What’s in My Camera Bag – All My Travel Blogging Gear

09/03/2022
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What blogging equipment do I use? How do I take my photos? And, most of all, what’s the best camera for travel blogging? These are the most common question I get asked ever since I started growing on Instagram and getting my blog up and running. So get ready, it's time to show you what’s in my camera bag. !
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What blogging equipment do I use? How do I take my photos? And, most of all, what’s the best camera for travel blogging? These are the most common question I get asked ever since I started growing on Instagram and getting my blog up and running. So get ready, it's time to show you what’s in my camera bag. !








The most common question I get ever since I started growing on Instagram and getting my blog up and running is centered around my travel blog photography. What blogging equipment do I use? How do I take my photos? And, most of all, what’s the best camera for travel blogging? Today I decided to address all these questions and show you what’s in my camera bag. So get ready, as I’ll show you all my travel blogging gear!

When you’re a travel blogger and content creator, taking flawless photos is one of the most important things. Not the only one, of course – good content and strong ideas are also key elements if you want to gain an awesome, faithful community. But let’s face it: everything starts with a good picture.

After researching A LOT and changing equipment over the years, I have finally created the ideal photography kit for travel blogging that works for me, my style and my content. Let’s get started:

What’s in my camera bag

1 – Camera

what's in my camera bag canon 5d mk4

Everything starts with the camera, of course. Although, if you ask me, if you’re a creative person just starting out, you can still achieve incredible results with the cheapest camera on the market and none of that expensive editing software. 

But in order to make your life easier, purchasing a good camera that will help you get amazing results in all types of lighting (especially low light) will be one of the best decisions you will ever make. Been there, done that!

My Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark IV – This is one of the top cameras on the market right now, for both photo AND video. I chose Canon as a personal preference, but you can also opt for Nikon or for a mirrorless camera as well, such as Sony Alpha – all of them are fabulous choices.

Cheaper Camera Option: Canon EOS 80D – This one’s a great option as well for both photography and HD video recording.

Mirrorless Camera Option: Canon EOS M50 – This is a brilliant starter DSLR camera opinion and great for travel as it’s powerful, yet small and lightweight.

MY OPINION: It’s really hard to say which is the best camera for travel blogging. For me it’s the Canon 5D Mark IV, but somebody else might tell you that they’re doing a terrific job with a lower-end camera. Which is completely fine! My advice to you is to make a shortlist adapted to your budget and preferences and maybe rent the cameras for a day or two and make a practical comparison between them. It comes down to personal choice, so it’s worth spending some time trying your options to make an informed decision!

2 – Lens

sigma 35mm

Here’s the hard truth: you can have the most expensive camera on the market, but if you don’t have the right, high-quality lens for it and the type of photography you are planning on creating, you won’t get very good results. A camera body has no use if you don’t attach the perfect lens to it, am I right? …Rhetorical question. I am right. 

Below I’ve made a list with my three lens options that I take everywhere with me. These are the best lens for a photography kit if you ask me:

Of course, you don’t need to have all these in your kit if you find they have no use for you. Maybe you usually use a GoPro for wide angled landscapes and you’ll soon find out that your expensive wide angle camera lens gathers dust on the shelf. So make sure you know your priorities and your style of photography, so you can make a wise choice when it comes to your gear and purchases!

TIP: I quickly found out that I use my Sigma 35mm the most, so if you were to only choose one lens from the list above, get the 35mm! It’s also the best lens for travel, if you ask me!

3 – Tripod and gimbal

what's in my camera bag best tripod

Concerned about your shaky hands? Bummed that you can’t achieve flawless video movements and transitions like all the best creators out there? Heh, I get you, but there’s no need to struggle here! I recommend having the following two items in your photography kit for stabilized, non-shakey images: a good, high-quality tripod and a gimbal as well.

I’m sure you know what a tripod is and why it’s such an important item in your kit. But what’s a gimbal? Google explains it best: it’s basically a pivoted support that allows your camera to rotate on a single axe. Read: steady and super smooth! 

Tripods are an amazing tool that help you get super sharp images, take group photos, and help capture high quality images in low light settings. However, when buying a travel tripod, it’s really important to take a couple of things into account:

  • The weight of your camera – some cheaper tripods may not be able to support your camera, which could end up damaging your equipment.
  • The size and weight of the tripod (after all, you’re going to be carrying this thing around with you!)

Here’s what I have in my kit:

Tripod: Benro Mach3 Tripod Ser 2 Alum 4 Sect

Gimbal: Zhiyun Crane 2 – best gimbal for DSLR cameras in my opinion!

RELATED READ: Beginner’s Guide to Photography – How to Shoot Manual Mode

4 – GoPro

what's in my camera bag best gopro

If you’re a travel blogger, chances are you might need an action camera! And the best and most popular option out there is, of course, the GoPro. Compact, handy and pretty much iconic. In my opinion, they’re awesome little pieces of technology, perfect if you want to shoot some b-rolls or some quick shots when you’re out and about. Plus, they’re waterproof and shockproof, which makes them perfect for those of you who want to climb mountains, kayak, snorkel and more.

