What photography essentials do you use? This is one of the questions we are often asked. In this blog, we'll give you a peek inside our photography bag and will tell you which cameras, accessories and laptop we use.
Camera & Lens
Over the past three years, we have significantly expanded and upgraded our photography gear. Something like... a hobby going wild... When, without any intention, we captured our first big trip in 2016, we only used our phones and a small Sony digital camera. This is where our love for travelling was born but also definitely the love for photography and videography. So in 2017, we had to get a camera. We started with a Olympus EPL-7 with 1 extra lens in addition to the kit lens. This was a small vlog camera with a 12-megapixel sensor. But after a collision in Vietnam, there wasn't much left of it.
After this, the Nikon D5600 with kit lens 18mm-55mm and 24.1 megapixel sensor. Later, we have beautiful Sigma 17mm-50mm F2.8 lens for bought with which we take almost all pictures.
We are currently still using the Nikon D5600 but have expanded our collection to include the Canon EOS-R with lens RF 24mm-70mm F2.8.
Tip: Replenishing and improving your photography essentials is a process that takes years. We too do this step by step. So don't let that stop you and start with a simple camera!
DJI Action Cam
We love our action cam! And not for nothing because an action cam is perfect for taking underwater photos. Melvin in particular was soon convinced that we ‘needed’ one too. We started with a Sony HDR AS200V suitable for filming 4k. After 4 years of travelling and hundreds of great videos further, it was time for a little upgrade.
Whether we go snorkelling, diving, mountain biking along a hill with the DJI Action cam we capture these moments. This action cam has a screen on both the front and back so you can always clearly see what you are filming. In addition, this action cam without housing is waterproof, has built-in RockSteady image stabilisation and can film in different fps. A floating handle and spare battery are essential accessories with this item. We think the DJI Action cam is super and are very happy with this brand. Similarly, we have the DJI Mavic Air, the DJI Action cam and the DJI Osmo Mobile 2.
Tip: Do you have an action cam that is not waterproof? Then look one for a waterproof housing.
DJI Mavic Air
The drone we are currently using is the DJI Mavic Air. But this is not our first drone. We started with a very simple Visio drone with which we could practise as piloting a drone can still be quite a challenge.
The DJI Mavic Air has features such as obstacle detection, GPS function and fly home. In addition, this drone is compact enough to take with you when travelling. In its storage case, the drone is the same size as our Samsung S20+ which is ideal. We also went straight for the fly-more combo so we got an extra battery with it.
Read also: Review: Fujifilm Instax mini 11 polaroid camera including price review!
Samsung S20+
A phone with a good camera is enough for cool Instagram stories or beautiful posts. We opted for the Samsung S20+ with a 64-megapixel camera.
Tip: We do not recommend zooming in via your phone. This always results in lower quality and is unnecessary. With the free Adobe Lightroom app for your mobile phone, you can crop your photos afterwards!
DJI Osmo Mobile 2
Now that we have the DJI Action cam we use the DJI Osmo Mobile 2 a lot less. But do you want to use your phone to shoot short videos for Instagram, Tik tok or Youtube? Then check out all the benefits for of the DJI Osmo Mobile 2 here.
Laptop - MacBook Pro 2019
In addition to the above photography essentials, we use a laptop. You don't need a laptop directly to take the perfect photo, but you do need one to edit it. We use the MacBook Pro 2019 with 16GB of working memory. This laptop is compatible with all adobe creative cloud applications. From photo editing to video editing for YouTube or Tiktok everything is possible.
Besides this MacBook, we have another MacBook pro 2015 and a MacBook air 2013. These two MacBooks are only not suitable for heavy applications like Adobe creative cloud. So do you want to edit all your photos or edit your videos right away? Then go for one of the newer MacBooks. To save some money, we looked at IUsed.co.uk. Here you can buy MacBooks, among other things, that have been standing as show models in a shop or have minor damages. We are very satisfied with their service and got a great laptop, with great working memory and at a good price.
Want to know more about the above photography essentials Or has anything changed from the above text? Please let us know via [email protected]. Need travel inspiration? Take a look at our landing page.