Travelling the world means living with as least as possible and making the most of the stuff you bring. You don’t want to carry things that you’re not going to use anyway, but you also don’t want to be at the spot realising that you should have brought a little more. Even though I try not to bring too much, my backpack is about 13kg with all these items. And that’s how all these travel photographers get these muscles (or back pain). I’m sharing my personal must haves in this article and hope it gives you some inspiration! Too lazy to read the article? Head over to my Amazon Shop.
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In This Post
Camera Gear
Camera: SONY A7III
The A7III was (or still is) the most popular camera for travel photographers over the last years. Sony has been the pioneer of mirrorless full frame cameras and the availability of lenses is huge. If you’re about to buy a new Sony full frame camera, I would go for the Sony A7IV. The third edition is already 5 years old and technology isn’t standing still these days.
Lens: Tamron 28-75 f/2.8
My first lens I bought and the only one I’ve been shooting with in my first 6 months with my A7III. It’s light, cheap and shoots very sharp pictures. Even in low light circumstances!
Lens: Sony FE 70-200 f/4
My favourite lens! They say every photographer needs a 70-200 in his bag and I couldn’t agree more. Sometimes I’m sad that subjects are so close, just because I can’t use my 70-200 on these moments. The f/4 is way cheaper and less heavy than it’s big brother (f/2.8), which made it the perfect choice. In low light circumstances I use it on a tripod.
Lens: Sony FE 16-35 F/2.8 GM
The Golden Master. This Sony lens is the favourite of many photographers and videographers, especially vloggers. It’s amazing for wide landscapes, but my go-to lens for interior shots as well. Think about hotel or accommodation shoots and more!
Tripod: Rollei Compact Traveller No. 1
Very lightweight and foldable to 30cm, that’s how it sold itself to me! I bring this tripod way more than I use it and that’s a good sign. After about 5 years of usage, I’m now looking for a new tripod. If you have any recommendations, please let me know!
Extras: Smallrig L-Bracket
A what? An L-Bracket. That’s a fancy name for a tool that allows you to take vertical shots on a tripod. I’ve been struggling for years to get a decent vertical shot on a tripod. I even crashed my camera in New York while trying it, but the wind was stronger than my vertical positioned camera on a tripod. All this time, there was a 25 euro tool to fix this problem. Since I have it, it’s always on my camera. Being an Insta photographer (4×5 dimensions, I’m talking about you) simply means that we’re often focused on vertical shots. With this bracket it’s easypeasy to get that shot from a tripod!
SD Card: SanDisk Extreme PRO SDXC UHS-1 64GB
Every photographer or videographer needs storage. I usually put my data to my SSD’s right after each and every shoot, but with 64GB of storage, I can do two shoots on one card as well.
Drone
Drone: DJI Air 2S Fly More Combo
After flying the DJI Mini 2 for about a year, I upgraded to the DJI Air 2S. This is an amazing drone for people who take photography and videography more serious with their drone. The Mini’s are amazing and lightweight, but you will see and feel the difference in flying an Air series. It’s more steady in heavy wind conditions, has a bigger sensor and shoots in D-log, a massive advantage. I’ll soon be sharing a guide where I’ll share my advices on buying a new drone!
Filters: Freewell Filter Set
If you’re serious about drone photography, you need some filters too. This filter set is blocking light, reflections and adds depth to the colours. It’s an unmissable accessoire and this Freewell set is a great option!
SD CARD DRONE: SanDisk Extreme Pro 64GB
I’m using a 64GB Micro SD Card for my drone. Even though the drone has internal storage, I prefer to save my content on an SD Card. If you get one, make sure it is fast enough to store 4K or even 5K clips.
Backpack
Backpack: Peak Design Travel Backpack 45L
To be honest, I didn’t know this brand existed until I saw their shop in Bangkok. I was desperately in need of a backpack, couldn’t find the main brands in Thailand and I bumped into the flagship store in one of the malls. But it treats me very good! All my gear above fits easily, there’s quick camera access from the top and it has a separate compartment for a laptop, iPad AND some daily essentials.
Backpack Camera Cube: Peak Design Camera Cube Medium
If you decide to buy a Peak Design backpack, keep in mind that they come without a camera cube. You have to take this one yourself. All my gear described above fits into the medium cube, and you’ll have space above this cube for a jacket, cables, or whatever you want!
Laptop and Storage
Laptop: Macbook Pro 13” 2020 M1 – 16GB RAM – 512GB SSD
The link above is linking to a newer model. I’ve been using my MacBook Pro for 2 years now and I’m very happy with it. The M1 processor is a true game changer and makes working so easy for creatives! Rendering video files and working in multiple heavy programs is easy and I never see myself making the switch back to Windows. If you’re in need of a new MacBook, I would go for the most recent model, to make sure it has the longest life span. If you don’t have the budget, take the model of one year before the current year as it should last as well!
External SSD Disk: Sandisk 1TB SSD
Storage is key and that’s why I’m using Sandisk SSD’s to have my files stored. I’m currently having two, but will probably buy more over the next years. I’m happy with the amount of storage one SSD gives and as you can always lose one, I think it’s better to divide your content over multiple storages. Back home I have some bigger HDD’s to secure my files while traveling. Every time I get home I make sure I back up my files before I head on that next trip.
USB-C Hub: UGREEN USB-C Hub
As my MacBook only offers 2 USB-C slots, I need a hub. I don’t mind using them at all and my biggest advice would be to get one with at least SD, Micro SD, USB-A, USB-C and HDMI ports.
Others
Powerbank: Xtorm Powerbank 20.000mAh
I can’t go on a trip without this one. Enough power to charge my phone (or something else) multiple times. Ideal for hostel rooms without power plugs as well. Ideal for multi day trips without electricity at all. Ideal for just a long day where I’m not able to charge my phone. I dropped it too often and it’s still alive.
Cleaning: Microfiber towel
Call me crazy, but I’m always bringing one of these microfiber towels in my backpack. They don’t use any space and clean my gear like magic! I use them for both my MacBook as my camera lenses.
Cleaning: Air Blower
Another small but ultra useful tool to clean my camera sensor: the air blower. If you’re changing lenses while travelling, it’s inevitable to get some dust on your sensor every now and then. With the air blower, you’re able to blow the dust away. NEVER touch your sensor with a towel, your fingers or yeah, don’t touch it in general.
