What’s In My Camera Bag?

1 Nov

Part 1 - Essentials

I thought it’d be useful to share with you some of the gear that I use, and it’ll be interesting for me to see how this changes over time as my photography evolves (and my budget can be justified). One thing I’ve quickly learnt is how easy it is to get G.A.S (i.e. gear acquisition syndrome), which can be dangerous for one’s bank account particularly as photography is not a cheap hobby!

What I carry with me will depend on where I’m going. If it involves hiking over an hour to a location, I’ll travel as light as possible. Otherwise, I’m happy to lug around some extra kilos with my “nice to have” gear for that “just in case” event. In this blog, I’ll cover my core set-up and the essentials that I usually carry when I’m travelling light, and when weight is not a concern. In part 2, I’ll cover some of my favourite photography accessories.

*** Updated July 2022 ***

The items in my core set-up are what I consider to be absolute necessities and non-negotiable - they’re always in my bag when I’m out in the field!

Fujifilm X-T4 camera: I love the tactile functionality and retro look of this APS-C camera - it’s very enjoyable to use and nice to look at! A great all-rounder for photography and video (which hopefully, I’ll be doing more of).
Fujifilm XF 10-24mm f/4 R OIS WR lens: my go-to wide angle zoom lens for landscape photography. It’s compact, light and consistently delivers great results throughout its focal length (15-36mm full frame equivalent) and aperture range.
Fujifilm XF 70-300mm f/4 - 5.6 R LM OIS WR lens: a new addition to my bag to replace my beloved XF 50-140mm (which is now R.I.P in lens heaven). Although it was released in March 2021, due to global shipment delays, I’ve just recently got my hands on this lens. Based on all reviews I’ve seen so far, it is a very sharp telephoto zoom lens (approx. 107-457mm full frame equivalent) and I’m looking forward putting it through its paces!
Kase Wolverine magnetic circular filters (82mm): CPL and ND filters are a must-have and I rarely take photos without a filter on. I prefer the ease and speed of snapping on a magnetic filter and am always carrying a UV, CPL, 6 stop, and 10 stop.
Nisi 15 stop Nano IR ND filter (82mm): true to life colour with no colour cast and nano coating. Solid but thin screw-on filter which is a must for my harsh, daylight long exposures!
*I’m a Nisi Affiliate and if you’d like to purchase this ND filter or other Nisi products, please use my link above (I earn a small commission from sales).
3 Legged Thing Ellie L-bracket (with peak design capture base): this L-bracket has been great for switching between landscape and portrait in a jiffy. But I’ll likely be replacing this soon as it prevents full functionality of my X-T4 camera given it’s not specifically designed to fit that camera body. July 2022 update: I’ve replaced this with a Smallrig X-T4 L-bracket. Perfect fit & super happy!!
JJC remote shutter release (for Fujifilm): simple, reliable and multi-functional. My second most important tool for long exposures.
Fujifilm battery: even though battery life on the X-T4 battery is quite good, I always have a spare on me just in case I get carried away and run out of juice!
Smallrig folding tool set: a neat and unassuming but super nifty tool set that has oftentimes been handy for tightening and loosening things when I’m out in the field.
Giottos rocket air blower and cleaning kit: no better way to safely clean my lenses and keep the errant dust, water sprays and sand from ruining my shots.

My core set-up

kase_1121030018_72mm_circular_polarizer_grad_1597754131_1583726.jpg

In addition to my core set-up, I’ll most likely be carrying the following when I’m ducking out for a quick shoot or when I’m travelling far and every kilogram adds up:

Lowepro Freeline BP 350 AW camera bag: not the lightest of camera bags (1.9 kgs), but I like that it’s a rather inconspicuous camera bag and can convert to an ordinary day bag when I’m not carrying much camera gear. If I need more space, I’ll take my Shimoda bag instead (which weighs the same, see below).
Fujifilm XF 18mm f/1.4 R LM WR lens: a super sharp and fast lens that is a recent addition and a must have for my astrophotography shoots. So far, I’ve seen none (or very little) of the usual aberrations we tend to look out for in an astro lens (eg choma, chromatic and spherical).
Vanguard Veo 2 Go 204CB carbon fibre tripod: folding up to a tiny 32cm and weighing less than 800g, you could be forgiven for forgetting that you were carrying a tripod! On the flipside, I think it’d struggle in strong windy conditions and if height is important (its maximum height is only 130cm with the centre column extended).
Ledlenser SEO 7R rechargeable headlamp: if I’m heading out to a location before dawn or will be coming back after dusk, I’ll definitely have this headlamp with me. Very bright, multiple settings and just so practical.