Here’s my current GoPro model and two little gadgets I recommend getting for your action camera as well:

My GoPro: GoPro HERO8 Black

Dome: GoPro Hero 8 Dome – lets you capture images half in and half out of the water!

Floating Wrist Wrap for GoPro: CamKix Floating Wrist Wrap – super handy for snorkeling and diving!

5 – Drone

what's in my camera bag best drone

Drones have been a true hype over the last years – and let me tell you: the hype is well-deserved, my friends! Drones are amazing for shooting aerial photography and video and for awe-inspiring landscape shots during your travels. There is no doubt – investing in a drone is the easiest way to level up your content as a creator.

There has been quite a debate lately about the best drone for photographers. While I don’t know how to answer that, as it really depends on your preferences, I can tell you what I have in my bag:

My drone: DJI Mavic Air Fly More Combo – This awesome combo includes the drone, 3 batteries, SD card, landing gear and more. It basically has everything you’ll ever need to fly your drone successfully!

TIP: Flying a drone is not an easy business, so you’ll need a bit of practice if you want to control it in windy weather and land it successfully. But don’t worry and don’t give up. It just takes a bit of practice. Just think about all those incredible shots you’re going to take – it’s all worth it!

6 – SD cards and hard drives

what's in my camera bag best sd card

Now that you hace all that incredible gear and lens, you’ll need something to store all those pictures and videos you’re going to take, right? Here’s where SD cards and external hard drives come in handy. An SD card is a must-have in order to be able to take pictures and videos with your camera, GoPro or drone, while a hard drive is a safe place to store your files for later. 

Hard drive: Lacie Rugged Mini 2 TB – one of the best external hard drive for photographers because it’s drop, crush and rain-resistant!

SD cards: SanDisk Extreme PRO 128GB

TIP #1: The best SD card for photographers is the one that has the most memory. Period.

TIP #2: Trust my word on this: back-up your files. Yes, all of them. Everything that’s important. Make sure you have at least one copy of your files in two different places; you never know if or when your laptop/computer might crush. And if it does… you don’t want to regret not thinking about it sooner! Guga and I went to Mexico. Although you’d never know it. Mistakes were made. Now we always have a second Hard drive.

7 – Camera bag

Ah, yes, the camera bag. The one item in your photography kit that has to be both useful AND pretty looking. After all, it’s an accessory that can compliment your outfit, correct? There are countless options out there for all types of photographers and needs, but here’s what I like to carry with me:

Camera Bag: Manfrotto MB MA-BP-BFR Advanced Befree Camera Backpack – spacious and extremely useful. It’s the best camera bag for travel in my opinion;

Another very good option: Backsmart Anti-Theft Camera Backpack – if you want to be a bit more fashion and a bit less geeky;

Smaller city day bag: Ona Messenger Bag – fashionable all the way! It can carry one camera with lens, plus one or two extra lenses, depending on their size.

RELATED READ: Sparkler Photography – The Secret for Perfect Sparkler Pictures

8 – Other useful accessories & nice-to-haves

best lens filter

The items above are, in my opinion, all must-haves. But there are other handy accessories and tools you might want to add to your photography kit in case you find them useful for your photography style. I’m talking about cleaning kits, lens filters (these can be real life savers!) and shoulder straps for your camera. 

Here’s my list. Feel free to choose whichever of these items you find more useful and/or exciting:

Lens Cleaning Kit: Zacro Professional Camera Cleaning Kit – it’s best to clean your lens from time to time in order to make sure there’s no dust or fingerprints on them, especially if you’re doing action photography;

LED External Light: Iwata LED Bi-Color Video Light – for awesome portraits in low-light situations. Good for video as well;

Camera strap: Waka Rapid Slide Shoulder Strap – simple and minimal;

ND Filter 82mm: Polar Pro 82mm ND Filter – choose this one depending on the diameter of your lens;

ND Filter 67mm: Polar Pro 67mm ND Filter

Aaaand that’s about everything you need to know about my photography gear! In the article above I have told you all about my camera, all my lenses, the best DSLR camera bag for travel (in my opinion, of course), my GoPro, drone and more. I hope this list answers all your questions about my gear and everything else that I use to take my Instagram and blog photos.

And if you want to see more of my images, head over to my Instagram account and say hi!

xoxo,

Melissa

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    Hi, I'm Melissa
    LONDON GIRL GONE GLOBAL!
    I left my life in London and career in the film industry to chase eternal summers, bucket list adventures and see as much of our planet as possible. To say that I am a travel enthusiast is an understatement - what can I say, I am completely obsessed with this wonderful world of ours!
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