your comments below!
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