What's in my camera bag for 2021?
What’s in my camera bag for 2021?
Over 2020, I’ve refined my camera gear so I only carry what I need and nothing excess. These tools allow me to pursue my ongoing photography projects, both in the mountains and in the city. While kit constantly comes and goes, this is the core of what I use to take pictures.
Canon 5D Mark iii - The 5D Mark iii is my first full-frame camera, and I love it. It’s pretty old now, but works perfectly for the type of landscape photography I typically do.
Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L - In 2019, 76.3% of all of the photos I took were with this lens. This is absolutely my workhorse lens and stays on my camera most of the time. This is an older model of this lens, which I was able to pick up on eBay for a reasonable price.
Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L - When I want to reach out and touch my subject, this is the lens I use. I feel in love with the lens during Firefall 2019, because it let me capture stunning close up images of horsetail falls. While it’s not as versatile as the 24-70mm, it’s a great lens for capturing small subjects and fine detail. However, I’ve found that I want to reach out even more, so I expect this lens will be replaced in 2021 with a 100-400mm lens at some point.
DJI Mini 2 - The DJI Mini 2 is my first drone and will enable me to pursue some new photography projects. It’s lightweight, which means there are no FAA certifications that are required to fly it, and it’s easy to carry in my bag.
Peak Design Everyday Backpack 30L - The Peak Design Everyday Backpack is the perfect photography backpack for use around town. It carries everything I need for a short excursion, and blends in well enough that I don’t stand out like a tourist in the city.
3 Legged Thing Punks Anarchy Billy - This is the best tripod I’ve ever used. It is lightweight and stiff, it has no problem holding a full-sized camera and lens steady even in windy conditions. The only downside to this tripod is the included ball head, which is a little weak for large cameras, which is why I also have…
3 Legged Thing AirHed Pro Lever - This ball head fixed all of the minor problems with the 3 Legged Thing Punks Anarchy Bill tripod. This thing is rock solid. It can hold my camera steady without slipping at all, even with heavy glass hanging off the front of the camera. You can see my review of this ball head on YouTube.
Peak Design Clutch - The Peak Design Clutch replaced my camera strap years ago. It lets me hand-hold my camera without worrying that I’ll drop it. I still use a strap some of the time, but most of the time the Clutch is all I need.
Peak Design Capture Clip - The Peak Design Capture Clip has been a lifesaver when hiking with my camera. It allows me to clip my camera directly to my backpack’s shoulder strap so it’s always close at hand without needing to hold my camera or put it back into my backpack.
Cokin Gradual ND Square Filter - These filters and filter holder work great for landscapes with a high dynamic range. Using these makes it so I have to do less Lightroom and Photoshop trickery to make a well exposed image.
10-stop ND Filter - This filter is ridiculous and I love it. It lets me take very long exposure photos that would otherwise be blown out from corner to corner.
Amazon Basics Circular Polarizing Filter - A really basic circular polarizing filter that was super inexpensive. It’s not the best filter in the world, but I also don’t use it much.
Pixel TW-283 Remote Timer - The Pixel wireless remote is perfect for what I need. It’s cheap (which is a good thing because I’ve lost two already) and has all of the features I need. Whether it’s triggering a single exposure while taking a family photo at the holidays or running a timelapse all night long, this remote timer gets the job done.
Petzl Tikka Headlamp - You never know when your golden hour photos will turn into blue hour photos and you’ll need to walk back to the car in the dark. I always have a headlamp stowed away in my bag just in case I need it unexpectedly.