Travel photography is the main subject of my online chats and messages I receive on social media. What’s my camera and what I pack during my solo on the road trips are common questions I’ve to reply to every few days. Therefore, this post is dedicated to curious readers or, more simply, to those who planned a great trip and are still wondering if it’s better to get a reflex, a smartphone, a mirrorless camera, or something else.
The truth is that lately, with the advent of digital cameras and advancing age, I pack fewer accessories and am very happy! Yes, because my cervical has its impact on my solo backpacking trips, but thanks to digital photography, we can now travel lighter, take more pics, and find cameras for any budget.
My own travel photography kit
I obviously bought these accessories step by step, according to my needs, budget, what I learned along the way, and above all, photo disappointment after photo disappointment …
So, here’s what I always pack in my carry on backpack:
- first of all, I use my smartphone a lot. After years with an iPhone 6, which satisfied me both for my rare travel selfies and my short videos, a few months ago I got an iPhone 11 Pro, combined with a Zhi yun Z1 Smooth C stabilizer, that fits other models too and with which I feel very comfortable
https://youtu.be/-R62nmPd7WU
- my fantastic Canon EOS 600D, an 18 Megapixel Digital Reflex camera I bought in 2012, with the two lenses kit: the 18-55 IS and the 55-250 IS compact telephoto lens, allowing me to film full HD (1080p)
- in fact, it’s almost always mounted with a generic Canon EF-S 18-200mm lens, with compact proportions and a powerful 11x zoom range
- for night shots I use a very light carbon fiber tripod, the Neewer® 66 “/ 168cm, with a 360 degree ball head
- always for night photos, I recently added a 14mm f / 2.8 IF ED UMC wide-angle lens, by Samyang, compatible with Canon and a Craphy LED illuminator
During my last trip to the States, I also enrolled in a night photography class in New York, repeating with another photographer in Washington. I know it may seem crazy, but my winter road trip included towns I already knew very well, surroundings included… I, therefore, thought this was the perfect opportunity to take the time to try different experiences.
What can I say? I am thrilled I did it, and my night travel photos really improved. Then, knowing new people and discovering details of a city through a local photographer’s gaze is always a true gift.
But back to my travel photo kit, I carry it in a photo equipment backpack during flights or hikes. I use the Amazon Basic DSLR one, and it’s just fine. During visits or town tours, I usually move around with a fantastic Lowepro bag, which I actually use even when I’m not carrying photo equipment…
I also recommend a kit for cleaning both the camera and its accessories. I use the linked one from CamKix, but there are many others. It might look like something extra, but even being very careful, it’s really too easy to dirty it by changing the lens, especially when outdoor!
Mirrorless cameras
I leave you with a brief note on the now fashionable Mirrorless cameras, apparently perfect for travel photography.
During the trip to Japan I took last winter, always due to cervical problems, I convinced myself that I absolutely needed one, and in fact, when I got back home, I spent a lot of money to buy a Canon EOS Mirrorless. Lightweight and practically pocketable, it makes spectacular movies and many other beautiful things, but I don’t like it, especially because it has no viewfinder. You can get a separate electronic viewfinder of course, but the model proposed at the moment is very expensive, cumbersome and fragile and it makes no sense when you opt for this type of camera.
To sum it up, I used it half a day as soon as I got it delivered and now it sleeps in a drawer in my room, since last May! Love, at first sight, is not always a good idea 😉
