My Gear

Since this is a question most asked - what camera do you use - I’m sharing a list of photography related equipment I've invested in over the past 20 years.  This is by no means an exhaustive list, but is a good overview.

Your Gear Is More Important!

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Your Gear Is More Important! 〰️

If you want to save time and learn what camera (and lens) investment matters MOST TO YOU, you can skip the following and check out my free video guide - Ultimate Mirrorless Camera Buying Guide (2023 version). Otherwise read on about my gear. Warning: it’s long…

Best Mirrorless Camera Photography Tips

Note: The following includes Amazon affiliate links, so you can get more product details. Most of my products were purchased years before I signed up Amazon Associate Program, so in some links you might see the updated version of the products I purchased. As an Amazon Associate I get paid a small fee from the purchases you make through my links without additional cost to you.

Camera - Learn How to Choose Cameras

Current cameras:

Lenses - Learn Why Lens Matters and How to Choose Lenses

Landscape Photography Lens Guide

Current main lenses for Canon EOS R5

Current main lens for Sony A7IV

Main lenses for Canon DSLRs: 5D Mark III & 7D, 2012-2022

My early DSLR days, 2007- 2012

Lens Adapter

  • Sigma MC-11 Mount Converter Lens Adapter (to mount Canon EF lenses on Sony A7III); retired in 2022 when I replaced Sony A7III with Sony A7IV, and replaced my last Canon EF lens with RF lens.

Landscape Photography Related

Top Mirrorless Camera Model Guide

Tripod - learn why you need a tripod and how to choose one

Main setup for landscape

  • Gitzo GT1542T Series 1 6X Carbon Fiber Traveler 4 Section G-Lock Tripod (no longer available, but this is the updated version)

Second tripod (mainly for landscape, and occasionally as monopod for portrait)

Special purpose (for panorama landscape photography or video)

Mini tripod (for Canon G7Xii and iPhone)

Amateur Landscape Photography Training

Camera L-plates - see sample pictures of L-plates mounted on my cameras

Filters - learn when and how to use filters

Landscape Photography Composition Tips

Intervalometer - Wireless Remote Shutter Release (featured in this video)

Note: Both could be used for Canon and Sony cameras with different cables, read more here). I seldom use intervalometers now due to the built-in interval timer and bulb features in my latest mirrorless cameras. (Learn mirrorless camera features and how to choose the right one)

Essential Electronics

Computers

  • 14” Apple M1 Max MacBook Pro since 2021 (main photo and video processing computer)

  • 15" Macbook Pro with touch bar 2019 (retired after upgrading to Canon EOS R5)

  • Apple iPad Pro (11-inch, Wi-Fi, 512GB)

  • 15” Macbook Pro Retina Display 2013 (before 2019 for photo only)

  • 21" iMac, 13" Macbook Air, 13" MacBook (retired)

Multiple portable hard drives (for photo storage and backup)

  • 10 SanDisk 2-4TB Extreme Portable External SSD (main drives for travel)

  • ~20 drives ranging from 200GB to 8TB over the past 15+ years, including

    • 8 Western Digital My Passport (2 5TB, 4 4TB, 2 2TB, 2 1TB) - mixed use for travel and backup

    • 6 Seagate Expansion desktop hard drives (14TB, 8TB, 5TB, 4TB, 3TB, 1TB) - all used for backup drives

    • also Apple Time Capsule, G-Technolgy, LaCie in the early days

  • Backblaze: online backup since 2019

Memory Card Reader

For Canon R5 slot 1 memory card

For Sony A7IV slot 1 memory card

For Canon R5 / Sony A7IV slot 2 memory card, and Canon powershot G7X Markii memory card

For DSLR (retired)

Memory Cards

For Canon EOS R5

For Sony A7IV

For Sony A7III

For DJI Mini 2 drone

For Canon powershot G7X Markii

For Canon 5D Mark III

Portrait / Studio / Event Photography Related

Off-camera Flash (for portrait) - purchased before 2010

Flash trigger systems (for portrait field lighting) - purchased before 2010

Studio lighting equipment (for studio portrait) - purchased before 2010

  • Larson Enterprise 4'x6' softbox

  • Alien Bee 800W studio lights

  • Six Light stands (with different sizes)

  • Four Strobe umbrellas (with different shapes)

White Balancing (for color management)

  • EzyBalance Calibration Card

Monitor calibration device (for color management)

Others

Camera Bags

Video Light

Accessories

Software

The following is a list of photography related software I've purchased and used over the past 10+ years, and now I almost exclusively use Adobe Lightroom Classic CC.

Photo organization & retouching

Adobe Lightroom Classic CC

Retouching, editing

Adobe Photoshop CC now; CS5, CS6 (past)

  • only for complex retouching used for commercial licensed large prints

Nik Software Complete Collection 3 and 4

  • including Color Efex, Viveza, Silver Efex, HDR Efex, Dfine, Sharpner etc.) - before they were acquired by Google

Video Editing

Final Cut Pro X (since 2019) - see my latest video

Professional proofing, printing, production (related to portrait photography only)

  • ProSelect studio proofing (before 2011; professional proofing software; you don’t need if you are amateur)

  • Various professional printing lab vendor software for wall prints, canvases, albums, books, DVD slideshow production etc.

Last but not least, I shoot RAW on 99.9% occasions, unless I run out of memory cards. 

Still here? Want to learn what camera equipment is right for you in 2023? Check out my free video guide.