What’s In My Bag?

“Hi, my name is Andy, and I am a recovering equipmentaholic”

An admitted “gearhead,” I thought it would be fun to list my photographic equipment, ala some of the pro websites out there, so all of you who are aspiring to be more like me 🙂 will know what I carry and shoot.  So, here goes:

Sony a7R II “Full Frame “(35mm equivalent) mirrorless

• Zeiss 24-105mm f.4 “G” Zoom Lens
• Sony 50mm f1.8 fixed lens
• Tamron 24mm f2.8 fixed lens
• Rokinon 14mm f2.8 fixed lens
  

Olympus OMD EM10 IV (M 4/3) mirrorless

• M. Zuiko 14-150mm f4 – 5.6
• M. Zuiko 9-18mm f4 – 5.6
• M. Zuiko  14 – 42mm f3.5 – 5.6
• Bower 7mm Fisheye

Sony RX100vi;

• integrated Zeiss vario-sonar f2.8-4.8 24-200mm equivalent

Other Gear

• Sirui Lightweight foldable carbon fiber tripod with “Arca-Swiss” type Benro Gear Head (M-3204X)
• Sirui Ultralight, packable carbon fiber tripod with “Arca-Swiss” type Ball Head (T-025)
• L-Brackets
• Remote shutter release devices (it seems contra to me to use a tripod and then trip the shutter by hand in most cases)
• 2 Flashes, and remote triggering device

I also carry some assorted “other” items – such as B&W CPL filters, bubble level, and an assortment of square ND filters (1, 2, 4, and 6 stop).

My equipment list has been “winnowed” down over the past couple years.  “Less is more” …….. and LIGHTER 🙂

Camera Bags ….

I have adapted, over time, my carry methods, depending on the type of “outing.”

For a “dedicated” photo-shoot, I usually don’t use bags or backpacks. In my personal experience, they are limiting and I have never found the “right one.” I have used both and find that they actually make shooting more difficult for me. When carrying gear in the field, I either use a vest (often referred to in my self-deprecating posts as my “dorky-vest”) :-), or a small bag (my friends and family refer to this bag as my “murse”). 🙂 My vest is not a name brand photo-vest. I look for zippered pockets and light weight. I have found that fewer large pockets work better than many smaller, “dedicated” photo vest pockets. I try to carry only what I am going to absolutely need in the field.

Over the past 10 years or so, we have begun to do a fair amount of “world-travel.” This is often family or friend oriented and photography has to be balanced with other activities. Much of it involves cruise ship and/or train travel in parts of the world. Carrying all that photo equipment in such cases just isn’t workable. for such “non-dedicated” photo travel and for off the ship and other outings I put the very small, Olympus setup in my carry-on bag, and use the “murse” for on the ground carrying. I also usually pack the even smaller Sony RX100iv, and occasionally, the packable tripod.

For specifically dedicated photo trips, or just in the car, where I want to carry the more capable Sony equipment, I have recently been giving to give the backpack setup another try. I am currently using the smallest LowePro “fastpack” daypack as it fits under the seat on most airlines. Whether this is my ultimately permanent solution, time will tell, but I have used it successfully now for 2 dedicated trips involving flying to my destination.