If I’m going to multiple locations and can afford to carry a little more, I’ll try to fit these additional items in:

Shimoda Action X50 camera bag: when I need to carry more camera gear as well as food and clothing (usually on multi-day hikes), this 50 litre Shimoda is the bees nees of outdoor adventure photography backpacks. It is so well designed and I thought I couldn’t fault it - but one negative design feature I’ve discovered is that on really long hikes, the back panel absorbs A LOT of sweat/moisture and gets incredibly wet (I do sweat a bit)! This is because it sits flush against my back, while most hiking specific bags will have a back suspension gap/air bridge to keep the bag off your back and wicks away moisture to keep you dry. Shimoda, if you’re reading this - there’s a design improvement idea!
July 2022 update: invested in a new Sirui ST-124 carbon fibre tripod with ST-10X ball head and am loving my new tripod!!! Water proof, solid but lightweight, in-built spikes, and smooth like butter :)
*I’m a Sirui Affiliate and if you’d like to purchase this tripod or other Sirui products, please use my link above (I earn a small commission from sales).
Leofoto LB-66 levelling base: permanently attached to my Travis tripod, this levelling base is essential for taking panoramas - which I need to do more of!
Neewer nodal rail: also essential for panoramas, this nodal rail will assist in preventing parallex issues when stitching photos in post.
Peak Design capture clip: this clip hardly weighs anything, but it’s usually attached to the shoulder strap of my Shimoda bag, for those long hikes when it’s more convenient for me to whip my camera out from the clip than to zip/unzip my bag.
Xiaomi ZMI QB822 power bank: this power bank outputs 27W using Quick Charge or Power Delivery on USB-C, has two USB ports and apparently an 88% efficiency rating. For all my portable power needs, this 20,000mAh power bank is a very affordable and reliable workhorse.

July 2022 update: as I’m almost always filming on location these days, I thought I’d also include my video essentials below:

DJI Mini 2 drone: this little drone is so fun to fly and shoots great 4k footage, but there are so few places where I can fly it! A drawback to it being tiny and light (it weighs less than 250g) is that I can’t fly it in windy weather. When it’s packed in my bag, it’ll usually be with the controller, 2 spare batteries, some spare propellors and ND filters (see below).

DJI Air 2S drone: a recent fantastic upgrade to my Mini 2, and in my opinon, it’s still the best value for money drone around today. It’s more advanced in every way (eg 1-inch CMOS sensor, 5.4k video, active tracking & 4-directional obstacle sensors) and has given me better aerial photos, videos and general flying experience. Just wish it had side sensors! Highly recommend you purchase the Fly More Combo pack if you’re interested in adding this awesome drone to your kit.
Freewell ND filters for DJI Mini 2: must-have sunglasses for the DJI Mini 2, to cut out glare and reflections from water and reflective surfaces (CPL) and to maintain the 180 degree shutter rule when shooting videos (ND filters).
GoPro Hero9 Black: my trusty little side-kick that has gone on all my adventures with me. Small, light, reliable, durable, and records crisp footage in 5k - can’t ask for much more! Actually, I can ask for more - a bigger sensor to record better footage in low-light please…the noise can be terrible!
Rode Wireless Go 2 microphone system: I’m often also filming while I’m out on my photo trips, and have found this ultra compact wireless mic system meets my current audio needs. Solid build and sound quality, easy to use and is hardly noticeable.
3 Legged Thing Punks (Travis) tripod and Airhead Neo ballhead: a decent entry-level tripod and ball head that’s on the heavier end (almost 2 kgs), but it is sturdy and has done the job for me thus far. However, the rubber twist locks and legs can get a bit sticky (and loose)…now mainly used as my video tripod.