Today we unpack: And that’s all the photographic equipment we have with us when we travel. With which camera do you photograph? And with which camera do you film? How do you get your shots so stable? Such and similar questions about our photographic equipment are some of the most frequently asked.
Since we started our travel blog, we’ve tinkered a lot with the equipment – and that’s never going to change. Nevertheless, we have found the right amount of equipment for us. Here we go: In this blog article we show you all our travel photography equipment.
OUR CAMERAS
Camera #1: Nikon D750 (DSLR)
We hereby out as Team Nikon. The decision for Nikon was made by Romeo long before we started our travel blog. The haptics of Nikon cameras already appealed to him more than those of the Canon models.
But why exactly this camera? Reason number one: It should be a full format camera. Although a full-frame camera meant a higher investment (also in terms of buying a lens), the advantages in terms of light sensitivity outweighed the advantages in the end.
The Nikon D750 finally won the race for the following reasons: For a full-frame camera, the D750’s body is relatively small – especially if you compare the D750 with other full-frame cameras from Nikon. The D750 is a professional camera, but it is reasonably affordable.
The D750 can be used universally. Even after more than two years of continuous and intensive use, there was still no situation in which the camera “wasn’t enough”. In addition, the light sensitivity of the sensor is sensational.
The folding display is also practical for travel photography. Many cameras now have such a display, but we have to mention that a foldable display is very helpful for certain perspectives.
Camera #2: Sony Alpha 7II (DSLM)
Why are you asking yourself a second camera? Right question. It is so: For a long time we had the feeling that we were no longer flexible enough with just one camera – especially since we often photograph and film at the same time. In the long run, it was too tedious for us to constantly change shots or mount and remove the suspended tripod.
That’s why we decided to make a slightly larger investment and have since welcomed the Sony Alpha 7 II system camera into our family.
We chose the Sony Alpha 7 II because of its integrated image stabiliser, among other things. Had we had more budget available, we would definitely have ended up with the Sony Alpha 7S II, but for now the camera is the perfect choice for us.
OUR LENSES
All-round zoom lens: Nikon AF-S 24-70mm 2.8
Our all-round lens is the Nikon AF-S 24-70mm 2.8, which we take with us on every trip. It’s certainly not a lightweight, but the imaging performance at an open aperture of 2.8 is simply terrific. We love it despite its weight of over 800gr hot.
The lens is our “always on” lens. We take about 50 to 60 percent of our photos with this lens – especially landscape photos, panoramic shots, photos of buildings or streets.
Fixed Focal Length #1: Nikon AF-S 35mm 1,8
Our favourite Nikon fixed focal length is the 35mm one. This lens is clearly our most flexible fixed focal length: we use it for half body portraits, for pictures of restaurant visits or for detail shots.
The 35mm fixed focal length is also great when it gets a bit darker, because it is very fast. And if necessary you can even take a landscape photo with it. Another advantage of this lens is that it is relatively light. All in all: Simply a fixed focal length with which one likes to photograph.
Fixed focal length #2: Nikon AF-S 50mm 1,8
If you are looking for a cheaper alternative to the 35mm fixed focal length, the 50mm lens might be something for you. In our eyes there is hardly a lens with a better price-performance ratio. The 50mm focal length is suitable for photographing (half-body) portraits, for example.
Granted: Since we have the 35mm fixed focal length, we hardly use our 50mm lens anymore. But it used to be one of our favourite lenses. Meanwhile, the difference in the focal length is simply too small, so we usually don’t have it with us.
Fixed focal length #2: Nikon AF-S 85 mm 1.8G
A very special fixed focal length is the one with a focal length of 85mm. Here you are very close to the object – often too close. However, with the 85mm fixed focal length the most interesting and exciting photos can be taken.
In comparison to the other two fixed focal lengths mentioned above, the 85mm lens allows you to take even more beautiful pictures of objects. This makes for a very special look. We like to use the 85mm fixed focal length for portraits.
Travel photography from above: Our drone
We take our aerial photos with the DJI Mavic Pro. We don’t have our drone with us on every trip, but of course it shouldn’t be missing in this blog article. At that time, we thought long and hard about which drone it should be. The DJI Mavic Pro was chosen for several reasons.
On the one hand (and this is one of the most important advantages) we didn’t want to carry a monster thing with us on our travels. The DJI Mavic Pro is amazingly handy. In just a few simple steps you can fold it up to a small size. The remote control is also quite small. All in all, the DJI Mavic Pro takes up much less space in your luggage than you might expect from a drone.
Despite its small size, the image quality of the DJI Mavic Pro is very good. Meanwhile there is a successor model, the DJI Mavic 2 Pro. The DJI Mavic 2 Pro has a better camera (it’s more light sensitive), can fly longer and the range is a bit longer. But of course it is more expensive and a little heavier.
